Help me out here: What's a sight picture supposed to look like?

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I had cataract surgery in both eyes. Because of this, my far vision in both eyes is perfect, but I now need reading glasses in order to focus on things close in (like reading a newspaper, using computer, etc).

For use poor unfortunate old guys that need reading glasses ... nothing really works for us when trying to shoot a pistol.

1. Since I have perfect far vision, if I remove my reading glasses, I can see the target perfectly, but then can't focus properly on the gun sights.

2. However, if I wear my reading glasses to shoot, I can now align the front and rear gun sights perfectly, but then the target is too blurry.

Makes for not very fun (or accurate) pistol shooting.
 
I have that 'problem' of good distance vision but poor close vision, but without the cataract surgery. My shooting glasses are +1.5 reading glasses. (Normal reading glasses would be +2.5.) My EDC glasses are progressive lenses. I have the scotch tape on the shooting glasses, and practice the point defensive shooting with the progressive glasses. With the progressive lenses, I have to tilt my head back slightly.

Try a pair of the weakest reading glasses you can find at the dime store.

I'm thinking of getting XS big dot sights on my G26.
 
My eye doctor says...

I asked my eye DR. if wearing bright yellow range glasses would help my "depth of field" (the depth of focus). The answer was yes. The brighter the glasses the smaller your retina becomes, (like a camera lens shutting down so not to over expose). The smaller the retina, the longer the field of vision is in focus, or the "depth of field" is greater.

The brighter the range glasses the better for focus.....
 
I was gonna try and take some pictures as well, but I didn't feel like it was a good idea to have my new wife stand in front of my pistol taking close pictures.

If someone can do that safely, that might prove useful as an instructional tool. If you can't do it safely, don't do it.
 
TimboKhan said:
If someone can do that safely, that might prove useful as an instructional tool. If you can't do it safely, don't do it.
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Just remove your slide, and set it on a table? Then take the pic CLEARLY showing that your slide is not on the frame (I.E. sitting on the end of a table).
 
I use the same techniques as Inebriated posted and depicted so well in his photos.

15 yards and closer I use the "target focus" technique. I look at the exact point on my target where I want my bullet to land and drive my front sight to that point. I "see" what I need to see to get quick good hits at this distance. In addition, sight alignment can be less precise than as required for longer distances.

At about 15 yards and beyond I use the traditional "front sight focus" technique.
 
I am cross eye dominant. I shoot righty but have a left master eye. When target shooting, I keep my left eye closed. If I'm shooting a lot, that strains my eyes. I put a piece of cardboard inside my left lens and keep both eyes open and that helps. A piece of tape would probably be better but I haven't tried that. When I practice defensive shooting, I do keep both eyes open, but I have to cock my head a bit to get the right sight picture. I suppose I'm actually aiming with my left eye even though I'm shooting righty.
 
StrutStopper said:
When I practice defensive shooting, I do keep both eyes open, but I have to cock my head a bit to get the right sight picture. I suppose I'm actually aiming with my left eye even though I'm shooting righty.
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The easiest thing to do is just shift your gun over so it is in front of your dominate eye.

It doesn't take any longer as you do it as you bring the gun up
 
QUOTE: F-111 John ...

"I have that problem of good distance vision but poor close vision, but without the cataract surgery. My shooting glasses are +1.5 reading glasses. (Normal reading glasses would be +2.5.) My EDC glasses are progressive lenses. I have the scotch tape on the shooting glasses, and practice the point defensive shooting with the progressive glasses. With the progressive lenses, I have to tilt my head back slightly.

Try a pair of the weakest reading glasses you can find at the dime store".
_______________________________________


I will try some weaker reading glasses and see how that works .. thank's

BTW ... I used to work on the F-111A back in 1969-1971 at Nellis AFB, NV (430th TFS)
 
For me, I keep both eyes open.
I just learned it that way and it seems to work for me more. The front sight is what I keep in focus after aligning the rear sight with it.

As Sam1911 drawing shows, That is how I see my sights and target when shooting and works great for me.
 
Lots of different opinions here so I'll add what method I use. I had to find a gun that pointed naturally for me (everyone is different) for me its a 1911 with an arched msh. Combat sights like I trained with in the Corps. At a USPSA event I was at someone commented on my shooting and sights, to which I replied "what sights".

Lots of practice over the years (more than I want to think about) has trained me to draw and point and shoot. I have a S&W sigma that also points well for me. Glocks don't work for me. Both eyes open and only really see the top of the slide and focus on the target. Bullseye shooting is one eye closed, slow fire only.
 
Thank God for THR! I'm cross eye dominant, right handed and use my left eye and with both eyes open, by the time I finish tilting and turning my head to line my left eye with my right hand... let's just say I'd rather get sighted in faster. Looks like I'm not alone.

I have no problem shooting with one eye when using a bow/arrow because I almost have to. I think I will start practicing, 100 rounds one eye open, 50 rounds both eyes open (on different targets) and see how that works out.
 
I always shoot both eyes open, optics or irons. It just comes natural. If you are cross dominant I can see where you would have problems, so switch hands ;-)
 
• Shoot right handed
• Cross eye dominant
• Stigmatism... for many years
• In my 50's... vision quality decreases with age
= Must shoot w/R eye closed

Yes, w/R eye closed I lose some of my R side periphery. Nonetheless, tracking on only one bad guy is not an issue w/an eye closed.
 
Other than plinking and slow target fire, as we age, for some of us this all goes out the window. I'm a lefty shooter, left eye dominant. To see a distant target clearly, I need glasses. However, with glasses, the sites are a blur. I haven't gotten progressive or bifocal lenses because I find them disorienting in day to day usage. I've started to move towards a laser for defensive carry and optical red dot for pistol target. For rifle, it's a scope. I can still shoot OK over iron sights but I shoot as well as I ever did with the optical aids.

Remember that target shooting and defensive shooting are two completely different events as to how and what you do.
 
Inside of 25m both eyes open focused on front sight. Beyond 25m non-Dom is closed and I'm still focused on front sight but also paying attention to the whole sight picture making sure it's all lined up.
 
Try as I might to shoot with both eyes open, I have nearly co-dominate eyes so no matter which eye I put the sights in front of my brain says I see the target better out of the other one.
 
Your integrity is in question which such a sarcastic post.
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I have no idea where you're coming from. My post was genuine. If I have a sight picture with my right eye and my left eye is closed, when I open my left eye I loose the sights because my left eye becomes dominate. Same thing happens the other way.
 
mavracer said:
I have no idea where you're coming from. My post was genuine. If I have a sight picture with my right eye and my left eye is closed, when I open my left eye I loose the sights because my left eye becomes dominate. Same thing happens the other way.
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My apologies. I thought you were being sarcastic. I'm certainly not an Optician but how are you able to sight-in regards to sight-alignment. I have to wear my spectacles d/t stigmatism, as well as distance farther than +- 20
yards.
 
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