Sights for aging eyes

I borrowed a VP9 slide from a friend that was equipped with a Trijicon reflex sight. I learned a few things:
1) I do not have a consistent draw. Every time my draw was off I had to spend time hunting for the pipper making me slower than just using the irons.
2) A longer distances the optic made precision aiming much easier.
3) I need a lot more practice with pistol optics.

BSW

I have a Vortex Venom on a S&W 625 and a Ruger MKII. I'm fine with a pistol/revolver out to 25 yds but beyond that I have trouble with sight/target focus. Try a micro red dot. I think you will be surprised how much better your accuracy will become.

I wouldn't have a RDS on a defensive pistol mostly because I don't see myself shooting past about 7 yds.

briansmithwins said:

I've tried red and green lasers and haven't been impressed. 1) They wash out very easily in moderate daylight. I can turn a red dot brighter if it's sunny outside not so much with a laser. 2) Maybe it's lack of training (I don't have 1000s of hours running a laser) but I frequently find myself using the iron sights to get the laser on target, in essence I'm taking the time to aim twice.

For ability to get accurate shots off in any light conditions I wouldn't want to be relying on a laser. The exception I can think of is if you're wearing headgear that precludes you using irons or a red dot, like a gas mask night vison. In that case a laser might be your only option for aiming at all.

BSW

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trackskippy said:

Ive had the same experience with the lasers. You waste time looking for that silly dot when you should be shooting.

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Lasers are for low light conditions when I can't make out standard sights, which are blurry at my age and flat out disappear in low light (even Tritium). I prefer lasers specifically for home defense, carry gun defense, an indoor shooting range practice for those conditions.

I've used them on my Taurus 85UL, my S&W 66, and had trigger time with lasers on my ol' shootin' buddy's LCPs. Of course, I put in a lot of snap cap time at the house with my lasers, which translates into quick shooting hits when actually at an indoor shooting range. I even practice shooting with the gun out of my line of sight with lasers, which makes that much easier to do.

Like most things, lots of practice with something makes it work more naturally. Just like the folks that have transitioned to red dots have discovered, myself included. Which is to look at the target and let the laser (or dot) come onto the target.

Most of my closer distance shooting around 5-7 yards and in, I normally dont use the sights at all, consciously anyway. My focus is on the target. Im also usually moving while I shoot when Im up close.

My experience with the lasers has been, when my brain finally gets the dot, it wants to fiddle with it and worry about its placement, instead of just shooting right away.

Most people I see shooting with the lasers, are standing still and trying to hold the dot on the target and just squeezing them off trying to shoot little groups. I havent seen anyone moving around and shooting with one on the go.

The difference I see between them and the red dots is, day or night, I know where the red dot is and I dont have to look for it. The laser on the other hand.

Im sure if you put in the time and effort to make it work, you can probably figure something out. I just didnt see that I was getting anything more than what I was already getting without it, so I didnt see the point in going on.

Besides, that damn dot looked like Katherine Hepburn was holding the gun in her later years, and that dot was bouncing all over the place. I was getting sea sick trying to track it.

I have shot my whole life with iron sights, but I've started the transition to red/green dot. My Shield Plus has the Leopold DeltaPoint Micro mounted. I hesitated to buy such a very small red dot, but I realized that that to obtain proper sight alignment was not really any more critical than using iron sights. Lots of dry firing and proper/consistent draw is the key.

trackskippy said:

Besides, that damn dot looked like Katherine Hepburn was holding the gun in her later years, and that dot was bouncing all over the place. I was getting sea sick trying to track it.

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Lolol.

For slide mounted carry style (the modern way), and light enough you don't change springs, etc., top tier is:

• Trijicon RMR Type 2
• Aimpoint ACRO

A lot of people seem okay with their Holosun products. They seem... fine. Have shot some.

The Leupold Deltapoint Pro is expressly for range/competition work. But it is nice, bigger field of view. Put it with the two above if not worried about rain and cold and dropping it a lot. Wider also presumably makes it harder to carry concealed which... also doesn't matter for the OP>

Burris Fastfire 3 is often available very cheap, seems to work well.

There are some other actual purpose built designs, from Steiner, Meprolight, JP, Docter, Insight, and... oh, I forget if anything else good. Across the price range.

Never seen a Vortex MRDS in the wild. Among the types I talk with, doesn't come up.

Past that, things tend to my mind are just sticking their name on some random Chinese sight. Beware valued added features. Red AND green, multiple reticles? Almost always a warning flag to stay far away.


I wouldn't go with a carbine grade sight like the T1/2 short of maybe a target .22 pistol. Maybe. Big and heavy so if it's a gun that goes in a holster even at the range, they don't really fit neatly IMO.

For iron sights I’ve been going with these sights to help my aging eyes. https://xssights.com/r3d-night-sights-springfield-armory/ And they have a good selection for various manufacturers as well.
I’ve tried a few red dots and am slowly accepting what they offer but only on a couple of handguns (FNX Tactical, Glock 17)

Larry in wyoming said:

Thank you all. I've read through this and it pretty much bolsters my opinion that it's just time to at least dip a toe into the rds waters. I'll let you know how it works out.

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There are multiple ways to mount a red dot on a 1911 . I prefer milling the slide as it is the best option for co witness with open sights . But get a dot on it somehow . You will be spoiled forever . I did this for a friend because he didn’t want to drill or mill .

I set up red dots sights on some handguns for my seasoned shooting partner. He is 81 years young. He mainly shoots the .22’s, 9 & .45. Not much .40.

For the last 5 years or so, he would get very discouraged shooting his pistols. Just had a very hard time hitting things and was discouraged. Then, a mutual shooting friend introduced us to red dot sights.

Fast forward to today. These are his guns I’ve set up for him:



Now, he is always looking forward to shooting and we get out a couple times a month. He shoots seated off a table top set on two saw horses at 12 yards from the targets.

this is a typical 10+ round target shot by him at 12 yards. This is with the 9MM:



I’ve seen the happiness and pride in my friend’s eyes when he shoots one hole groups with his XD’s and .22’s. It’s brought a sport he has loved for 60 years back to him.

They really work…

ETA: I’ve become a big fan of Swamp Fox red dot sights. They have an excellent discount for military and LEO, but regardless, their red dot sights have held up very well for me. Other than Trijicon, it’s the only red dot I’ll buy.

I am almost 50. I have been having trouble focusing on the front sight at my dark indoor range. The white circle around the tritium ain't cutting it for me anymore. But, I am not really interested in a pistol red dot optic.

Well, after years of avoiding fiber optic sights, I discovered I love them. I bought 3 S&W Performance Center Shields this year. I REALLY like their fiber optic sights. They have metal spirals around the light rods to better protect them. And, those bright red and bright green dots from the fiber optics REALLY help.

I would recommend looking at fiber optic sights. You can still stick with iron sights, and they will be much easier to see

Larry in wyoming said:

Thank you all. I've read through this and it pretty much bolsters my opinion that it's just time to at least dip a toe into the rds waters. I'll let you know how it works out.

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Is your 1911 milled for a red dot? If not it’ll be a few bucks to get it milled and drilled/tapped to fit the sight you buy. (Many sights do not interchange onto slides without adapters, so the specific pattern for your sight are best.)


There are other mounts that let the gun ride over the slide like the above picture shows. I’m not a huge fan of those as in my experience they get in the way, but they’ve been used for decades and do work for many, many folks.

A 50-odd dollar option may be the fiber optic sights. I wasn’t a fan at first, but with mid-50’s eyes they’ve really grown on me.

These are on a Glock 17 build I did, three Fiber Optic dots in red/green. I bought the sights from Brownells.



The Kimber 1911 Stainless Target II 9mm I picked up has a larger adjustable rear blade and a fiber optic front. This combo is also super easy to pick up, even indoors. This may also be an option if the dot sights don’t work for you.



Stay safe.

I just bought a Canik Mete SFX with the sole purpose of adding a reflex sight like the Holosun 407K with a green reticle 6MOA.

Larry in wyoming said:

Where dipping a toe into the rds world would have been using a side mount so it rode over the slide; and diving in head first would have been getting my lead guns slide milled, I only waded in waist deep. I got a sig romeo zero (6moa)and an adapter from Egwguns.com I had to do just a tiny bit of fitting with a set of cheap harbor freight needle files and now I have a solidly mounted red dot. I can't wait to try it outView attachment 1054327

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Good luck with it. I’ve used similar mounts for my friend’s XDm’s and they work pretty well. Just be sure to check them periodically for loosening up…

Buzznrose said:

ETA: I’ve become a big fan of Swamp Fox red dot sights. They have an excellent discount for military and LEO, but regardless, their red dot sights have held up very well for me. Other than Trijicon, it’s the only red dot I’ll buy.

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So have I. Plus they have a no questions asked 50,000 round warranty and excellent customer service. I have at least one of each of their micro reflex sights. And I do like their MIL/LEO discount for sure.

For those that are thinking about getting a micro reflex sight and have astigmatism, I suggest going with a green reticle. Green does not bloom as bad as red does. Another trick is to keep the brightness adjusted down. The brighter the dot, the worse bloom will be.