Accurate shooting with declining eyesight?

No-line bifocals work for me.
There is a sweet spot in there somewhere if you hold your mouth right.

I knew some older bullseye shooters who did quite well using a Merit aperture on their shooting glasses too.
http://www.meritcorporation.com/products.html

Fact of the matter is though, seeing the front sight in sharp focus is far more important then seeing the rear sight or target clearly.
If you can focus on the front sight, the other two will take care of themselves.

rc

What is the secret to accurate shooting when middle aged (or older)?

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As I get older, I stand closer to the target.
For longer distances, I simply increase the target size.

I use no-line progressive lens glasses, so I kind of tilt my head back and off to the right a little. I look funny....but I get that a lot anyway.

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I have no-lines but have never tried shooting with them, preferring to just wear safety glasses since outside 30 inches or so my vision is 20/15. Based on my last few outings, maybe it's time to try them.

I wear progressive bifocals and am finding that a mini red dot sight is a huge help, it allows you to focus on the target with the dot on the same focal plane as the target. I recently purchased a new FNP-45 Tactical and mounted a Trijicon RMR mini red dot on it. The dot cowitnesses with the iron sights and I don't have to hunt for the "sweet spot" in my glasses to make accurate shots particularly at longer distances. This new set up will be replacing my 1911 as a duty gun, as it is easier to shoot accurately.


s

Have your optomet]rist give you a prescription for glasses to be used at 36" (or measure arm length and add 6"), typically the distance for working on a PC. It will bring your front sight right into focus, work with your PC, and you should be able to see the target better though it will still be blurry.

For target shooting you can get one of the pin hole aperture eye patches that clips on your safety glasses. Like a small camera aperture it allows the sights and the target to be in clear focus.

Some articles:

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BTT/is_1_37/ai_n58471481/
http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2008/07/diopter-devices-aid-old-eyes/

If your readers are of a fairly high number try a lower number. For example if you're at 1.75 try a set of 1.25 or even 1.0 and see if the front blade and target are then both acceptable or not.

With places such as Costco and other discount outlets it'll only cost around $6 to $10 to find out.

red dot sight. You look thru the sight and see the target clearly with a nice dot, right on top of it. Does not use the power of a laser, (batteries last longer).
It makes target shooting almost like cheating.

For precision work? With iron sights? Get shooting glasses set up to put the front sight in focus. You need to see the front sight wire-sharp, the rear sight next. The target is nearly irrelevant. I highly recommend Dr. Alan Toler's www.customsightpicture.com kit.

Dot sights also work, if the rules allow it.

I highly recommend Dr. Alan Toler's www.customsightpicture.com kit.

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Bad link?

Edit: Working link: http://www.customsightpicture.com/sight picture-intro.html

I got sold a pair of stick on, pin hole apertures, at a gunshow. They are little vinyl gizmos, one for pistol, one for rifle. They worked so well I paid the old guy $25. They are called eyepals.

As I get older, I stand closer to the target.
For longer distances, I simply increase the target size.

Click to expand...

Hosanna, finally a man from my school of shooting I was beginning to think I was the only one who did this.

trifocals here

focus on target

slightly lift head

focus on sight

dump a high cap mag in the general direction

my eyesite is declining.so far i have not got any kind of glasses.so far a i can still out shoot the people who say i cant see, with irons or scopes.they bitch cuz i cant read a phone book but will no way git in a shooting match with me.
im thinking it wont be long before i get sum glasses

Progressive bifocals are your friends.

I fought it for over 3 years, and finally broke down and got a couple pairs last October. Makes a BIG difference.

I'll also recommend the Trijicon RX30 as another GREAT solution for fading eyesight. BEFORE I got my bifocals, it was the only RELIABLE optic for me. WITH bifocals, I'm back to using Aimpoints again.

I was able to solve this problem by using a wider front sight (I prefer a larger diameter gold bead), along with a wider rear notch.

There is a lot of truth to what rcmodel wrote:

Fact of the matter is though, seeing the front sight in sharp focus is far more important then seeing the rear sight or target clearly. If you can focus on the front sight, the other two will take care of themselves.

Click to expand...

On more fact that I should have added before. If you go with a red dot sight then the image of the dot is actually projected out at infinity. So you can use your distance prescription and see both the target AND the red dot with crystal clarity... even if the gun and the frame of the red dot sight itself is fuzzy as blazes.

I hate the idea of red dots on all my handguns. But if it's that or don't shoot handguns I'll lower myself and put RD's on a few selected ones so I can keep shooting for a few more years.

I'm 74, with I suspect a typical 74 year old's eyes.

For years I have used tri focal glasses.
Top lens for distance.
Bottom lens for reading.
Center lens for shooting and seeing the computer screen and aircraft instrument panel.
( it used to make the helicopter passengers nervous when I'd ask the front seat passenger, What does that instrument show now? )

I have the center lens focused at front sight distance. So the gun's front sight is clear, the back sight slightly out of focus and the target blurred. Just as it is with young eyes.


I also am a big fan of Red Dot sights and lasers on every type of gun.

This helped me a lot when I was still bullseye shooting.
http://www.meritcorporation.com/products.html

I've worn and shot wearing the same glasses for the last three years. Lately I find the wrong eye sees better. Oh, well, I'll go with that.

What M2 carbine said up there.