Aging eyes and optics

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Batty67

Batty67

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As a, heaven help me, pretty much middle-aged (I'm 44) reborn shooter (took the 2000s off), a recurring thread I see is how us older folks just cannot shoot iron sights very effectively anymore. Or at least not for long. Thankfully, we have so many options for optics that we can keep on shooting just as well, and better, as we did with iron sights. But is there a "problem" on over-reliance on optics for those (especially younger) folks who could shoot very well with iron sights? Has a growing up with plentiful and often cheap (but adequate) optics made younger shooters less fundamentally sound? I honestly do not have enough experience to know.

I recall my Army ROTC days of scoring expert with my M16 easily with my contact-lense corrected, and razor sharp 20/20 eyes. I had LASIK 10 years ago, almost to the day, and my right/dominant eye is "only" 20/40 or so and weakens quickly. Left is rock-solid 20/20. Within 10-15 minutes of shooting with iron sights--especially with peep sights--my right eye vision starts deteriorating steadily until I can refresh them with some extended rest. As a result, I shoot both eyes open all the time, whereas I used to always close my non-dominant eye.
 
44? 44?!? Brother you don't (yet) know the half of it! ;). There have been good scopes around for 50 years. Young shooters simply shoot better just like young golfers putt better & young drivers race better. Equipment will improve in every sport but that doesn't "spoil" the youngsters who compete. The same truth remains, today or way-back-when, It's Not the Arrow...It's the INDIAN.
 
I'm 54 years old with astigmatism and presbyopia and I'm not sure what "fundamentally sound" means any more wrt shooting since new technologies have advanced shooting and changed the fundamentals for different styles of shooting.
 
My self defense or ccw handguns don't have scopes, but everything I shoot far or at targets, has some sort of glass. Most of my rifles have scopes. I'm almost 60 and my eyes have really gone downhill.

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I feel for ya bud. After well over 20 years of sitting in front of a computer screen drawing pretty pictures and designs for people, my eyes so so good anymore either. The really bad part is, I've only got a year on ya.

A buddy of mine is helping me set up a rifle with a pistol grip stock and a large(er) eye relief type scope. That way I can still shoot with both eyes. Might work as well on a revolver. Or you could try a red dot sight. A lot of people swear by 'em and I've seen them used on all kinds of firearms. If what's set up for me don't work, I'll try a red dot and see, no pun, how that goes.
 
Have you tried aperture (peep) sights? I couldn't bear to put a scope on my Winchester 94, so I went to a Williams peep ... problem solved!
 
I am an NRA instructor and Training counselor in every firearms discipline. I teach shooters aged 9-90. In my experience, folks with the vision/shooting with open sights issues you describe may be experience the type of vision loss associated with diabetes. Left undiagnosed and untreated, diabetes will cause continued vision loss and many other issues. Please get an A1C test to see if you need to by managing your blood sugar. If it is diabetic vision loss, we have strategies to help you overcome it enough to keep enjoying shooting sports!
 
SleazyRider said:
Have you tried aperture (peep) sights? I couldn't bear to put a scope on my Winchester 94, so I went to a Williams peep ... problem solved!
Click to expand...

Yep, that's the direction I'm going (62 y.o.). Sights on my M1A is what sold me. I have sets for my Marlins (39A and 1894) that need mounting for me to try 'em out.

Dan
 
Thanks Matthew Courtney. Just had my annual physical and blood sugar is a-okay. As I noted, my eye issues are a result of my LASIK eye surgey 10 years ago. My right eye (dominant) developed a semi-bad infection while healing and did not return to 20/20 like my left eye. Also seems to weaken far more easily then my left eye, and has done so for the past decade. So I shoot both eyes open. Pretty well too. And I use a red dot for my M1 carbine, will use an Eotech for my Ruger PC4 when it gets returned from EOtech, and I use a low power scope for my Ruger 10-22. Use of those optics helps a LOT and I shoot fine. But I do shoot iron sights with my pistols, both eyes open. I do well until my right eye fatigues. So, I shoot my carbines a lot more.
 
Well, I'm only 23 but I can kind of relate, my vision is pretty bad. I'm not really sure if it's worse than when I was a kid but it feels that way. I just had to get a corrective lenses restriction on my license for the first time, though the last time I renewed my license I thought I had failed it. My eyes are really messed up though... Astigmatism in both eyes, and one eye is far-sighted while the other is near-sighted. My right eye is basically the messed up one... Which is weird because I'm also left-eye dominant, but I learned to shoot with my right eye and do okay with it. Never had an eye-test until I was working one day and a co-worker commented that she thought I needed glasses because I kept squinting at the work order.

In any case I've adopted the scopes lately myself. I like the variable power ones with adjustable objectives and the mildots. You get all the control over the clarity and focus you want, the magnification, and then on top of that you have the mildots which make it pretty easy to shoot at a lot of different ranges. My 3-9x32 focuses all the way down to 6 yards too. However, I kind of find scopes a little cumbersome compared to iron-sights...

I still like to shoot with iron sights though. I grew up learning to shoot pellet guns and what not with iron sights, so I guess I just learned how to shoot well enough despite the vision problems, and I like the challenge. Now days though I'm shooting at distances I never really did as a kid, and I can definitely tell I'm not really up to par... Getting every shot on paper at 100 yards with iron sights is a good day for my eyes. I was psyched the other day when I got all 18 shots from my Glenfield 60 onto a 6-8" wood post that was probably only 80 yards. Vertical grouping was about as tall as the post was though lol
 
I just wear glasses all the time, but have been considering the surgery. My distance is ok at 63. very slight improvement with the glases, but still can read a plate a half block away. It's the close up that bothers me. If I tilt my head with bifocals, I can see the target and the sights. It's getting something for night time like a laser that's next for me, I tried a cheap one and it was terrible, I guess crimson trace is next.
 
Anybody got suggestions, I can't see far without the glasses and I can't read without the glasses. With the progressive bi-focals I can see the rear site but not the front....and forget about the target....if I adjust to see the target the sights get all fuzzy....so I just take a quick read on the sights and then on the target...adjust and go.

Getting old sucks in more ways then one.
 
Anybody got suggestions, I can't see far without the glasses and I can't read without the glasses. With the progressive bi-focals I can see the rear site but not the front....and forget about the target....if I adjust to see the target the sights get all fuzzy....so I just take a quick read on the sights and then on the target...adjust and go.

Getting old sucks in more ways then one.
Click to expand...
As far as I know you probably aren't going to see all 3 distances clearly unless you have excellent vision, corrected vision or not. Focus on the front sight, put it on the 6'o clock position of the fuzzy bullseye (or wherever the gun is sighted to) and squeeze.

I had LASIK 10 years ago, almost to the day, and my right/dominant eye is "only" 20/40 or so and weakens quickly. Left is rock-solid 20/20. Within 10-15 minutes of shooting with iron sights--especially with peep sights--my right eye vision starts deteriorating steadily until I can refresh them with some extended rest. As a result, I shoot both eyes open all the time, whereas I used to always close my non-dominant eye.
Click to expand...
Have you been to an eye doctor lately? When I had lasik at about 30 y/o, he said when i get older my vision will probably change, as your eye shrinks like a deflating balloon as you get older changing the focal point past the rear of your eye and I'll probably still need reading glasses to see up close (become far sighted as opposed to near sighted like I was).
I agree iron sights are fundamental and I like to use them and want to KNOW how to use them, although for precision shooting at distance I require magnified optics. I too worry since now it seems the Army issues aimpoints and the USMC issues ACOGS that the soldiers may become more reliant on optics.
If they go down on you it could be a problem at distance, even though it's just a fancier way of aiming your bangstick :)
 
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