Bad eyes for shooting.

[annielulu]

I wear reading glasses, and if I wear them when shooting I can see the sights but not the target too good. My distance vision is not too good either so without any glasses I can barely see the sights and the target is viewable but somewhat impaired also. Most likely in a defense scenario I won't be wearing any glasses so my vision won't be as good as it could be.
What I have been practicing is to aim as best as I can and shoot as quickly as I can by just holding the gun out properly and aiming as best I can without really sighting in the target.
I can easily put 7 rounds rapidly from my 36 within the the nine ring on a full size target at 21 feet or so. (B27 target). I think 7 shots center mass or so would be adequate, if need be.
I am new to shooting, less than a year, but I try to practice at least a couple of hundred rounds at least once or twice a week. Recoil is not a problem in the 36.
My plan is to keep shooting this way until I am thoroughly proficient in this manner coupled with a very quick draw.
Does this sound like a good plan. Any replies greatly appreciated.

 

[PzGren]

Basically that sounds like a good plan. I am using 9" paperplates as targets and you can use those at 7 yards and move them out as you get better with practice.
Maybe the 24/7 Big Dot sights help in your special situation, I have heard several older folks praise these sights.
By the way, the human eye cannot see both - the sights and the target - clearly at the same time. I know several bullseye shooters in their 70s that still compete and have suffered substantial vision loss.

Just try a large dot front sight and concentrate on the proper alignment and the paperplate will be all yours out to 20 yards, or more.

 

[stephpd]

bad eyes

Being nearsighted I wear glasses all the time. Can't focus clearly on the front sight. I can see it but not the sterrations. My practice at the range is similar. More or less point shooting. I line up the sights best I can and my focus is on the target.

I started out with shooting close until I learned trigger control and the groups tightened up. As I got better I started moving the target further away. I'll never be able to get 2'' groups at 25 yards, 6-8" is the best I can hope for at that distance. Currently I try for 4" groups at 15 yards, don't practice much at 25 yards, maybe 1 or 2 mags. I'm happy if most stay in the black.

 

[gym]

I's all about "point shooting" after 50, even before, look up some posts or articles on "point shooting", and you will do fine. Sounds like you already are doing fine. There is another alternative, if you really want to try, contact lenses, two different lenses, one for close up, "for reading", and one for distance, it takes a few weeks for your eyes to adjust, and some just use the close up lens, "in one eye", it works great. The only thing is, when you are asleep, you usually don't want to have your lenses in.

 

[Just Jim]

In my opinion your problem is you have three distances you are trying to focus on. Your rear site, your front site and the target. Unfortunately as we get old our site won't allow us to change our vision to look across the site very well.

It may help to change to two points by going to a red dot. They make some nice small red dot sites that fit a glock. I think it was called the Doktor site but I believe ACOG now has them. Anyway I hope that helps

jj

 

[ZeSpectre]

XS has that "big dot" sight as well. Might help.

http://www.xssights.com/store/handgun.html

 

[jfh]

I'm pretty much in agreement here, and I think gym sums it up pretty well for possible vision correction alternatives. I'm 63--and the eyes just don't work well anymore--it's all a blur, albeit not a bad one. It's worst in a low-contrast setting, of course.

I'll put in a plug for a laser sight. --personally, I don't think red dot (scoped or holographic) sights are a good idea on a SD pistol.

I carry a revolver, and I put a Crimson Trace laser grip on that. After I became acclimated to shooting with it, I determined that it really helped me learn good point-shooting skills. (I come from a marksmanship background, and IMO marksmanship skills in sighting are counterproductive for SD shooting.)

Right behind that, I learned I could use the laser dot to do trigger-pull / movement analysis and learn better pulls with a (revolver) DAO trigger. And, on top of that, I found I could shoot extremely accurately with it--i.e., heads-up shooting / concentrating on the target--no sighting. I've shot groups as small as 3/8" h. x 3/4" wide at 15 yards with it. As a result, I am considering putting a laser on a new 10mm semiauto, that I will use for "range shooting" that includes marksmanship-type work.

Combining that with the point-shooting drills you're currently doing ought to really get you down the road for good SD shooting.

I'm not familiar with the Crimson Trace models that will work on your pistol, but they are a highly-regarded company. If money is not too dear, think about adding one.

Jim H.

 

[340PD]

Crinson Trace

The only way to go.

 

[LegalAlien]

Crinson Trace

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The only way to go.

+100 on Crimson Trace - great quality; awesome accuracy; amazing customer services!!!!

 

[1 LT MPC]

At 21 feet you don't have to have the sights aligned perfectly. I use the "flash sight picture" method where the front sight is anywhere in the back sight vicinity, and I focus on the front sight only. A smooth trigger pull will get you to center of mass.

 

[tbeb]

I'm almost 59 years old. I wear glasses all the time. My vision at a distance is getting better. My vision up close is getting worse. I practice for home defense so target at range is placed no farther than 7 yards away. My solution is to wear shooting glasses and ditch the prescription glasses. If I hear a bump in the middle of the night, I'll have gun in hand and no glasses on anyways.