Aging Eyes

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Front sights getting a bit blurry. Glasses correct but then the rear sight is not clear. Thinking of adding MVA Vernier Tang or a mid range Buffalo Soule and an MVA spirit level w/o windage front sight. Thoughts, recommendations, stupid idea...??
 
Human eye cannot focus on more than one thing at a time. Young eyes can focus/refocus rapidly enough to seem focused on both front sight, rear sight, and target. Old eyes get slower, even to the point of becoming myopic (near-sighted) or far sighted. Welcome to the club.

Best find a combination that works for you.
 
(Continued) Using iron sights, whether it be rifle or pistol, keep the front sight in focus with target and rear sight blurred, you'll hit X's. The longer the sight radius, the more accurately you'll shoot. Peep sights' accuracy potential is proportional to the size of the aperture, distance to the eye and, of course distance to the front sight.

Just had cataract surgery two days ago. Already seeing improvement. Cataracts blurred everything. Front sight is now sharp. Anxious to see if my scores improve.
 
Human eye cannot focus on more than one thing at a time. Young eyes can focus/refocus rapidly enough to seem focused on both front sight, rear sight, and target. Old eyes get slower, even to the point of becoming myopic (near-sighted) or far sighted. Welcome to the club.

Best find a combination that works for you.
I've been in that club for quite some time now. That's my plan . However, the entry price to try a Buffalo Soule type Tang and spirit level front sight is a little over $500. I was hoping others who have such a sighting system could tell me if as they aged they did or did not have to replace their system. If they did then I'll go directly to a scope but would rather stick with iron
 
Might help to look at page 13 “ Practical Use of the Eyes for Shooting “ para #4
https://www.usashooting.org/library/Instructional/Rifle/Rifle_jan_feb_2011.pdf
I often see those at the range that look at a target & sights it seems forever. They have no idea IMO that their eyes are muscles and that fatigue can happen. For most try to keep it under 7 seconds . Longer than that look away then come back. I am talking target shooting btw.
 
My ageing eyes seem a bit more blurry when I'm physically tired, and don't adjust as well to lower light. Both an issue when hunting. I got a Merit adjustable aperture for my peep last season, and really like it. I dial it down small in full daylight, and open it up in lower light, or close cover. I think it should also be helpful when focusing is a challenge.
 
It has been a few years since I studied this, but I am not completely senile yet so this should be close to accurate. Your eyes focus in two manners. The changing size of the pupil with changes in light, and the flexing of the lens.
The biggest problem for us old farts is the thickening or harding of the lens resulting in less flex.
The whole object of the flexing of the lens is to focus incoming light on the optic nerve. In youth clear vision occurs principally by the flexing of the lens thereby directing incoming light onto the optic nerve.
Generally speaking, near or far sightedness is caused by the light being directed off center of the optic nerve. The degree the light missing the optic nerve is the degree of impairment. If I recall correctly, the light hits above the optic nerve in far sighted people.
An older person is generally better off with a shorter barreled handgun putting both sight close to the same focal plane. With a long gun, a peep that can be looked through with out worrying about focusing on it and a front sight far enough away to be in focus is usually the best option.
I am so far sighted that I would have to have a 5 foot barrel to see the front sight clearly.
 
Would one of the diopters (sp) which fits on a pair of glasses help?

I see some shooters who use them. Would be the same as a peep sight.
 
Interesting conversation, I am following. I notice my vision changes a bit from time to time. Eye doc told me 2mos ago I don't need glasses except readers but BMV says I need them to drive. I think it depends on either when I take the eye exam or the BMV needs to have a doc do the exams.
 
I quit shooting for while as i just couldn't see. Thought it was cataracts but was shocked when they said it was cataracts AND Fuchs Disease (google it ). Had both eyes "rebuilt" with new corneas, lenses and can see clearly from 12" to infinity w/o glasses. Never knew in 70 years that folks can actually see this well. Both open and peep iron sights and glass are beyond brilliantly clear and can easily see folks across river more than 1/2 mile away!!
 
I quit shooting for while as i just couldn't see. Thought it was cataracts but was shocked when they said it was cataracts AND Fuchs Disease (google it ). Had both eyes "rebuilt" with new corneas, lenses and can see clearly from 12" to infinity w/o glasses. Never knew in 70 years that folks can actually see this well. Both open and peep iron sights and glass are beyond brilliantly clear and can easily see folks across river more than 1/2 mile away!!
How hard was the surgery? Recovery time? I assume that they didnt do both eyes at the same time?
 
One at a time. Now done outpatient. About a month each. Surgery was over before i realized it. They sit you in exam chair, knock you out, wheel the chair (and you) to Op room and back in a few minutes. Astonishing results. The clarity and colors are beyond description. Had i had this when i was a kid it would have changed my life. No more expensive prescription glasses (other than Dollar store -- (Oops Dollar twenty five store as of yesterday.) Only down side is steroid drops one a week and remembering to were safety glasses when shooting, grinding or other hazardous work

Have noticed alternating urges for chinese and mexican food depending on which way i look due to donor cataracts origins (LOL)
 
Doc said im not ready for surgery yet as I passed the glare test. I said what do I have to be blind for ya fix them? I feel like Rodney Dangerfield " I get no respect". To compensate I have been doing more dry firing etc. Scopes help but there not always the answer either.
 
Things were getting dark fast for me. First front sight went then rear. TV and computer were tough. Stopped gunsmithing and anything requiring hand eye skills. Switched to 20" shotgun for snake and home defense. I have asked VA if agent orange related and got basically rebuked. Once got knocked in a Thai Klong full of it during the crash of an F-111a.
 
Might help to look at page 13 “ Practical Use of the Eyes for Shooting “ para #4
https://www.usashooting.org/library/Instructional/Rifle/Rifle_jan_feb_2011.pdf
I often see those at the range that look at a target & sights it seems forever. They have no idea IMO that their eyes are muscles and that fatigue can happen. For most try to keep it under 7 seconds . Longer than that look away then come back. I am talking target shooting btw.

I will definitely check that out...thank you!
 
Front sights getting a bit blurry. Glasses correct but then the rear sight is not clear. Thinking of adding MVA Vernier Tang or a mid range Buffalo Soule and an MVA spirit level w/o windage front sight. Thoughts, recommendations, stupid idea...??
I went to a peep in the back and a orange glow front. Helped me.
 
Doc said im not ready for surgery yet as I passed the glare test. I said what do I have to be blind for ya fix them? I feel like Rodney Dangerfield " I get no respect". To compensate I have been doing more dry firing etc. Scopes help but there not always the answer either.
I had to resort to using only scopes with an adjustable objective as those with a fixed parallax I couldn't see both target and crosshairs clearly. I prefer a side parallax adjustment to a front...much handier to use.
 

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