Afraid to Switch From Factory Sights--Need Some Advice

[jcshelto]

BLUF: I want to buy Warren Tactical and Sevigny competition sights for my production and limited guns, but am afraid of being able to keep front sight focus. I think my farsightedness and cross dominance make it harder to maintain front sight focus on smaller dots/reticles.

For a long time, I was shooting mostly 1911s, and I felt my shooting was deteriorating; I just had a very hard time seeing and keeping focus on the front sight post. They all had night sights, btw. I went to the doctor, he said I am a little farsighted. I am also cross dominant, but overcame that over a decade ago. He gave me glasses, but they don't seem to help; he said they were the lightest prescription he has ever written.

Fast forward, I got back into shooting more seriously, bought a Sig first. The front sight post was huge and the focus was constant; I could hollow out the A zone at 25 meters all day; It was covered completely by the front site, but I could still do it. I loved that giant dot.

Now I shoot almost exclusively Glock. I compete with Glocks. I love everything about them and have owned at least one for almost 14 years. The sights aren't as good as the Sigs; I can't keep that razor sharp focus on the front sight, but I can see it and keep enough focus on it to make ragged holes out to about 15-20M (That may be pushing it)

With that said, I am afraid to switch sights. I am afraid of moving to a competition sight with a razor thin front sight post (I know I can select width--that is hyperbole). I am afraid of a fiber optic front sight (Never shot one). I am afraid of moving away from a large white dot. I won't even TOUCH night sights anymore.

Bottom line: is it really easier to see/shoot with, say the Warren Tactical and Sevigny competition sights?

[chirpy]

Check with the shooters at your local club. They will probably let you check out what they are using.

Richard

[retarmyaviator]

I have vision problems and had never considered switching to fiber optic sights until I bought a S&W Pro series a couple of years ago that came with those type sights. Since that purchase I have sent two other pistols to Novak to have their fiber optic sights installed. To be honest I don't see how I shot so long without those type sights due to my vision issues. That big red or green dot on that front sight may be just what you are looking for since you liked the larger SIG sights.

Edited October 20, 2013 by retarmyaviator

[Hi-Power Jack]

Welcome to the Forum Julian.

Not an answer to the question you asked, but have you tried a pair of

shooting glasses that are designed to focus just a little past your

front sight (as opposed to at arms length), or a longer and shorter

lens for each eye?

Might be able to keep using the sights you have.

[jcshelto]

Welcome to the Forum Julian.

Not an answer to the question you asked, but have you tried a pair of

shooting glasses that are designed to focus just a little past your

front sight (as opposed to at arms length), or a longer and shorter

lens for each eye?

Might be able to keep using the sights you have.

I hadn't even thought of that, nor did I know such a thing existed.

Would I talk to an eye doctor about this or is this a shooting sport product? I dont wear glasses, but when I went to go see an optomitrist in our Military Treatment Facility (MTF), it was some Major who looked I was speaking in Greek when I started talking about the front sight--I guess the medical community is pretty detached from it,

A lot of y'alls comments have helped and A) Made me more comfortable about trying a FO sight and Made me eager to try some one elses.

Do most people do their own sight installation? It seems if you go from pair to pair, installation would get overwhelmingly expensive.

[Biloxi23]

My eye doctor routinely has patients that bring their pistols in for an eye exam. She told me she treats 8 to 10 shooters per week. She will sometimes write two different prescription, one for everyday and one with the shooting eye focused to the front sight distance and the non-shooting eye focused for distance.

[retarmyaviator]

That is what I did when my eye sight got so bad I could not focus the sights. Doctor had me bring the pistol to his office and we tried various lenses until I could see the sights clearly as well as the objects at the target distance. He put together a set of safety glasses with that prescription. My eye care insurance paid for the frames and lenses.

My eye doctor routinely has patients that bring their pistols in for an eye exam. She told me she treats 8 to 10 shooters per week. She will sometimes write two different prescription, one for everyday and one with the shooting eye focused to the front sight distance and the non-shooting eye focused for distance.

[jcshelto]

I need to go back to my eye doctor or find one off-post. He looked at me like I was crazy.

When I told him that I see my Aimpoint and EOTech reticles fuzzy and "exploded", he asked my qual scores and when I said "expert," he said, "well, then, I guess its not a problem." If they treat officers this bad, I can't imagine how they treat the Soldiers.

I am having surgery tomorrow that will prevent shooting for a couple of months, but I am going to try the Sevigny Competition Sights with fiber optic front .245 front for my Glock 34 and 35. I will at least be able to try to offhand shooting with them.

All this and I am still under 30. Oh well, my vision is still better than 20/20, it is just unique in that I am slightly farsighted and cross dominate. I wore an eye patch solid during my free time for the better part of a year to train my right eye--it worked, too--I can shoot with both eyes open; in fact, I have to. I always see two targets, I just know which one to shoot.

[retarmyaviator]

I am right eye dominate and shoot pistols left handed, never has caused me any great difficulty.

I need to go back to my eye doctor or find one off-post. He looked at me like I was crazy.

When I told him that I see my Aimpoint and EOTech reticles fuzzy and "exploded", he asked my qual scores and when I said "expert," he said, "well, then, I guess its not a problem." If they treat officers this bad, I can't imagine how they treat the Soldiers.

I am having surgery tomorrow that will prevent shooting for a couple of months, but I am going to try the Sevigny Competition Sights with fiber optic front .245 front for my Glock 34 and 35. I will at least be able to try to offhand shooting with them.

All this and I am still under 30. Oh well, my vision is still better than 20/20, it is just unique in that I am slightly farsighted and cross dominate. I wore an eye patch solid during my free time for the better part of a year to train my right eye--it worked, too--I can shoot with both eyes open; in fact, I have to. I always see two targets, I just know which one to shoot.

[jcshelto]

I am right eye dominate and shoot pistols left handed, never has caused me any great difficulty.

I need to go back to my eye doctor or find one off-post. He looked at me like I was crazy.

When I told him that I see my Aimpoint and EOTech reticles fuzzy and "exploded", he asked my qual scores and when I said "expert," he said, "well, then, I guess its not a problem." If they treat officers this bad, I can't imagine how they treat the Soldiers.

I am having surgery tomorrow that will prevent shooting for a couple of months, but I am going to try the Sevigny Competition Sights with fiber optic front .245 front for my Glock 34 and 35. I will at least be able to try to offhand shooting with them.

All this and I am still under 30. Oh well, my vision is still better than 20/20, it is just unique in that I am slightly farsighted and cross dominate. I wore an eye patch solid during my free time for the better part of a year to train my right eye--it worked, too--I can shoot with both eyes open; in fact, I have to. I always see two targets, I just know which one to shoot.

Even as a child, you had no issues with this?

Even currently, I see two sight pictures sometimes, I just know which to shoot. Some shooters close one eye, some shooters put tape over one of their glass lenses.

I refuse to shoot anything but both eyes open; it is just how I have been trained, and I feel it gives me an edge.

[retarmyaviator]

Never had a problem, not even when shooting with an AH64 using the helmet mounted sighting system. Both eyes open.

I have always naturally shot long guns right handed and hand guns left handed.

I am right eye dominate and shoot pistols left handed, never has caused me any great difficulty.

I need to go back to my eye doctor or find one off-post. He looked at me like I was crazy.

When I told him that I see my Aimpoint and EOTech reticles fuzzy and "exploded", he asked my qual scores and when I said "expert," he said, "well, then, I guess its not a problem." If they treat officers this bad, I can't imagine how they treat the Soldiers.

I am having surgery tomorrow that will prevent shooting for a couple of months, but I am going to try the Sevigny Competition Sights with fiber optic front .245 front for my Glock 34 and 35. I will at least be able to try to offhand shooting with them.

All this and I am still under 30. Oh well, my vision is still better than 20/20, it is just unique in that I am slightly farsighted and cross dominate. I wore an eye patch solid during my free time for the better part of a year to train my right eye--it worked, too--I can shoot with both eyes open; in fact, I have to. I always see two targets, I just know which one to shoot.

Even as a child, you had no issues with this?

Even currently, I see two sight pictures sometimes, I just know which to shoot. Some shooters close one eye, some shooters put tape over one of their glass lenses.

I refuse to shoot anything but both eyes open; it is just how I have been trained, and I feel it gives me an edge.

Edited October 21, 2013 by retarmyaviator

[jcshelto]

But you were probably a warrant officer. There's nothing a warrant can't do--except come to formations.

Never had a problem, not even when shooting with an AH64 using the helmet mounted sighting system. Both eyes open.

I have always naturally shot long guns right handed and hand guns left handed.

I am right eye dominate and shoot pistols left handed, never has caused me any great difficulty.

I need to go back to my eye doctor or find one off-post. He looked at me like I was crazy.

When I told him that I see my Aimpoint and EOTech reticles fuzzy and "exploded", he asked my qual scores and when I said "expert," he said, "well, then, I guess its not a problem." If they treat officers this bad, I can't imagine how they treat the Soldiers.

I am having surgery tomorrow that will prevent shooting for a couple of months, but I am going to try the Sevigny Competition Sights with fiber optic front .245 front for my Glock 34 and 35. I will at least be able to try to offhand shooting with them.

All this and I am still under 30. Oh well, my vision is still better than 20/20, it is just unique in that I am slightly farsighted and cross dominate. I wore an eye patch solid during my free time for the better part of a year to train my right eye--it worked, too--I can shoot with both eyes open; in fact, I have to. I always see two targets, I just know which one to shoot.

Even as a child, you had no issues with this?

Even currently, I see two sight pictures sometimes, I just know which to shoot. Some shooters close one eye, some shooters put tape over one of their glass lenses.

I refuse to shoot anything but both eyes open; it is just how I have been trained, and I feel it gives me an edge.

[retarmyaviator]

Actually I spent my first ten years commissioned in the Regular Army, resigned to accept a warrant officer instructor pilot position in the National Guard.

Having seen it from both sides of the fence I can safely say that most formations are a waste of time.

But you were probably a warrant officer. There's nothing a warrant can't do--except come to formations.

Never had a problem, not even when shooting with an AH64 using the helmet mounted sighting system. Both eyes open.

I have always naturally shot long guns right handed and hand guns left handed.

I am right eye dominate and shoot pistols left handed, never has caused me any great difficulty.

I need to go back to my eye doctor or find one off-post. He looked at me like I was crazy.

When I told him that I see my Aimpoint and EOTech reticles fuzzy and "exploded", he asked my qual scores and when I said "expert," he said, "well, then, I guess its not a problem." If they treat officers this bad, I can't imagine how they treat the Soldiers.

I am having surgery tomorrow that will prevent shooting for a couple of months, but I am going to try the Sevigny Competition Sights with fiber optic front .245 front for my Glock 34 and 35. I will at least be able to try to offhand shooting with them.

All this and I am still under 30. Oh well, my vision is still better than 20/20, it is just unique in that I am slightly farsighted and cross dominate. I wore an eye patch solid during my free time for the better part of a year to train my right eye--it worked, too--I can shoot with both eyes open; in fact, I have to. I always see two targets, I just know which one to shoot.

Even as a child, you had no issues with this?

Even currently, I see two sight pictures sometimes, I just know which to shoot. Some shooters close one eye, some shooters put tape over one of their glass lenses.

I refuse to shoot anything but both eyes open; it is just how I have been trained, and I feel it gives me an edge.