Sights for old eyes

[dryfly]

This would apply to any handgun but since I mostly shoot Glocks I'll post it in this forum.  As my eyes age it's getting more difficult to see the sights clearly.  My distant vision is fine but close up (Presbyiopia) my eyesight is terrible.  Makes the sights fuzzy at best.

 

I do not shoot competition but just need the best sights possible to meet my eye needs.  Fast target acquisition is my number one objective.  I would appreciate any sights or combination of front and rear sights that can be suggested.  I'm sure I'm not the first person with these issues.  Thanks.

[George16]

Nothing beats a red dot for my old eyes. I tried FO and other stuff including wearing monovision glasses and it can only help so much. I relented and my competition guns all have red dots now.

[Slalom45]

The Sevigney sights from Dawson are great. The rear notch is a .150 width which is nice. Can pair with the front you want. I've used the fiber optic front in .115 and .125 widths which both work well. I'd still be using this if they made them for Tanfoglio's. 

 

Other suggestions. Mono vision shooting glasses with dominate eye for front sight and non-dominate for distance. Or a dot.....

[Frankly]

Beware of dots with astigmatism, which is pretty common with age. It makes the dot fuzzy. Prism scopes (Trijicon, Vortex Spitfire, Burris, etc.) work with us guys with astigmatism and the better $$$ red dots tend to be better than the cheap ones (ie still a bit fuzzy but usable, try before you buy).

 

While sights can help it's more likely you'll need an eyeglass that focuses on the front sight at your normal holding distance. Something a little weaker than your reading glasses but more magnified than zero. All things considered, you want to have your front sight sharp and the target blurred rather than the versa. 

 

You can use conventional bifocal reading glasses, including cheap safety/shooting glasses with the magnification in the traditional spot at the bottom of the glasses. But you'll have to tilt your chin up to get them in position for shooting and it's uncomfortable. But as you age and adapt to needing reader glasses most of the time, and default to wearing the damn things, it's probably the best solution for EDC and defensive gun use. Not perfect but adequate in an emergency and worth practicing with. This is what my everyday eyeglasses are and I keep full frame readers by the computer/books/workshop/cooking.

 

Better you can get top bifocals made for shooting or doing overhead work (think of electricians wiring ceilings). I wear these oftentimes although now when you want to read something you'll have to tuck your chin in tight and look through the top of your glasses!

 

Some people, myself included, can tolerate having the dominant eye side of my glasses made to my shooting prescription (front sight of gun, slightly weaker than reading) ~ then having the other lens be clear or set to infinity. If your brain works as mine does both images will be sharp enough at both near and far. It's disorientating as Hell to drive with (don't) but works well enough for shooting and if you do planned movements like a 3G stage. Harder to use for everyday wear! May not work for you so try modifying a cheap pair of off the shelf reading glasses (pop one lens out) to see if it will work before spending real money on prescription glasses. 

 

https://www.tacticalrx.com has a lot of options but any good eye doctor - sports related optometry shop that listens to you should be able to help. 

 

https://sspeyewear.com has cheaper off the shelf options with top bifocals. 

 

I've had good luck with $20 off the shelf readers in general if you find frames that fit. If you have your ocular distance measured (width of eyes) you can order moderately priced frames online and most of the time they'll fit and be better than Walmart ones. But if you want nicer fitting, nice quality glasses then you spend hundreds. If you are the type to lose things and aren't used to glasses, like I was at first, stick to cheap glasses until your habits are modified. 

 

Your vision will not be getting better so you might as well dig in and learn more about it!

 

Geezer on

[two shoes]

For fast target aq, I like the XS Big Dot... Used it for my EDC G23. Have since switched platforms so going to buy for new EDC shortly.

 

XS Big Dot 24/7

[dryfly]

Thanks for the replys.  Since I spend a lot of range time with the handguns I everyday carry, I really am not interested in red dots or any type of optics.  I have tried variations with glasses and yes, I can definitely get a better sight picture.  However, I do not wear glasses on an everyday basis, only for reading and driving (last drivers license test forced me into this) some of the time.

 

I'm just looking for some type of iron sights that will help a little on target acquisition.  And, I really don't necessarily need tritium.  I tried a set of Ameriglo Cap on one of my Glocks and kinda liked them.  I was thinking the plain black back sight of the Ameriglo Hackathorn might work a little better to help concentrate on the front sight.

[grsdoug]

Been running Hackathorn’s on my 17s and 19s for years, same issue, although I recently found out I have cataracts in both eyes now. Lots of light visible with the wide notch, orange stands out well. They do cover small plates and distant targets, but they were made for another purpose. That said, over the last six months I have switched to a Trijicon RMR on my 19 and it is superior to any irons (I do have backups) for my eyes, even with my glasses off. RMRs are pretty street proven. Dots are not just for games anymore. 

[herky]

When I reached 70, I found that a green fiber optic front sight was much easier to find.

[LowSpeedHighDrag]

My solution to older eyes was to get glasses that have a reading diopter lens in the top left corner of the right lens, with the rest of the lens and the entire left lens just clear glass.  For me +1.25 was about right, but you can get whatever magnification you need.  lets me see the front sight without losing everything else.

 

https://eagleeyeshooting.com/

[lgh]

I don't use RDS on EDC. I just don't see the need given the circumstances of closer quarters and a dynamic, changing situation.  Given their narrow range of light conditions where they are visible, I don't find night sites of much use, I have black rear and a white dot front for EDC. I paint the dot with green phosphorescent (not fluorescent) paint. Or paint the whole FS. The FS is real obvious even without my glasses on. But  the most important thing is to dry fire so much that your POA is where your eyes are looking. i.e.The gun goes where your eyes go.  Since this is a competition and not defensive shooting site, I'll stop here.

Edited April 10, 2020 by lgh

[lgh]

7 hours ago, lgh said:

Or paint the whole FS. The FS is real obvious even without my glasses on.

But put a white base coat on first. The whole project is dirt cheap and reversible. Phosphorescent sights are way brighter than FO but precision shooting will not be its forte.

[deerslayer]

On 4/9/2020 at 1:16 PM, Slalom45 said:

The Sevigney sights from Dawson are great. The rear notch is a .150 width which is nice. Can pair with the front you want. I've used the fiber optic front in .115 and .125 widths which both work well. I'd still be using this if they made them for Tanfoglio's. 

 

Other suggestions. Mono vision shooting glasses with dominate eye for front sight and non-dominate for distance. Or a dot.....

 

This.

 

Sevigny Competition plain black .150 rear and .115 fiber optic front on a Glock 34 is the best sight picture ever created on an iron-sighted handgun.  My opinion, of course.  

[Mustang684]

I wear prescription glasses with near vision on my shooting eye. I've been able to shoot enjoy iron sights again but I now have issues with red dots. What used to be sharp red dots are now fuzzy stars. If I ever go back to optics I'll need to wear my regular prescription lenses.. 

[perttime]

On 4/10/2020 at 12:59 AM, dryfly said:

... However, I do not wear glasses on an everyday basis, only for reading and driving (last drivers license test forced me into this) some of the time.

 

...

 

Can you see the front sight wearing your driving glasses?

[dryfly]

5 hours ago, perttime said:

 

Can you see the front sight wearing your driving glasses?

Yes, better than no glasses but not as good as reading glasses.  The point is I don't want to depend on wearing glasses as related to EDC.  For plinking at the range I do wear glasses at times.

[mvmojo]

For EDC carry, if you don't want a red dot (Holosun 507c is great btw!), the XS Big Dot is about as good as it gets for fast acquisition even with fairly severe presbyopia.  They are certainly combat effective at almost any self defense distance.

[perttime]

Sounds like wearing glasses would help you detect and identify any threats that might be there.

 

... says a guy who would be pretty helpless if forced to go outside without glasses.

[lgh]

3 hours ago, perttime said:

Sounds like wearing glasses would help you detect and identify any threats that might be there.

You might not have your glasses available, can't find them, dropped them, got them knocked off, etc, etc.

[dryfly]

3 hours ago, lgh said:

You might not have your glasses available, can't find them, dropped them, got them knocked off, etc, etc.

Well, the day may come when I'm forced to wear glasses all the time, and if so, I'll just have to learn to deal with that.  As of right now I'm usually always carrying my reading glasses so I can see what I'm buying at Walmart and make sure I'm not putting gasoline in my diesel truck.

 

I just don't want to have to depend on them at this point in time if I encounter an emergency defensive situation.  Again, I know this is not a defense forum.  I just want to try some new iron sights that I can shoot with at the range and have fun, not expecting the smallest groups of course, but knowing that if I have to depend on them for EDC, I'll have fairly good results. 

 

Thanks for all the good suggestions.

[perttime]

On 4/14/2020 at 4:07 PM, lgh said:

You might not have your glasses available, can't find them, dropped them, got them knocked off, etc, etc.

 

What do you suggest as a solution? (cannot afford laser surgery at the moment).

[mvmojo]

14 minutes ago, perttime said:

 

What do you suggest as a solution? (cannot afford laser surgery at the moment).

As I said above, I'd suggest the XS Big Dot sights.  I wear progressive glasses for both near and far vision and the world is fuzzy without them.  But without my glasses I can still put multiple hits on a 15 yd target in or near the A-zone with a Big Dot sight.  They're not pin point accurate at longer ranges, but I once used them for shooting bowling pins at 7 yds so they're "accurate enough"!

[lgh]

34 minutes ago, perttime said:

What do you suggest as a solution? (cannot afford laser surgery at the moment).

Dealing with the issue of "no glasses" is common in defensive training.  It's a Murphy's Law thing. Dry fire is the solution so that he gun automatically goes where you are looking. Also, one of my instructors (Ranger sniper) pointed out that at typical defensive pistol distances you won't even be looking for a sight picture. You will have your attention, eyes included, on the threat. Physiologically all you will get, at best, is a flash sight picture. It's different, at least for him, when distances open up (think rifle).

 

The Big Dots I looked at serve the purpose and I know one guy who was pretty accurate with them albeit with his glasses on. I like the phosphorescent paint thing. I can use existing sights and they really don't interfere much with my usual shooting. One of my instructor said they are the ugliest sights he's seen but he has perfect vision. Wait until he gets older.

 

If I ever find a Steel Challenge club in my new home of southern Missouri, I'm thinking of trying my painted irons just to keep in practice. Should be good enough at SC distances. If you try painting your front sight, you will see how the sight really jumps out at you. Just remember phosphorescent and not fluorescent paint on a white base.

[perttime]

2 hours ago, lgh said:

Dealing with the issue of "no glasses" is common in defensive training. 

 

 

How does that deal with identifying what/who is a threat or not?

[lgh]

18 hours ago, perttime said:

How does that deal with identifying what/who is a threat or not?

I'm not clear on the question. Identifying the threat is different business than i.d. front sight.  Have you had any formal PD training? It's different than competition and worth it if you carry. (This is a competition website, not defensive shooting, and a moderator should give us the go-or-no-go before we wander too far with this.)

[perttime]

5 hours ago, lgh said:

I'm not clear on the question. ...

 

I will elaborate. Before you need the front sight, you need to detect the threat. To detect the threat, being able to see somewhat clearly is an advantage. I would not willingly surrender the ability to see somewhat clearly without a very good reason. For practice, perhaps. For life, not if I can help it.

"Know your target and what is behind it"

 

Shooting without my prescription glasses would be a learning experience. Or at least an experience. I'd just need somebody I can trust keeping watch, ensuring that the target is not replaced with an innocent bystander.