advice on sights, please...

[richl]

At 50 years old, I am getting a lot of "blur" on the target, as I focus on my front sight, and I know I'm not alone on this one!
For you guys that have tried peep vs fiber optic sights, what made the most improvement for you?
(better sight picture)

Those fiber optic sights seem like a fancy way to put "nail polish" on your sights. I tried that, it didn't help much. But, I have never used a peep sight...

I think I need an upgrade on my T/C, any pointers you can share?
Thanks,
Rich

 

[dodgecummins01]

I know what you mean by blur! For me the cure was to move the rear sight forward and file the notch wider. You can remove the sight and sit it on top of the barrel and slide it forward to find the right distance. If you are not into drilling and taping or dovetailing seek a good gun smith. Good luck.

 

[zrifleman]

Peep sights for older eyes.

 

[tg]

I moved my sights forwatrd on guns I aquired as my eyes got fuzzy, now I mostlt shoot a fusil with no rear sight which eliminates the problem, I just kind of ignore the sight on my smoothrifle it is very low and small anyway so I just let it blurr and focus on the target and front, it has worked very well, I don't hunt where the range of a rifle is an issue for most shots, now and then I have to let a deer go by that is to far for a smoothbore but when I shot rifles and could take deer out to 100yds + there were always a few at 150-175 yds so you can always have them be to far no matter what you shoot.

 

[Tom Compton]

A small hole or aperture on shooting glasses clears fuzzy sights link below is to a very high end adjustable piece called a Merit Optical disc that has a n infinite adjustment iris like a camera.

A cheap piece can be made using anything from electrical tape to a piece of aluminum can and a ladies bananna hair clip.

Believe me this works.
http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=8767/Product/DELUXE_OPTICAL_ATTACHMENT

TC

 

[Rogue River]

I bought the Merit Optical that fits on your eyeglass lense and it works great. It fastens with a small suction cup to your lense, you adjust the sight and it swivels up out of the way when you are not shooting.

 

[smokehouseman]

For me fiber optic sights and t/c peep is the only way to go. Just ran across a bargain on eBay, they have some HiViz 3/8 dovetail fiber optic sights .230 in height with 6 different size beads in orange and green for $19.

 

[MikeChapin]

Changing to fiber optic sights or a peep is not an option for me. I shoot a lot of competition and those type of sights are banned from most of the state shoots.

I use a poor man's aperture on my glasses. It is a piece of black vinyl tape with a small hole. It allows me to see the sights like I could when I was thirty.

 

[richl]

I was a bit skeptical of the Merit device, and I did pretty much what Mike is using: took a sheet of black construction paper, cut out a shape to match my lens, poked a small hole in the middle, and with a tiny piece of double sided tape, gently attached it to the frame of my glasses. (on the inside)

I am SHOCKED at how razor sharp the sights are, AND the target. (I'm home, but sighting out the garage door at a spot in the woods)
Not sure how or why this works as well as it does, but it looks very promising.
Cost of this experiment: $0.00

I can just imagine the whispers at the gun club: "hey, what's with Cpt. Ahab over there?"

 

[CoyoteJoe]

Looking through a small aperture, whether mounted on the rifle or on the shooting glasses greatly increases the depth of field. Just as your 35mm camera has greater depth of field when the aperture is dialed down to f22 than when opened up to f2.8, meaning things are in focus at both near and far distances.
I'd never consider anything but a peep sight on a hunting rifle but as Mike said, you can't use a peep at most ML competitions, I've been severely heckled for using a Merit disk on my glasses at a rendezvous shoot. You'd think they would give a blind old fart a break. Well they will, so long as he doesn't win! :haha:
I've never seen the slightest advantage to fiber optics. In dim light an ivory front bead is visible long after the plastic fantastic has gone black and in good light they are far too bright with a dazzling halo of fuzz. If you think about it the problem is not that you can't see the sights but that you can't see them sharply. How will that be helped by a bright plastic insert?

 

[hanshi]

Changing to fiber optic sights or a peep is not an option for me. I shoot a lot of competition and those type of sights are banned from most of the state shoots.

I use a poor man's aperture on my glasses. It is a piece of black vinyl tape with a small hole. It allows me to see the sights like I could when I was thirty.

Mike, would you be so kind as to give details on what you do, how it works, etc? I'm having more and more trouble focusing. Also, does this work in poor light such as that found in the deer woods? Many thanks.

 

[Tom Compton]

You'd think they would give a blind old fart a break. Well they will, so long as he doesn't win!

You got that right, Joe!

 

[Tom Compton]

For how it works, try this link.
http://www.bullseyepistol.com/wong7.htm

 

[atuna]

I've tried painting the front sight with little success. I want to try the pearl bead or gold bead with a peep sight. Any thoughts as to the better of the two? I've had to pass on good shots because of low light

 

[MikeChapin]

...
Mike, would you be so kind as to give details on what you do, how it works, etc? I'm having more and more trouble focusing. Also, does this work in poor light such as that found in the deer woods? Many thanks.

I use a little square piece of vinyl tape. I punch a hole in it using the smallest aperture on a rotary leather punch. When I am shooting I put the tape on my glasses with the hole lined up with where I would look while shooting. Everything gets sharper.

You do lose some light coming through the little hole. I haven't used it hunting yet. I don't have to worry too much about hunting in dim lit woods. Most hunting is done in open country around here. You would just have to try it under your normal hunting conditions to see if it will work for you.

 

[paulvallandigham]

When using a peep sight in low light, or foggy, or misty, or very overcast days, I remove the disc from the mount, and look through the 1/4" hole that is threaded for the disc. This becomes my " ghost ring " sight, which people have been discovering over the past 5-10 years. Even this large a hole will help focus light to the eye, better than your iris, and glasses can do. Remember, that as lighting becomes dimmer, your iris opens up WIDER to take in more light. This action is NOT conducive to fine shooting.

Using a piece of tape with a hole in it- any size, will restrict the amount of light reaching the LENS of your eye, regardless of how open your iris is. This is what improves focus on that front sight. The same happens with any ghost ring sight, or shooting thru the mounting hole in the post to hold an ordinary peep disc.

If the front sight is still "fuzzy" looking through a hole in tape, then enlarge the hole until the sight is no longer "fuzzy" in the light conditions you desire.

 

[Rat Trapper]

I have installed peep sights on four of my five traditional rifles. On my TC 50 cal I used the tc peep with the tc fiber optic front. I think I am going to like this one come hunting time. Last year I used the same fiber optic front sight on the 50 cal with the tc open rear and it was much better in the woods than the standard front sight.

 

[paulvallandigham]

May I ask, what kind of light conditions did you experience with that gun last season??

Typically, we are cloudy and overcast, if not raining, during the November deer season here. In December, it can be clear and sunny, but cold as a well-diggers boots! Mostly, its overcast in December, too.

Legal Hunting hours come before its light enough to see your front sight, here, for the most part. I have a blaze orange front sight on my rifle, and I use it, and my ability to see that sight in my rear sight against a brown tree trunk, to determine when its safe to shoot.

 

[Rat Trapper]

Paul,
I normally hunt in the woods with my muzzle loaders. The deer I shot with my 50 TC last fall was taken in the last 20 min of legal shooting time. It was a cloudy day, but nor real dark. At 61, I have problems seeing a black front sight in the rear sight unless I have pretty good light and even then it can be a challenge. While the fiber optic front sight is not traditional, at least I can see it better. I'm still playing with this option, and have not converted any of my other rifles to it. The good part is they are not very expensive. They tap in and if you don't like them you can tap them out and put the orginal front sight back in.

 

[hanshi]

I've seen these little devices (a might costly) that look nice and fit to your glasses but I like your idea better. You can't beat free and simple.