Can't see sights

[Frosty861]

I have the same issue with my eyes/rifle.

It has a German Silver front sight, and I've tried everything to blacken it and reduce or eliminate glare to no avail. I use a Merit Iris at the range, but it is not practical hunting. In overcast my groups are excellent, around 1" at 100 yds off the bench; in the sun they blossom to a "pattern". As I was putting things away yesterday, I spied an empty .480 Ruger shell. Idea!

30 minutes with a Dremel, small file and a piece of crocus cloth I had a globe cover for the front sight, no glare, and to Scota's point, like pistol sights! Heck, it doesn't even look too out of place. Right now, the globe is held in place by friction. If successful I'll attach it with glue. Maybe in keeping with the browned iron furniture I'll make one of thin wall steel tubing and brown it as well. For now, I'll just run this through the tumbler.

The photo of the target is with the Merit, I'll post results of this modification.

Frosty

OK. I'll classify this one as a failure.

It looked good, fun to make, but the result was decreased image of the target. It was not too bad a 1pm, but as the afternoon progressed things got worse. The front globe was removed, and the Merit attached to my glasses. Three shots in about 1 1/2", from the bench.

The group is about 2" right of the bull, so light taps from the mallet should correct. At 100 yds, a 25.5" sight radius and a 2" error only require a change of .014"; I think I'll need a lighter hammer!

I'll look a bit strange this MZ season with a shooting bench and Merrit Iris on my glasses.

Frosty

 

[Ricochet]

I struggled with my Kibler sights for a while. I had a hard time seeing that thin brass sight in that tiny notch on the rear sight. I squirrel hunt mostly and them heads are near bout impossible for me to be fidgeting around tryin to get a good picture. I think I may have fixed my problem though. I made some rear sights with thicker metal and a wider notch. On the front, I made a sight out of the hard, white part of an Elk antler. It is wide like my Renegade sights and I can see it in all lights. The rear notch has a sliver of space on each side of the front blade and, with a six o'clock hold, everything is good in the world again.

 

[stikshooter]

Good morning all I have a question that maybe some old timers can resolve for me I have shot shorter barrels with no problem as aging eyes occur I just built a kibler 43" barrel having a problem seeing the rear site front site and my target it has a thin blade in the front I widened backsite any ideas to stay somewhat traditional

My Kibler SMR sports a Ivory front (thin ) from an old piano key (I'm told) and a buckhorn more of a peep rear works good in most conditions .The sights that came with it not so much with old eyes and varelux lenses/Ed

 

[woodsnwater]

I struggled with my Kibler sights for a while. I had a hard time seeing that thin brass sight in that tiny notch on the rear sight. I squirrel hunt mostly and them heads are near bout impossible for me to be fidgeting around tryin to get a good picture. I think I may have fixed my problem though. I made some rear sights with thicker metal and a wider notch. On the front, I made a sight out of the hard, white part of an Elk antler. It is wide like my Renegade sights and I can see it in all lights. The rear notch has a sliver of space on each side of the front blade and, with a six o'clock hold, everything is good in the world again.

Would you post some pics of your sights? I'm having the same problems you had.

 

[Ricochet]

Nothin special, just functional. The wide blade lets me see the sight fast and the wider notch lets me get it all lined up while I focus on the front sight.

 

[Frosty861]

Being able to see it makes it special. Nice job.

Frosty

 

[woodsnwater]

Looks great to me. I've got to do something.

 

[Dale Lilly]

It's your lens implants.

My implants were not very successful. I am still unable to see sights, television, or drive without glasses. With glasses I can see sights pretty well, but TV, reading, and driving, I go from glasses to no glasses during same viewing or drive. Dale

 

[Sun City]

The rear sight….

I use reader's glasses. My target is blurred but at least I have only a single front sight image instead of two. Haven't experimented with an aperture yet, but that seems a better solution to me than reader's glasses. Maybe I'll try some dollar store sunglasses with a small hole punched in them.

If you're using your eyes right.....the target should be somewhat blurred!!

 

[Dale Allen Raby]

Yup, but with reader's glasses, it is blurred a bit more than I like.

 

[Percy]

I decided to buy a folding peep sight from Tom A Hawk in the Classifieds. Mounted it on my .54 cal flintlock and went to the range yesterday. A few shots to make adjustments for elevation and windage, next four shots in the 3.5"" square target at 57 yards. Then the rain hit. Very happy with the sight, now ready for deer season.

 

[Salty]

We can only focus on one distance at a time. Front sight is primary! Open up the rear notch with a jewelers file. More light around the front sight blade helps to center it in the rear notch. I just put taller sights on my .58 Colonial to fix elevation errors and opened up the rear and definitely helps me.

Where did you find a taller front sight?

 

[akroguy]

Where did you find a taller front sight?

Plenty of sights at Track of the Wolf.

 

[nhmoose]

I solved my eye problem 10 years ago by going to a smoothbore and front sight only. Last summer I got cataract surgery and implants. Still using the smoothy now by choice.

 

[Crow#21957]

Peep sight. Maillemaker got the idea.. I put a peep on my tn classic I can see the sight great now.My peep was $85 but it is nice snd made for the old full stocks. Looks real period correct.

 

[Bob K]

You might try this to see if a peep will work for you. Using standard electrical tape, punch a 5/8” circle followed by punching a 1/8” center circle in the 5/8” circle. Stick on you range eye protection (shooting eye side) and it’s really like having a rear peep sight. Works very well for me and improved my sight/target presentation dramatically and can be used with any rifle.

 

[smoothshooter]

Good morning all I have a question that maybe some old timers can resolve for me I have shot shorter barrels with no problem as aging eyes occur I just built a kibler 43" barrel having a problem seeing the rear site front site and my target it has a thin blade in the front I widened backsite any ideas to stay somewhat traditional

Get wider front sight and/or move rear sight forward a few inches. You need prescription glasses if you don’t already have them. I recommend transition bifocals.

 

[smoothshooter]

Im going through this exact same thing now. At 60 I need bifocals for up close reading. The rear sight on my Hawken rifle is just a black fuzz. I'm off to see an eye dock this week to see what they can do. I'm also getting ready to order a Kibler SMR and plan on having them move the rear sight forward for me once I figure out what distance is needed. I will need somone to measure a SMR from shoulder to front sight for me.

Ask your eye doctor guy about bringing your gun into the office for the exam. The ones around here have no problem with it.
May be different culture where you live.

 

[Flintlock Whiskey]

Im going through this exact same thing now. At 60 I need bifocals for up close reading. The rear sight on my Hawken rifle is just a black fuzz. I'm off to see an eye dock this week to see what they can do. I'm also getting ready to order a Kibler SMR and plan on having them move the rear sight forward for me once I figure out what distance is needed. I will need somone to measure a SMR from shoulder to front sight for me.

It's getting to where I can shoot better with a pistol since the sights are further away. I had asked about hunting deer with a Colt Dragoon in another post because of this. I just cannot bring myself to put a peep on my ALR.

 

[CWKNOX]

Good morning all I have a question that maybe some old timers can resolve for me I have shot shorter barrels with no problem as aging eyes occur I just built a kibler 43" barrel having a problem seeing the rear site front site and my target it has a thin blade in the front I widened backsite any ideas to stay somewhat traditional

you might try the Williams fire sight bead for a front sight.
https://shop.williamsgunsight.com/ecommerce/p/beads--firesight--wide-widths-059083