Old eyes going bad

[Bruce H]

I have a .50 Pedersoli Frontier rifle. I don't do a lot of shooting other than deer hunting. My problem is that it's getting very difficult to focus on the sights. A few years back I put fiber optic sights on and it just about killed me to do it to that rifle! That helped a lot, but now it's getting hard with even those sights. Now I'm actually considering a <gasp> scope so I can continue deer hunting and be reasonably sure of a clean kill. Does anyone know of a decent replica of an old scope that might work on that rifle and not look horrible? Or am I realistically looking at something from the folks at Leupold? Any gotchca's to doing that?

The other thing that I'm wondering about is is every year the gun club I belong to has a Youth Day and Ladies Day weekend. I always bring my ML out both days and the kids shoot one or two rounds Saturday and the ladies shoot the same Sunday. I'm pretty sure I know the answer, but is there such a thing as scope mounts that are at least somewhat easy to take off for those two days? It just doesn't seem right to be demoing a ML with a modern scope.

 

[dave951]

The other thing that I'm wondering about is is every year the gun club I belong to has a Youth Day and Ladies Day weekend. I always bring my ML out both days and the kids shoot one or two rounds Saturday and the ladies shoot the same Sunday. I'm pretty sure I know the answer, but is there such a thing as scope mounts that are at least somewhat easy to take off for those two days? It just doesn't seem right to be demoing a ML with a modern scope.

Can't help with the scope thing as I don't use one on any of my black powder arms and yes, I wear glasses. I've found 1x readers help me. As for the Youth Day, I have bought a couple guns just for that purpose. One is a White Mt Carbine and the other a lighter weight CVA rifle. At 25yds, both are sufficiently accurate for new folks to enjoy.

 

[Old Hawkeye]

Have you talked to your eye doctor about corrective lenses specifically for shooting? Getting the front sight in focus can help immensely. An aperture or "peep" mounted on the barrel, like a Marble Bullseye or Skinner along with a white front bead can work miracles for aging eyes, as well. Both remedies worked pretty good for me, but now that I have had cataract surgery open sights are no longer an issue. Weaver bases should allow you to remove & replace the scope & most open sights will allow you to see over the bases. If not, you can get higher open sights that will. The scope will need to be mounted pretty far forward on the barrel so a "Scout" or pistol scope would serve your purpose, preferably a 2.5X or low power variable.

 

[doubleset]

One of the big problems (for anyone) with iron sights is that in order to have the very best (or often just usable) image, your eye has to simultaneously pull three different objects into view at three different distances: rear sight, front sight, and target. This isn't possible. Even if your eyes aren't "degraded" in one way or another (by age, injury, eye disease, ...) it's just not possible. The best you can ever get is a kind of approximation of that.

This is the major problem that a scope solves: it gives you one thing to focus on, and your eyes can do that. But if you don't want to go to a scope for whatever reasons you have, there may be an alternative.

Consider a "tube sight": basically a tube without glass/magnification and a reticle or other sight in it. You can think of it as a really long peep sight. Used in the 1800s, and I believe that Redfield, Unertl, and Freeland used to make them more recently. You can still find them referred to on several forums and at times for sale on Ebay. Or you could have a machinist make one and get some Unertl (or other) rings to mount it. Here's a thread (pretty old now) that mentions them: Al Freeland Tube Sight.

Another alternative that might work for you is a rear aperture/peep sight (like a Lyman) with a front fiber optic sight. The peep sight reduces or largely eliminates the problem with 3 different sighting distances, and the fiber optic sight makes the front sight distinctly visible -- which is often the biggest part of the problem for aging eyes. I'm working on a project now to craft a fiber optic front sight modification for one of my own BP rifles.

Just some thoughts.

 

[bubba.50]

If all else fails, look up Malcolm Scopes from Hi-Lux. Right spendy but look natural on old or old style guns.

 

[FishDFly]

First, drift the rear sight out of it's slot. Cradle the rifle so it is stable. Move the rear sight forward a couple of inches and look thru the sights to see if they are clear. If not, move the rear sight forward another inch and see if they are clear. Continue until they are clear. If that works, cut another new slot.

Follow Old Hawkeye's recommendation. My scores were terrible and my eye's would water, went to the eye doctor. He said I had major cataracts, each eye. Had them removed with new far off lenses and my scores jumped up. Only glasses I need know are for close up and reading.

 

[dave951]

Read the following article on adjustable irises. I have the Merit and I stick it on my 1x readers and have no problems.

https://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2012/07/diopter-devices-aid-old-eyes/
https://www.eabco.com/merit_apertures.html
https://www.creedmoorsports.com/product/gehmann-clip-on-iris-for-ordinary-glasses/-Gehmann

 

[doubleset]

Only glasses I need know are for close up and reading.

Yeah, I haven't seen so well since I was 12 years old. But seeing the front sight against various backgrounds is still a challenging problem.

 

[Grenadier1758]

Another choice is a diopter sight. You can buy one that clips to your glasses or fastens to you shooting glasses with a suction cup. To try out a diopter or pin hole lens, take a square piece of black electrical tape and punch a 1/8" hole in the center of the tape. Position the hole on your shooting glasses to give clear visibility of the sights. The hole can be enlarged if necessary. The pin hole effect will put both sights and the target in focus.

@dave951 has provided some good links to available diopter devices. I used the Merit diopter until I had cataract replacement.

 

[Tom A Hawk]

I have been refining a design for folding tang peep and expect to be making it available here very soon. Its adjustable for windage and elevation and mounts with the tang screw. Sourcing of materials has delayed release.

 

[Urban Coyote]

Alas, on the backside of my 60's I can appreciate your dilemma, the progressive lenses of my glasses don't help. Next trip to the eye doctor I'll be looking for a better solution, perhaps a pair dedicated to shooting.

Without launching into a tirade over modern glass on muzzleloaders I've seen the handwriting on the wall with folks trying to promote making scope sights legal in what once we're primitive hunting seasons. I'd bet a substantial sum of folding money that if scopes, even 1X, were made legal in muzzleloader seasons young eyes as well as old would dive in. Open sights take a bit more discipline to learn and a lot of shooters just don't want to put in the effort.

 

[FishDFly]

"Alas, on the backside of my 60's I can appreciate your dilemma, the progressive lenses of my glasses don't help."

Back some years I changed to progressive lens and my scores plummeted, I just could not see with them. I changed back to regular lens and my scores came back up.

 

[bang]

I paint the back of rear sight white for good contrast. A peep is ok provided the peep size is large enough.

 

[oldwood]

I'm 75 ish , and a couple years ago , first , the target became blurry , then the gun sights , front and rear expired. Did a little research , and cobbled up a tang mount peep sighr for my long rifle. Jaw dropper. All came into focus again. The only thing I did to enhance the change , is started using 4" by 4" orange square of duct tape for better target visibility 50 yds' and beyond. Not much "WOW's" me any more , but the changes allowed me to continue target practice at the range. Hunting is uncertain ,'cause most hunting requires walking on uneven ground. Kissing the ground does little for me these days..........oldwood

 

[Bruce H]

The eye doctor has told me for the last 4(?) years that one of these days I'm going to need cataract surgery. At just a couple weeks short of 73, maybe I have to bite the bullet and admit that I'm getting old. I think I'll wait until my next appointment before I do anything drastic with my rifle and see if my doctor has anything to say about cataracts, dedicated shooting glasses, etc. Maybe these progressive lenses in my glasses are making a a bad problem worse. Thanks people!

BTW, I looked at the Malcolm Scopes from Hi-Lux and they are a great looking scope and they're a little pricey, but not horribly so! The only thing that concerns me is the 6x power. That's a bit strong for northern MN where I hunt in the deep woods; I have a 2x-7x variable on my centerfire and rarely go above 2x. For me, a long shot is anything beyond about 60 yards. Maybe with some research, I can find something with a little lower power.

 

[Grenadier1758]

There's several choices that @Bruce H has. The choices all hinge on personal cost. At 73 Medicare will pay for the simple cataract replacement. But means that you will still need reading glasses. The next step at modest cost will address astigmatism. You get clearer vision but reading glasses will be needed. There is a much more expensive multifocal replacement lens that will take care of the cataracts, correct for astigmatism and provide for multifocal vision and reading glasses will not be required. Several members of my gun club have the simple replacement and shoot very well with their reading glasses. I did the vanity thing and sprung for the expensive replacement.

 

[dave951]

There's several choices that @Bruce H has. The choices all hinge on personal cost. At 73 Medicare will pay for the simple cataract replacement. But means that you will still need reading glasses. The next step at modest cost will address astigmatism. You get clearer vision but reading glasses will be needed. There is a much more expensive multifocal replacement lens that will take care of the cataracts, correct for astigmatism and provide for multifocal vision and reading glasses will not be required. Several members of my gun club have the simple replacement and shoot very well with their reading glasses. I did the vanity thing and sprung for the expensive replacement.

The fact is that as you age, your eyesight changes. Technical name is Presbyopia, and no, that doesn't mean Baptists are exempt. Up till my early 30s, I had 20/10 and even as late as my 20s, I could often see BBs in flight and some slower bullets. Those days are now specks in the rearview mirrors. I now am 20/30 in my non dominant eye and 20/25 in the dominant eye and that with astigmatism. The only solution I've found short of optics is the diopter attached to readers. Try it, it's far less expensive than quality scopes

 

[doubleset]

Alas, on the backside of my 60's I can appreciate your dilemma, the progressive lenses of my glasses don't help. Next trip to the eye doctor I'll be looking for a better solution, perhaps a pair dedicated to shooting.

Before I got the "cataract surgery" (IOL implants, only using incipient cataracts as an excuse ), I had three pairs of glasses: bifocals for normal wandering about in the world, driving, etc; "close-up" glasses for basically anything "within arms reach" (computer, music), and "sports and outdoors" glasses for, er, sports and outdoors. Each had it's own prescription. Expensive? Oh, yeah. Though I did manage to re-use frames a couple of times. But I knew that progressives would drive me nuts and be a senseless expense in my case because I'd quickly flush them.

 

[FishDFly]

With progressive's my peripheral vision went poof, I could not see my right truck mirror.

 

[rt2bowhunter]

My son is a Ophthalmologist he gave me a little test when he was still in school. Where he poked a small hole in a piece of paper and said look through that. If you can see better you need glasses, well i could. Long story short even after i got glasses and i can see really good now. A peep sight matched with a fiber optic front sight gives me a good sight picture as well as my target. I do suffer some under low light.The only thing that can help me there is a good scope with good glass.

My first set were Progressives i told him and the office. They should be against the law. FishDFly is spot on i had to point my nose at anything i wanted to see. Worthless IMO for shooting or hunting but that's just me.