During my last couple of shooting sessions I have noticed that I am no longer seeing open sights as I once did. I can use cheaters and see the sights fine however the target is blurry. Something I find interesting is that my groups have been low and left. I have worn contacts for 30+ years, a change is probably necessary, and have not yet been to the eye doctor. I can still shoot scopes fine, but short barrelled big bore, open sighted revolvers are it for me. I do have a FA .475, 5 1/2 inch scoped and outside of loving the hunting accuracy the scope is just a poor addition to an otherwise almost perfect revolver. Thoughts, suggestions, experiences?

Have your eyes checked for cataracts. And step up the frequency for re-exams and new glasses until it's time for cataract surgery, if that's indicated.

Fwiw I think you'll find that the darker part of the blurry front sight is the sight. The lighter part of the blur isn't.

And there isn't a good answer to the question, which is more important, to see the sights or the target clearly.

I've always gone with seeing the front sight clearly over the target.

Of the three possible focus points , rear and front sights and target the most important one is the front sight !!Some of use target shooters walk around mumbling 'front sight ,front sight ' .I think this might be proven with some math.
A few years ago I dug out my 44mag M29.My eyes had changed and I couldn't focus on the front sight with my glasses.Got my deer but I wasn't happy. The I had an idea.Why not do it without the glasses ? I could then focus on the front sight though the target was a bit more fuzzy.Got my deer and was much more comfortable doing it. On the downside finding a deer at long range in the brush was a bit more difficult.

What about a peep rear sight?

Thanks guys, as far as a peep sight, it's been so long since I shot one...but Im digging out a rifle with peep sights.

Personally, when I think back to what a mess it was before the cataract surgery with having to choose between seeing the sights or the target, well, I'm glad at least some of that is cleared up now.

As far as the ex-cataract eye is concerned the vision is greatly improved now. But I got glasses to fine tune it to where it's really good (the range requires glasses anyway). So, I see the target fine and by holding the gun out as far as possible (I have long arms) I can see the front sight more or less.

But something kinda wierd out of that eye, my right master eye. When I concentrate real hard on the sight and target, especially on a sunny day, eventually the vision starts to take on a red tint where the target is.

And I have in that eye the "lightning flashes" indicating retinal problems.

And, I have another exciting development, floaters. These just wander about in the vision like large dark clouds and you can't see thru them. Like trying to look thru muddy water or thick smoke. To shoot, you wait til they wander on out of the way. The funny thing is, the cataract was so bad I didn't even know about the floaters til the cataract was removed.

See what all wonderful things you've got to look forward to as you become an "elderly shooter". I recommend it to the whole world.

But I still get my deer...somehow.

Therer is something wrong here. When you foucs on the front sight the target WILL be out of focus. Your eye cannot focus on something 2 1/2 feet away and 25 yards away. Sorry, your eyes are functioning as designed! Bullseye shooters have been experiencing this for years.
Peter.

The quick solution for me was to use a pair of 1.00 readers. They gave me just enough clarity to see the sights yet I can also still clearly see the target at 25yds.

quote:

Originally posted by Peter:
Therer is something wrong here. When you foucs on the front sight the target WILL be out of focus. Your eye cannot focus on something 2 1/2 feet away and 25 yards away. Sorry, your eyes are functioning as designed! Bullseye shooters have been experiencing this for years.
Peter.

That's what has me confused as well Peter. I now wear prescription glasses, but I've never been able to focus on three focal planes (the rear sight, the front sight, and the target) all at once even before glasses became a necessity! Like someone mentioned above, my natural tendency is to want to focus on the target and I have to mentally tell myself to focus on the front sight, letting the target and rear sight become blurry.


I have always used an optic for hunting handguns because I shoot them more accurately, especially in low light.

X-CALIBER I shoot optics better as well. The issue is that with optics you only have to put the dot or the crosshairs on the aiming point. With open sights you must put the black on top of the front sight (assuming 6 o'clock hold), then you have to evaluate the white on each side of the front sight between it and the sides on the rear sight notch. When all is equal, then squeeze the trigger. I shoot much tighter groups with optics either red dot or scope, than with open sights. Could I do better when I was younger? Sorry, can't remember that far back! Having said that, shooting from a rest using open sights is still my preferred method for evaluating loads. A tight group with open sights will only be tighter with optics(assuming a 5 or 10 shot group).
Peter.