I am trying to relearn iron sight shooting with old eyes (55yr) and I am finding I still love & do better with the receiver sights. However the front sights are a different story. The small beads I used to be able to see and shoot well with disappear and blur. Depending on light conditions sight black helps one day and not the next. The same happens with white , gold, and all the other colors. The front sight I have the most success with is what I call the old heavy partridge style. I am having trouble finding them available in the various heights needed for some of my guns. Some guns are just not meant to have scopes on them and I enjoy shooting them. What are some you finding works for you?

Thanks Mike B.

Dear Friend........If you think you got problems at 55, wait to you get to my age!
Now........You are correct that some guns and some situations call for good visable open sights, Try to get on a big hog down in the TyTy with poor sights.
Over the years I think I have tried, and hunted, with about every style sighting arrangement that's out there.
Old eyes have two proplems.....weak eyes or cataracts. A scope that gathers lots of light can help cataracts, but that does not work in heavy brush, etc.
The only solution I have found is some form of glow sights.....the best so far are Tru-Glo.....period. Williams are ok, but a little flimsy,
I find that I can align Tru-Glo even with a open rear sight, not a reciever sight. Putting the red dot between the two green dots is simplicity in itself!........something to think about...James

I am trying to relearn iron sight shooting with old eyes (55yr) and I am finding I still love & do better with the receiver sights. However the front sights are a different story. The small beads I used to be able to see and shoot well with disappear and blur. Depending on light conditions sight black helps one day and not the next. The same happens with white , gold, and all the other colors. The front sight I have the most success with is what I call the old heavy partridge style. I am having trouble finding them available in the various heights needed for some of my guns. Some guns are just not meant to have scopes on them and I enjoy shooting them. What are some you finding works for you?

Thanks Mike B.


Do keep some guns with iron sights...that's just their best use, and i enjoy the challenge.

Wider has helped. Know some people still like thin sights, beliveing wider sights are less accurate (handgunners seem to have learned that ain't so, but some rifle shooters still hold to the belief). As you found, there aren't many choices.

Have taken to hunting junk-boxes at gun shows and picking up front sights..and rear sights if the dovetail is a common one....and prefer the BROKEN ones. All i want it the dovetail base. Not that you can't make one, but it is a pain in the rump and I kind of resnt all that work for so simple a part.

With a good dovetail (even with a busted sight blade) have most of the hard work done. Can shape the top flat...slot it..make your blade...solder it to the slot. With the balde base a tight fit in the slot, is stable from side impacts...and once the sight is driven into the dvetail, is locked in front to back...so the thick bladed sights don't seem prone to breakage.

So at least this one old-eyed shoote tends to make new front sights, to whatever thickenss ans shape needed, and use thtm. May have to adjsut the rear sight to match the new thickenss/shape.

I'm 59 this year and approach the same problem. I've found the glow dot sights excellent and much easier to see. I have a set on my muzzle loader (iron sights only) and feel very comfortable with it out to a hundred yards.

If you have a wide sight you can put a v notch in the top, pick up some the fiber optic strands at a local bow shop, then cut it slightly longer than the notch, heat it with a small torch while laying in the notch to shape, then super glue in place. This avoids having to go through various sizes to find one the right height. And if you are using one for the day try painting the rear of the front sight with whiteout liquid paper, won't last more than a day or so but makes the front sight easier to see.

I find a combination of an aperture rear sight and a fiber-optic front sight useable. Because of astigmatism, using both rear and front fiber-optic sights causes me to see 4 rear dots and 2 front dots. Midway carries a selection of different height front fiber-optic sights and readily replaced one I had ordered having the wrong height.

One of the reasns I went over to my nephew's house, besides delivering some UPS packages sent to this address ('casue they aren't getting deliveries) was to bring over some CB caps and have another plinking session with his little Favorite (modern one). OF course, it was iron sighted (how else to start a new shooter but a single shot and iron sights?).

No way i could keep up with young eyes with those standard sights...too thin, lose the dern things at the lest excuse. Brought along an old H&A action i had rebarrled to .22short, took off the scope to even the playing field, and used the thick/wide iron sights I had made for that barrel.

Put us back on an even field.

Not a real fan of the plastic glow-stick sights...just too distracting when shooting in bright daylight. Have a place in dim light shooting, but for a bright sunny day like today, prefer the dead black iron.

I have found Firesights work best for me. Red fiberoptic front (one dot) and two green dots rear (U-shaped fiberoptic). Put the red dot between the green dots and pull the trigger. Easy to pick up in all lighting conditions I've seen. I have my Guide Gun sighted in at 75 yards, 6:00 method.

I'm in the same boat. I used strictly scoped rifles in my youth, when I had good vision, now at age 46 I'm starting to shoot iron sights.

I do fairly well with a ghost ring rear and a gold bead front. I will blacken the front sight with a magic marker if the sun is making it glow. I also shoot slightly better without my glasses.

I am afraid that when we get to the age of bi-focals we will never be able to shoot like the young guys.

Dear Friend........If you think you got problems at 55, wait to you get to my age!
Now........You are correct that some guns and some situations call for good visable open sights, Try to get on a big hog down in the TyTy with poor sights.
Over the years I think I have tried, and hunted, with about every style sighting arrangement that's out there.
Old eyes have two proplems.....weak eyes or cataracts. A scope that gathers lots of light can help cataracts, but that does not work in heavy brush, etc.
The only solution I have found is some form of glow sights.....the best so far are Tru-Glo.....period. Williams are ok, but a little flimsy,
I find that I can align Tru-Glo even with a open rear sight, not a reciever sight. Putting the red dot between the two green dots is simplicity in itself!........something to think about...James

Thanks, that's one I haven't tried and will put on the list to do. I'm hoping if the Lord's willing and I'm around for awhile longer maybe I won't remember so well what I could do with the open sights when I was in my 20's & it won't be so depressing when I look at what I can do at the time! Mike B.

May as well mention it here, even though the thread is about sights, do not be afraid to try differnt sized trgets and/or differnt shapes of aiming points. What's right for a scope sight just doesn't work as well with iron.

Find a shape that works with the iron sights, not against them, and you might be surprized at how well old eyes can do with basic-iron.

I haven't got around to trying this yet but it may be a (partial) solution to the problem many of us share (I'll be 60 in June).

Brownell's (my catalog is old..#55/for 2002-2003) sells a "Oversize Dovetail Front Sight" which can be filed and fitted to your desired shape and height. They advertize two widths: .065" and .100". The price in my old catalog is $5.70.

Seems to me a cheap way to cut and try. It could be made into the shape of the old Redfield Sourdough and a truly "handy" person could probably find a way to enlay some copper or brass wire into the angled face a la ol' Francis E. Sell's favorite style.

When I suggested Tru-Glo sights, I did overlook the fact that they do not work good in bright light condidtions......as pointed out.
Most of our hunting down here is done when deer and hogs move........early and late in the day. Also the hunt locations are in dim light, even then, due to the deep hammocks and swamps.
Out in the bright light areas, I also believe, a larger square front sight works best. Whatever the sight, there should be some space around it when the shooter aligns them. I also like the open sights on the NEF rifles.......James

This thread points out one of the great problems in life. Just as we get to the point when we can afford to do a little more shooting, our eyes give out, and we bruise easier.

I've gone to William's receiver sights and don't worry if the rear circle is fuzzy. I just center that front sight in the fuzzy circle. My brother in Texas has mounted a laser on his 30-30. At 50 yards, the red dot is within 1/2 inch of the bullet impact point. The sights become secondary. (A laser on a 30-30 is a an abomination, but it works well.)
Good luck in your quest.

I haven't got around to trying this yet but it may be a (partial) solution to the problem many of us share (I'll be 60 in June).

Brownell's (my catalog is old..#55/for 2002-2003) sells a "Oversize Dovetail Front Sight" which can be filed and fitted to your desired shape and height. They advertize two widths: .065" and .100". The price in my old catalog is $5.70.

Seems to me a cheap way to cut and try. It could be made into the shape of the old Redfield Sourdough and a truly "handy" person could probably find a way to enlay some copper or brass wire into the angled face a la ol' Francis E. Sell's favorite style.

Thanks! Another good idea!
Mike B.

James:

I have been debating setting up a barrel for my 870 with one of the following:

A set of patridge sights with tritium inserts.
http://www.arizonagunrunners.com/Products/Trijicon/TrijiconIndex/trijiconindex.html?OVRAW=trijicon&OVKEY=trijicon&OVMTC=standard

Or a ultra low J-point sight sunken into a rib cut out.
http://www.jprifles.com/ Go to shotgun, open class for an illustration of the set up.

The Trijicon sights would work in bright or low light, but would mean still fighting the fuzzy sight syndrome.

On the other hand the J-point red dot would bypass the optical problem by putting everything in the same focal plane. The J-Point is the only red dot that would allow the use of the rib and bead in event of battery or system failure.

I would appreciate your thoughts on this and wonder if any other forum members have had any experience with these.
Especially those over 45!

Ralph

Ralph and All......As I mentioned, most our hunting is done in more or less low light. We tried various red dot sights , including a large Bec Miradot......none really paid off for us in low light.
Most of us have gone to either a set of Tru-Glo's or a Leupold 1x4 power. The 1x4 gathers light and works for us down in the swamp. Strange as it may seem, different colored shooting glasses help. Dr. Lange un Gainesville, Florida mixes a brown-yellow, plus UV shade for our progressive lens that really helps when the light get's a little brighter. There is a place in those progressive lens that bring the sights on my S&W 686 into fair focus.........James

James:

I found the website for TruGlo sights and have to admit they have a a full line for almost any rifle or handgun. Reasonably priced also.

http://www.truglosights.com/content/prod_long_gun_sights/remington.asp

Ralph

Millett make 1/8" wide blade sights. They are similar to the XS blades with a white or orange center and black edges. I've replaced the beads on 3 Win '94s with these in .400" height and had no problems getting a zero with receiver peeps.

They are available from Midway for $10. Here's the link to the white .400" high one. http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=789384

I like the "Globe" style front sights best. The actual sight is well protected inside of a tubular body. There are also numerous interchangeable sight inserts.

I am trying to relearn iron sight shooting with old eyes (55yr) and I am finding I still love & do better with the receiver sights. However the front sights are a different story. The small beads I used to be able to see and shoot well with disappear and blur. Depending on light conditions sight black helps one day and not the next. The same happens with white , gold, and all the other colors. The front sight I have the most success with is what I call the old heavy partridge style. I am having trouble finding them available in the various heights needed for some of my guns. Some guns are just not meant to have scopes on them and I enjoy shooting them. What are some you finding works for you?

Thanks Mike B.
My solution to this problem (and I'm 11 years older than you) on guns I don't want to scope, like my new Winchester 94, has been aperture sights. Up until now, I've been using a "Oneraggedhole" aperture that bolts in place of the dovetail on the rear sight blade of the Winchester, and uses the original front sight. This does pretty well for me, but I spent three weeks researching and ordered, and today received, my XS Ghost Ring Hunting Sight set. This consists of a ghost ring that mounts to the rear receiver scope mounting holes on the rifle, is fully adjustable for windage and elevation, and provides a WIDE front blade with a white stripe running up it. I've read a lot of reports, and now I've seen the hardware. It's all steel and the machining is excellent, and I can't wait to get it installed and try it. I am confident it's going to work very well for me.
Just in the "for what it's worth" department! ;-)
eljay

My solution to this problem (and I'm 11 years older than you) on guns I don't want to scope, like my new Winchester 94, has been aperture sights. Up until now, I've been using a "Oneraggedhole" aperture that bolts in place of the dovetail on the rear sight blade of the Winchester, and uses the original front sight. This does pretty well for me, but I spent three weeks researching and ordered, and today received, my XS Ghost Ring Hunting Sight set. This consists of a ghost ring that mounts to the rear receiver scope mounting holes on the rifle, is fully adjustable for windage and elevation, and provides a WIDE front blade with a white stripe running up it. I've read a lot of reports, and now I've seen the hardware. It's all steel and the machining is excellent, and I can't wait to get it installed and try it. I am confident it's going to work very well for me.
Just in the "for what it's worth" department! ;-)
eljay
I just finished installing Williams 5D reciever sights on two guns along with a wide front sight with a white stripe on one and one with a wide front sight with a bright organge stripe on it. I too am dying to get out and try them both. I have had williams foolproof and 5D sights for years and love them but with age (me not the sights!) the front sights have been disappearing on me.
Mike B.

I just got a BJones sight insert for my receiver sight. It replaces the aperature of your present receiver sight. It has has a little lens (think contact lens inside a receiver sight) held in place by a o-ring. Where I used to see 2 front sights I now see one. BJones will supply the lens Rx based on your vision needs. I went to the drugstore and tried on different reading glasses till I found the power that I could read with and he used that as the basis for sending me the insert with a +.75 lens. I may have to go up to +1 to get the front sight crystal clear but it is nice to see 1 front sight again. Visually you can't tell his device from the usual aperature supplied by Williams or Lyman until you actually sight through it. If you have an AR, M1 or M1A he has sight replacements that hold his device. For Williams and Lyman receiver sights you just need the insert. Verrrrry cooool.

Lots of good discussion on various NRA highpower web sites. These guys shoot aperture sights at about the highest level it can be done.


I've been experimenting with different apertures and front sights. It is fascinating to me that looking through a tiny rear aperture can make your eye able to focus on a distant target where it otherwise could not.

How about a globe front sight (aperture front and rear)? The Lyman 17 and Lyman 20 are excellent front sights, and they work well with a receiver sight. I find looking through apertures much easier as my eyes age then trying to focus on a bead/blade front.

It's not what I planned on when I started with this rifle but my current setup has evolved to this: XS ghost ring rear sight with .050 Williams aperture and the Lyman 17AMI front sight.

Hello
I'm 76 and had trouble with iron sights when I still considered myself a young man
for shooting targets;not running game,the globe sight still works for me.For some reason,my eyes can see through that little hole on the receiver and ring on the barrell;with glasses.
For a long time,Iv'e not been able to use the Factory iron sights on my rifles.
Frank

Kragman

What's your favorite gun?

OLD EYES AND IRON SIGHTS SUCK!!! Now the Ghost Ring is another matter entirely. ;)

Dave :cool:

Had the Guide Gun out at the range today. I put Firesights on it about a year and a half ago. Old eyes are still old eyes and I needed a pair of low power reading glasses to get a clean focus on the near pair of green dots. I have the gun sighted in (6:00) at 50 yards. Shooting 350 grain Hornady RN bullets over 58 grains of Varget I absolutely shred 5" Shoot-N-See targets at 50-60 yards.

What I don't like about the 6:00 sight method with this gun is it drops about a foot at 100 yards.

Kragman

What's your favorite gun?
Flashole,
My favorite is the 1892 Springfield(4digit serial number) that I cut down and chopped up for carryin' in the woods.
Frank

I just finished installing Williams 5D reciever sights on two guns along with a wide front sight with a white stripe on one and one with a wide front sight with a bright organge stripe on it. I too am dying to get out and try them both. I have had williams foolproof and 5D sights for years and love them but with age (me not the sights!) the front sights have been disappearing on me.
Mike B.


I am debating which front sight to put on my GG, the orange or white. I have had a white front stripe from XS. I would be interested to hear which one you liked better.

Give this a try.

http://www.oneraggedhole.com/Winchester_One_Hole_Sight.htm

Here is a puzzler. I've been shooting some groups getting ready for the Ranch Dog postal match. I have my bench set up in the shade, target in the sunshine. I feel like I'm getting a better sight picture in bright sunlight but I'm shooting better groups either early in the morning or late in the afternoon.

Maybe I'm just concentrating more in the dimmer light........

I have a globe front sight on my 94 Winc, bought mine from Shiloh Sharps back in 1987 and is the same sight they used on their "Long Range Express". It has a post & ball and I find I can still see it well. The new 94 I'm beginning will use a Lyman 17A as it has changeable inserts.
I'm 55 also, and have shot mostly iron sights all my life, only using scopes when deer hunting. Yep, my eyes have begun fading also, refuse to let it get me down.
Some good ideas here. The reason I've not tried the "firesights" is that they're not legal in the competition I do.

I am debating which front sight to put on my GG, the orange or white. I have had a white front stripe from XS. I would be interested to hear which one you liked better.

After some time now using front sights with White , Orange, brass or gold the best for me has been to cover them up with sight black. It sharpens up the sight for my eyes. Gold would be my second choice. The Oranges and bright colored sights just don't work for my eyes, the edges blur and disappear. It seems for my eyes a heavy partridge style front sight blackened and used with a reciever sight are working the best so far.
I just got in the mail today a "one ragged hole" sight for a Marlin and one for a Win. I am hoping I can use them on a couple of old timers-one a Mod 1894 38-55 made in 1908 that I don't want to drill and tap for a reciever sight.
Mike B.

My H&R Buffalo classic came with the Lyman globe front sight, and the Williams rear peep sight. I love the combination, especially with the long sight plane on the 32" barrel, but I would love to be able to put a tru glo insert in the front globe. The hood would shield the tru glo from the bright sunshine, and give all of us folks with poor vision something really bright. I might just have to start foolin' around with this idea of mine to see if I could glue a fiber optic dot on top of one of the post inserts!!
And dont feel too bad.... my once 20/10 vision is now going to H**L in a hand basket at the ripe old age of 40!!
good shootin'
whizzum :cool:

After some time now using front sights with White , Orange, brass or gold the best for me has been to cover them up with sight black. It sharpens up the sight for my eyes. Gold would be my second choice. The Oranges and bright colored sights just don't work for my eyes, the edges blur and disappear. It seems for my eyes a heavy partridge style front sight blackened and used with a reciever sight are working the best so far.
I just got in the mail today a "one ragged hole" sight for a Marlin and one for a Win. I am hoping I can use them on a couple of old timers-one a Mod 1894 38-55 made in 1908 that I don't want to drill and tap for a reciever sight.
Mike B.

I finally got the sight on an old 1894 Winchester 38-55 made in 1908. I couldn't fit it to the original rear sight but had a newer one from a 94 I put a williams reciever sight on that fit the dovetail and accepted the one ragged hole sight. I put white out on the front sight as suggested and took it to the range today. I got lucky and and within 6 shots adjusted the sights & walked the bullets right where I wanted them. I was pleased but not satisfied and got out the sight black. Once again for my eyes the blackened front sight worked the best! I then shot almost fifty rounds at the the plates at 150 & 175 yards and had a ball! I could consistenty hit them 4 out of five times which I couldn't with the old buckhorn rear sight! I still like my williams reciever sights better but am thrilled to be able to shoot the old 38-55 without drilling and tapping it. I defintely feel I can take the old timer deer hunting again and not be handicapped up to 100 yards which is twice the range I usually take my deer at.

Mike B

I went a different way. I have excellent distance vision and poor close up that requires 2.50 reading glasses. Seeing the front sight is a problem. My optomitrist set me up with prescription shooting glasses. He backed off to 1.75 and changed the focal point of reading glasses (about 18") to 36" (about the distance to the front sight). This is only on the right lense. The left lense has no correction. Lenses are polycarbonate for safety. Now the front sight is medium crisp and I can still see the target.

I also use the Williams 5D and take out the insert for low light and quickly acquired targets.