I am getting old. Now that I am 50 plus I find that I shoot at 25 feet a lot. I am really comfortable at 25 feet. At 50 feet I can hit a plate pretty much in the center but I don't shoot at this distance very often.

I shoot with open sights. In many forums I read of people who shoot at 50 to 75 yards. Some have even stated that they can hit cans at this distance. At 50 yards I do not know if I can even see a can. When I aim my attention is on the front slight so the target is a blur. How do people shoot well at so many yards?

Welcome to the forum Harris. Rules are simple, be nice and join in.

I use an aimpoint 5000 along with several other aiming aids. I'm 61 this year and those aids work well. Some folks like the new firesights that use light pipes to make illuminated three dot sights on rifles, handguns and shotguns. All my rifles sport scopes.

For handguns there are several options open. Use of the Merrit disks that fit on your glasses is a real help.

I spent lots of years plunking handgun bullets downrange in competition and have to say that's an "in the past thing". I still shoot the handguns, but not near as well as I used to when good eyesight was taken for granted. Got to say though I'm not going to stop. I can still outshoot my grand daughters, but I don't know for how long, they are getting durn good lately and have their eyes set on outshooting grandpa.

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Bob from Idaho

As Faucettb indicated the Merit Lens (http://www.meritcorporation.com/index.html) works very well for failing eyesight and I've used one for many years. Unfortunately, they arn't particularly cheap...around $70 to $80 or so (maybe more now?), but are well built and mine is 20 years old and never had a problem.

I've even seen shooters use clip-on sun glasses with a small hole drilled in the appropriate spot .... and it works. One of the corrections I've used is, several years ago they were offering two for the price of one prescription glasses, I had the second pair made with the left lense per my prescription and the right lense made to focus at the distance from my eye to the front sight of the revolver and that works very well also.

I assume your question pertains to shooting off-hand and the distance would kinda depend on the particular revolver/pistol and caliber used. My .44 mag revolver range shooting is typically at 25 yards, but will always include some 50 yarders at paper plates and should stay in the 8" inner portion. My semi-auto is 25 yards max, and ranges from 7 feet out to the 25 yard targets. At 25 yards, 9 out of 10 shots should fall in a 4" group. At almost 70 years, I've found I have to do some exercises to keep a steadier hand....besides working on the grip, one of my favorites is holding a 3lb. hammer extended for 3 or 4 minutes. And of course, dry firing to help with the trigger squeeze.

Dan

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DOK

I have past the half century thing myself harris304. I don't like it, but I don't mind it either. Work-a-round method for me is to get it done with one well concidered shot. If I can't make that shot, I don't take it. I am not "embareassed" by my age. I enjoy it, and what I know how to do!

Enjoy your age and who you are.

Iowaloha,

Cheezywan

I shoot at a variety of ranges with my pistols. My Blackhawk w/ 7.5" barrel is the best one for shooting at 50 or more. If it was scoped I'd probably see how far I could go with it. My glock 32 doesnt really like to shoot 50 yards, 30 is a better range for it. Now I have a little kel tec p3at 380 that is a self defense gun, any more than 15 yards any its a guessing match, but its a tiny gun. But hey, shoot whats good for you, everyone is different. The number one thing is that you enjoy your time shooting.

All my handguns have iron sights. When I practice for self defense, I concentrate heavily on ranges under 10 yards, but I throw in shots out as far as 25 now and then. When I practice for hunting, I'll shoot out to 50 yards with a solid rest. I shoot from a variety of positions, and generally the unsteadier the position the closer in I'll practice. Max range for shooting unsupported is 25 yards -- I could probably connect at 50, but when I shoot at game I want a solid hit, and not "probably".

My grandfather turned in his handgun for a double barrel 10 gauge loaded with 4 buck when he turned 60 because he couldn’t see past 50 feet.
He never had any trouble form then on.

Harris
I'm 59 and think of 25 feet as rubber band-paper clip distance. That was abrasive and I'm sorry. I think you are selling yourself short.
With handguns I try to do the 7, 15, 25 and 50 yard every couple of months.
I load test my rifles at 100 yards then move to the 300 and 500 yard line.
Jim

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Cast bullets are the true and rightous path to shooting bliss

"....When I aim my attention is on the front slight so the target is a blur. How do people shoot well at so many yards?...."


Leupold

Lobo in West Virginia

For me, at least, it all started with reading the works of guys like Elmer Keith. He said it was possible. That's enough to get me started. I am 53 now and the old eyes are still pretty good but not up to what they were 25 years ago. I still shoot and can hit out to 200 yards with an iron sighted revolver. Of course, that is not hunting. Strictly for enjoyment. Along with all the other tricks you need for shooting a handgun at long distance, I discovered another "trick". It is seldom mentioned. If you shoot a normal size target at 25 yards, how big is it related to your sights? Typically, it's a lot bigger than your sights as viewed on the firing line. Being so close, there is also a lot of contrast between target and backer. If you go out to 200 yards, you must realize your target and backer need to be about 8 times larger with iron sights. Since the up close contrast is lost, I use white paper as the backer. I spray paint on the target in a big orange/red flouresent square (about 12-18" square at 200 yards). Kinda low brow but it works. The backer will run 4' square. As you start, you may have to make the backer 5 to 6' high to find out where you are shooting. Expect quite a bit of bullet drop if you are sighted in at 50 or 100 yards. Guess what? Suddenly, you can see a lot like it was 25 yards... especially with older eyes. Now you can settle down and really learn how to hit at 200 yards, if your handgun is up to it. Just keep things in proportion and you're half way there!

Oh yea.. one other thing. My best ever 200 yard groups have been with a 4" barrel fixed sight (honest) GP-100 and a 5 1/2" Redhawk. Longer barrels give a longer sight radius. Makes it harder for older eyes to focus.

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Against the wind...

Bill M is correct. Aim small, hit small just does not work with older eyes. Aim center, hit center does. The target just needs to be bigger with good contrast. I can still make some good groups that way. I just can't see the hits. Just aim center every time.

I still see the front sight fine. The target is just blurred more than it used to be (when I focus on sights).

I am surrounded by corn right now. 55 yards to my farthest (safe) backstop. After the harvest I can work on busting some distant dirt clods.

Cheezywan

My open iron sight ability isn't all that great...but think only part of it is from old eyes. Iron sights seems to be a skill, and like any skill, it's "use it or lose it".

Do prefer to have some open iron sighted rifles areound...but mostly it's scopes. Think of scopes as the "eye-equalizer".


For reactice targets:
If you are good enough/target close enough to score a center hit each time, find it boring...if the target is so far away that center hits are just random events, it's boring (and fustrating)...so whatever distance where I really have to work at it. What ever distance that gives me the felling that I might go 10 for 10 if i could just shoot my best.

For paper taargets;
Usually 100yards becasue (1) you can use many smaller targets per stand and not chaange paper so often and (2) is a simple standard of comparison.

For hunting practice:
Perfer to shoot at about 3/4 of whatever I consider my max. range with that rifle. For a .22hornet, might place that target out at 125yards...for a .300mag, might put it out at 300yards.

One can learn some very good things Elmer Keith.

Aim at the center of mass maybe hit a limb. Aim at the heart maybe hit the center of mass. But aim at the left ventricle of the heart hit the heart.
Look at everything like a cat scan instead of just an object and you will improve.

I trained to shoot well in Quantico and one of the methods early on was to tape off the rear site so that a proper site picture could be learned.
Today when I shoot it is instinctual for me to put the weapons front site on the spot I intend to hit and usually that’s were it does.
I know my firearms well as I have many hours on each one.
Focus on your front site with your target slightly out of focus.
Keep both eyes open and have confidence in your ability.

(Use the force Luke)

Several years past half a century now and the eye's tell on ya. Some days are much better than others at seeing the sights good or I should say better than others, at least for me that holds true.
I can ping shotgun shells at up to 40 or so yards on a good day with some regularity using 22 revolvers or a Ruger MK. Bad days I can't seem to hit many at all at half that distance.
We can and do average one or two hits a cylinder hung at ( never measured) approximately 1X2 foot gong at 200 yards on a good day. That is once you get the trajectory about right, and we can some with the 2" 38's. Not good enough for any kinda competition but well enough to make it hot on anything out there. Always makes ya smile, or at the very least grin inside, hitting something that far away with a 2" barrel.

One thing I have just discovered is the "tang" "peep", "Ballard" or other names I have heard for the flip up sights you see on the tang of older lever actions or iron sighted rifles from a 100 years or more ago.
Wife bought a Taurus 63 recently that has one and we both love it and are amazed at what a difference it makes in iron sight shooting. I'd like to try one of those that fit on your glasses with a handgun, I bet they really help too.
I will be haunting the gun shows or whatever looking for a tang sight for my 39A as new they start at a hundred or more, and at that price I will have to stick with the factory buckhorn's, or reach for the CZ 452 with the Leupold on top.
I do think we enjoy open sights more plinking but for hunting it's a scope always except maybe ground squirrels etc.

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NRA Life Member.

Amen!

my 43 year old eyes are tired too, and since about 30 I have had to wear a prescription to shoot. lately, I'm thinking I need to have it updated.

You gave sound advice Ribbon!

With my handguns that limit to targets, such as my K38 and .22's, I tend to vary from 7-10 yards out to about 25 when shooting targets. For hunting guns, such as a .44 mag or .45 colt, I try to sight them to at the furthest 50 yards....which becomes a troublesome ordeal to my eyes, and I end up with 90% of all my handguns sighted for the 25 yard or closer shot. I hunt VT or NH or PA with a sidearm, and generally, it is just that. One of these days tho, I'd like to go out with just the pistol and give it a whirl.

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Chris in NH.

"some days, I wish my dogs could talk"

Here's a very good article written sometime back by a couple of this forum's own treasured members...
Hitting At 200 Yards With A Handgun :: By Dan Keisey and Bill McConnell
http://www.beartoothbullets.com/tech...h_notes.htm/34

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OVIS/Grand Slam Club - Life Member
Safari Club International - Life Member
National Rifle Association - Life Member

Thanks for all of the replys. I got some useful info to try next time I am at the range.

In the city I live in, we have a 50ft indoor range in one of our public buildings. 50FT seems like more than enough when shooting a 9MM with combat sights, but maybe eventually, I'll consider shooting outdoors at greater distances.

At 60, my eyes are 20/20, but they have deteriorated from 20/15 and I wear very mild reading glasses, so I may or may not be the one to give advice on this.

The techniques you learned in your early years still work. (Focus on the front sight, control the trigger.) I find it helpful to focus on the target, then raise the sights into my line of vision. As the sights rise to the target, change focus to the front sight as you start your squeeze. The target may blur out, but you know where it is, and you can place the sight right there.

If you wear glasses, work with a doctor who shoots. He'll understand what you need much better than a guy who has no clue about the activity.

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To see my books and articles, just Google my name.

Tuesday, October 30, 2007, 11:35 a.m. EDT

To harris304:

Here's what I do. I am now 55 years old. My vision is extremely clear out to the length of my extended arm, so reading is fine. However, I have worn eyeglasses to correct my distance vision since I was 15 years old.

When I shoot my various handguns at the outdoor range, I set up steel targets at 15, 20, 25, 50, and 75 yards, using a laser rangefinder.

The 15 yard target is a small rimfire triple spinner.

The 20 yard target is a centerfire triple spinner with 3 inch and 4 inch diameter circles.

The 25 yard target is a combination frame where I hang 4 tin cans (soup, pork and beans, spaghetti sauce, etc.), as well as a 1/4 inch thick steel 3 panel horizontal spinner.

The 50 and 75 yard targets are 1/2 inch thick scrap steel plates (8 inches by 16 inches) with two pieces of concrete reinforcement rod welded to the lower back so that I can poke them into the ground.

All of my semiautomatic pistols (.22 Rimfire, 9 mm, 10 mm, and .45 Auto) have only the factory-installed open iron sights. I own one CHEAP red dot sight that I alternate between my 2 centerfire revolvers (.357 Magnum and .44 Magnum).

Whatever mix of handguns I choose to shoot on any given day, I shoot all of them at all five distances. If I average a 50% hit rate, then I had a very good day. If I average a 33% hit rate, then I had a mediocre day. A 25% hit rate is a below average day, but I still had fun, enjoyed the fresh air and sunshine, and the "peace and quiet."

Yes, (believe it or not) for me, a day banging away at the outdoor gun range is a form of "peace and quiet." By the way, I usually go alone.

No doubt about it, a CHEAP (approximately $30 to $35) red dot sight (no magnification, just a small red dot) does increase my hit rate at all distances. Perhaps something for you to consider.

Please do not be discouraged. Don't be afraid to experiment with new and different ideas. Good Luck and Good Shooting.

bigrobertk