Steely Eyed Pistolero

I aint,Ive got a scope on my sbhh and got the ultra dot for my 454,Ive always admired those who take game with irons so I took the scope off my ruger and with a good known load took off to get dialed in,much to my consternation I could scarcely hit the ground with my bullets.My front sight did a magic trick to,while I was aiming I could see the sight for a minute and then it kind of disappeared.Put the scope back on quick,hats off to those that can do it but I dont appear to be one of them.

Dave,

Are you using a factory front sight on your SBH? A patridge sight can really help. I have 20/15 vision and ruger sights disappear on me all the time. I made and installed my own patridge sight on my S/S Bisley, the pics are on the Bragging Board.

Yup factory front sight.

Is it pinned or all one piece?

One piece

If your around 40 or over there is no fixing it. I can't remember the name of it but what happens is we never look at both sights in focus at the same time but your eye actually rapidly goes back and forth. As you get older this happens slower and a common symptom is the front sight fading out of view. If you don't think this is your issue then changing front sights may help. I install Weigand bases which take S&W Classic inserts on the guns I build and I've been happy with them. You can choose from a post, gold bead or fibre optic sight insert.

Rod ,you sure know how to make a feller look forward to getting older,haha

Hey, I turned 48 this week and still have 20/20 vision. I started taking luetin several years ago when an eye doc friend of mine suggested I should. I am the only one in my family over 40 who doesn't wear glasses. They say luetin will slow down and in some cases slightly reverse eye degeneration or old age eyes. making my living as a pilot my eyes are damn important. I know many other pilots who swear by luetin as well. Baush ans lomb and several other eye product manufacturers sell vitamins made specifically for eye health. EVen Centrum silver one a day vitamins have a healthy dose of luetin in them.
Just thought I would share that with you guys! Didn't mean to hijack the thread!

Rod Im a good bit over 40 being 57,Ive got trifocals,if I use the center one I can see the sights real clear but then the Lord alone knows where the muzzle is pointed,I kind of meant the post as something to give you all something to smile about.

Ya who said you have to be old.. I have great vision and am only 29. The last yr or so I've been able to see both front and rear sights less and less. I can sorta guess it and still end up hitting squirrels with an old .22 when i need to but onything that really counts I gotta be all scopes..ergghhh. Unless its 20yds or less then im fine..so you dont have to be old!!

Actually with what I'm talking about you can still have perfect vision on a chart but it's the ability of your eye to re focus as quick as it used to. I still have 20/13 in my right eye but due to scar tissue my left eye is now 20/25 and that was thanks to a psychotic siamese cat my mom had. The cat and I had a hate , hate relationship and she got me in the eye about 15yrs ago and it's been the last few that it's given me problems. They say I'd need a cornea transplant to fix it but it's not bad enough to get me on the list.

I couldn't take it so I did a web search until I found the name and it's Presbyopia, it's says another symptom is if you have to adjust the distance of something your reading to see it clearly, such as having to move a book closer or further to focus.

Just about everyone over 40 gets to some point that they need reading glasses. I need them now, but it really hasn't affected my ability to shoot open sighted guns.

here is the definition and information, Shooting times also did an in depth article on this problem for shooters.

Definition
The term presbyopia means "old eye" and is a vision condition involving the loss of the eye's ability to focus on close objects.

Description
Presbyopia is a condition that occurs as a part of normal aging and is not considered to be an eye disease. The process occurs gradually over a number of years. Symptoms are usually noticeable by age 40-45 and continue to develop until the process stabilizes some 10-20 years later. Presbyopia occurs without regard to other eye conditions.

Causes and symptoms
In the eye, the crystalline lens is located just behind the iris and the pupil. Tiny ciliary muscles pull and push the lens, adjusting its curvature, and thereby adjusting the eye's focal power to bring objects into focus. As individuals age, the lens becomes less flexible and elastic, and the muscles become less powerful. Because these changes result in inadequate adjustment of the lens of the eye for various distances, objects that are close will appear blurry. The major cause of presbyopia is loss of elasticity of the lens of the eye. Loss of ciliary muscle power, however, is also believed to contribute to the problem.
Symptoms of presbyopia result in the inability to focus on objects close at hand. As the lens hardens, it is unable to focus the rays of light that come from nearby objects. Individuals typically have difficulty reading small print, such as that in telephone directories and newspaper advertisements, and may need to hold reading materials at arm's length. Symptoms include headache and eyestrain when doing close work, blurry vision, and eye fatigue. Symptoms may be worse early in the morning or when individuals are fatigued. Dim lighting may also aggravate the problem.

Diagnosis
Presbyopia is officially diagnosed during an eye examination conducted by eye specialists, such as optometrists or ophthalmologists. After completing optometric college, doctors of optometry screen patients for eye problems and prescribe glasses and contact lenses. In contrast, ophthalmologists are medical doctors who specialize in eye diseases. They perform eye surgery, treat eye diseases, and also prescribe glasses and contact lenses.
A comprehensive eye examination requires at least 30 minutes. Part of the examination will assess vision while reading by using various strength lenses. If the pupils are dilated with drugs to permit a thorough examination of the retina, an additional hour is required. The cost of eye examinations can range from $40 to $250 depending on the complexity and site of the examination and the qualifications and reputation of the examiner. Some insurers cover the cost of routine eye examinations, while others do not. A thorough eye examination is recommended at regular intervals during the adult and aging years to monitor and diagnose eye conditions. However, individuals frequently self-diagnose presbyopia by trying on inexpensive mass-produced reading glasses until they find a pair that permits reading without strain.

I am 58 now and my arms are shrinking , I know it can't be my eyes going bad! After about 45 things start changing at a rapid rate and I started noticeing my eye didn't focus as fast anymore.
Reading and shooting got harder ,I didn't need glasses for long distance ,just for reading and sights.Now at 58 I notice I don't
recognise faces as far as I could before' so midrange is going too.This getting older stinks.

Yup Junebug but it sure beats the alternative!

My wife has bifocal contacts. I can always tell when she's wearing them upside down because she holds her newspaper a foot above her head.

Seriously, a crisp red dot, especially when shooting longer distances, makes a world of difference. Part of it is having to align only two items (dot and target) instead of three (RS, FS, target), the other is the more defined dot. Then again, my friend had cataracts before his lasik and had to work with what seemed like a red disco-globe in his optic.

Not being able to focus on the sights is the best reason I know of for using a scope on a pistol. Red dot sights never worked for me. Probably because I'm right handed and have a dominant left eye. I'm too old to learn how to shoot left handed. Never could hit the broad side of a barn with a scattergun....same dominant eye problem...:( I imagine that the dot scope Burris makes for shotguns would help.

red dot was the answer for my eyes

red dot was the answer for my eyes

Red dot scopes are meant to be used with both eyes open. This works fine if you are right handed and have a right dominant eye. With my cross dominance, with both eyes open I see two sights unless I close my left eye.

Charlie, I have the same right hand/left eye dominance which caused my right eye to tire very fast when shooting. I assume you shoot with only one eye open. Try shooting with both eyes open - the sight acquisition will automatically happen with the dominant eye while the right still allows for full vision. No squinting or taping necessary and it feels very natural within a few weeks.

Yes, that is going to happen. What you have to do is focus one eye on the target and the other on the dot. Don’t laugh, I do it... My problem is I didn’t have a dominant eye and use to consistently switch eyes . I trained my eyes to correspond with the appropriate hand being used. You can train your eyes! I got yelled at in boot camp for changing eyes with the appropriate hand while shooting in a Weaver style, or I did until officer told the enlisted sailor to look at my target... After I qualified they tried to get me to change my rate. LOL

Listen you guys....I`am 60 and my eyes are not so great but for the first time in years I took game using open sights. I installed a Freedom Arms fiber optic front and plain square notch rear on my FA`s 44 and took to 2 good size boar inside 15 seconds. I`am not saying this is a miracle cure for bad eyes but I have to say that the FA`s fiber optic is the smallest of these type front sights , when compared to Ruger and S&W, and showed up perfectly in the field. I know not everyone owns a FA`s handgun but the fiber optics are a good place to start if you want to use open sights. Like Dave Tarbell said up top, I`ve always admired those handgunners who can use open sights and take game and the fiber optic sight system gives some hope to those of us whose eyes are not as sharp as they were 20 years ago...

Ill turn 45 in Sept. and just had my sight checked holding at 20/10. Hearing on the other hand is another story. To many rounds down range as a kid, as an adult and in the Army