View Full Version : Eyesight/FSP
My eyesight could be better, but with corrective measures I am just fine... Except when I need to use certain optics and sights. I stripped a rifle down to irons only, to practice with irons a little bit more. (This is not an Irons only vs RDS thread)
What is happening is the front sight post is a hair blurry and I cannot get an ideal focus on it. Is there a decent alternative? I hope to use it with the large aperture on a fixed rear with an Aimpoint co-witnessed in the long run.
KNS pins are the only real alternatives I see.
I noticed a similar problem the other day when I finally made it to the range with my new rifle. The front sight post (black) got a little fuzzy and sometimes it was tricky getting a good focus on it. It would sometimes blend right in with the target (which was mostly black) and I had trouble getting it to stand out so I could line it up properly.
Is this anything like what you're experiencing?
Yes. While I still need to do some due diligence and try the same with my glasses, I still think there is a chance that there might be a better option. I don't wish to compete in CMP, but I know I can certainly do better than what I am.
I painted my front sight post bright orange. I don't know if that will help or not. I haven't been able to make it to the range since doing so. Just from looking through my sights around my house it seems promising, but we all know that's usually not a good indicator of how things will go in the real world. I'm curious to see if it'll help or not. At the very least I don't think it'll hurt anything.
http://i365.photobucket.com/albums/oo98/fireman325/DSC03052.jpg
If you're in your mid-late thirties, you may have some uncorrected hyperopia or astigmatism. This will make it difficult to focus.
If you're in your forties, you may have the above two conditions and/or presbyopia. Sounds like time for glasses or contacts.
You can try using the small aperture to improve the focus (pinhole effect). Another option is to shoot with clear eye-pro. This will give you as much light transmission as possible to increase pupillary constriction which also creates the pinhole effect.
Keep fighting the good fight gents. I never owned any optic of any kind until I turned 50......bottom line is you're getting old.
Actually, most older folks I know (myself included) do better with a larger aperture. My father did better when the larger aperture was combined with the wide black ramp with white line of the Express sights Ashley makes for the Marlin lever action.
I also find that a few deep breaths to oxygenate myself helps clear the eyes a bit. A trip to a knowledgeable, shooter friendly optometrist would help
If you're in your mid-late thirties, you may have some uncorrected hyperopia or astigmatism. This will make it difficult to focus.
If you're in your forties, you may have the above two conditions and/or presbyopia. Sounds like time for glasses or contacts.
You can try using the small aperture to improve the focus (pinhole effect). Another option is to shoot with clear eye-pro. This will give you as much light transmission as possible to increase pupillary constriction which also creates the pinhole effect.
I do have glasses/contacts, and am only 27... :bad:
Actually, most older folks I know (myself included) do better with a larger aperture. My father did better when the larger aperture was combined with the wide black ramp with white line of the Express sights Ashley makes for the Marlin lever action.
I also find that a few deep breaths to oxygenate myself helps clear the eyes a bit. A trip to a knowledgeable, shooter friendly optometrist would help
The smaller aperture was working better, and on guns that only have irons that is what I always use.
I just turned 34 and I do have astigmatism. I did have it REALLY bad, but a couple of years ago I had lenses implanted (wasn't a good candidate for LASIK) which took care of most of it. However, there's some remaining astigmatism that is still a hassle sometimes.
I fall into this category as well where the sight looks blurry and will ghost the top level of the pin. I did see a great improvement with the smaller rear site aperture but after shooting for a while the eyes started to go back to reality that they are changing with age.
The next item I thought about was distance to the front site pin. If I hold the AR further away the pin sharpens up. So I picked up an upper with a 12" rail and placed my folding Troy out to the end. That was a big improvement and should hold me over for a few more years.
I did talk to an ophthalmologist on shooting glasses last week and he has a solution to add the magnified prescription that is in place on my progressive lens up to the top left corner of my right lens (right hand shooter). This will provide the magnification in the area where I peer through with the proper cheek weld. The down fall is the target focus might suffer greater than a typical shooter sees with good eyes.
Actually, most older folks I know (myself included) do better with a larger aperture. My father did better when the larger aperture was combined with the wide black ramp with white line of the Express sights Ashley makes for the Marlin lever action.
I also find that a few deep breaths to oxygenate myself helps clear the eyes a bit. A trip to a knowledgeable, shooter friendly optometrist would help
Do you happen to have a picture of what that aperture looks like?
I'm in my mid, almost late, thirties and although they teach you these "concepts" in school, I find that you have to really think and examine these issues when applying it to shooting.
Many solutions for shooting are often different than what a person would typically do for other things.
I do have glasses/contacts, and am only 27... :bad:
The smaller aperture was working better, and on guns that only have irons that is what I always use.
What's the magnitude of your Rx? If you have very bad astigmatism, then the smaller aperture should refine the image more because it will create that small symmetrical hole to look through.
I believe some bullseye shooters actually mount small aperture pinholes to their glasses. I have never personally done this, but have read about it. There's another optometrist that shoots bullseye and has a website, but I forgot his name.
You said you were having this problem without your glasses/contacts on, so you might need to wear it to fix it. I personally don't like wearing my glasses when shooting because looking at an angle out of the glasses causes blurring (for me).
You are not alone brother! I noticed it with my pistol first, could not focus on the freaking front sight post! I am 39 and started wearing glasses while at the computer to bring things back into focus. I am still good to go with my rifle sights but I am sure it is only a matter of time. I had issues with the 4 MOA dots on my H1 Aimpoints, the 2 MOA dot works well and the EOTECH is a nightmare for my astigmatism. Good luck. See the eye doc if you have not already.
the key to this question is if you are nearsighted (need glasses to see far away) or far sighted(can see far away but need reading glasses)
since a front sight is at about reading distance from your eye,if you wear glasses to see far do NOT use your rx lenses- this will allow your target to be blurry and the front sight sharp- this is what you want. If you are far sighted and need glasses for reading shoot with the glasses ON to get the proper sharp sight fuzzy target picture
What's the magnitude of your Rx? If you have very bad astigmatism, then the smaller aperture should refine the image more because it will create that small symmetrical hole to look through.
Nearsighted and ~6.5.
the key to this question is if you are nearsighted (need glasses to see far away) or far sighted(can see far away but need reading glasses)
since a front sight is at about reading distance from your eye,if you wear glasses to see far do NOT use your rx lenses- this will allow your target to be blurry and the front sight sharp- this is what you want. If you are far sighted and need glasses for reading shoot with the glasses ON to get the proper sharp sight fuzzy target picture
It may be the rear keep sight that is helping me with the AR. I moved to an Ashley Big Dot for my pistol. Have any of you used a rear peep on a pistol?
the key to this question is if you are nearsighted (need glasses to see far away) or far sighted(can see far away but need reading glasses)
since a front sight is at about reading distance from your eye,if you wear glasses to see far do NOT use your rx lenses- this will allow your target to be blurry and the front sight sharp- this is what you want. If you are far sighted and need glasses for reading shoot with the glasses ON to get the proper sharp sight fuzzy target picture
You are making a correct observation, but in the case of the OP, it's more complicated.
He's 26.
Presbyopia, usual onset is 40+, is not going to be an issue. For those of you that don't know, presbyopia is the reduction of a person's ability to accommodate (change focus) to near due to the reduction in the elasticity in the lens as we age. It's a different problem than being simply near or far sighted.
If he's myopic, then correcting it will improve the distance vision. However, if he's moderately/highly myopic, he'll need to correct that in order to see the front sight post on a rifle AND see at distance.
That leaves hyperopia and astigmatism. In cases of hyperopia, correcting this (depending on the magnitude and accommodative status), will improve the distance and the near vision.
For astigmatism, this is generally true as well, but for those people who are 40+ and only have myopic astigmatism, it is generally easier to read if you don't correct it. However, the image is usually not as clear as if you were wearing the proper Rx.
Nearsighted and ~6.5.
I assume you were wearing your contacts to shoot?
How much astigmatism do you have? Do you wear toric contacts? What brand?
I was wearing the contacts to shoot.
One observation I have made in the past was that as they age, my ability to focus on such things diminishes. I am able to read and type just fine, but the fine focus for shooting becomes a touch rough. I am actually 3 months past my yearly eye exam and the contacts I have in currently are a touch dry. I will need to schedule an appointment to see how my eyes are, but they seem to be fine. A new set of contacts might do the trick.
I am wearing one of the 30 day straight lenses, just cannot remember off hand.
I was wearing the contacts to shoot.
One observation I have made in the past was that as they age, my ability to focus on such things diminishes. I am able to read and type just fine, but the fine focus for shooting becomes a touch rough. I am actually 3 months past my yearly eye exam and the contacts I have in currently are a touch dry. I will need to schedule an appointment to see how my eyes are, but they seem to be fine. A new set of contacts might do the trick.
I am wearing one of the 30 day straight lenses, just cannot remember off hand.
If you're wearing 30 day overnight contacts, yes, they will definitely perform worse the older they get. There is a surface treatment on most of those brands that wears away the older the lens gets.
The other thing about them is that they don't correct for astigmatism. Often times, when a person requests those, I make sure to advise them that there will be some uncorrected Rx there, but that is the compromise they make in choosing that method.
Also, consider the possibility that you could be a bit over-corrected. People who sleep in their contacts frequently have some mild edema (swelling) in their eyes that can make getting a stable correction a real PITA. If you're going in to get checked, take your lenses out early the night before so the corneas have time to recuperate.
Do you happen to have a picture of what that aperture looks like?
I'm in my mid, almost late, thirties and although they teach you these "concepts" in school, I find that you have to really think and examine these issues when applying it to shooting.
Many solutions for shooting are often different than what a person would typically do for other things.
These are the sights we put on my dad's Marlin. I've got a set on mine as well. I have no trouble with standard apertures on the AR (yet!), but I cannot see as well as I used to through the smaller aperture of the NM sight.
http://www.xssights.com/index.php?nID=sights&cID=Sights&pID=sights&sID=rifle
They also have sights for ARs, but I don't know how well they work
http://www.xssights.com/index.php?nID=sights&cID=Sights&pID=sights&sID=tactical
These are the sights we put on my dad's Marlin. I've got a set on mine as well. I have no trouble with standard apertures on the AR (yet!), but I cannot see as well as I used to through the smaller aperture of the NM sight.
http://www.xssights.com/index.php?nID=sights&cID=Sights&pID=sights&sID=rifle
They also have sights for ARs, but I don't know how well they work
http://www.xssights.com/index.php?nID=sights&cID=Sights&pID=sights&sID=tactical
Those seem pretty good. It's good to learn of options to advise people on.
Wondering, about how old are you sir? Do you have cataracts?
I have a set of XS sights on my Marlin 1894P and I got them before I needed them! It was to keep the gun rugged and light!
I have a set of XS sights on my Marlin 1894P and I got them before I needed them! It was to keep the gun rugged and light!
So, that white strip draws your eye and helps you focus the front sight better?
Is there anything different about the rear sight aperture versus the rear AR aperture?
Same principle but larger and to change aperture size you need to remove it for another size. I think it screws in and out.
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