Technical Question on Eyes and the Front Sight

[jcshelto]

BLUF: I want to buy Warren Tactical and Sevigny competition sights for my production and limited guns, but am afraid of being able to keep front sight focus.

For a long time, I was shooting mostly 1911s, and I felt my shooting was deteriorating; I just had a very hard time seeing and keeping focus on the front sight post. They all had night sights, btw. I went to the doctor, he said I am a little farsighted. I am also cross dominant, but overcame that over a decade ago. He gave me glasses, but they don't seem to help; he said they were the lightest prescription he has ever written.

Fast forward, I got back into shooting more seriously, bought a Sig first. The front sight post was huge and the focus was constant; I could hollow out the A zone at 25 meters all day; It was covered completely by the front site, but I could still do it. I loved that giant dot.

Now I shoot almost exclusively Glock. I compete with Glocks. I love everything about them and have owned at least one for almost 14 years. The sights aren't as good as the Sigs; I can't keep that razor sharp focus on the front sight, but I can see it and keep enough focus on it to make ragged holes out to about 15-20M (That may be pushing it)

With that said, I am afraid to switch sights. I am afraid of moving to a competition sight with a razor thin front sight post (I know I can select width--that is hyperbole). I am afraid of a fiber optic front sight (Never shot one). I am afraid of moving away from a large white dot. I won't even TOUCH night sights anymore.

Bottom line: is it really easier to see/shoot with, say the Warren Tactical and Sevigny competition sights?

[walkin' trails]

I don't necessarily have a good answer for you. My eyes are getting in the same boat. My told my eye doc that I needed to be able to see my front sight and still could without glasses. So far contacts and my last prescription let me do everything BUT focus on that one object. I'm going to find a different provider.

I have played with a few sight designs, including stick Glock, Trijicon, Warren/Sevigny, XS Big Dots, 10-8 FO, and Heinies. I settled on the Heinies and the 10-8s due to the serrated front blades. For me, the serrations seem to make for a more crisp front sight picture. The Heinie Ledges on my M&Ps have a wide enough rear notch, as do the 10-8s to allow light in. I had a harder time seeing the Sevigny front front blade because the tritium inserts don't come with serrated ramps.

There are a number of shooters who have had good experiences with Trijicon HDs and Ameriglos as well as some others. Good luck with your quest.

[T2C]

I have been having the same issue with my eyesight the past several years and it is getting incrementally worse.

I wouldn't go with a narrower front sight; I would go with a wider rear notch to allow more light on either side of the front sight.

Before buying anything to replace a sight with a dot or bar on it, I would put sight black on the sights and see if that is an improvement. If you see an improvement in your sight picture, that will help guide you in which direction to go.

[RussB]

My older eyes like a wide notch rear, and a fiber optic front for competition sights.

Ask around at the competitions you frequent. Most folks are happy to let you check out their gear. I'm sure you'll find a variety of options

[T2C]

Read the notes on recommendations for rear sight notch width.

http://www.dawsonprecision.com/Categ...et+Rear+Sights

[Abraham]

Having a fiber optic front sight has made all the difference for me, as I too am in the aging eyes and additionally, cataract forming eyes.

[jcshelto]

Awesome insight so far guys.

I think I need to definitely try a fiber optic sight. I have noticed when shooting, I don't even see the rear sights or the U (trashcan) on the Glock--I am just locked onto the front sight. I think the sights I mentioned in the first post might be a good start.

I am gonna have to wait until after surgery to actually try any of them out.

It looks like 135 is a good rear sight notch width, too.

This is a great forum.

[MitchK]

I'm a 48 y/o professional pilot and I've had 20/15 vision until just recently. My arms seem to have gotten shorter and I need reading glasses. I've been wearing progressive lenses for about 3 years now.

On my last visit to the opthomolgist, I explained that I wanted shooting glasses that would allow me to focus on the front sight. He said that he could do it, but objects closer or farther would be blurred. I really like the glasses and the front sight is crystal clear. I can wear the glasses as I'm walking around with no problems and far objects are just slightly blurry. They work much better than the progressive glasses, I don't have to adjust my head to "aim" my glasses.

[jcshelto]

I need to go back to my eye doctor or find one off-post. He looked at me like I was crazy.

When I told him that I see my Aimpoint and EOTech reticles fuzzy and "exploded", he asked my qual scores and when I said "expert," he said, "well, then, I guess its not a problem." If they treat officers this bad, I can't imagine how they treat the Soldiers.

I am having surgery tomorrow that will prevent shooting for a couple of months, but I am going to try the Sevigny Competition Sights with fiber optic front .245 front for my Glock 34 and 35. I will at least be able to try to offhand shooting with them.

All this and I am still under 30. Oh well, my vision is still better than 20/20, it is just unique in that I am slightly farsighted and cross dominate. I wore an eye patch solid during my free time for the better part of a year to train my right eye--it worked, too--I can shoot with both eyes open; in fact, I have to. I always see two targets, I just know which one to shoot.

[Xsail]

I'm a 48 y/o professional pilot and I've had 20/15 vision until just recently. My arms seem to have gotten shorter and I need reading glasses. I've been wearing progressive lenses for about 3 years now.

On my last visit to the opthomolgist, I explained that I wanted shooting glasses that would allow me to focus on the front sight. He said that he could do it, but objects closer or farther would be blurred. I really like the glasses and the front sight is crystal clear. I can wear the glasses as I'm walking around with no problems and far objects are just slightly blurry. They work much better than the progressive glasses, I don't have to adjust my head to "aim" my glasses.

Yep, I was/am in the same boat. The lowest powered (1.25?) cheap reading glasses work just fine for me......O.L.