aperture for aging eyes and open sights

[Xman]

Any thought on the use of an aperture on the shooting eye with open sights. I have experimented with it dryfiring and it certainly makes a difference with the sights except even the bull is sharp too. I know this goes against the paradigm (sp) of shooting with a "fuzzy" bull by concentrating on the front sight. I will be getting a red dot to compete eventurally in open class but am saving the $$$ for it by limitiing my match entries and sticking to open sights in the meantime.

[MislMan]

I use my cheap 'experimental' aperture and feel it helps me a lot on concentrating. My exp-ap is a pair of $5 flip-up sunglasses. I have painted the inside of the right lens (my shooting eye) with flat black paint and drilled a small hole as an aperture of sorts. Just seeing how an aperture might work for me before ponying up the $$ for a "real" aperture. I left the left lens unpainted so I can look through it if I want (I don't). I use a DeltaPoint red-dot and find it easier to sight using the glasses. Between rounds I simply flip the sunglasses up for unobstructed no sunglasses vision. I am just starting out with Bullseye shooting and still working on the 25 yard line and my hold/stamina/wobble. The "aperture" seems to remove one thing for me to think about and lessens distractions for 'outside' influences happening around me.

My $.02

Larry S. Orlando - Florida

[Isabel1130]

Any thought on the use of an aperture on the shooting eye with open sights. I have experimented with it dryfiring and it certainly makes a difference with the sights except even the bull is sharp too. I know this goes against the paradigm (sp) of shooting with a "fuzzy" bull by concentrating on the front sight. I will be getting a red dot to compete eventurally in open class but am saving the $$$ for it by limitiing my match entries and sticking to open sights in the meantime.

My suggestion, is go to Walmart and cruise by the cheap reading glasses. Find a pair that blurs out your distance vision but let's you see the end of a pen, or the lettering on a box at about front sight post length. Buy those. A true aperture like the Olympic shooters use will be more than an adequate red dot.

Or you can try a home made solution like Larry recommends.

[ray2849]

I used the Eyepal for a while when I was shooting open sights for Bullseye. It definitely helps. However I eventually switched to the Red Dot.

See their web site at http://www.eyepalusa.com/ for more info

[fieldsj66]

A temporary solution is also to take a post it note and put your hole in it and then affix to a lens.

[divingin]

I stepped away from bullseye pistol for about 25-30 years. On return, I found I can't see the sights clearly. Looks like a combination of age related focusing problems and an out-of-date corrective prescription,but my solution (hopefully temporary) is pretty cheap:

I took some back plastic sheet (not sure what it is - soft plastic though), drilled a small hole (5/32"? and spent a bit of time deburring said hole), cut around it in a rough circle, and stuck a bit of masking tape on it. Stick it to my glasses, reposition as needed, and things have improved quite a bit. Can do the same with a blinder for the other side.

jky

[Rixter]

Being in my mid-60's and not able to see the front sight without glasses (or with them), I recently bought the Merit optical attachment, which has an iris diaphragm that allows to you adjust the size of the aperture. It does the trick. It does cut down on the light somewhat, at least in the shaded area outside and indoors where I use it. I use it with the aperture wide open. It's nowhere near as cheap as homemade, however.

My next step is to get a prescription for focusing at the distance of the front sight.

[Isabel1130]

Being in my mid-60's and not able to see the front sight without glasses (or with them), I recently bought the Merit optical attachment, which has an iris diaphragm that allows to you adjust the size of the aperture. It does the trick.

My next step is to get a prescription for focusing at the distance of the front sight.

Be careful with that. Unless you have a bad stigmatism, a pair of reading glasses may work just as well at a small fraction of the price.

I learned the hard way, had a special pair of glasses made. They were expensive and worked for about two years, at that point I could see the front sight better with my bifocals, and quit using them.

[Rixter]

Good point. I've already tried some reading glasses, and the ones I've tried don't work for this purpose. I suppose I could try some different strengths since they're so cheap.

[joel]

I tried these and am using them successfully.

https://www.adlens.com/product/adjustab ... Ao6r8P8HAQ

Joel

[Ken O]

.

[Ed Hall]

If you do choose to use an eyecare professional, you might want to review some info I have from one who is also a shooter. The first one of his documents is designed to help your local Dr know our needs:

Dr. Norman Wong's Articles

[dronning]

I used the Eyepal for a while when I was shooting open sights for Bullseye. It definitely helps. However I eventually switched to the Red Dot.

See their web site at http://www.eyepalusa.com/ for more info

I use the EyePal with my Red Dot it makes the dot round again, without the EyePal the dot is oblong and star like due to a stigmatism.

I did have a set of lenses made for my Rudy Project (Rydon) shooting glasses but my eye changed and rather than getting another shooting eye lens I just went with the EyePal.

- Dave

[matchguy]

I had the same problem.

Took a piece of black electrical tape and popped a pinhole in it and put it on my glasses to see if that would help. It helped. I then tried the adjustable aperture that attaches to your glasses with a suction cup. Same thing but not like it used to be for me. Then I bought some of those flip up magnafiers. Those worked the best but I got tired of every range trip being an experiment to get things to work instead of being a practice session. Same problem with rifle sights. Tried apertures on front and rear and longer bloop tube. Had some good days and some not. I was spending half the season getting things to work and was spending $500 a year for new glasses and more for shooting glasses lenses.

Decided to be done with metal sights for both rifle and pistol and went to scopes on rifle as the NRA now allows it for HP and red dot for pistol. The smallbore matches by me guys have mostly scopes and the pistol matches the better shooters all have red dots. Couple of my master class friends both pistol and rifle have also switched to dots and optics for the same reasons.