Apologies for being an infrequent, newbie poster but basically I plink in my 9m basement range and occasional tap metal spinners in the backyard with a 1983 FAS 604 pneumatic air pistol (which I love). I'm 56 years old and require +2.0 readers for close work and have a variety of top and bottom bifocal shooting glasses for my other powderburners. Right now I am running an Ultradot redot on a BME Weaver mount on the FAS, it has proven to be solid and reliable for 1000s of pellets but I am developing an astigmatism that causes the dot to "spider" and grow. I shoot around this and it can work but I am wondering if I should consider swapping it for a more traditional optical scope? I have no issues using scoped rifles (once I adjust the initial focusing ring) with clear non-magnified glasses.
Concerns include whether the scope will have enough focusing breadth that I can adjust it at 21-22" arm distance using clear non-magnified glasses (imagine being able to see the scope and the target again!). And whether the scope and rings can hold up to cocking the top opening FAS (like a Beeman P17) (not a recoil issue).
Any recommendations and experiences are welcome, thank you.
(I already know the answer is to get a Steyr PCP, please tell my wife.)
Rover wrote:It's not the Red Dot that's a problem, it's YOU!!!
Get some prescription glasses!
Forget the PCP....you can't buy points.
I figured you would post so I put that Easter Egg in just for you!
You're right, last visit to the eye doc told me it wasn't a big enough problem but this year it is! However I am still wondering if an optical scope might just be better for me all around and avoid another round of changing shooting glasses (I seem to have a box full and ones for open sight pistols, scoped rifles, clay shooting, etc. kind of ridiculous).
If you think a dot moves way faster than iron sights wait until you use a scope! The movement will make you dizzy!
Yep I know you movement is the same but what you see gets amplified too! It's very distracting.
Scopes are great for bench or supported shooting.
- Dave
Certified Safety Instructor: Rifle & Pistol
They that give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.
~ Ben Franklin
You only need a single lens, but if you're just going to shoot a Red Dot, get a pair of glassed correct for distance and correcting astigmatism. You can use them for everyday wear, driving, etc.
This is what I personally do, except when using iron sights.
Several guys at the club are trying to make do (unsuccessfully) with bifocals.
Rover is correct on getting prescription glasses to correct your astigmatism is the best advice.
I don't see why using a red dot on 10m AP is such a big deal around here, especially for us with aging eyes. Everyone seems to poo poo them for AP. I guess it's the purist attitude, kind of like SSP vs. CA, right Rover? :-) Your setup looks like excellent AP training for Bullseye shooting. Bullseye shooters have the option to use iron sights, red dots, or optical scopes as long as the magnification is no more than 1x. Red dots make aiming easier as you don't have to worry about aligning the front and rear sights, but then you have the extra dot movement to deal with that kind of offsets the gains.
Rover, this is true, and perhaps I should not have posted this in this thread, since the category is Olympic Pistol, but there are airgun club matches in my area that allow red dots since we have shooters 50 and up with aging eyes. When I used to shoot NRA Bullseye competitors, I regularly practiced AP with a red dot in my basement to help with trigger control and arm strength.
Well I this seemed to be the most logical subform to post in, understanding that I'm not trying to compete but at the same time trying to be a little more serious than plinking a Crosman BB gun at pop cans.
Heavens I even take the FAS outdoors and plink in the wind, hardly optimal but fun.
You have to find the right spot on the lens to get the best vision, with this I can clearly see either the front sight on my air pistol or the dot on my BE guns. Not very expensive, $30-40.00.
20150902_fas604_0179 by Frank Petronio, on Flickr