TargetTalk

We "blacken" the front sight so we can focus on it. Have there been any tests done on the eye's ability to focus on other colors besides matte black? What about gloss black? Is there any way to get more light to reflect on the front sight? Would white paint, nail polish, etc. on the horizontal portion of the front sight help reflect light on the vertical portion?

Thanks!

Shadow:

Actually we've had a bit of discussion on this before- sorry I'm not adept at searching archives or I would find you a reference.

Generally you make some good observations. However, the sights need to be a colro that really stand out against the tan background.

That would be black. For target shooting.

For other backgrounds (beside tan) other colors would work better. Also, if "rapid acquisition" is more improtant than "precision" other color schemes designs etc. apply.

Hi Steve,

I am farsighted - quite a bit by now - and I need a lot of light hitting my eye. I work for a lighting manufacturer and the paint we use is referred to as "90 % reflective". That gave me the idea to use something to reflect up on the front sight. When I use gloss black on the front sight I seem to focus on it better than matte black. I want to make sure that I am going down the wrong path.

BTW, I am referring to Precision - Air Pistol and Free Pistol.

By the time I have taken 60 shots my eyes are really gone and do not focus well at all.

Susan

Susan:

It's somewhat a matter of contrast- in general, the higher the amount of contrast the easier it will be for your eyes to focus on front sight/maintain alignment over a longer period of time.

Are you using center, 6, or sub-6 hold? Many shooters who use center hold benefit from a lighter colored front (and rear) sight(s).

I am using a 6 hold - with some space between the sight and bull; not a "tight" hold. I have a Steyr LP1 and Morini 84E so I can adjust the rear sight to allow a fair amount of space on each side of the front sight.

shadow wrote: By the time I have taken 60 shots my eyes are really gone and do not focus well at all.

Susan

What shooting lense correction do you use ? If you are far sighted you should be artificailly making yourself very slightly short sighted - if after 60 shots 'your eyes are gone' then something isn't right.

Rob.

Susan:

Yes Rob hit the nail on the head- you need to discuss your needs with your optometrist I believe. Yoiu may need a dedicated preswecription for match shooting.

Drying of the eyes bothers me after even 10 offhand shots (more wind up at 6 feet and more stress). I find that closing my eyes for several seconds and some rapid blinking will usually rehydrate the eye. I also use eye drops but find that the excessive fluid sometimes affects my POA so use them regularly if at all. I find using them a minute or two before a string (rather than during a string) works better. (In most of my shooting sports, we have 5 to 20-shot strings with a rest period in-between.) A hat with side shades or glasses with side protection will help, too, by keeping the wind away from your eyes.

Best,

Joe

RobStubbs wrote:

shadow wrote: By the time I have taken 60 shots my eyes are really gone and do not focus well at all.

Susan

What shooting lense correction do you use ? If you are far sighted you should be artificailly making yourself very slightly short sighted - if after 60 shots 'your eyes are gone' then something isn't right.

Rob.

Having JUST gone through this, I couldn't agree more. I have normally non-corrected vision (joys of being young), and ended up with a simple +.50 diopter in both eyes to bring my focus back towards the front sight a bit. This has made a WORLD of difference in my ability to focus on the front sight. Where before I'd be working harder to focus after about 20~25 shots, now I can easily make it through 80 before feeling the same required effort.

I just use normal glasses (insurance paid for them), was quick, free and easy. Of course, living in Wyoming might have a slight benefit on how tolerant Drs are with bringing guns into their office. :)

jrmcdaniel wrote:Drying of the eyes bothers me after even 10 offhand shots (more wind up at 6 feet and more stress). I find that closing my eyes for several seconds and some rapid blinking will usually rehydrate the eye. I also use eye drops but find that the excessive fluid sometimes affects my POA so use them regularly if at all. I find using them a minute or two before a string (rather than during a string) works better. (In most of my shooting sports, we have 5 to 20-shot strings with a rest period in-between.) A hat with side shades or glasses with side protection will help, too, by keeping the wind away from your eyes.

Joe,
I have dry eye problems as well and have tried many different brands of eye drops. The viscous ones caused blur, the thin ones evaporated very quickly. In a recent note on Bullseye-L Dr Norman Wong recommended some brands I had never tried before. Two of them are excellent - Bausch & Lomb Soothe XP, and Optics MiniDrops. One or two drops in each eye an hour of two before I start shooting and I am good for many hours.
Fred

Dry eyes - that could be my problem or at least part of it. I could not wear contact lenses as they dried out immediately and fell out. I will try drops.

Susan

shadow wrote:Dry eyes - that could be my problem or at least part of it. I could not wear contact lenses as they dried out immediately and fell out. I will try drops.

Hi Susan. Give it a try. Can't hurt. Re earlier comment on contrast - I used to prefer shooting without a light overhead because I felt it made the front sight appear darker/more contrast against the target. But then I tried some overhead lighting at home and found that even though the front sight now appeared lighter, I could focus on it better. (I use a sub 6 for AP) You need to be able to see the front sight, not its silhouette, to focus on it clearly. That's why some like to file a small notch or serrations on the back, so they know they can see the sight and maintain sharp focus. YMMV, of course.

Fred

Susan,

I had to have a special pair of glasses made for me to shoot AP with. With my progressive lenses, I could not focus on the front sight without tilting my head like I was looking at the sky, and that did not do my neck any good. Or with my head upright, I had to really strain to focus on the front sight, and that gave me a headache. My eye doc worked with me using Warren's shooting glasses article as a starting point (http://www.pilkguns.com/c16.shtml) , to come up with a prescription that will let me focus on the front sight and still be able to see the target. And dang, it was the same as Warren's recommendation in the article. But I was glad that we did it, cuz now I know that we got the proper compromise, rather than just using the delta that was in the article w/o testing.

I have an AP with orange on the front sight, but that is for fast pickup in IDPA style shooting, not for 10-ring target shooting. Against a DARK background orange is great, don't remember what it was like against tan/buff.