Sixgun sights for aging eyes

[Bill in Oregon]

As a certified aging baby boomer, the day is long past when I could do my best work with factory Ruger sixgun sights. I know I could go for a narrower front, or open up the notch in the rear. But I am thinking a shallow V rear with a gold or ivory bead front might be easier for my eyes to see. I know the fiber-optic fronts are very visible, but I am just too much of a traditionalist to go that "modern." In my view. the various attempts at a peep rear (such as the Omega) on a sixgun have been found sadly wanting in actual use.
I just refuse to consider an optic or dot on a .44 Special. Sacrilege.
Who has been down this path recently?

[Old Ironsights]

The V/Dot is great. There is also the aperture rear blade available (can't remember the brand at the moment) but it's not obnoxious and works well...

[AJMD429]

Several of my firearms have rear-apertures, ranging from a factory 'One-Ragged-Hole' one for a Redhawk to ones made from scrap metal washers for a H&R Topbreak and a Contender .22 Hornet, to a Williams WGRS made for some round-barrel gun that I modified to put on an AMT clone of a Ruger Mark-II target pistol. The latter gun even has a front aperture, allowing precision shooting OR more rapid/low-light shooting.

< EDIT - pictures added > NOTE that when actually used, you see the front sight and your target, and really don't even perceive the rear sight, just like using a peep on a rifle. It just is beyond my photgraphic skills to make them look that way in a photograph...I think the first one (WGRS on Ruger Mk-II clone) is the closest to what they really look like to half-century old eyes.

The Redhawk one (third picture) is the commercial drop-in one for Rugers, but I think the blade is too thick for the 'ghost ring' effect I prefer. It might be faster to pick-up though.

The WGRS (first and last pictures) has a nice thin rear blade, as did the 'washer' one I made for a Contender (fourth picture). The H&R 999 one is more like a regular 'notch' with a roof over it. All of them work pretty well.











My only comment on the Redhawk one (a replacement rear sight blade from some commercial maker via Brownells or MidwayUSA most likely - can't remember) is that it was bigger in aperture than I'd make it if making my own.

ALL of them work well and I prefer them to 'open' or 'notch' type sights of any type. Not enough to re-fit all my firearms, mind you, but I do like them best.

I'd say if you don't want to use the eyeglasses-aperture (which sounds like a cool idea to me, actually), experiment with a 'home-made' aperture sight just by using some duct-tape and old scrap washers or nuts or whatever, to see if it gives you a viable sight-picture. Then if it does, determine the diameter hole and blade width that you prefer, and either make one, or if it's close to one of the pre-fab ones, go with them. Making a replacement rear-blade for a Ruger adjustable sight is a piece of cake - just find a bit of metal the right thickness and drill and file away...

[gundownunder]

I need glasses these days for just about everything that requires my eyes to be open.

My current shooting glasses are my original reading glasses from about 10 years ago, and they are a good compromise between seeing the sights and seeing the target. I would think that a thinner post or a V rear would both be harder to see clearly, especially if the light isn't right. Opening the rear to a bigger square notch might be a good way to improve things, I know it worked for me on my 32-20 Marlin which had the top of the rear sight filed flat and the notch opened up much like a revolver sight.

At the Lever Action Nationals on the weekend I found a bloke who was using one of those aperture suction cups on his shooting glasses and he said that it allows his eyes to focus on a broader plane, so he could focus on his front sight and still have a clear rear sight. This method does not contravene classic caliber or traditional rules which call for the gun to have original factory sights.

You could also discuss laser surgery with an eye doctor to see if that could be an option. Somebody once told me this is a one shot deal, what you get is what you've got and there is no going back for more if your eyes deteriorate further in the years to come.

[harry]

"You could also discuss laser surgery with an eye doctor to see if that could be an option. Somebody once told me this is a one shot deal, what you get is what you've got and there is no going back for more if your eyes deteriorate further in the years to come."

I've had laser surgery, I got the mono vision which is near in one eye and distance in the other. I also got the life time touch-ups for a 1000 extra. You can even have the laser treatment when ever you need it.

[Old Ironsights]

I remember the name... "One Ragged Hole" rear aperture/ghost ring replacement rear sight blades.

I had one on my ROA and I liked it.

FWIU they are hard to find now - the original company went under.

I guess these guys have taken over: http://www.warrencustomoutdoor.com/one-hole-sights.html

Looks like they make them for Marlin & Winchester rifles too...

[Malamute]

At the Lever Action Nationals on the weekend I found a bloke who was using one of those aperture suction cups on his shooting glasses and he said that it allows his eyes to focus on a broader plane, so he could focus on his front sight and still have a clear rear sight.

This ^

I have one, it's absolutely amazing. I've seen the cheaper ones that arent adjustable, I don't know if they can do quite the same thing for everyone, as each eye may be different in what it requires to sharpen up the vision.

http://www.meritcorporation.com/products.html

[Bill in Oregon]

Thanks for the link, Old Ironsights. Those aperture rears certainly are affordable.

[Don McDowell]

I really like the One ragged hole sight, it works quite well in lo light situations, and accuracy with them has always held right up against the notch.

[jeepnik]

I've got to concur on the ORH for Ruger single actions. And, I use ghost rings on everything else I can put them on.

My eldest would love to have something like the ORH on his issue Glock, but it isn't allowed. The kid is scary good with a handgun, but is the first to admit that if push comes to shove, speed will likely be more important than pinpoint accuracy. Oh, and he wicked fast with that piece of tupperware. A heck of a lot better than I ever was.

[Pete44ru]

As a certified aging baby boomer, the day is long past when I could do my best work with factory Ruger sixgun sights. I know I could go for a narrower front, or open up the notch in the rear. But I am thinking a shallow V rear with a gold or ivory bead front might be easier for my eyes to see. I know the fiber-optic fronts are very visible, but I am just too much of a traditionalist to go that "modern."
Who has been down this path recently?

I guess I'm what you'd call a "pre-baby boomer", and would suggest trying what's easiest, first.

What's worked so far, for me (YMMV, of course) is to apply a dollop of bright orange sight paint to the top third of the rear face of the front sight, then outline the rear sight notch with white sight paint, using the tip of a wooden toothpick as a paintbrush.

What that's done for me is to let my vision easily distinguish the issue same-colored sights from the remainder of the gun (barrel, frame, etc), where before applying the (removeable/renewable) paint, everything sorta looked like one same-colored lump.

Painting the sights has done the trick (for me) on both blued carbon and stainless steel handguns.

.

[Charles]

As a certified aging baby boomer, the day is long past when I could do my best work with factory Ruger sixgun sights. I know I could go for a narrower front, or open up the notch in the rear. But I am thinking a shallow V rear with a gold or ivory bead front might be easier for my eyes to see. I know the fiber-optic fronts are very visible, but I am just too much of a traditionalist to go that "modern." In my view. the various attempts at a peep rear (such as the Omega) on a sixgun have been found sadly wanting in actual use.
I just refuse to consider an optic or dot on a .44 Special. Sacrilege.
Who has been down this path recently?

You don't need to get new sights. You need to get glasses that work for the sights. Take a pistol to your eye doctor and he will fit the glasses you need to see the sights.

[Old Ironsights]

As a certified aging baby boomer, the day is long past when I could do my best work with factory Ruger sixgun sights. I know I could go for a narrower front, or open up the notch in the rear. But I am thinking a shallow V rear with a gold or ivory bead front might be easier for my eyes to see. I know the fiber-optic fronts are very visible, but I am just too much of a traditionalist to go that "modern." In my view. the various attempts at a peep rear (such as the Omega) on a sixgun have been found sadly wanting in actual use.
I just refuse to consider an optic or dot on a .44 Special. Sacrilege.
Who has been down this path recently?

You don't need to get new sights. You need to get glasses that work for the sights. Take a pistol to your eye doctor and he will fit the glasses you need to see the sights.

Assuming the Eye Doctor is Gun Friendly...

[Griff]

Your optomerist is your friend... if he's a gun guy... or at least not "anti-"! My new "lineless" bi-focals allow both front and rear sights to be clear... even if the target isn't. I can precisely aim at the the center of that fuzzy ball out there! The rifle is still a problem. And my scores reflect that! Very few pistol misses, a few rifle misses, and of thank heaven, we can make up any shotgun misses!

[Bill in Oregon]

I also have the progressive bifocals. What I really need is to be 25 again, but I'd hate to have to learn all the life lessons a second time ...