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Double Rifles, Single Shots & Combinations >> Double Rifles
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Postman
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Reged: 25/09/13
Posts: 846
Loc: Canada
Aging Eyes and Old Classic Iron Sight Doubles - What to Do??
      #329002 - 30/05/19 11:05 PM

I’m sure that the challenge of having eyesight that no longer easily or properly resolves iron sights is one encountered by many.

The big question is how does one overcome this challenge?

On a new/modern double, I have no hesitation to mill purchase points for an RMR or red dot of some sort and the problem is solved. On an old classic that has a tremendous amount of shooting life in it, the issue becomes one of how does one continue to shoot it if one can’t properly see the original iron sights?

Does one simply pinch one’s nose and start drilling and milling?

Does one resign themselves to only fondling the old girl late at night in the deep recesses of the gun room without any hope of range time with her?

What have others done? Some rifles have significant historical or collector value, but it seems an absolute pity not to be able to shoot them as they were intended.

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Sarg
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Reged: 20/01/07
Posts: 1365
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Re: Aging Eyes and Old Classic Iron Sight Doubles - What to Do?? [Re: Postman]
      #329016 - 31/05/19 06:42 AM

Same trouble on my old Pump Rem 14 1/2's & Lever Winchesters, all the old play rifles/guns, I use 1 power reading glasses to test loads & do easy hunts, I was thinking maybe one contact lens in shooting eye ?

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mauserand9mm
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Reged: 03/09/09
Posts: 1040
Loc: Queensland, Australia
Re: Aging Eyes and Old Classic Iron Sight Doubles - What to Do?? [Re: Sarg]
      #329026 - 31/05/19 07:44 PM

Maybe you could try an adjustable aperture iris like:

https://shop.ahg-anschuetz.de/en/optics/shooting-glasses/353/ahg-flip-up-blinder-with-iris

They clip onto your glasses and you can adjust the position. Reducing the iris size (also adjustable) makes everything clearer but reduces the light getting through.

I have one but don't need to use it all that often at the range yet. I use it all the time to read my old vernier caliper - it has 0.1mm markings and my reading glasses don't quite make it clear enough.

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DarylS
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Reged: 10/08/05
Posts: 27009
Loc: Beautiful British Columbia, Ca...
Re: Aging Eyes and Old Classic Iron Sight Doubles - What to Do?? [Re: mauserand9mm]
      #329029 - 01/06/19 02:15 AM

I ordered and received 3 sets of reading/computer glasses.
In most stores, 1 diopter readers are the weakest you can find.
I googled, ordered and received .25 and .5 dipoter glasses from back East, the Canadian store for the American product.
These worked fine, with the .5's the best.
Then I went to an optometrist store here in town and ordered a pair of .75 dipoter readers. These work perfectly for iron sights.

Both sights are good with the front being VERY sharp. The target is a bit more blurry, but I still hit well. The centre of the blurry edge target is easy to hit with sights you can see.

--------------------
Daryl


"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V

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Rule303
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Reged: 05/07/09
Posts: 5063
Loc: Woodford Qld
Re: Aging Eyes and Old Classic Iron Sight Doubles - What to Do?? [Re: DarylS]
      #329044 - 01/06/19 05:54 PM

You can have glass? lenses implanted in your eye. I believe they now do triple focal distance lenses. Seem to work for those that have had it done.

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Rod4861
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Reged: 12/06/07
Posts: 243
Loc: Queensland, Australia
Re: Aging Eyes and Old Classic Iron Sight Doubles - What to Do?? [Re: Rule303]
      #329046 - 01/06/19 07:37 PM

I've had my natural lens replaced with trifocal lens about 4 years ago. Vision is now much better than 20/20.

I persisted with glasses for a while and they were okay for most purposes..including shooting on the range on most occasions. However trying to hunt with glasses was a pain... moisture, fogging, dust and at times just keeping them on. Implanted lens fixed that.

Rod

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DarylS
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Reged: 10/08/05
Posts: 27009
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Re: Aging Eyes and Old Classic Iron Sight Doubles - What to Do?? [Re: Rod4861]
      #329053 - 01/06/19 11:03 PM

WOW - I've never heard of having your lens' replaced with a prescription lens'.

--------------------
Daryl


"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V

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Postman
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Reged: 25/09/13
Posts: 846
Loc: Canada
Re: Aging Eyes and Old Classic Iron Sight Doubles - What to Do?? [Re: Rod4861]
      #329054 - 01/06/19 11:04 PM

I’ve ordered a dipoter that swings down over eye glasses. I’ll try that. My eyesight is very good other than for reading distances so I’m not quite ready for surgical corrections, but it’s good to know that replacement trifocal lenses are an option for the future. I’m at the age where important parts are starting to fall off, but I will resist going under the knife until it becomes the only practical option.

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BillG500
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Reged: 16/10/14
Posts: 129
Loc: Australia
Re: Aging Eyes and Old Classic Iron Sight Doubles - What to Do?? [Re: Postman]
      #329062 - 02/06/19 10:44 AM

I bought a little 6.5x53R double which came with a red fibre optic sight. While it is not exactly pretty it more than does the job for my eyes. I was quite impressed at how good it worked in all situations.

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eagle27
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Reged: 24/01/09
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Loc: Rolleston, Christchurch, New Z...
Re: Aging Eyes and Old Classic Iron Sight Doubles - What to Do?? [Re: Postman]
      #329063 - 02/06/19 11:06 AM

I understand your dilemma only to well, having perfect eyesight for reading and iron sight use but needing prescription glasses for watching TV and longer range vision. Originally my prescription lenses were not so strong to affect my short range vision but over the years I have needed slightly stronger lenses for my glasses which I need to remove for the short range stuff.

While glasses are a nuisance in rain, sweat fogging, dust etc., being self darkening they are good for bright light and snow conditions where one would normally need to wear sunglasses anyway. They do also have the benefit of providing eye protection in case of any blow back when using firearms.

When hunting in early days with my Mauser 404, including on buffalo, I could use the English safari type sights no problem with my glasses but even before my eyesight deteriorated as the years went by, I made the decision to fit an occluded sight which I later replaced with an EER Leupold scope. I found when working up accurate loads, including cast bullet loads, the wide shallow V of the English safari sight was not conducive to good shooting off the bench (for me anyway, others may well be more proficient).

The original Vietnam era Single Point green dot occluded sight was good for fast shooting at close range, and I did shoot a few hoofed animals with it in bush hunting, but not ideal for careful sighting shots on the range, take too long and my eyes lost the dot.

The little 2x Leupold is great and I would have no hesitation using it at close range on dangerous game. It offers the advantages of a single aiming point, slightly magnified target, and can be used with one eye closed as many do when using scope, or both eyes open providing fast target acquisition and awareness.
With the ocular bell of the scope just back over the magazine opening from the receiver ring this mounting leaves good room for loading the magazine especially if one was in a hurry.

As for 'modifying' a classic, I concur some place collector value on their firearms for reasons of their own but I'm not one as I only have firearms as a tool to get a job done and if they don't suit or can't be modified to suit for purpose I won't own.

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WVFRED
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Reged: 17/01/05
Posts: 169
Loc: Charleston WV
Re: Aging Eyes and Old Classic Iron Sight Doubles - What to Do?? [Re: eagle27]
      #329070 - 03/06/19 06:35 AM

Contact lenses are great for shooting iron sights if you can wear them.

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470evans
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Reged: 30/03/05
Posts: 278
Loc: Texas, USA
Re: Aging Eyes and Old Classic Iron Sight Doubles - What to Do?? [Re: WVFRED]
      #329085 - 03/06/19 11:04 PM

I was faced with the dilemma of being able to see at distance well but the sights were so blurry I didn't shoot my doubles for several years as a result. Eventually I had JJ Perodeau install a Docter Optic 3.5 MOA Red Dot sight on my Evans 470. I was very hesitant to do it but now wish I had done it earlier.

The sight attaches through slots milled in the existing sight base so if I want to take off the optical sight I just unscrew it and I have the original iron sight ready to go. The optical sight unscrews using the rim of a 470 cartridge, very clever.



This picture shows the milled slots in the qtr rib for the optical sight. If you didn't know they were there you wouldn't notice them.



On my Holland Royal 500/450 I had him make a new sight base that replaces the iron sight since I didn't want to mill on the Holland due to it's value. I lose a little bit in practicality since I would have to drift out the sight base and replace it if I want to use the iron sights but it seemed a reasonable compromise to retain the rifle's originality.

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