Iron sightes and old eyes

[Hunsta]

Gday all.
I recently purchased a Carl Gustaf 6.5x55 Swede. Lovely bit of gear. With the intention of trying service rifle shooting. Now I already own a Husky M38 6.5x55 that I used to many years ago shoot open sights with. Hunted quite well with it I might add too.
Now to my inquiry. I had a few dry run sightings down the barrel and realised with my 50yo+ eyeballs, that I was flat out seeing the sights without my glasses which I have to wear these days. Then I put them on and I could make out the target. But the iron sights were just a complete blur. I did a compromise and put on a pair of those cheap single lens glasses on but, just got a 50/50 version of both sides of the problem.
So my question is, does anyone have a solution to this problem ie; use this or that style of sight. Or some other trick?
I seemed to have no dramas out to 100m. But 200m was becoming a guess( not an unsafe one. Just an inaccurate one) And I haven't tried 300m yet. Which at this point would be a down right guess
Any help would be great.
Craig

[No1_49er]

These might be worth a look http://www.meritcorporation.com/
or these, which are pretty similar https://ssaagunsales.com/listing/15262 These are probably sold by now, but you can see what they are.
or, a visit to an optician who "knows about shooting" and can prescribe a lens specifically for shooting.

[bigrich]

Welcome to the over 50’s club hunsta. What you’ve described is exactly what I went through with my Carl Gustaf just recently. I traded it on a m38 Husqvarna that was already set up for a scope. Just gunna shoot a modified class. At least I can see what I’m aiming for. Was going to look into optical aids, maybe some sort of custom glasses. Will be watching this post with interest

[Hunsta]

Thanks for that guys.
That second link 49er looks interesting. And locate not far down the hway from me. I'll look into it.
What a funny coincidence bigrich. However I had my M38 fitted for a scope more than 10 years ago. And only now that I have the 1905 CG, I what its shorter brother looking like its former untouched (oh why god did I mutilate it so) self. I'll let you know how I get on.
Cheers
Craig

[Gaznazdiak]

I'm pushing 60 now and have worn glasses since high school. Never had trouble with iron sights until I changed to multi focals. They made it virtually impossible so I would just concentrate on keeping the sights in focus as the target area wasn't too badly out.

Alas, I woke up last Monday and could see bugger all out of my right eye, a big blurry spot in the middle and massive dark floaters drifting around. Thought I had a detached retina at first, no such luck.
According to the opthalmologist the gel in my eye has shrunk and pulled away from the back where the rods and cones that give you your vision are.
Wouldn't mind so much if it was the left, but the right's my shooting eye, goddamnit.
No more iron sights for me, even using the scope is now a bit of guestimation.
Can't bring myself to shoot at a critter now if I'm just as likely to hit it in the arse as the head.

[Wm.Traynor]

My driving glasses, which are also sunnies, have a correction for distance. Coincidentally, I can now see the fore sight clearly on one of my rifles which is fitted with a receiver peep. Even with the smallest aperture, the fore sight was not clear. In desperation, i tried the sunnies on a glarey day and have not regretted it

But ymmv and good luck

[bigrich]

My driving glasses, which are also sunnies, have a correction for distance. Coincidentally, I can now see the fore sight clearly on one of my rifles which is fitted with a receiver peep. Even with the smallest aperture, the fore sight was not clear. In desperation, i tried the sunnies on a glarey day and have not regretted it

But ymmv and good luck

hmmmm. might have to find a better optometrist than "specsavers" i think. thanks for the tip WM

[Grumpy]

Definitely pays to get someone who knows shooting when getting custom glasses made. Made a big difference when I got mine. Can recommend someone in Perth if anyone needs.

[Hunsta]

OK Looked in to these EyePal things. Seems they are readily available . A few on fleabay. All $40.00. Basically its just a dot with a hole in it. It may have a small amount of magnification in it. Im gunna try something tomorrow. Basically some black tape with a small hole in it will do the same thing. And I`ll get back to you.
Heres a couple of interesting vid to think about.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVeEwVFAWME
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNVBRIEkYDg

[No1_49er]

Those EyePal things are what Lyman list https://www.lymanproducts.com/accessories/eyepalr.html
As described in the video, they work exactly the same way as a camera iris; smaller aperture = greater depth of field. Just the way the old pin-hole cameras worked and resultant pictures with incredible depth of field.
Hope you can find a solution that allows you to continue shooting.

[RoginaJack]

Welcome to the club, Huntsa. I'm in the same boat and have had both eyes operated on over the last 12 months to remove cataracts. So I'm following what you are doing too.
I'm just about ready for an eye test so will see what happens re iron sights. I thought a service rifle with peep sights might be the go. Anyone tried this out?

Cheers

[bigrich]

Welcome to the club, Huntsa. I'm in the same boat and have had both eyes operated on over the last 12 months to remove cataracts. So I'm following what you are doing too.
I'm just about ready for an eye test so will see what happens re iron sights. I thought a service rifle with peep sights might be the go. Anyone tried this out?

Cheers

i bought a williams peep that went in place of the standard rear sight on my m96 gustav , it sorta worked. what worked best for me was getting a after market front blade from brownells and filling it narrower (and down cause of the 300 yard zero ) so there were big enough gaps between the front blade and sides of the rear v to visually centre the sights. i think a trip to a better optomitrist is on the cards though. might make up a dummy rifle out of some broomstick with sights at the correct distance so i can test lenses at the eye doc's. people might freak if i walk in with my gunbag.......

[No1_49er]

Welcome to the club, Huntsa. I'm in the same boat and have had both eyes operated on over the last 12 months to remove cataracts. So I'm following what you are doing too.
I'm just about ready for an eye test so will see what happens re iron sights. I thought a service rifle with peep sights might be the go. Anyone tried this out?
Cheers

I think a trip to a better optomitrist is on the cards though. might make up a dummy rifle out of some broomstick with sights at the correct distance so i can test lenses at the eye doc's. people might freak if i walk in with my gunbag.......

If you're really lucky, you might find an optician who is also a shooter
Mine's a pistol shooter; knows about our needs
Pays to ask around.

[pomemax]

Well I am over 60 and wear trifocals most of my rifles are scoped now but if they are not I do fit a Lyman receiver peep sight .
Pistols I do not seem to have as much of a problem

[RoginaJack]

Many thanks, got a few ideas to try out.