Question regarding aging vision and shooting handguns

So, I have a 50 yard closed range behind my barn. Its my fun / initial sighting in spot. So Im turning 51 this Spring and I have gone from 20/10 or so to fairly farsighted, wearing lineless bifocals now...BLAH.

When Im shooting handguns, my groups are vastly tighter as I move from 25 feet to 75 feet...with glasses on. Again handguns, open sights. Rifles are a different story depending on sight configuration, frankly my deer, hog and turkey guns are all dotted or glass and meticulously zeroed...no problem there really.

I dont know, I just want to know if any other aging shooters have the same experience and whether or not they have advice...pissing me off not having the ol eagle eyes.

originally posted by: BlueJacket
So, I have a 50 yard closed range behind my barn. Its my fun / initial sighting in spot. So Im turning 51 this Spring and I have gone from 20/10 or so to fairly farsighted, wearing lineless bifocals now...BLAH.

When Im shooting handguns, my groups are vastly tighter as I move from 25 feet to 75 feet...with glasses on. Again handguns, open sights. Rifles are a different story depending on sight configuration, frankly my deer, hog and turkey guns are all dotted or glass and meticulously zeroed...no problem there really.

I dont know, I just want to know if any other aging shooters have the same experience and whether or not they have advice...pissing me off not having the ol eagle eyes.

Are you talking about your reading vision going, or just normal vision. Using a handgun I tend to use my reading glasses to line up my front and rear sights better. For scopes I don't use glasses.

Shotguns are your friend, they even make a pistol 410 version.

originally posted by: BlueJacket
So, I have a 50 yard closed range behind my barn. Its my fun / initial sighting in spot. So Im turning 51 this Spring and I have gone from 20/10 or so to fairly farsighted, wearing lineless bifocals now...BLAH.

When Im shooting handguns, my groups are vastly tighter as I move from 25 feet to 75 feet...with glasses on. Again handguns, open sights. Rifles are a different story depending on sight configuration, frankly my deer, hog and turkey guns are all dotted or glass and meticulously zeroed...no problem there really.

I dont know, I just want to know if any other aging shooters have the same experience and whether or not they have advice...pissing me off not having the ol eagle eyes.

A couple of weeks ago, I decided to shoot my single shot .22, that I have shot since I was born. I can pick off a snakes head at 100 yards. Any day.

Except for last Saturday. I am learning that I need to lead my targets a tad more than I used to.

This getting old crap is for the birds.

Fred..

a reply to: Xtrozero

There ya go! I was wondering if I was crazy...THANK YOU! Little tougher sighting the post on longer barrels, god I hate bi focals and reading glasses

ETA
Yeah my reading vision is going , actually its damn near gone. But my distance seems to be a lil less clear now too. Im considering that damned laser correction stuff, any experience>?

a reply to: fredrodgers1960

I feel ya Fred. I used to shoot those very birds at 100 yards...try the reading glasses mentioned above..only problem Ive found is horrible target recognition over 40 yards...

a reply to: Plotus

Yeah Plotus, I have a couple of those...sigh Im a precision, no rather, it seems I USED to be a precision shooter. I love dialing in a round and a rifle/ handgun. I shot a 6" .454 at 50 feet today within 2 inches around the bull, then moved out to 75 feet and hit all on bull within a half inch...bah

Shotguns get the meal, but FMJs feed the ego. cryin in my milk

a reply to: BlueJacket

I think the problem as you age is that your vision becomes less flexible. When I was a teenager, my eyes could focus from the front sight to the target so quickly that it was like I could I could see them both at the same time.

a reply to: toms54

I hear ya. I used to go from a ground target to a tree target in seconds, now...its like Im reading Chinese

originally posted by: BlueJacket
a reply to: Xtrozero


ETA
Yeah my reading vision is going , actually its damn near gone. But my distance seems to be a lil less clear now too. Im considering that damned laser correction stuff, any experience>?

That's what happened with me too. It started with my reading vision. Then stuff further out started to go (I'm a musician- so seeing notes on the music stand started to get blurry) about a year after I started wearing the reading glasses. Now I need reading glasses AND different glasses for when I'm working (playing music). Sucks!!!!! I've had perfect vision my entire life, never needed glasses until I turned 40. And I swear, the more I wear glasses, the worse my overall vision gets. UGH

a reply to: KansasGirl

I feel your pain...avoid the bifocals unless you want to keep your chin in the 12 oclock as you read music...BAH

originally posted by: BlueJacket
So, I have a 50 yard closed range behind my barn. Its my fun / initial sighting in spot. So Im turning 51 this Spring and I have gone from 20/10 or so to fairly farsighted, wearing lineless bifocals now...BLAH.

Doesn't make sense. 20/10 is VERY farsighted already. 20/20 is considered normal. 20/30, a bit near sighted. I started out at 20/15 and am now at 20/30 with my good eye. I think your figures are off. But to your point, generally speaking your vision will get progressively worse until you are eligible for cataract surgery. Mine is this Spring. When that happens your vision can be corrected. Usually, that means returning to 20/20 and using glasses for reading, though actually you'll get your choice.

To the musicians, you could do reverse bifocals. Friend of mine is a ferry boat captain. The dials are above his head. With these upside down bifocals he can read the gauges and see in front of him to land the boat at the same time.

a reply to: schuyler

well listen Im certainly not making crap up, albeit, I may jave poor recall. I have had stellar vision all my life, lets say that...

originally posted by: BlueJacket
a reply to: KansasGirl

I feel your pain...avoid the bifocals unless you want to keep your chin in the 12 oclock as you read music...BAH

Yeah, in afraid to go to bifocals because I'm afraid it will make whatever distance ISN'T addressed in those glasses will go to pot too.

Years ago my dad went through this phase where he did these "eye exercises" all the time. We made fun of him relentlessly. He said that using glasses actually would make your vision worse; he read a book about it. Haha, we thought, nutty Dad is at it again.

Now I'm not sure he wasn't right!

a reply to: schuyler

Thanks for the tip!!

originally posted by: BlueJacket
a reply to: Xtrozero

There ya go! I was wondering if I was crazy...THANK YOU! Little tougher sighting the post on longer barrels, god I hate bi focals and reading glasses

ETA
Yeah my reading vision is going , actually its damn near gone. But my distance seems to be a lil less clear now too. Im considering that damned laser correction stuff, any experience>?

Can't fix reading vision, sorry. Lasik is really good for normal vision...had a friend 20/200 and he instantly went to 20/15. As for reading classes it is your old eye that can't squeeze enough anymore to get down to reading distances. The key is to find glasses that make your front gun sight clear. The farther away from reading the lower the number, so if your reading glasses are +200 you might use +125 for your rifle.

With no more information than you have provided I don't see that you have a problem. Wait until your vision gets to the point of mine and re-post this. Hell, I'm so far sighted I can't even get the moon in focus without glasses any more. I don't bother trying to focus on the rear sight and target any more. I just keep both eyes open shooting any firearm and focus on the front sight. It just seems to naturally align in the grove if it is a well designed and properly held firearm. Shooting handguns I can hit center mass of the target at 30/40 feet and I'm good with that.

a reply to: Xtrozero

oh, lord, I had no idea seriously thank you

Ha ha ha, I like the way you think.. ...... a reply to: BlueJacket

a reply to: CharlesT

thx, i just suffer from old lion sickness I guess.