Thank you for your responses. I am liking the solutions suggested. Reading through the suggestions, I am reminded that old age and cunning (or treachery) beats youth and skill every time. ----Or, at least, that what some of us older gentlemen like to think at least.
I just recently started using the mono vision contacts, I'm still working out the bugs. For me I find that my non dominimant eye (left eye) the front sight is now in sharp focus. So I may be learning to shoot using my left eye. How does that saying go? Improvise, adapt and overcome.
As a quick and inexpensive test, try putting bright orange tape on your front sight. I found that it was much easier to see a blurry orange thing than it was to keep track of all the blurry back things.
48 here. Like others, I'm combining a couple of things: One, FO or other high viz sights. Two, I told my optometrist what I wanted, and she corrected my dominant eye to be optimum at arm's length. Like ntexwheels notes, it sounds messed up, but it's not that bad. I'll probably get another script here pretty quick optimizing both eyes for distance for summer road trips, but the glasses I have on now will remain my "EDC" specs. The combination of both the 'hardware' and 'software' makes me feel like I'm 22 again on the range (well, except for the knees), but frankly, just having glasses optimized for shooting has allowed me to break out the stainless fixed sight K-frames again, and like it.
I turned 50 a few months ago and I can still get a clear front sight.
I do, however, struggle to lock onto that front sight as quickly as I used to. As others have said, something that grabs your attention really helps. Ameriglo makes a number of front sights with big bright rings around tritium dots.
I miss running all black Heinies and thinking they were ideal. This getting old crap isn't for wimps....
I'm almost 36 and still have great vision, but not as great as it was.
I used to love a serrated black front and I still do, but a fiber optic is starting to feel easier for some reason....
47 Here. My distance vision is still excellent, but have been wearing readers/cheaters since maybe 4-5 years ago, and am now wearing progressives with basically no correction for distance but light correction (1.25 or 1.5) for close in. I am at the stage where my arms are really not long enough to get my phone far enough away for me to read the text comfortably anymore.
My front sight is a bit blurred, and has been for a while. I find when shooting that it doesn't seem to affect or bother me until I get out past 15 yds or so - more obvious at 25+. While it is frustrating when practicing my marksmanship at distance, etc, I have found that it has little to no effect at "real" pistol shooting distances. I have also started experimenting with Trijicon HD sights (have them on my compact PX4) to see if that helps. As noted it probably helps on front sight pickup, but not necessarily for long distance marksmanship.
Realistically I only think it would have much of an impact if i was forced into a condition of trying to take a one in a billion headshot in an active shooter or similar wacky situation from a serious distance.
One thing I will say, is that in a Steve Fisher pistol class I took nearly two years ago, he likes to do some start/finish exercises at 25yds. I struggled a bit with my iron sights at that. I then tried it with another shooter's G19 with an RMR on it, and I shrunk my groups down to 25% of what they were at distance. I was maybe at 60%-75% in the 8-10" circle with irons and I was able to have zero misses in the 3x5 brain box with the RMR...
At 60, my eyes are the limiting factor in my shooting. I need 2.25 reading glasses to read anything but my distance vision is 20/20 in one eye and 20/25 in the other so I don't currently have a distance correction. All of my carry pistols have Trij HDs or Ameriglo ProGlo high-vis sights. Of the two, I have come to prefer the HDs because they allow ME to get a better sight picture and alignment. Nothing is sharp, but I can put a blurry front in a blurry rear notch and stay dangerous.
My sight preference has changed over time as my eyes have aged. IMO, the most important thing is being able to see the font sight. Go with what ever allows that. A hi-vis front really helps with poor or aging eyes. Even if it's not sharp, it will still allow effective hits at normal self defense ranges. I can't see a plain black front at all, and those with just a white outline are almost as bad in most conditions.
An optic will be in my not too distant future. Hopefully some of their reliability issues will be solved by then.
Last edited by LSP552; 02-23-2016 at 03:03 PM.
Over 50--RDS is where it is at for me...
Facts matter...Feelings Can Lie
I'm 48 and need contacts or glasses for distance. Some days when my eyes are tired I can't focus enough to read or see my computer. When I'm wearing contacts I need reading glasses, when I have my glasses on I have to remove them. So far I have been able to see my front sight, but I know it won't last. I tried to wear a contact in one eye, but it didn't work very well. Not sure if I would get use to it over time.
--Jason--
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