This question is really very simple- I was shooting at a 2-inch circle at 50 yards. Only problem is I can't actually see the two-inch circle at 50 yards, just the colored circles around it. Given all of the people the RWVA has trained to rifleman status, I'm sure some of them have had less than perfect eyesight, so I'm just wondering- what do I do?
First, your focus needs to be on the front sight.
If, when focusing on the front sight, you can not even see the target (and it should be fuzzy), then you might want to consider using a scope. THere's no shame in using a scope if you need to, especially for older or bad eyes.
If you can see the fuzzy target when you're focusing on the front sight, you just shoot the fuzz.
It is optically impossible to focus on 2 things at the same time, when they are at different distances.
John,
It is very common to be able to hold tighter than you can see. Exercising your eyes will make your vision better and working hard to see small objects will improve your sensitivity and ability to detect smaller and smaller objects but you will always be able to hold a smaller group than you can see.
Oh, and what Nickle said is correct.
Doug in Virginia
VAshooter
I have never had good eyesight. My Grandfather knew that when he taught me to shoot. I can only see clearly to the length of a rifle barrel. Even with corrective lenses I still have an astigmatism (sp) that blurs my vision. He told me it didn't matter. If you follow step 4a and focus on the front sight, the target, no matter how small, will appear quite clearly in the haze above the sights. If you look at it it will disappear. You have to learn to aim with your peripheral vision while focusing your eyes on the front sight. It is a very zen like state. And not easy to achieve. But once you get it you can amaze your friends. (And Fred, too. Fred can call .223 hits at 25m. I can't even see the target unless I am looking down the barrel.) But I still get some nice groups. And I shot a 178 with an M1A. Not yet a rifleman, but a very dangerous blind man.
Quote from: Nickle on September 18, 2007, 05:39:20 PM
First, your focus needs to be on the front sight.
If, when focusing on the front sight, you can not even see the target (and it should be fuzzy), then you might want to consider using a scope. THere's no shame in using a scope if you need to, especially for older or bad eyes.
If you can see the fuzzy target when you're focusing on the front sight, you just shoot the fuzz.
It is optically impossible to focus on 2 things at the same time, when they are at different distances.
Make sure you hold into the same 'part' of the fuzz every time.
Alright, awesome. Thanks everyone, good to know I'm not out of luck because of bad genes.
Quote from: John H. on September 18, 2007, 03:49:56 PM
This question is really very simple- I was shooting at a 2-inch circle at 50 yards. Only problem is I can't actually see the two-inch circle at 50 yards, just the colored circles around it. Given all of the people the RWVA has trained to rifleman status, I'm sure some of them have had less than perfect eyesight, so I'm just wondering- what do I do?
I am really glad someone started this topic.
First of all, I'm not an instructor but I have been an active shooter for 61 years.
If you cannot see the two inch circle then your target is that area you can see, being the colored circles you described. Aim 6 o'clock of that area that you can see and adjust your sights to hit COT. You don't have to see the center to be able to hit it.
You might be able to see a two inch circle without the colored circles, or any circles for that matter, around it. Personally, I see one & two inch squares much more clearly that I do circles.
As my eyes aged here are some of the things I have learned;
FACT # 1. The better you can see, the more accurate you can shoot, especially with iron sights.
FACT # 2. (I know that this is going to be challenged bitterly) YOU CAN SHOOT RESPECTABLE (NOT GREAT) SCORES WITHOUT SEEING THE FRONT SIGHT CLEARLY IF YOU'RE EYE IS FOCUSED ON THE FRONT SIGHT AND YOU ARE ABLE TO DISTINGUISH THE TARGET!
FACT # 3. I shot nothing but iron sights except on my varmint rifle until I was past 40 years of age.
FACT # 4. When that day comes that I need to defend my home, neighborhood, or country from the red coats (or whatever they might be) I'm not he man enough to hide behind the brush and try to get a good sight picture on the enemy with iron sights while he puts one through my eye just so they can engrave on my grave marker that "He Used Iron Sights".
The whole idea is to get hits. If a scope works for you (it does for me) then use it. If shooting a .223 (vs. a .308) gets you hits, then use it. I don't care if the shooter covering my back is using a .22 rimfire. If he can hit 'em where the round puts'em down and out of the fight then I'm cool with that.
Didja ever read the (supposedly true) story of the old woman on the "ranch" in Rhodesia. The ranch was targeted to teach the black locals not to work for a white rancher. The plan was to go in and hack some people up with machetes since they knew the men were working far away from the house that day. Well, Grandma had been carrying an old Colt Woodsman target pistol around with here for over 30 yrs. as it was a great way to dispatch the rats, snakes and other varmints found on the property at times. That day she dropped 5 or 6 machete wielding men with headshots and saved her daughter in law and grandchildren.
Its supposed to be a true story (Soldier of Fortune - 30 years ago). Never underestimate the effect of a well placed shot, even with a .22.
Quote from: M1A4ME on September 30, 2007, 06:22:19 PM
The whole idea is to get hits. If a scope works for you (it does for me) then use it. If shooting a .223 (vs. a .308) gets you hits, then use it. I don't care if the shooter covering my back is using a .22 rimfire. If he can hit 'em where the round puts'em down and out of the fight then I'm cool with that.
Didja ever read the (supposedly true) story of the old woman on the "ranch" in Rhodesia. The ranch was targeted to teach the black locals not to work for a white rancher. The plan was to go in and hack some people up with machetes since they knew the men were working far away from the house that day. Well, Grandma had been carrying an old Colt Woodsman target pistol around with here for over 30 yrs. as it was a great way to dispatch the rats, snakes and other varmints found on the property at times. That day she dropped 5 or 6 machete wielding men with headshots and saved her daughter in law and grandchildren.
Its supposed to be a true story (Soldier of Fortune - 30 years ago). Never underestimate the effect of a well placed shot, even with a .22.
That story has a familiar ring to it.
If anyone finds it in print I sure would like to read it.
Quote from: TreadCarefully on September 18, 2007, 06:27:26 PM
Quote from: Nickle on September 18, 2007, 05:39:20 PM
First, your focus needs to be on the front sight.
If, when focusing on the front sight, you can not even see the target (and it should be fuzzy), then you might want to consider using a scope. THere's no shame in using a scope if you need to, especially for older or bad eyes.
If you can see the fuzzy target when you're focusing on the front sight, you just shoot the fuzz.
It is optically impossible to focus on 2 things at the same time, when they are at different distances.
Make sure you hold into the same 'part' of the fuzz every time.
Several years ago (when I still had better than 20/10 vision) I had a very dear friend who was an optomoligist. He talked about such things and I told him that I could see both the front sight, the rear sight, and the target perfectly clear, and I was convienced that I could.
He told me that what was happening was that my then still young eyes was shifting from one object to the other and they would focus so fast on my different points of focus that I was fooling my self into thinking I could see them all clearly. He told me that it would change in time................ AND IT DID.