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Joined: Dec 2011
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OP
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...does it make sense, for hunting and practical shooting, to quit using peep/receiver sights and switch exclusively to scopes or at least red dots when we get older? Asking for a grandpa . Especially if we're going to get any shots on game at first or last light?
Last edited by Steven60; 01/11/20.
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Joined: Nov 2005
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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My mid-60's (alright now officially late 60's) eyes have gone to hell in a handbasket. I still haven't transitioned completely to scopes- maybe half of my rifles wear aperture rear sights (some with QD scope attachment capability), the other half are scoped. I still use the peep-sighted rifles in the deer woods as much as the scoped rifles, and have developed a couple of workarounds that allow me to do it sort of efficiently.
I wear contacts, and have for 30 years now. I would hate at this point to go back to glasses full time. In order to read or work up close I slip on a pair of cheap readers, or take the contacts out. In the woods and/or range when shooting an iron sighted gun I put a pair of 1.25x half-frame readers low down on my nose, and slide them up in front of my eyes with my right thumb as I shoulder the rifle. They focus light to clarify the front sight & target at the same time (not perfectly but good enough), and the aperture sort of takes care of itself. I'm certainly no optometrist and can't predict if that'll work for you, but for $10 at the CVS you just might find your solution.
Like you mentioned though it's the bewitching time at first light and dusk that presents the most frustration. My solution for that is a bigger aperture which helps some, but more importantly I don't bust my butt to get in the woods while it's still dark like I did when I was younger. Simple. I found that the extra pancake and sausage with a second (or third) cup of coffee is as satisfying as freezing my nuts off while sitting in the dark.
"You can lead a man to logic, but you cannot make him think." Joe Harz "Always certain, often right." Keith McCafferty
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Joined: Dec 2003
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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I pretty well gave up on peeps and open sights years ago for any serious hunting. All but one or two rifles wear a scope and the ones that don't are mainly just fun guns. I did use an iron sighted 22/94 on new years day to take one squirrel. That was the first time in years I actually shot an animal with open sights other than a few varmints here and there with a handgun. If it had been more than 25 or so yards I wouldn't have been able to see it good enough to pick an aiming point. I am starting to think about setting up most of my hunting handguns with an optic of some type or another.
Those who are always shooting off at the mouth usually aren't shooting straight. Build a man a fire and he’ll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire and he’ll be warm for the rest of his life. www.wvcdl.org
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Joined: Dec 2011
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Thanks. I'm 68 and wear progressive lens glasses. I've been struggling to figure out how I can have the same comb height for an XS peep sight and low-mounted scope and have concluded that it just isn't possible. Wouldn't be a big issue except that I want to thin out the gun safe and can do most all of my deer hunting with my Ruger 77/357 (because I'm in Ohio). I've always preferred to still/slip hunt with a light rifle with a receiver sight, but with the changes in deer patterns (and my knees) it's starting to look like it makes more sense to sit in blinds, at least where I am. Which seems to mean maybe it's time to give up on peeps and stick with a scope, at least for the primary deer rifle. I suppose I could always buy a second one and keep it dedicated to a peep sight. Decisions, decisions.
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Joined: Apr 2011
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Campfire Savant
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Campfire Savant
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I’m a scope guy now. Eyes are getting bad!
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Joined: Jan 2020
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Campfire Member
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I can’t see open sights or shoot pool anymore because of wearing glasses now. I used to be pretty good at both but you couldn’t tell now.
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Campfire Tracker
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I'm 72 and this season I hunted mostly with my iron sighted rifles, all but one peep sight. I have a 94 Winchester that wears a Lyman 66 with a Redfield Sourdough up front. The best combination however was my 99H carbine with a Redfield 70 receiver sight and a Williams FO front. It looks terrible but, really stands out early in the morning as I was only loosing 10 minutes over a scope. My CZ FS with only it's irons was a full 30 minutes later over it being scoped. Love how they handle sans scopes but, will probably use scopes from now on as I owe it to the game to place the shot precisely.
Shew me thy ways, O LORD: teach me thy paths. "there are few better cartridges on Earth than the 7 x 57mm Mauser" "the .30 Springfield is light, accurate, penetrating, and has surprising stopping power"
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Campfire Oracle
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Campfire Oracle
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...does it make sense, for hunting and practical shooting, to quit using peep/receiver sights and switch exclusively to scopes or at least red dots when we get older? Asking for a grandpa . Especially if we're going to get any shots on game at first or last light? well I had to quit using irons, and go to scopes. Not my pulse fault...my eyes have been messed up since I was born.
"...the left considers you vermin, and they'll kill you given the chance..." Bristoe
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Campfire Tracker
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I won’t say this works for everyone: https://www.lymanproducts.com/brands/lyman/sights/eyepalrI seem to get the same effect shooting a receiver or peep sight. At 60 and a bifocal wearer for 20 + years I still see the sights ok. Receiver sights definitely work better for me, ymmv.
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Campfire Member
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1X or 2X rifle scopes are brighter, faster and easier to use than peep sights IMO. I got rid of my sights a long time ago.
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Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
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Low power scopes are light enough, faster than irons except at point blank range, and even if your eyes are good give you about 30-45 minutes more of shooting time per day.
The Weaver 1-3's are solid, light. The Leupold 1.5-5x are also very light and they are discontinuing the German #4 reticle which is a great one for woods use and even in 15-20 years you'll still be able to see that heavy German reticle.
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Campfire Tracker
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I'm 80. Among the things I have learned is no matter the insistence of your denial - things change. Includes eyesight. Get ahead of it. Scope it. And grin.
Jim
BE STRONG IN THE LORD, AND IN HIS MIGHTY POWER. ~ Ephesians 6:10
Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery. --Winston Churchill
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I'm 80. Among the things I have learned is no matter the insistence of your denial - things change. Includes eyesight. Get ahead of it. Scope it. And grin.
Jim You're right, Jim! I hope 'm not denying the changes; dark is a lot darker than it used to be! It's no trouble to put a scope on it - I've got an old Weaver K3 and a Burris Compact 4x, either of which can go on it. The more difficult change is having to raise the comb height. That alone isn't bad - unless I have to wind up with a Monte Carlo comb, which is just the worst kind of awful appearance-wise for me. If I were going completely functional, a black rifle in 350 Legend would probably make the most sense, but I'm stuck being some kind of traditionalist. :|
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Reddots are pretty nice too for aging eyes. Using pistol sights in fading light is coming to an end for me.
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