Shock horror with iron sights

[Questor]

I've been shooting with dot and scope sights exclusively for over a year. I just went shooting yesterday with my iron sighted revolver and I couldn't shoot worth a darn. One needs to keep his skills sharp with these tools or they become dull quickly. After shooting about 100 rounds from the bench, I was grouping reasonably, but not well, at 50 yards.

My reaction after so long away from iron sights is "how did I ever use these things?!? This is horrible!". Oh well, that just means that the revolver comes along in the target shooting kit from now on and gets shot at least a bit each time at the range.

[longwinters]

I can imagine.  I don't shoot anything without optics (except my Glock), it would be tough going back.

Long

[Graybeard]

Getting old is tough fer shore Rudy. Still I prefer to use irons on handguns even tho it sure means my range has been greatly reduced these days from the way it used to be. I can't shoot as well at 25 yards from a rest now as I used to be able to shoot at 50 yards free hand. Of course the shakes of old age play a role in that as well as my eyes.

These days going to an iron sighted lever rifle gives me back the range I used to have with iron sighted handguns.

Since I've mostly stopped hunting anyway I guess it really doesn't matter that I can't shoot as well now as I once did.

[Squib]

does rifle skill go down with age much... the stock stops the shakes and the vision isn't as big a deal unless the irons are tiny/soviet right?

I've got it backwards, I suck with a scope (I always forget to check for scope shadow if I rush, a big problem when hunting!)

[DDZ]

I also like to use open sights on a handgun. I think eyesight has a great deal to do with how well you shoot with an open sighted firearm. Since I began needing glasses to read I have found it more difficult to shoot with open sights. Your eye has to focus on three points, the rear sight, the front sight, and what you are shooting at. Older eyes just plain have a harder time accomplishing this.

[Squib]

or scarred eyes that absolutely will not focus due to injury.... that's the other reason I suck with a scope, it makes stuff brighter if I look to light sources (which messes me up quick, very painful) or have to focus on a moving target.  I can still get my sight picture, focus on the front sight only and actually track a moving object a short ways with an iron sight though.... I really cannot do that with a scope because my vision blurs.  Is that what it's like for the older guys?  My vision still rates 20/20 but my eyes won't focus- as opposed to just being near sighted so it might be different... guess I'll see when I've got legitimate eye problems AND old age to deal with.

either way I do want all the tips I can get because I'm gonna get cataracts slowly again- likely leading to more surgeries and problems

[bilmac]

Questor   You might try a few more times before you throw away the 6 shooters. I've had some bad days when I couldn't hit a darn thing, but then the next day life is good again. I can't remember this happening when I was younger, but maybe it did and I didn't notice it.

I am starting to think that bad light conditions (the sun off to the side) can make me have a really bad day.