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Post by bula on Nov 13, 2021 8:17:09 GMT -5
Yeah, I wish I'd gotten the extended warranty..
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Post by kings6 on Nov 13, 2021 9:04:29 GMT -5
Despite all the ortho repairs from lifting concrete lids and dragging 70# hoses for 22 years the legs, back and arms still work pretty well as long as I remember repaired does not equal restored. It just the vision part that is frustrating but since I’ve worn glasses since I was 7 years old I guess that is to be expected.
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Post by contender on Nov 13, 2021 9:46:31 GMT -5
 I look back,, knowing I used to pass Army Flight Physicals easily. My body was in great shape,, and my eyesight was perfect. Work, and time constraints kept me from hunting as much as I'd have liked to,, but I always managed time around home. Money wasn't available to allow traveling to hunt,, nor the toys I often desired. Then as I aged,, the money thing has gotten better,, and the health thing has been slipping. I can still do a lot,, but the eyesight issue,, that's been the hardest thing for me to adapt to. I too have been experimenting with different things to sharpen my sight picture. Some things work,, while others,, (that used to be fine,) aren't as good as they once were. For competition in USPSA,, I enjoy fiber optic open sights. They help my older eyes find things fairly quickly. For serious handgunning,, (distance & tight accuracy,) I'm using the white paint, topped with a florescent green has helped some. I use the green fiber optics as well more often now too. Fermin's sights,, while blued,, are excellent,, I'm considering adding a bit of paint to one & trying it as well. Sadly,, the "sharp" edges seem a bit softer no matter what I've done. Scopes,, properly adjusted allow a sharp picture,, and the red dot types are also good for a lot. Just not quite as precise. And my stubborn streak is wanting "Scope clarity & precision, with open sights." I doubt I'll ever achieve that again. |
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Post by bula on Nov 13, 2021 10:25:39 GMT -5
Amen to all that Contender. In last the 2 years, glasses for the first time and now 2 scoped handguns. Having difficulty adapting. A 2Dogs front sight came in the mail yesterday, for a 480 I want to keep open sighted. Sigh.
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Post by cas on Nov 13, 2021 16:45:54 GMT -5
The Ruger #1 in 500 Linebaugh thread was a sad reminder. I was all gung-ho to send my fussy #1 out and made into a 16" RSI in 500L. And pretty much the same day I decided I would do it, I shot my .475 #1, in preperation of taking it hunting. And I realized I couldn't see the front sight. XS ghost ring rear and a large bright fiber optic front, and I was struggling. "Oh yeah, I forgot all about that."  If I can't see one on a 20" barrel, I surely won't be able to see one at 16" I don't know why, I had that same realization (reminder) a few weeks ago when I competed in a shotgun match, first one in a long time. But it was the first match shooting my new 24" barrel. "Hmmm... the bead on my 28" barrel isn't all blurry." Depressing that I've spend so many years, so much effort, so much money assembling an accumulation of iron sighted single shot rifles, muzzle loaders, BPCR's, military rifles and "traditional old hunting rifles"... that I can no longer use as they were meant to be. |
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Post by boolitdesigner on Nov 13, 2021 19:29:46 GMT -5
Depressing that I've spend so many years, so much effort, so much money assembling an accumulation of iron sighted single shot rifles, muzzle loaders, BPCR's, military rifles and "traditional old hunting rifles"... that I can no longer use as they were meant to be. I used to shoot black powder rifles when I was in my twenties. We had a lot of older shooters then.... (I'm the old guy now). One thing in common on all their rifles was big wide flat top front sight with a notch on the rear that you could see light on each side of. I've used a Swiss K-31 with a wider than normal front sight also that really helps on using open sights. You might try it... it does help. |
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diddle
.30 Stingray
Posts: 470 
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Post by diddle on Nov 13, 2021 19:42:49 GMT -5
The incredible visual acuity of my youth started slipping away about 10 years ago. Now, at 66 y/o, I can have far visual acuity using scleral contact lenses but the ability to keep the target and open sights in crisp focus is gone ... but I love the shooting/hunting games as much as ever. The most elegant revolver solution for me is Freedom Arms revolvers with Trijicon RMR sights. Several good holster makers have models that will accommodate the sight. Doc B makes mine. Under certain conditions, though, I can get by using open sights with low powered reading glasses ... ~1.25 diopter. I can see the sights and still retain enough clarity for satisfactory shot placement. Just a few thoughts ... it takes a tough man to get old gracefully (but it beats the alternative).
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Post by junebug on Nov 14, 2021 12:36:48 GMT -5
Our bodies tell us we shouldn't do some of the things we love. Our mind tell us we can so we find a way to carry on. Scopes, red dots, paint, bigger sights all allow us to cheat the devil, who wants to take away the things we LOVE and NEED to do for one more day. Leg cramps all night and a sore chest from pulling on my deer yesterday. I consider them coins for the privilege.
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Post by jfs on Nov 14, 2021 15:12:41 GMT -5
Very happy I found a discontinued Burris 2-7X Electro Dot handgun scope on the bottom shelf of my gun shop. The tiny red point at center of cross hair allowed a low light shot on recent whitetail hunt. All my iron sight handguns have very visable front and rear sights so my eyes can align on close range game shot.....
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Post by 38 WCF on Nov 14, 2021 20:31:28 GMT -5
slapped me in the face today. The rut is in full swing with the Blacktail bucks losing their normal nocturnal nature. The son and I went out today and to say it was raining is like a cow peeing on a flat rock would be an understatement. During the rut, the bucks running is directly proportional to the severity of the rain here in western Oregon. Today was no exception. We found a log to cross the raging creek and made our way into the thinned section we wanted to hunt and before we even got set up we spotted a doe and as we watched her, another doe and a nice mature buck came down the same trail. They were about 100 yards out and as I snugged up next to a fir tree and took out my binos to check them out the combination of body heat from my internal sauna, humidity you could drown in and the brim of my Seattle Sombrero led to instant fogging of the glasses and the binos. AS soon as Rem clacked the antlers together the buck did and about face and came right for us as if he was on the end of a salt water reel with Rem rolling the crank. Once he hit the opening in front of me he stopped about out about 40 yards facing me dead on. That is when the perfect storm of steam, rain, 64 year old eyes and black sights in the timber came together and the only thing slayed was my pride. I guess the reality is my handgun hunting needs to shift to an optics equipped format in the future. Since both my scope equipped revolvers went to new homes this year I am going to switch to carrying one of the single shot rifles for the rest of this hunting season. Not my first choice but in light of the always marching band called age, the most ethical choice to ensure a clean kill and no wounding. I HEAR VOICES EVERY MORNING. MY LEGS SAY "YOU ARE DONE HUNTING!" EYES/HANDS WORK BUT LEGS DON'T At 65 this year I finally have to admit that the legs just cant stand the Mountainous area I hunt Deer in. Kind of a Bummer. |
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Post by taffin on Nov 14, 2021 22:36:19 GMT -5
I GOT 17+ YEARS ON YOU.
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Post by bula on Nov 15, 2021 9:27:42 GMT -5
Yeah..the reality here is I cannot sneak and peak in the wooded hills and mountains I love, all day anymore. I cannot sit in a tree for long without stiffening up to uselessness and making climbing down a risk too. A cautious blend will be tried. Bear rifle this weekend and deer after T-Day. Will see how I feel after..
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Post by kings6 on Nov 15, 2021 9:45:02 GMT -5
I think for me it going to be a matter of adapting my methods and tools to allow me to continue doing the thing I love which is being outside and hunting. And not letting my ego win the mental debate of “but that isn’t how you do it!!!!!”
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Post by magnumwheelman on Nov 15, 2021 11:16:06 GMT -5
"IF" I could ever say "I hate it" while hunting, it's those high moisture events... several years ago, I was using TC Contender (s) in shotgun season, along the Mississippi in the bluffs & it sleeted heavily the whole weekend I was over there... it was so wet, I even started to get some brown fuzzies growing on the engraved Mt Lion on the side ( the trailer we were staying in was trying hard to dry 3 guys worth of soaked clothing every day after dark )
as far as the getting older... my eyes are OK, what worries me, is my mom's side of the family all have tremors... at 61 I know I'll be getting them too... I try my best to use a solid field rest whenever possible... optics help, if nothing else they highlight if I'm shaking too much to take the shot
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Post by bula on Nov 15, 2021 12:18:02 GMT -5
My camp property is flat enough and an ATV trail system links permanent stands. Until now, have left the stands to the younger guys ! I'll use seniority and clim one now. The other acreage I'm hunting is ALL steep, but a switch back trail system access. Wife ran out, off to nab me a portable camo blind thingy to try. Sigh.
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