Thread: Iron Sights for 60+

Hi guys. So I just bought a BLR in .308. I’m really keen to try using the iron sights. I turned 60 last year. Anyone out there 60+ having success with iron sights?

Oh forgot to say I am short sighted and wear progressive lenses so I can focus on the front post ok

You will need 30yr old vision
Depends on you sight
You cant shoot with glasses on as you cant get line up

But my neighbor is 81 and still reads the paper without glasses
So luck of the draw or maybe listened to your mother when she caught u in the bath as a teen :-)

Hi Will,

I'm still around a decade off your age target ,but regularly use irons. I know of 70 year old plus shooters who do the same.

If you can focus on the front blade you are good to go

Give me a PM is you want to try out different options, I have found an aperture / ghost right setup for the rear is what I get best results with.

cheers thanks guys that's really helpful. I'll pm you @ebf, much appreciated indeed. I'm interested in ghost rings but I figure I should start with the factory sight and see how I go first. I have a pair of optical shooting glasses, just been trying them now, and it actually seems good. I focus on the front post, and I get a sharp enough edge for the rear blade to know if it's lined up. @Huntfisheat I have a .44 mag with an aimpoint hunter red dot and it's really cool. Can shoot to 100 no problem.

Originally Posted by WillB

cheers thanks guys that's really helpful. I'll pm you @ebf, much appreciated indeed. I'm interested in ghost rings but I figure I should start with the factory sight and see how I go first. I have a pair of optical shooting glasses, just been trying them now, and it actually seems good. I focus on the front post, and I get a sharp enough edge for the rear blade to know if it's lined up. @Huntfisheat I have a .44 mag with an aimpoint hunter red dot and it's really cool. Can shoot to 100 no problem.

"optical shooting glasses"
What do you mean.

So even with the Red Dot
You can shoot with glasses on
Or you dont have a blurred Dot without glasses

I use my prescription glasses with my Red Dots no problem.
I can’t use iron sights either U notch or aperture anymore no matter what I try ( glasses on or off )

PS - I’m 53 years old .

Originally Posted by Ground Control

I use my prescription glasses with my Red Dots no problem.
I can’t use iron sights either U notch or aperture anymore no matter what I try ( glasses on or off )

PS - I’m 53 years old .

Buggered if I know then
I must hold my rifle wrong or something
But no way I can look through my prescription glasses and be lined up on a Red Dot or a normal scope
So RD no good as it has no Diopter adjustment
Leupold have been abandoned for 5 years now - as their Diopter + in not enough now

I mean the shooting glasses have corrective lenses. I can't see sh*t without glasses - I'm pretty short sighted. I use the red dot with glasses and it's fine. @Sarvo do you find that you can't line up iron sights with glasses on? @Ground Control that's a bugger. Still, I guess when I actually get to the range I may find the same.

Originally Posted by WillB

I mean the shooting glasses have corrective lenses. I can't see sh*t without glasses - I'm pretty short sighted. I use the red dot with glasses and it's fine. @Sarvo do you find that you can't line up iron sights with glasses on? @Ground Control that's a bugger. Still, I guess when I actually get to the range I may find the same.

No - cant line up at all
With a normal scope I look over top of glasses - which is good as I can keep then on for field use

Originally Posted by Sarvo

With a normal scope I look over top of glasses - which is good as I can keep then on for field use

I do that with scoped rifles because my prescription glasses seem to distort the image as The magnification increases , but with the Red Dot having now magnification it isn’t a problem .
I will mention that I use a special pair of glasses when I’m shooting competition Clay Targets . They are set up to sit high on my nose and the optometrist got me to hold a broom like I shoulder a gun and took measurements of where my pupil was in relation to the frame .
I think it had something to do with the fact your head is forward and your looking out of the top of the lenses so they had to be ground differently .
I’m not a hundred percent sure of the technicalities of that , but they are perfect for Shotgunning.

Originally Posted by Ground Control

I do that with scoped rifles because my prescription glasses seem to distort the image as The magnification increases , but with the Red Dot having now magnification it isn’t a problem .
I will mention that I use a special pair of glasses when I’m shooting competition Clay Targets . They are set up to sit high on my nose and the optometrist got me to hold a broom like I shoulder a gun and took measurements of where my pupil was in relation to the frame .
I think it had something to do with the fact your head is forward and your looking out of the top of the lenses so they had to be ground differently .
I’m not a hundred percent sure of the technicalities of that , but they are perfect for Shotgunning.

I have some similar, also got mine tinted an amber colour to help the clays stand out.

Originally Posted by WillB

Hi guys. So I just bought a BLR in .308. I’m really keen to try using the iron sights. I turned 60 last year. Anyone out there 60+ having success with iron sights?

There are plenty of veterans (65+) shooting targets with open sights, 300 to 1000 yards.

Personally I'm too blind, I've got to use a scope for 25 yards smallbore.

Here's some targets I shot with my Swiss K31. My eyes are older than most forum members. I use glasses for reading but nothing (well plain safety glasses) when shooting with irons, diopter or scopes.

Group 1 4x Nickel Scope, Group 2 irons. 102 yds. (I should note the K31 has vey nicely shaped irons particularly the notch in the rear sight.


Iron sights. AM was actually 6 o'clock under the black.


Iron sights. 100 yds. AM 6 o'clock under the black.


Diopter sights. 100 yds

Originally Posted by zimmer

Here's some targets I shot with my Swiss K31. My eyes are older than most forum members. I use glasses for reading but nothing (well plain safety glasses) when shooting with irons, diopter or scopes.

Group 1 4x Nickel Scope, Group 2 irons. 102 yds. (I should note the K31 has vey nicely shaped irons particularly the notch in the rear sight.
Attachment 188414

Iron sights. AM was actually 6 o'clock under the black.
Attachment 188415

Iron sights. 100 yds. AM 6 o'clock under the black.
Attachment 188416

Diopter sights. 100 yds
Attachment 188417

Good shooting. As an aside where do you get your targets/do you have a PDF handy for printing. I can never find good targets for open sight shooting.
I also have K31 and find the sight nice but that rear sight is a very small notch! Mine shoots to the right consistently (2-3" @50m) so my next range visit will see me trying to adjust that front sight. Which is surprising as the front sight is staked so I'm assuming an armorer once upon a time sighed it in.
Anyone have one of the front sight adjusters for a K31? Otherwise it's a hammer and brass punch/drift.

Reading the manual for the K31 online It seems the aim point within 200m was intended to be dead on and them beyond was centre of mass aim point (with projectile hitting higher) if I recall correctly.