Need Some Help

B

bcjolly

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I am shooting an Anschutz 1413 using Redfield Olympic front and rear sights. I have an adjustable rear aperature that allows an opening from 0.8 mm to 2.2 mm. I am 62 years old. My problem is there is an apparent mirage in the center of the rear aperature--kinda looks like a piece of "lint" right in the center of the opening. It is there regardless of the size of the opening setting on the rear sight. This little "artifact" is exactly where the bull needs to be for correct sight picture. I can move the sight picture ever so slightly in any direction so as to look around the "fuzz" and the bull becomes sharp but not when the bull is centered. Is there any way to get rid of this anomoly? If so, how? Am I just too old and this is a problem with "tired eyes"? I can shoot with a scope but I would really like to use the iron sights if possible. I can shoot almost as well with the aperature sights as with a scope. If I can find a solution to this problem, I think I can equal my shooting with a scope. Thanks in advance for any help.
Barry C Jolly
 
Have your eyes checked

This is normal as your eye change over the years. My problem was attributed to the development of cataracts. Have your eyes check by an Ophthalmologist. After I had mine removed, I was able to use my Irons again, and I'm going on 72 now.
 
Yep it is your eyes, very common starts when your about forty and slowly goes down hill. Loss of elasticity. My irons have fuzzy edges and the rear ap is egg shaped. I can forget about using a buckhorn on the reciever, it is not even a fuzzy lump, just plain ain't there. You can get optics for the rear sight to correct for your vision, they are legal for all matches. Thought I had lint or some such in rear sight for quite awhile, could never seem to clean it out, thought there was a problem with the variable ap. put a fixed one on same problem. And some of the shooting safety glasses make it worse. Bad spot in center of vision is an indication of a serious problem, fancy name for it, I can not think of at present. Take a trip to the eye doc.
 
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bcjolly said:
I am shooting an Anschutz 1413 using Redfield Olympic front and rear sights. I have an adjustable rear aperature that allows an opening from 0.8 mm to 2.2 mm. I am 62 years old. My problem is there is an apparent mirage in the center of the rear aperature--kinda looks like a piece of "lint" right in the center of the opening. It is there regardless of the size of the opening setting on the rear sight. This little "artifact" is exactly where the bull needs to be for correct sight picture. I can move the sight picture ever so slightly in any direction so as to look around the "fuzz" and the bull becomes sharp but not when the bull is centered. Is there any way to get rid of this anomoly? If so, how? Am I just too old and this is a problem with "tired eyes"? I can shoot with a scope but I would really like to use the iron sights if possible. I can shoot almost as well with the aperature sights as with a scope. If I can find a solution to this problem, I think I can equal my shooting with a scope. Thanks in advance for any help.
Barry C Jolly
Click to expand...

Hi Barry,

I had the exact same thing happen to me one afternoon. Had just shot a silhouette match and moved to the BR range. First and last time it happened, so far (knock on wood)! Can't say what caused it but it sure was weird. I was using a Lyman 90MJT with Merit eye piece on my 513T. Like you I shot around the abnormality.

D R
 
Iron Sight Benchrest Matches . . .

There have never been any "official" iron sight benchrest matches. NRA does not sanction benchrest competition and none of the rimfire BR Associations have an iron sight division.

But: We have an Iron sight BR match over on Rimfire Central. At this time, it's as close as we can get to an "offical" iron sight benchrest match.

We use the NRA A-23/5 target at 50 yards from benchrest. It is an"On-Line" match with the same set of rules we use for the USBR target with scope sights. You shoot on your home range: Have your wife score your targets, and report your scores in RFC's "Matches" section.

If anyone here is interested in shooting in an iron sight benchrest match, here is where you can learn about it.

http://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=280351

Something like a postal match, but no postage.

Joe Haller :)
 
Guess I am fortunate. At Salisbury we have an iron sights class in our informal 50M BR league, 2nd Saturday morning of each month. I would guess on average we have 15 or so targets shot. Winning score is usually
250 -20X or more. We use a six bull black powder target that's about the same size as the A23-5. I practice with the A50 target, bigger black but smaller X ring. Lots of Anschutz, 52's and Walthers on the line.

Regarding the cobwebs. Yep, above comments are right on. I adjust the rear aperture down until the target goes "grey", then open it up just a bit. Those cobwebs for me are on the lower part of the hole and if I have it set too small they cover the hole....tells me to open up a bit. Another trick I have found is to use the Anschutz rubber shade over the rear, and I address the gun by letting the back end of that rubber just touch my glasses. It helps minimize the cobwebs and makes me place my eye exactly the same distance from the hole each and every time. Another trick, assuming you are using clear disks in the front globe. Take a black magic marker and "paint" the convex edge of the hole in the disk. Don't over do it. And make sure that convex edge is on the target side when you put it in the sight. I use a 3.0MM hole and the target generally pops if my eyes are not fatigued.

I have never had "good eyes" but you can deal with it by using the above my irons scores are almost always higher than are my scope scores. Experiment till you find what works for you. Good luck. bob finger
 
Bob,
"Cobwebs" is a good description of what I am seeing. Are these produced by shadows within the aperture or is it some anomally within my eye? Is there any way to completely get rid of this apparition? Also, thanks to all who have answered, especially those who suggested seeing the eye doc. I just remembered it has been 3 years since my last visit. Time for an appointment.
Shoot straight!
Barry C Jolly
 
Barry: If you are over say 40 3 years is a loooong time between eye exams. Lots of things to get checked out as we get older...not just a new prescription for glasses.

I don't know what causes the cobwebs nor do I know how to eliminate them. I've never talked to anyone that claims to be able to....we all just work our way through them. I did not shoot irons on a rifle for well over 40 years. I don't remember them happening when I was 15, but when I next used irons at 58 cobwebs sure were there. Still are. Drove me nuts until I found out almost every seasoned shooter sees em. bob finger
 
Barry
It sounds like you have what is called "Floaters". If you can roll your eyes and cause them to move it is Floaters.

I have them and it is a problem seeing things clear.

Fred K
 
I'm going to suggest something as a test. Try replacing the front aperature with a post. Open the rear one up some if need be and see if the problem goes away.

I can shoot a post okay but I can't shoot with a round aperature up front. They are different inserts you can try. A clear glass one with a hole in the middle is okay for me. I also have some that look like the crosshairs inside a scope but they are a little too fine for my old eyes.


Russ
 
Re: Redfield sights

I too have noticed a fuzz look though a Redfield Plama rear sight I have on my Winchster 52. I am not going to conclude though that this is due to age either, for one when I began seeing this was in my mid 30's, also I tried my Anschutz and FWB sights and do not see this. I had thought maybe something really was in the rear iris of the sight but can find nothing there. So before thinking it is your eyes try a different rear sight or look through a different rear sight, if you still see it then maybe it is a floater condition but for the life of me I swear my Redfield rear sight has the same thing going on with it.
 
The spiderweb you see can be a direct result of the aperture size and your eye. Perhaps your Palma has a smaller hole in the rear aperture? Try opening it up a bit, or putting one on that has a larger hole and see if the problem improves or goes away entirely.

I shot irons as a teenager. Then waited more than 40 years before using them again. I don't remember the spiderwebs as a youngster. If my rear hole is too small now they can obscure the target. bob finger
 
This is "lint" across the aperture is due to cataracts. You will see it looking through any small hole. I can't center the front sight in the rear aperture. I simply move off center slightly to an area where the front sight lies out of the way of the "fuzz". Accuracy won't suffer at all.
 
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