doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com OT - Proper rifle fit

Dave, I don't use my eyeglasses when using a scope. I adjust the rear ocular to compensate for my farsightedness until the image in the scope is in focus.
The problem is that when walking around while hunting I do have to wear them to be able to see properly and have to take them off before aiming and shooting.
Having only one pair and worrying about loosing them does not help in the concentration department, ;-)

JC

It isn't "Frugal" and it definitely isn't "cheap". You're a "value purchaser".

Jaycee


That's exactly my problem, and I'm unwilling to ditch the glasses for fear of overlooking something downrange which I should see. That's why I'm considering going back to iron.

Anyway, $1200 is several times what my rifles (1976 Remmie M788 LH in .308, 1955 Marlin 39A) are worth....

I have shot quite a lot of Rifle competition, most of it off hand in Rifle Silhouette. My shotgun fit is generally about 14 1/4 for single triggerguns, but my rifle LOP is about 13 1/2. I think that is a good general rule.

I thought maybe I'd go back to iron sights for deer this year. A sight picture on an iron sight does not look the same at 63 as it did when I was qualifying in the Army or for that matter the same as when I was learning to shoot squirrels with a single shot .22 as a kid. If I focus on the rear sight, I can't see the target and if I focus on the target I can't see the sight. I'll just stick to a scope...Geo

OK, Free advice is worth what you pay for it. I have considerable experience as a rifle shooter I retired from High Power as a High Master and a Distinguished Rifleman.

Might I suggest the following:

Rifles generally have shorter stocks because a shorter stock works better for standing, aitting, and prone positions since a rifleman stands more beside the gun than behind it and sitting and prone lean the shooters head over the gun.

Competitive shooters use adjustable stocks to adjust for the different positions. Having said that, I spent most of my shooting career with a non adjustable M14. With this type of rifle, the shooter adapts his position to the gun. My nose always touched my thumb shooting M14s and this is desirable and known as a spot weld. It assures consistent gun mount and better recoil managment in rapid fire.

Most rifles have the ability to mount the scope so you control the eye relief with the scope mount. When you mount the scope, take into consideration the position you'll shoot in and your comfortable stance. Make sure rifles with a lot of recoil are at maximum eye relief for obvious reasons.

Scopes are almost always a benefit in hunting because accurate shooting requires focus on the front sight. If the target doesn't contrast the background, Proper focus on the front sight causes the target to dissppear. You can always adusst the scope to compensate for your glasses and should use the scope with your glasses on.

If you are older and having trouble seeing iron sights, have your eye doctor make you a set of glasses with +.50 or +.75 on your shooting eye. This allows older shooters to see the front sight without preventing them from reading the number board at least to 600 yards. I can still read the board at 1,000 yards with this arrangement.

You don't have to pay the price of a nice used car for an excellent 1-4 scope like the one mentioned. Nikon makes a great 1-4 scope that sells for about $350 with target turrets, the M.223 1-4. It also can be furnished with SPOT ON turrets that are custom marked for your caliber/bullet weight/velocity to compensate for drop out to as much as 1,000 yards. A great scope at a very reasonable price.

It is impossible to shoot very well with iron sights if you focus on the rear sight, Geo. Same if you try focusing intently on the target. What has to happen, with notch and post or with aperture sights, is that you focus on the front sight. The target and the rear sight must be out of focus, as it is impossible for one set of eyes to focus clearly at three distances at the same time. Now, that is all fine and good if you are young and your eyes have the ability to shift focus quickly from target to front to rear, back to front, etc. When you can do this you check sight alignment a couple times and check front sight hold on the target, then focus on the front sight as you squeeze the trigger and break the shot.

As our eyes age we lose the ability to focus clearly at all three distances to check everything before settling on the front sight and firing. Peep sights help this problem by eliminating the alignment issue between the front and rear sights. Your eye naturally keeps the front sight centered in the rear aperture. To TRY to keep it centered is self defeating. It will do it itself. Rear apertures with a large "ghost ring" are very nearly as accurate as tiny apertures because of this reason. In low light conditions they are MORE accurate.

Sounds like some good advice from Dick on having the special right lens prescription shooting glasses made. I may give that a try. I gave up offhand iron sight competition when I lost the fine edge on my eyesight at about age 50.

SRH

Stan, I probably mis-spoke about what I was focusing on. All I know is I can't shoot regular iron sights anymore. Maybe an aperture sight would work...Geo

p.s.: I gotta find some kind of sight for my .43 Mauser cape gun; I can't aim with the folding leaf sights and it would look stupid with a scope.

Can you adjust a peep site? Who makes one that'll fit on cape gun rib?...Geo

George,
A quality peep sight is adjustable in both windage and elevation. I had a custom made one by Vern Juenke of Reno NV that could be taken off and replaced on the weapon without losing zero.
Gil

Dick and Stan: I'm one of the (relatively few) people who does not feel bound to value (and heed, as appropriate) advice in direct proportion to what I paid for it.

You gave some excellent advice, which I will keep in mind.

Thanks!