Older Hunter.

Zorro · October 3, 2017, 01:26 AM

OK, so my eyes are not what they once were.

I see now that I am in my 50s I prefer the Shotgun over the Rifle now.

Am I am the only one?

Art Eatman · October 3, 2017, 09:22 AM

I managed to mess around with my glasses such that I never had a problem in using a scoped rifle. Even had a modification which allowed clear sighting with pistols, although the targets were slightly fuzzy. Still sorta okay, even at age 83.

The big enemy is macular degeneration, which I have in my "off" eye.

Pahoo · October 3, 2017, 10:25 AM

Quote:

I see now that I am in my 50s I prefer the Shotgun over the Rifle now.

Really depends on what you are hunting. When it comes to rifles, I have switched to optics and only shoot open sights on my more "vintage" rifles and SideLocks. ..

As far as shotguns, I still good with upland hunting. ....

Be Safe !!!

jmr40 · October 3, 2017, 11:06 AM

I'll soon be 60. I've needed readers for some things for a while, but my distance vision is as good as ever. I stopped pretending iron sights were useful 30 years ago and have stopped using them on all of my rifles since. A GOOD quality scope focused for your eyes makes a huge difference.

I use a shotgun for upland game, waterfowl and turkey. But not for deer or other big game. I'll still use my rifles for that.

NHSHOOTER · October 3, 2017, 03:03 PM

I am right there with you jmr40..

bamaranger · October 4, 2017, 02:11 AM

Choosing a shotgun over a rifle for hunting.........what? The inference I suppose, is that a load of shot from the shotgun makes up for aiming/accuracy issues with a rifle. I guess....... a little more detail might help. I suppose in squirrel hunting, it's the truth in some cases. But....

I wouldn't deer hunt with a shotgun and buckshot unless it was my ONLY option. I can only legally hunt spring gobblers WITH a shotgun. I'm thnking about scoping my turkey shotgun, and HAVE scope one for a pal with really problem vision. A scoped slug gun will serve well for a lot of whitetail shooting. I've even (scout) scoped a Garand and an AK.

JMR's comments are on the mark. A good scope, wisely chosen, properly mounted and understood, will permit hunting accuracy for a very long time, despite ones age and eye problems in most cases. Soon be 60, using readers, and hangun sights are a problem, but no trouble seeing deer in the field, and hitting (most of them) with scoped rifles. My short barreled turkey gun sights are a bit of problem now, but I can't say I've missed any gobblers due to inability to see the sights. Fiber optic sights and a slightly longer barrel have helped with the turkey gun, but a 20-24" pattern or more at shooting distances leaves room for a lot of error regardless.

I've not seriously hunted small game, rifle or shotgun, in a long time.

Mobuck · October 4, 2017, 06:11 PM

I'm "well beyond 50" and I've added optics to almost everything EXCEPT shotguns. Even my 22 pistols have red dots on them and ALL my rifles have scopes.

JWT · October 4, 2017, 07:41 PM

50s? I'd be thrilled to be back in my 50's.

I have few problems shooting long guns but handguns are definitely more of a challenge to shoot accurately due to essential tremors. When I go trapshooting I find myself doing better than I did in my early 60s.

Cataract removal greatly improved my sight when I had them removed about 5 years ago.

Old Stony · October 5, 2017, 06:01 PM

I'm 72 now, and I shoot and hunt on a very regular basis still. I was having problems with cataracts, and not too long back had my eyes hacked on. I now can see open sights again on handguns or rifles. My long range vision isn't as good as before the surgery, but it is good enough.
I would recommend a guy look into the surgery if having problems. My eyes now check out as 20/20!

Picher · October 7, 2017, 10:52 AM

I'm 73 and still have 20/20 (Left) and 20/15 (Shootin' Eye), with glasses. The big problem is seeing pistol and rifle iron sights, so all my rifles have good scopes and target pistols have red-dots.

If your eyesight is corrected, either by surgery or corrective lenses, your rifles should have decent scopes and don't forget to focus them as your eyes change. If you have a crappy scope, the image may be much better if you get a decent one.

I like 3-9X for all-around centerfire hunting. I keep it at 6 power or less when walking around, often 4X in the woods, but I'm very used to scopes, having been a survey crew instrument man, trying to find very fine crosshairs in powerful scopes in the woods. Several hunters I know like 2-7X scopes, but I like being able to turn the power up to 9x when needing to spot antlers.

Whichever power range you choose, mount the scope as low as practicable, so it lines up perfectly when mounting the rifle quickly. (Forget the irons when you have a scope IMHO.)

T. O'Heir · October 7, 2017, 11:50 AM

"...had my eyes hacked on..." Peeled actually. snicker.
"...Shotgun over the Rifle..." Is more about local hunting regs than one's vision. A sight is a sight. A low magnification scope on a rifle or a shotgun makes a lot of difference.

Geezerbiker · October 8, 2017, 06:26 PM

My vision isn't what it used to be but I never was very good with open sights. I fitted a peep sight to one of my rifles and it worked so well that I've since put them on 3 more of my rifles. So for me if it's not scoped, I'd prefer to put a peep on it...

Tony

Don Fischer · October 12, 2017, 01:25 PM

I wear glass's, use hearing aide's, my teeth are in a glass of water in the bathroom and my next birthday I'll be 72. I have only one rifle that's not scoped and it pretty much works with open sight's if I take my time. An old mod 62A 22 LR. I'd have to have holes drilled in it to mount a scope, not gonna do that. Have about 6 handguns, two carry gun's I point, don't aim but seldom try to hit anything over about 10 yds and then the target I point it at is generally about the size of a watermelon! The other's are all scope less and I torment myself trying to hit thing's farther than I should with them. Don't see anything to well and you'd think with three focal point's, front sight, rear sight and the target, something would be in focus. Nope so I don't get real serious and simply plink with them. You might find that all a problem but the older you get the worse your vision become's, usually. Scope's generally fix everything shooting rifles! Especially low power scopes!

October 3, 2017, 01:26 AM	#1
Zorro Senior Member Join Date: October 28, 2000 Posts: 1,072	Older Hunter. OK, so my eyes are not what they once were. I see now that I am in my 50s I prefer the Shotgun over the Rifle now. Am I am the only one?

October 3, 2017, 11:06 AM	#4
jmr40 Senior Member Join Date: June 15, 2008 Location: Georgia Posts: 10,803	I'll soon be 60. I've needed readers for some things for a while, but my distance vision is as good as ever. I stopped pretending iron sights were useful 30 years ago and have stopped using them on all of my rifles since. A GOOD quality scope focused for your eyes makes a huge difference. I use a shotgun for upland game, waterfowl and turkey. But not for deer or other big game. I'll still use my rifles for that. __________________ "If you're still doing things the same way you were doing them 10 years ago, you're doing it wrong" Winston Churchill

October 7, 2017, 11:50 AM	#11
T. O'Heir Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2002 Location: Canada Posts: 12,453	"...had my eyes hacked on..." Peeled actually. snicker. "...Shotgun over the Rifle..." Is more about local hunting regs than one's vision. A sight is a sight. A low magnification scope on a rifle or a shotgun makes a lot of difference. __________________ Spelling and grammar count!

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October 3, 2017, 09:22 AM	#2
Art Eatman Staff in Memoriam Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA Posts: 24,798	I managed to mess around with my glasses such that I never had a problem in using a scoped rifle. Even had a modification which allowed clear sighting with pistols, although the targets were slightly fuzzy. Still sorta okay, even at age 83. The big enemy is macular degeneration, which I have in my "off" eye.

October 3, 2017, 03:03 PM	#5
NHSHOOTER Senior Member Join Date: November 26, 2012 Location: Concord NH Posts: 1,002	I am right there with you jmr40..

October 4, 2017, 02:11 AM	#6
bamaranger Senior Member Join Date: October 9, 2009 Location: North Alabama Posts: 8,295	Choosing a shotgun over a rifle for hunting.........what? The inference I suppose, is that a load of shot from the shotgun makes up for aiming/accuracy issues with a rifle. I guess....... a little more detail might help. I suppose in squirrel hunting, it's the truth in some cases. But.... I wouldn't deer hunt with a shotgun and buckshot unless it was my ONLY option. I can only legally hunt spring gobblers WITH a shotgun. I'm thnking about scoping my turkey shotgun, and HAVE scope one for a pal with really problem vision. A scoped slug gun will serve well for a lot of whitetail shooting. I've even (scout) scoped a Garand and an AK. JMR's comments are on the mark. A good scope, wisely chosen, properly mounted and understood, will permit hunting accuracy for a very long time, despite ones age and eye problems in most cases. Soon be 60, using readers, and hangun sights are a problem, but no trouble seeing deer in the field, and hitting (most of them) with scoped rifles. My short barreled turkey gun sights are a bit of problem now, but I can't say I've missed any gobblers due to inability to see the sights. Fiber optic sights and a slightly longer barrel have helped with the turkey gun, but a 20-24" pattern or more at shooting distances leaves room for a lot of error regardless. I've not seriously hunted small game, rifle or shotgun, in a long time.

October 4, 2017, 06:11 PM	#7
Mobuck Junior member Join Date: February 2, 2010 Posts: 6,846	I'm "well beyond 50" and I've added optics to almost everything EXCEPT shotguns. Even my 22 pistols have red dots on them and ALL my rifles have scopes.

October 4, 2017, 07:41 PM	#8
JWT Senior Member Join Date: March 16, 2007 Location: Southern Arizona Posts: 3,888	50s? I'd be thrilled to be back in my 50's. I have few problems shooting long guns but handguns are definitely more of a challenge to shoot accurately due to essential tremors. When I go trapshooting I find myself doing better than I did in my early 60s. Cataract removal greatly improved my sight when I had them removed about 5 years ago.

October 5, 2017, 06:01 PM	#9
Old Stony Senior Member Join Date: May 31, 2013 Location: East Texas Posts: 1,705	I'm 72 now, and I shoot and hunt on a very regular basis still. I was having problems with cataracts, and not too long back had my eyes hacked on. I now can see open sights again on handguns or rifles. My long range vision isn't as good as before the surgery, but it is good enough. I would recommend a guy look into the surgery if having problems. My eyes now check out as 20/20!

October 7, 2017, 10:52 AM	#10
Picher Senior Member Join Date: December 14, 2004 Location: Maine Posts: 3,694	I'm 73 and still have 20/20 (Left) and 20/15 (Shootin' Eye), with glasses. The big problem is seeing pistol and rifle iron sights, so all my rifles have good scopes and target pistols have red-dots. If your eyesight is corrected, either by surgery or corrective lenses, your rifles should have decent scopes and don't forget to focus them as your eyes change. If you have a crappy scope, the image may be much better if you get a decent one. I like 3-9X for all-around centerfire hunting. I keep it at 6 power or less when walking around, often 4X in the woods, but I'm very used to scopes, having been a survey crew instrument man, trying to find very fine crosshairs in powerful scopes in the woods. Several hunters I know like 2-7X scopes, but I like being able to turn the power up to 9x when needing to spot antlers. Whichever power range you choose, mount the scope as low as practicable, so it lines up perfectly when mounting the rifle quickly. (Forget the irons when you have a scope IMHO.)

October 8, 2017, 06:26 PM	#12
Geezerbiker Senior Member Join Date: March 20, 2011 Location: Willamina, OR Posts: 1,908	My vision isn't what it used to be but I never was very good with open sights. I fitted a peep sight to one of my rifles and it worked so well that I've since put them on 3 more of my rifles. So for me if it's not scoped, I'd prefer to put a peep on it... Tony

October 12, 2017, 01:25 PM	#13
Don Fischer Senior Member Join Date: March 2, 2017 Posts: 1,868	I wear glass's, use hearing aide's, my teeth are in a glass of water in the bathroom and my next birthday I'll be 72. I have only one rifle that's not scoped and it pretty much works with open sight's if I take my time. An old mod 62A 22 LR. I'd have to have holes drilled in it to mount a scope, not gonna do that. Have about 6 handguns, two carry gun's I point, don't aim but seldom try to hit anything over about 10 yds and then the target I point it at is generally about the size of a watermelon! The other's are all scope less and I torment myself trying to hit thing's farther than I should with them. Don't see anything to well and you'd think with three focal point's, front sight, rear sight and the target, something would be in focus. Nope so I don't get real serious and simply plink with them. You might find that all a problem but the older you get the worse your vision become's, usually. Scope's generally fix everything shooting rifles! Especially low power scopes!