Am 82 and have been hunting/shooting since 15. Eyes also limiting - needed cataract surgery as lost ability to see clearly cross hairs - now better. Like nightforce scopes best 24 power for long range stuff. Use laser rangefinder as eyes make mil dot estimation difficult and slow. I find that no one scope works at all ranges and therefore have multiple rifles/scopes for different jobs - including open sight double for African work.
Optics for aging eyes
- Thread starter Orange Dust
- Start date
Help Support Long Range Hunting Forum
Elfego Baca
Well-Known Member
Lighting is the key factor!
FWIW, although my March 50X is a magnificent scope, it is VERY dark in low light. So don't assume price means bright. Make sure you have a chance to see the scope in low light conditions if that's a primary concern. My Weaver 46 is much brighter in low light, at a third the price.
What caliber rifle are you having built I would buy a huskemaw 5-20 or 5-30 very clear and you can have the turret built for your load it's the easiest system you will ever shoot
Bert dwyer
Member
Good to hear you mentioned kahles , that's the way to go , compared to swar, atacar , leupold , the best definitely kahles
Tree Farmer
Well-Known Member
When it's all said and done, the best scope is a subjective opinion. I'd like to see some data comparing the resolution of low to high end optics under identical conditions (especially low light). The question of repeatability, holding poi under recoil, etc is another matter. Obviously, I'd expect the overall performance of a $3K scope to be better than a $500.00 rig, but optically the differences may be slight. When budgets are limited and you are looking for a "solid" hunting scope, apples to apples data would provide a basis for making reasonable compromises with some confidence. If I owned a NF or S&B, I could set up a resolution chart at some distance and measure optical performance against a Nikon, Leoupold, Bushnell, Vortex, etc. Has anyone out there done that or know of someone who has?
Afrikaboom
Member
Look at optical boosters as an add on to your existing scope. https://www.bulzeyepro.com/
I'm going to break from the pack a bit here. I am in my mid 70s. I have had lens hardening, retinal detachment, retinal membrane sloughing, and cataract surgery in my shooting eye. The left eye is only lens hardened with a growing cataract. I used to have eagle eyes. I personally like the Leupold VX iii and better scopes. I do not think better optics than that are any advantage at all for us old guys. To be frank, I think the only reason we need better optics is because we are more likely to be able to afford it. So our minds tell us we need it.
However, I believe that a rifle is only as good as its weakest link. And the weakest link is almost always the nut that holds the trigger. In the case of optics, it's the eye looking through the scope. I think the finest optics are for 45 yr old kids with perfect vision. Old farts like me can't really use them - we just think we can so we use our poor eyesight as an excuse to buy the best we can find.
Unlike others here, I favour a ballistics reticle. My favorite is the Leupold Varmint Hunter's Reticle. I have that reticle in almost all my hunting scopes. I do not find it cluttered. I find it empowering. I take the time to calibrate the reticle on known yardages, and then when I am hunting I use my brain to assess the range and wind, pick the appropriate hash marks, and squeeze. I don't have time for rangefinding, dialing in turrets, and all that other nonsense. By the time my son is finished getting ready for the shot with all his fancy gizmos and 45 year old eyes, it's either gone or I am already walking out to gut it.
While I am on the subject, I have learned that most hunters don't really understand how to use a ballistics reticle. Outfits like Leupold and Nightforce tell you to use a certain mark on the magnification dial for certain groups of cartridges. What they don't tell you is that you can use real world target shooting to find the perfect setting for your own load without buying custom turret dials and the like. Actually Leupold does tell you that, but it's not in their user manuals. Ballistics curves are all more or less linear extrapolations of each other. Basically, a ballistics reticle works like a logarithmic scale on an old slide rule. You just dial in your scope to your rifle by calibrating the drop to the reticle at a known long range target (I use 600 yards) using the magnification dial and then use the reticle to determine the correct hold at other ranges. You can also use a ballistics program on your smart phone like Strelok Pro (they have every reticle ever made in their database) to get **** close before even going out shooting.
Just my 2 cents for whatever it's worth.
However, I believe that a rifle is only as good as its weakest link. And the weakest link is almost always the nut that holds the trigger. In the case of optics, it's the eye looking through the scope. I think the finest optics are for 45 yr old kids with perfect vision. Old farts like me can't really use them - we just think we can so we use our poor eyesight as an excuse to buy the best we can find.
Unlike others here, I favour a ballistics reticle. My favorite is the Leupold Varmint Hunter's Reticle. I have that reticle in almost all my hunting scopes. I do not find it cluttered. I find it empowering. I take the time to calibrate the reticle on known yardages, and then when I am hunting I use my brain to assess the range and wind, pick the appropriate hash marks, and squeeze. I don't have time for rangefinding, dialing in turrets, and all that other nonsense. By the time my son is finished getting ready for the shot with all his fancy gizmos and 45 year old eyes, it's either gone or I am already walking out to gut it.
While I am on the subject, I have learned that most hunters don't really understand how to use a ballistics reticle. Outfits like Leupold and Nightforce tell you to use a certain mark on the magnification dial for certain groups of cartridges. What they don't tell you is that you can use real world target shooting to find the perfect setting for your own load without buying custom turret dials and the like. Actually Leupold does tell you that, but it's not in their user manuals. Ballistics curves are all more or less linear extrapolations of each other. Basically, a ballistics reticle works like a logarithmic scale on an old slide rule. You just dial in your scope to your rifle by calibrating the drop to the reticle at a known long range target (I use 600 yards) using the magnification dial and then use the reticle to determine the correct hold at other ranges. You can also use a ballistics program on your smart phone like Strelok Pro (they have every reticle ever made in their database) to get **** close before even going out shooting.
Just my 2 cents for whatever it's worth.
Last edited:
greengiant
Active Member
Thanks for the link KyCarl. I am 75 & wear Bifocals. Believe it or not, as many shooting and hunting publications, along with hours on the internet I have never seen these scope enhancement attachments. You can bet your Sweet Bippy I will be trying one shortly with more to follow if they work as represented. With their 30 money back guarantee, the only risk I can see is a couple of small shipping charges. Again, THANKS
I too am a little older at nearly 66, with many contributions I will add two things; one is that if the diopter adjustment on your scope (which ever scope you buy) is maxed out and you can't focus the reticle, then the addition of the crystal version of the eyepiece may be beneficial to correct your vision while looking through the scope. As photographer I use filters for various light conditions but as in photography, I would add an optically correct glass filter on the objective lens in the same way they attach to a camera lens. Problem is the while one could use a photographic filter, attaching it so it stayed on and true through recoil is problematic. One might could adapt a Leupold Aluma cover or a lens shade with a camera lens adapter, anyway, too many variables and one would need to know enough about light wavelengths, filters and the current, constantly changing ambient light to pick the right filter for the moment and then change filters as light changed. Not a KISS application.
Second thing is that not all eyes are the same, so the coating on one brand may be optimal for me but not for someone else. Tract, Kahles, certain Leupolds and Meopta work well for me and I would love to try a Tangent Theta. Maybe I could sell my 4 wheeler and buy one, I need the exercise.
Second thing is that not all eyes are the same, so the coating on one brand may be optimal for me but not for someone else. Tract, Kahles, certain Leupolds and Meopta work well for me and I would love to try a Tangent Theta. Maybe I could sell my 4 wheeler and buy one, I need the exercise.
Gobbler256
Well-Known Member
I suffer the same fa
I have many good leupold scope including the Mark 4 and VX6 and still use them but for my Long range guns I checked every scope out there and settled on the Nightfore 5-25-50. I now have one on my Elk gun and my Antelope rifle. Couldn't be happier.
re. Now wearing glasses(bifocals) and have to be carefull with true sight alignment.
I have many good leupold scope including the Mark 4 and VX6 and still use them but for my Long range guns I checked every scope out there and settled on the Nightfore 5-25-50. I now have one on my Elk gun and my Antelope rifle. Couldn't be happier.
Dell
Well-Known Member
I'm 67 and compete regularly in LR steel matches out to one mile and hunt 2-3 western states every year. LR shooting, custom builds and quality optics are a passion with me. I had the beginning cataract issue going on and opted for surgery (lens implants). My vision wasn't all that bad before surgery (20/25 in one eye 20/30 in the other). Post surgery I'm a bit better than 20/20 in my dominant eye, and a solid 20/20 in the other eye. I notice the post surgery vision difference big time! I decided the get the surgery done early as the cataracts sure weren't going to get better on their own. Just worse over time. For you young guys spending time in the sun, protect those eyes with QUALITY sunglasses. I have friends and shooting buddies that have had the beginning stages of cataracts diagnosed in their early to mid 40's. Oakley is my personal choice of eye wear. Like any good optics, you get what you pay for. All this being said, the fact that the Vortex Razor series isn't working for you, check out the Leupold Mark 5. It comes in the powers you indicated you like and has a 35 mm tube. The 35 mm tube is a great light gatherer and the clarity and crispness edge to edge is really second to none in my humble opinion. I personally like Leupolds TMOA reticle for hunting and the Impact 28 reticle for match work. Not sure if you can get the Impact 28 in the Mark 5 but I know the TMOA is available in that scope. The Leupold custom shop can do pretty much what you desire but you can find the scope cheaper thru outside vendors, Optics Planet etc. The Mark 5 falls well within your price range. You have a lot of choices and Night Force is a great option/choice as well. You posed some great questions. Hope all this helps a bit.
Let us know. Many of us are in same predicament .
skippertwo
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jun 22, 2015
- Messages
- 124
Another old eye opinion,
My main issue was not the quality of glass but the eye relief.
Most of the optics I've tried did not have a very generous eye relief and the scope had to be mounted far back for me.
I have found that Trijicon and Huskemaw have great eye relief and those sit on most of my rifles now.
My main issue was not the quality of glass but the eye relief.
Most of the optics I've tried did not have a very generous eye relief and the scope had to be mounted far back for me.
I have found that Trijicon and Huskemaw have great eye relief and those sit on most of my rifles now.
