Of course, glasses help, but there are a number of modifications you can make to your sights to ensure you are always shooting straight. To address the problems of aging eyes you need to look to modern solutions. This can be brighter, bigger, or more powerful sights—the optical version of Viagra. So, without further ado . . .
Here are our recommendations for the 4 best pistol sights for old eyes on the market:
XS Big Dot Pistol Sights
XS Big Dots are exactly what they sound like. They are massive sights designed to be quick and easy to get on target. Best of all, they are easy to see regardless with even poor or aging vision. Their large size makes it easy to see and still quick to use. To be clear these are sights designed for self-defense and speed shooting. They won’t be the most precise sights and will cover a good portion of your target. The link above points to sights for Glock pistols (see the other XS Big Dots here).
However, they are very bright and easy to see. The XS sights feature an internal tritium vial that glows quite bright in the dark and is an excellent tool for low light shooting. The XS Big Dots are made from metal and extremely durable. The rear sight is very unique, the dip in the middle is very light, and unlike any other rear sight in the industry. This dip has a small vertical tritium vial that acts as a glowing line. All the shooter has to do is dot the eye and pull the trigger.
The XS Big Dots are made for all popular brands of guns, and some that are not so popular. The XS Big Dots are quick and easy to use and their large size makes them perfect for aging eyes. The XS sights are an excellent option for those looking to stick with irons but never lower their standards.
Tru Glo Fiber Optics Handgun Sights (Alternating Colors)
Tru Glo has a ton of different handgun sights on the market. This includes tritium and fiber optic. For aging eyes, fiber optic sights are a brilliant idea (pun thoroughly intended). They glow brightly and easy to pick up with the human eye. For aging eyes, what I suggest is a set of alternating colors. The rear sight is two bright green posts and the front sight is a bright red. The alternating colors makes it easy to see tell which sight is which.
These sights are rock solid and very easy to use. While they are small, the bright design makes them seem much bigger overall. The Tru Glo iron sights are made for tons of different weapons, including Glock, S&W, Walther, and many more (see the rest of Tru Glo models here). These sights have an outstanding reputation and are designed to give you an exceptional level of performance. Tru Glo’s are absolutely among the best pistol sights for old eyes
Tru Glo sights will give you a bright and clear sight to focus on and the alternating colors will allow you to gain focus on the sights. This makes it easy to shoot with precision and speed. With modern technology, there is no reason not to use well-made and dependable sights that are perfect for aging eyes. Tru Glo sights are also quite affordable, and perfect for self-defense, target shooting and even competition.
Trijicon RMR Pistol Sights
It’s the 21st century and these days more and more companies are producing handguns that are cut for optics, and most companies who cut their slides for optics use the Trijicon RMR pattern footprint. For aging eyes, an electric optic is an absolute brilliant option. It’s not a cheap option, but it’s one of the best. A red dot is easy and quick to see and even if it’s blurred, it’s still an effective option for aging eyes.
The Trijicon RMR is an excellent optic and it’s easily one of the finest optics on the market. The Trijicon RMR is a duty-grade optic and is one designed to go to war and come back and go again. The Trijicon RMR comes in a wide variety of configurations and this includes a multitude of different reticle sizes, colors, and even power options. Some run on just batteries and others on both batteries and solar power.
The Trijicon RMR isn’t just great for shooting with old eyes, but you can be faster, more accurate, and shoot at longer ranges with the RMR. Shooting with a red dot is a massive improvement over just iron sights. The RMR offers you an option that is nearly impossible to beat. For a handgun, I’d go with a larger reticle, a 6.5 MOA model, with a red or amber dot is perfect. Because sometimes the best pistol sights for old eyes are actually red dots.
Crimson Trace Rail Master Handgun Sight / Laser
Oh, you thought I was just going to talk about the sights that go on top of the gun? Nah, let’s be real there are lots of other options out there for sights and some go underneath the barrel. The Crimson Trace Rail Master is one such option. If you have aging eyes, it may be getting too hard to see any kind of traditional sight, or you want a little insurance for those times where you may lose sight of the irons or optic sights altogether. The Rail Master is a laser sight that puts the sight on the target.
Once you zero the sight it’s as easy as seeing the red dot on your target and pulling the trigger. The Rail Master features ambidextrous controls and will fit the standard rail on any gun on the market. The Rail Master is a very effective tool for aging eyes, especially in low light. The bright red or green dot shows up at a very intense level and is surprisingly powerful. The Rail Master is also popular enough that a great many companies produce holsters to accommodate your gun and it.
The Rail Master is a great addition to your standard sights, and it is an excellent tool unto itself. The biggest limitation is that it can be hard to see in bright light. That makes it a challenge for shooting in the middle of a day (that’s where traditional sights come into play). However, in low light or inside a building, the Rail Master rules.
Handgun Sights for Them Tired Eyes
If you have aging eyes, the benefit to that is that you’ve seen a lot and gained a lot of experience (hope you’ve been practicing those shooting drills all these years). The downside is seeing your sights are sort of tricky now. However, the market has responded with plenty of products. Any of the above can quality as the best pistol sights for old eyes. They will have those old eyes ringing steel. Good luck!
Great article, I’m a retired police officer and always used to shoot and qualify at the Master level with my hand gun when I was on the force. I took my grandson out to the local range to learn how to shoot a handgun and was surprised how hard it was for me to keep my front site picture in focus. I don’t go to the range a lot these days and I now wear glasses, but that was a bit of a wake up call for me.I am now in my 60’s and I think it is time to look at some of the sites you spoke about. As they say time marches on .