comparing 75 and 85 combat

[CaptainH]

I have a 75 BD and in the last five months have fired over 3,000 rounds with not a problem.  The 75 does very well for me with instinctive shooting at moderately close ranges.  As the distances grow, my older eyes just don't do that great with the three dot sights.  They seem to blend together to much.  I am considering an 85 combat for action shooting with longer distances.  Has anyone worked with both and would you please provide me with your experiences with the adjustable sights on the 85 at longer distances.  Thanks from a first time poster.

[Walt-Sherrill]

The 85 Combat comes with adjustable three dot sights.

And the difference in sight radius isn't likely to be much help.

When your eyes start to go, the only solution is glasses, and WATCH THE FRONT SIGHT!!  (I'm 58, and am speaking from experience...)

You'll hear this again and again.  You don't really need to see the target all that clearly; you need to see the front sight clearly!  

You can try to find different sights for your gun -- even going so far as to have something like a Bomar sight installed.  (It would require a different dovetail cut, but any gunsmith can do that...)

CDNN had other types of sights on hand recently at very reasonable prices (including the standard target sights, a white outline, and the dot sights); the target kits had a matching front sight.

    www.cdnninvestments.co

[CaptainH]

Thanks, I was considering making the opening in the rear sight blade a little wider in the 85.  This should give me a little more white space around the front blade which is where I seem to be having some of my problems with sight recognition.  I do wear glasses and they are progressive bifocals and that is a part of my problem.  But as you said it goes with getting older.

[Walt-Sherrill]

I have opened up the slot on several of my sights, and it helps, and nobody knows -- so it won't affect resale value should you ever decided to sell (or trade up.)

Carefully use a Dremel or, less scary, just use a couple of small (aggressive) needle files.  Then touch it up with cold bluing when you're done.

Even though my 85 combat has adjustable sights, I've given serious consideration to getting night sight (with the white) outlines to replace them.  The guns I've had in the past with good night sights are also easier to see in the daylight.  

[Unregistered(d)]

I also have some progressive lenses and finally dumped them.  I followed the advice of a pro:  get a pair of glasses with the full distance prescription in the left lense and a "near" prescription in the right.  Not bifocals, the whole lense.  I took a business card to the optometrist and had her correct the near lense until I could just clearly see the fine letters at arms length.  Final advice:  get a Milett sighter.  I see much better with them.

/www.eabco.com/css_sts2.html

[Walt-Sherrill]

The little Millet attachment for glasses are great -- I have one -- but its really useless for anything but target shooting, where you have time to be still and to really focus.  

For the type of competitive shooting I do -- IDPA -- it simply won't work.

[Unregistered(d)]

When getting glasses for shooting have them grind the optical center to the top (standard is towards the bottom).  This will help, too.  I too tried bifocals to no  good result.  One was setup for the sight and the other for distance.  The two different lenses sound like they may work.

Tom