As we age, most of us are experiencing declining eyesight, loss of eye / hand co-ordination, and general declining physical conditions making shooting off hand with open sights a real challenge. I am nowhere near as good as I once was. For example, shooting in the 90's on an NRA B16 Target at 25 yards was my normal performance level. Fast forward to my late seventies, now I struggle to stay in the mid 80's.
If you are an old fart like me, you still enjoy recreational target shooting with your favorite pistol, mine being my S&W revolvers. Being a traditionalist, there is just something distasteful to me about putting an optic and a fine S&W revolver for just recreational shooting. Still, it is even more distasteful seeing the target with shots spread outside the 5.3" bull.
We had a few days of good weather last week, so I venture to the pistol range with my old S&W Model 19, 4" loaded with my favorite recreational load, 125 XTP's and 231 in a 38 case, i.e., a 38+P load. Fortunately, we have two pistol ranges, one a standard NRA competition range with 25- & 50-yards fixed target frames and a "Defensive" range where you can move the target frame from 7 yards to 25 yards.
I partially solved the eyesight issue by purchasing B16 targets with an orange bull which enables me to somewhat resolve the front sight since I am an Elmer Keith advocate of center hold. The black on orange contrast helps. I solved the performance issue by moving the target to 15 yards instead of 25 yards.
The results were - HAPPY SHOOTER! I had all my shoots within the 5.3" bull off hand and most in well within the 8-ring. It was pleasing to see.
I had fun. Bottom line: get a bigger target or move it closer! After all it's about staying active and having fun as our prostates enlarge, our joints deteriorate, and are eyeballs go south. 
If you are an old fart like me, you still enjoy recreational target shooting with your favorite pistol, mine being my S&W revolvers. Being a traditionalist, there is just something distasteful to me about putting an optic and a fine S&W revolver for just recreational shooting. Still, it is even more distasteful seeing the target with shots spread outside the 5.3" bull.
We had a few days of good weather last week, so I venture to the pistol range with my old S&W Model 19, 4" loaded with my favorite recreational load, 125 XTP's and 231 in a 38 case, i.e., a 38+P load. Fortunately, we have two pistol ranges, one a standard NRA competition range with 25- & 50-yards fixed target frames and a "Defensive" range where you can move the target frame from 7 yards to 25 yards.
I partially solved the eyesight issue by purchasing B16 targets with an orange bull which enables me to somewhat resolve the front sight since I am an Elmer Keith advocate of center hold. The black on orange contrast helps. I solved the performance issue by moving the target to 15 yards instead of 25 yards.
The results were - HAPPY SHOOTER! I had all my shoots within the 5.3" bull off hand and most in well within the 8-ring. It was pleasing to see.
I had fun. Bottom line: get a bigger target or move it closer! After all it's about staying active and having fun as our prostates enlarge, our joints deteriorate, and are eyeballs go south. 
