Tried a Red dot once, I have astigmatism and it looked like a star burst. I found the prism optic to be about perfect for my needs

 

I had a Burris prism sight on one rifle and a Vortex venom on another. They work well, but I replaced both with the Ranger Point Precision Peep and a fiber optic front sight. Works just as well but keeps the lines clean.

 

My eyes aren't getting any better either. I put red dots on both of my 1984's (.357mag, and 44mag). I've never looked back (no pun intended).

 

I do not have any red dots on any of my rifles but I have one on a 22 target that I found out was accurate. I am like you and cannot do iron sights anymore. Went from 2.5" to 1" groups everything being equal. Just put the dot on the target and pull the trigger.

 

My eyes are awful. Scopes, peeps, red dots and prism for me. Cheap red dots I see double dots. I have one that works well on a 44 mag. I have a prism on an AR-15 that is awesome. But scopes work best for me. I have some peeps that still work for me. One day soon I won’t be hunting squirrels with my 39 Golden and Lyman peep. Those grey squirrel heads seem fuzzier a smaller.

 

Life's too short to ugly up a nice 1894 Marlin with a space-age gizmo perched on top. Learn how to shoot the peep sights. Train and train some more until you're accomplished.

72 year old traditionalist geezer putting in his 2 cents. What can you buy with 2 cents these days?

 

I like your thinking Rob42049. "Train and train some more" is my ideal scenario but the lack of ammunition prevents that.
Just stumbled across a box of Armscor 158gr FMJ in .357 that I intend to train with soon. Thanks for the encouragement!
2 cents is all you need when the opinion is thoughtful and respectful.

 

Holy cow, that is our kitchen tile.

 

I've had a Williams FP receiver sight on my 1894S .41 since at least 90'. Been thinking lately of adding a section of Picatinny rail on top to mount either a Aimpoint T1/T2 or 3x compact scope that I have.

CD

 

The only real advantage to a dot is an improvement in contrast in low light or against a dark background. Only you can decide if it is worth the additional weight and aesthetics.

 

I just recently took the leap and purchased a Burris Fast Fire II along with a WIn 94 mount from Turnbull for my Big Bore 94 375 Win. I couldnt seem to locate a Big Bore peep for it. Just mounted it yesterday and need to spend some time at the range this weekend to really form an opinion but my early thoughts are that its definitely an up close sighting system. The dot grows brighter and larger in brighter light and would cover a large portion of a target beyond 50 yards. In lower light its a very sharp and defined dot. In brighter sunnier lighting the dot becomes less defined and even looks more like a small verticle dash or even a snowman shape. Maybe its my eyes or maybe its the sight. A deer is a big target so I am not concerned about that. It does seem like it would be a very quick point and shoot set up. No front and rear sight to align. I would suggest a red dot sight that offers some ability to adjust the brightness or even the size of your dot. But as rob42049 says a peep sight is intended to be a point and shoot sight as well and is very reliable if you practice enough.

 

I found out a good 15 years ago that the dot on an EoTech was a big starburst, I couldn't use them at all but an RDS by Burris or Aimpoint looked sharp to me.
I have several of the Burris Fastfires on carbines like the Mini-30, but have noticed the last few months that the dot on those is getting fuzzy as well. Will be 65 this summer.

I used one on my 1894P when I first got it, as I figured I could do better with the dot than with factory irons.
But man, it sure is ugly on a lever like Rob said ( made even worse as this FastFire and bathtub mount are finished in FDE).

I can still do well though with a peep as long as the aperture is small, then that front sight is in decent focus.
And some peeps are far from ugly !

 

Consider a "regular" rifle scope with a lighted reticle. This will get you magnification, plus a bright easy to pick up reticle. Most of them are tactically oriented these days, but take a look, a lot of the "tactical" reticles are useful. What is a cutting edge and super efficient scope on an AR platform, will be just as efficient on a Marlin.

 

As Rob said, "life is too short ". It's also too short to handicap yourself with a rifle you can't see the sights of.

We like to shoot our rifles and we like it more when we hit our targets.

The only rifle I have that I can still shoot with irons is my peep sighted 39A. It has a 24" bbl and am able to focus on the front sight. Evan then a lot of light is required.

I own a 1894 44 mag and a 1895GS that I enjoy hitting my target with rather than missing. For that reason they both are fitted with red dots. Didn't like doing it, but sucks to get old.

 

My opticians test is booked for the 24th this month, we shall see. Gar.

 

Red dots rock, but not for everyone. Some see a starburst or smudge instead. A trick is to take a photo of the dot, maybe with a smart cell phone. The picture will show you what it looks like and you can compare what you see. Works with dots and dot/ circles like Eotech use.

Keep in mind if you see a starburst or smudge and its not too bad you can still use the sight. Maybe not for longer range use though. Eyes, unlike Big Macs are all a little different.

 

I had a Williams WGRS on my 1894 but it now wears a Sig Sauer Romeo 5 that has a 2MOA dot. I am probably a hair more accurate with the red dot but it’s real value is in lower light. It gives me a few more minutes of shooting without a doubt.

Having said all that, I would not put one on my 1895 Cowboy. The Williams Foolproof works and it just looks so much better than any optic. I did put on a scope for load development but it quickly came off as soon as “she got right.”

 

A half decent inexpensive option is the bushnell TRS 25. It’s not too big and bulky and will mount on a one piece weaver rail (so you can keep a peep sighted in and mounted in the rear). I’ve used this on an1895G with good results, but the rifle pictured is sporting a peep now.

 

Being truthful in advance, I am married to my optometrist. That nugget of information out of the way here goes.

In many if not most cases your optometrist should be able get your sighting issues squared away. I am almost 69 years of age and have a non-trivial amount of astigmatism. Explaining what I need my glasses to do helps me get a prescription that works. Patridge type revolver sights still work fine for me. I have red dot sights that have round red dots for me. Also if you wear bifocals, it is important that whoever decides where the bifocals line up understand your needs. To get the results you want be sure to communicate.

There is one issue that these people can't fix. That's the loss of low light vision because of a reduction in number of nerves in the bundle that connects the brain to the eye. This is a function of age and currently can't be remedied. Please don't confuse this issue with the effects of a bad prescription. Ask me how I know this.

 

Thank you White Cloud, that explains my needing a lot of light. My nerve bundle is 81yo.

 

I am using a Burris TRS - 25. I am having trouble seeing a good sight picture with iron sights. Getting old sucks. Scopes or Red Dots make things less sucky for me.

 

It is not a 94 but the Red dot will work for you. This deer was taken at about 15 feet maybe closer. I had the Red dot mounted on another rifle and took a deer at about 125 yards. I have replaced it with a Bushnell 1.5X4.5 'that I like better. No batteries and less target coverage. The starburst effect on this Red Dot was easily managed by the brightness controls. A good low power scope does just as well for me and is far better in low light than any receiver sight. Been there. The scope is very little more bulky.

That scope is an inexpensive Bushnell that has held its zero for many years now. A tractor bucket is another handy thing for handling deer.

DEP

 

.125" rear aperture with a .10" milspec front blade. Button buck shot at 70-75 yards right through the top of his heart. Retired welder/mechanic with serious prescription glasses. I get to practice marksmanship any day of the week right out my back door. Animals inside 125 yards are a sure bet. Tin cans and clay pigeons to 200 yards and beyond. Lots of trigger time really helps. Tell your Optometrist you need to see the front sight clearly and he/she will set up the prescription that way.

 

 

Any advice on glasses would be most helpful, I would like to use apertures on both the 357 & 44 cowboys. These rifles will not be used for hunting. Gar.

 

Gar:
Get shooting lenses in a very light gray. No bifocal function. I use reading glasses for close in stuff and reading. The shooting glasses are strictly for a clear front sight picture. I told the Doctor I needed them for driving and shooting. See if your Optometrist will do that.

Rob

 

I use a red dot on my 1894.
I’ve found that the starburst and fuzzy went away as the quality of the optic improved. This Aimpoint will allow for an ink pen sized dot and intensify all the way to a starburst cluster depending on the intensity setting.

I believe that many of the cowboys and hunters of old would have upgraded their rifles in similar fashion had the technology been available.

Now, with that said, in using this Aimpoint I found myself occasionally wishing for some magnification. The Leupold Firedot solved that problem as well. Either option costs about the price of the rifle…

 

I use a red dot on my 1894.
I’ve found that the starburst and fuzzy went away as the quality of the optic improved. This Aimpoint will allow for an ink pen sized dot and intensify all the way to a starburst cluster depending on the intensity setting.

I believe that many of the cowboys and hunters of old would have upgraded their rifles in similar fashion had the technology been available.

Now, with that said, in using this Aimpoint I found myself occasionally wishing for some magnification. The Leupold Firedot solved that problem as well. Either option costs about the price of the rifle… View attachment 871377 View attachment 871378

 

One other point to remember about red dot sights is how much many of them attenuate the light reaching your eye. Tube type red dots need a reflective surface to form the red dot on. This means they have to tint at least part of the lens you see through. This tint reduces light transmission. Some manufactures do a better job than others but there are no industry standards. Get out in the evening and look through a high quality scope set near one power and the typical tube type red dot the sight. In many cases the differences are amazing. This light transmission difference may be important to you if most of your hunting is early morning or later in the evening.

Scopes offer other low light advantages. Magnification makes things easier to see is a big one. One other is as it gets dark, your eyes dilate. As we age, this capability degrades. A high quality variable scope allow you to tune the optic's exit pupil to match your dilated eye.

Two of my rifles have Leupold 2.5-8 VX3i scopes on them that allow me to hunt later than when I am carrying my 1894 with a red dot. To me the 1894 looks weird with a scope so I put up with the limitations of the red dot. A Leupold customer support representative told me that if I wanted a red dot with the light transmission of a good scope, get a scope with an illuminated reticle and turn the power down to one X.

 

…A Leupold customer support representative told me that if I wanted a red dot with the light transmission of a good scope, get a scope with an illuminated reticle and turn the power down to one X.

I concur. An illuminated reticle, low power scope is the best option with current technology. The limiting factor is cost…. For years I’ve let this forum influence me regarding adding optics to my leverguns - not any more. Heck, I don’t believe they detract anything from these classics and I can now see the target, in most any light, under most any conditions.