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Reader SteveP mentions in the comments that he cured the astigmatism blues with products from SeeAll Open Sights.
It's an odd system. But odd doesn't always mean bad, so I started crawling around the web to see if this is the proverbial better mousetrap.
Up front you've got the reticle on a piece of clear plastic which will gather ambient light, this piece is also what gets moved by the zero screws.
In back you have half a clear lens to magnify the reticle. This lens also takes care of parallax, so if you can see the tip of the pyramid, if it's zeroed, it should be where the bullet will go.
Pics stolen from their website.
They have models that have tritium illumination for when ambient light is insufficient.
I worry that the rear lens is too exposed and will get damaged. I also worry about getting mud in that saddle area and, thus, blocking the reticle.
The really worrisome part, is YouTube reviews are one guy who didn't care for it at all, a spattering of typically neutral gunwriter type reviews, a big fan of the system (who does beat it all to fuck) and the company themselves. With most of the videos being that fan and the company by like 8 to 1.
Considering that some of the reviews are on the older side, this company might be obscure for a reason.
Most people seem to have trouble getting a sight picture with it, most commonly saying that if you get your eye too high you run the reticle over the top of that lens and it's gone; and that point is very close to when you have it correctly aligned.
The folks who seem to like it, like it a lot! I'll wager they're super consistent with their cheek-weld too (which is a fundamental part of rifle marksmanship).
It reminds me a lot of SureSight pistol sights. Lots of people having trouble with them and a few who just instinctively bond with 'em.
If SeeAll wants to send me one for first hand review, I will happily abuse it for them.
I have one of these early units on a spare Remington 600 bolt gun. I was looking for a lighter, less bulky ranch rifle alternative than a Spanish surplus FR8 iron sighted bolt rifle (heavy that last one). The unit is like an ultra-short scope that sticks up about the same amount as a low mounted scope. The 600 stock has a monte carlo comb, so cheek weld is easy to accomplish. You do have to find your 'sweet spot' where reticle gives you full viewing.
ReplyDeletePrecision sighting - not for me. Inside 100 yards, about what I do with standard iron sights. But a bit faster, that pyramid does have potential for snap shooting, which was what I was looking for.
I hadn't considered mud blocking the lenses - good point ! Thanks for making it.
jrg
I find the SeeAll to be quite rugged and no more prone to damage than any other sight. It's a good bit smaller than any red dot sight that I've seen, especially the Micro.
ReplyDeleteAs for getting mud in it I think that's a non-issue. You can get mud in any sight and cleaning it out is not a big deal. A swipe of the finger, maybe a wipe with a tee shirt, and it's done. Meh.
The optic (that's what SeeAll calls the clear lens at the back) is pretty tough and scratch resistant. If you do ever need to replace it it's a simple matter of taking out 2 screws. It's not glued in.
It's an unconventional sight and there is a bit of a learning curve. With practice it soon becomes second nature to use it. You just have to put in a little time and effort like you do with any new piece of equipment. I think a lot of the people that complain about it being hard to use just aren't willing to do that.
The sight does have its limitations. It is not a long range tack driving sight. It's a close combat sight, excellent for rapidly engaging multiple targets, and you don't have to fiddle with switches and settings.
I have 4 of them. The first one I bought is a non tritium blemished sight that I bought cheap to try out. I liked it so much I bought 3 more tritium models.
One is on my Camp Carbine, one is on a Mossy 835, one is on my Shockwave, and I haven't decided what I'm going to do with the 4th (original) one yet.
I've found the company to be good to deal with. I had an issue with a sight and they made it right with no problem. The company may seem obscure to gunnies because their main product line is bow sights, which they developed the gun sight from.
For the record, I have no connection to this company other than being a satisfied customer. It's a small company that makes what I think is an excellent, innovative piece of gear and I don't mind praising their product.
I'll counter with, "a close combat sight that has a learning curve and needs any practice at all will be the same as iron sights in actual close combat."
DeleteThe thing that makes red dots is the the collumnation feature and their sheer intuitiveness. See dot, bullet go where dot be. Even with your head out of position. The SeeMore has a dead zone where you're head is out of position and you cannot see the reticle. When your head is too far above the sight plane and that's the most common mistake in high-stress shooting. It's why I mentioned that the people who like this sight must be really good about getting a consistent cheek weld.
Just to be petty, a lens is not an optic. I hate marketing butchering terminology.
I tried to be neutral, I still am, but this is sounding just like SureSight. You've taken to it like a duck to water and can't see what the problem is with people whom aren't. Especially with your dismissal of the problems inherent with an exposed system like this. I condemn the C-More for the same reasons.
Easily repairable isn't a feature unless you bring the tools and parts to repair it. Best to not break in the first place. The guy who really likes it and posted half the videos about it failed to break it. He beat the ever loving shit out of it. I said so!