tired old eyes

alloy · September 28, 2008, 05:19 PM

For those with vision that is good from afar, but far from good...

i wear prescription reading glasses for reading only, evidently a good sight picture also falls into this catagory. so as it is i can put the glasses on and see a blurry target, or leave them off and see blurry sights.

i would assume the first is the better choice, but that wont be happening except at the range. anyone got the same situation?

maybe i need a longer barrel...LOL.

g.willikers · September 28, 2008, 06:00 PM

Using two different lenses in your glasses will work. Dominant eye uses lense for the sights and the other lense is for the target distance.
Somehow the brain adapts and both are clear and natural.

Works for me very well. I just use cheap reading glasses from the drugstore behind safety glasses. Mix the lenses from two identical frames as required.
Hope this helps.

Swampghost · September 28, 2008, 06:05 PM

I'm 57 and just got something that I can't pronounce. 1.25 soft inserts in my sunglasses work good for fishing, 1.75 for the office/net, don't know my distance script but the bottom end is 2.0.

I had to go to glass and I'm still trying to work that out. The 'Golden Years' phfftt.

Archie · September 28, 2008, 06:09 PM

...with my reading/computer glasses.

I'm 58 now and my close up vision went at about 44 years of age.

I've been thinking seriously about mounting one of those optical-lookthrough-holograhic-aimpoint-reddot sort of things on my short rifles with iron sights. I can adjust the focus on the scopes to work with my normal distance glasses.

Getting old ain't for sissies.

alloy · September 28, 2008, 06:16 PM

Archie, mine went at 44 also, i couldnt read the numbers on the sides of drill bits and taps was my wake up call. doctor said it happens then.

g.willikers, i am gonna try a few thing tomorrow at the range. honestly i hadnt realized this was happening till a week ago. i dont know why it hadnt occured to me.

tomorrow i try my reading glasses vs/ prescription vs nothing, but i already know how the nothing will go.

Nnobby45 · September 28, 2008, 06:30 PM

Quote:

For those with vision that is good from afar, but far from good...

i wear prescription reading glasses for reading only, evidently a good sight picture also falls into this catagory. so as it is i can put the glasses on and see a blurry target, or leave them off and see blurry sights.

i would assume the first is the better choice, but that wont be happening except at the range. anyone got the same situation?

You need progressive lens glasses. Between the upper lens used for far vision and the lower used for reading, there's a mid range, within which, you can focus on virtually everything if you move your head just right. You soon learn to do that without thinking about it--once you're used to them.

The 'sweet spot' that will enable you to focus on the front sight is very limited and won't help you in combat shooting where we tend to just shoot the fuzzy sights.

However, for target shooting, you simply move your head just right until the sight is in focus.

Or, check this out:

http://frontsight.com/newsletter/html/22-old-eyes.html

PSP · September 28, 2008, 06:42 PM

Quote:

You need progressive lens glasses. Between the upper lens used for far vision and the lower used for reading, there's a mid range, within which, you can focus on virtually everything if you move your head just right. You soon learn to do that without thinking about it--once you're used to them.

The 'sweet spot' that will enable you to focus on the front sight is very limited and won't help you in combat shooting where we tend to just shoot the fuzzy sights.

I wear progressives too but I'm darned if I've found a sweet spot, but they did help. I've just more or less relegated my shooting to defensive practice and moved away from target shooting. Part of growing old I figure. I do find night sights are the easiest sights to focus on.

armedandsafe · September 28, 2008, 10:50 PM

The problem with progressives is that the sweet spot is not where you need it for rifle shooting. That spot is in the upper, inside corner of the lens.

I took my rifle into the optometrist's office and he held trial lenses infront of my glasses as I sighted, until we found the one which brought the front sight into focus. Then we took a pair of the bi-focal lenses which you buy to stick on sunglasses and cut a piece of the right size and stuck it on the corner of the lens through I sight.

Cutting the right size is a little tricky. If too large, the spot will bother you and be visible in normal use. Too small and you have to wiggle about to get the sweet spot.

I bought a pair of the lenses and have cut a new spot every year for the past 7 years. I will start cutting up the second lens next year.

Now, the front sight is visible through the spot and the target is visible through the normal top of the lens.The only blur on the target is the bull itself. The edges of the bull are sharp.

Pops

kraigwy · September 29, 2008, 12:55 PM

I'm in the same boat. I need glasses for up close, but see great at distance. I buy my reading glasses at the drug store for about 5 bucks.

I shoot high power. I cant see to adjust the sights without reading glasses and cant shoot wearing them. I took a pair of my reading glasses and popped out the dominent eye lense, and put in a non mag. lense for shooting, I have my dominent lense for up close. Works good for me.

Cpt Crossman has an exclenent book on shooting. MILITARY AND SPORT RILFE SHOOTING. Its an older book, but one of the best I've read on shooting sports. Cpt Croosman has a good section on handycapped shooters, old shooters (like me) and those with eye problems, he stresses that there is no reason to stop shooting and tells us how to go about it.

I was a LE firearms instructor, and Coach of the AK NG Marksmanship Teams. Without bragging I will say I was pretty good at problem shooting of shooters who had eye problems. I'm a firm believer there are few eye problems that cant be solved with sight or glasses adjustments. One just needs a good coach and eye doctor.

Nnobby45 · September 29, 2008, 06:26 PM

Quote:

The problem with progressives is that the sweet spot is not where you need it for rifle shooting. That spot is in the upper, inside corner of the lens.

The sweet spot on my progressives is dead center and works reasonably well for target shooting---for pistol. Admittedly, the spot is narrow and must be precise.

Rifle shooting is a different matter, since the front sight is much farther, and, at least for me, is in focus enough for accurate shooting without correction. Obviously, glasses made for rifle need different solutions than for pistol.

Sounds like the special glasses described in the link below amount to bifocals with a generous center portion focused at sight distance (trifocals). Progressives are made to focus on anything at any distance with top for normal prescription, bottom for reading, and, in the middle, different focus points for everything in between simply by moving head to focus precisely. In other words, there's a sweet spot for every distance except far, which is generous and easier to use.

http://frontsight.com/newsletter/html/22-old-eyes.html

MacGille · September 29, 2008, 06:36 PM

If you are shooting with iron sights, you can get a stick on aperature that you put on your shooting glasses. That can help. You do need to see the sights clearly. If the target is blurred but yu can see the sight alignment you can hit the target. I qualified Expert Rifle in the army and didn't get my glasses until the week after the qualification. Could barely see a blur for the target but aimed at the middle of the blur and only missed one bullseye out of 100 rounds.

If yu want to shoot irons then get an aperature sight. The small hole has the effect of focussing light rays on the back of the eye. I put Mojo front and rear aperature sights on my Kar98 and I can hit out to 450 yds with great accuracy. Otherwise get glass.

B.N.Real · October 1, 2008, 10:09 PM

My eyes are smoked and I'm only fourty eight.

I used to see 25 yards easily and shoot well that way.

Now I'm usually shooting 15 yards max.

Makes open sights that are well designed (like on my Ruger P95) a God send.

alloy · October 1, 2008, 10:30 PM

i think Macgille is right(at least in my case) about seeing the sights correctly...and the target is a blur anyway. even with good vision i primarily focus on the front sight? so the target has always been a bit fuzzy like peripheral vision.

went back to the range monday morn with my prescription glasses and a pair of cheap readers. did very well with either.

took them off, and the occasional strays started showing back up, the guns sight picture just wasnt good enough, longer time to align shots(focus time) and just overall not comparable to glasses on. gonna keep trying a few things.

Hardtarget · October 1, 2008, 11:21 PM

At the range, this is just a "bother". I have time to tweak the sight picture. What scares me is a self defense situation. no time to find the sweet spot! Its all going to be over too fast to even find the sights!

For me is with glasses, i can see. Without...there is NO good distance. Its all a blur.

Mark.

Al Norris · October 2, 2008, 12:02 AM

At 57, being left handed and right eye dominent, I've had to learn to use both hands and both eyes. Rifle or pistol. Recently, I've started to develope a cataract in my left eye. And...

Correct sight alignment and the target is always blurry. Doesn't stop me at all. But that's just target shooting.

Self defense shootings generally occur at a very close range. Does anyone besides myself practice point shooting?

WeedWacker · October 2, 2008, 04:40 AM

I practice my point shooting at the trap range. then i shoot skeet and it all goes to crap but I get the hang of it with singles trap

alloy · October 2, 2008, 06:00 AM

Antipitas: "Does anyone besides myself practice point shooting?"

yes i practice drawing and taking a first shot at close range that way. like maybe 10 feet. instinctively like that i do fine. its when i try to get nit picky at longer distances. i had been away from handguns a few years. maybe 3 without going to the range or doing much practicing.

during that time the eyes went bye-bye. took me a month to figure out what was going on. the glassed really helped. problem is...i cant walk around with reading glasses on and my long range vision is still good. might be a no win situation.

HiBC · October 5, 2008, 05:53 PM

It took me a while to find this source again!!
Check out Hansen's Eagle Eye Shooting Glasses.

http://www.hansenseagleeye.com/index.html

They grind a special small bifocal window in the sight eye lense.
For a scope,and a right handed shooter,the window is located in the high part of the lense,near the nose.

He also makes one for combat handgun shooters where the window is high and centered in the sight eye lense.

I will post this in "accessories" also.

I have not tried them yet,on my wish list.

September 28, 2008, 05:19 PM	#1
alloy Senior Member Join Date: September 11, 2008 Posts: 1,931	tired old eyes For those with vision that is good from afar, but far from good... i wear prescription reading glasses for reading only, evidently a good sight picture also falls into this catagory. so as it is i can put the glasses on and see a blurry target, or leave them off and see blurry sights. i would assume the first is the better choice, but that wont be happening except at the range. anyone got the same situation? maybe i need a longer barrel...LOL.

September 28, 2008, 06:05 PM	#3
Swampghost Senior Member Join Date: April 18, 2008 Location: Florida, east coast Posts: 2,106	I'm 57 and just got something that I can't pronounce. 1.25 soft inserts in my sunglasses work good for fishing, 1.75 for the office/net, don't know my distance script but the bottom end is 2.0. I had to go to glass and I'm still trying to work that out. The 'Golden Years' phfftt. __________________ NRA Patron Member

September 28, 2008, 06:09 PM	#4
Archie Senior Member Join Date: May 26, 2000 Location: Hastings, Nebrasksa - the Hear Posts: 2,209	I can shoot iron sights... ...with my reading/computer glasses. I'm 58 now and my close up vision went at about 44 years of age. I've been thinking seriously about mounting one of those optical-lookthrough-holograhic-aimpoint-reddot sort of things on my short rifles with iron sights. I can adjust the focus on the scopes to work with my normal distance glasses. Getting old ain't for sissies. __________________ There ain't no free lunch, except Jesus. Archie Check out updated journal at http://oldmanmontgomery.wordpress.com/

September 28, 2008, 10:50 PM	#8
armedandsafe Senior Member Join Date: January 9, 2005 Location: Moses Lake WA Posts: 1,001	The problem with progressives is that the sweet spot is not where you need it for rifle shooting. That spot is in the upper, inside corner of the lens. I took my rifle into the optometrist's office and he held trial lenses infront of my glasses as I sighted, until we found the one which brought the front sight into focus. Then we took a pair of the bi-focal lenses which you buy to stick on sunglasses and cut a piece of the right size and stuck it on the corner of the lens through I sight. Cutting the right size is a little tricky. If too large, the spot will bother you and be visible in normal use. Too small and you have to wiggle about to get the sweet spot. I bought a pair of the lenses and have cut a new spot every year for the past 7 years. I will start cutting up the second lens next year. Now, the front sight is visible through the spot and the target is visible through the normal top of the lens.The only blur on the target is the bull itself. The edges of the bull are sharp. Pops __________________ Armed and Safe: Not just a theory If it time to bury them, it is time to dig them up. Remember, "Behind every blade of grass."

September 29, 2008, 12:55 PM	#9
kraigwy Senior Member Join Date: June 16, 2008 Location: Wyoming Posts: 11,061	I'm in the same boat. I need glasses for up close, but see great at distance. I buy my reading glasses at the drug store for about 5 bucks. I shoot high power. I cant see to adjust the sights without reading glasses and cant shoot wearing them. I took a pair of my reading glasses and popped out the dominent eye lense, and put in a non mag. lense for shooting, I have my dominent lense for up close. Works good for me. Cpt Crossman has an exclenent book on shooting. MILITARY AND SPORT RILFE SHOOTING. Its an older book, but one of the best I've read on shooting sports. Cpt Croosman has a good section on handycapped shooters, old shooters (like me) and those with eye problems, he stresses that there is no reason to stop shooting and tells us how to go about it. I was a LE firearms instructor, and Coach of the AK NG Marksmanship Teams. Without bragging I will say I was pretty good at problem shooting of shooters who had eye problems. I'm a firm believer there are few eye problems that cant be solved with sight or glasses adjustments. One just needs a good coach and eye doctor. __________________ Kraig Stuart CPT USAR Ret USAMU Sniper School Distinguished Rifle Badge 1071

September 28, 2008, 06:00 PM	#2
g.willikers Senior Member Join Date: September 28, 2008 Posts: 10,442	Using two different lenses in your glasses will work. Dominant eye uses lense for the sights and the other lense is for the target distance. Somehow the brain adapts and both are clear and natural. Works for me very well. I just use cheap reading glasses from the drugstore behind safety glasses. Mix the lenses from two identical frames as required. Hope this helps.

September 28, 2008, 06:16 PM	#5
alloy Senior Member Join Date: September 11, 2008 Posts: 1,931	Archie, mine went at 44 also, i couldnt read the numbers on the sides of drill bits and taps was my wake up call. doctor said it happens then. g.willikers, i am gonna try a few thing tomorrow at the range. honestly i hadnt realized this was happening till a week ago. i dont know why it hadnt occured to me. tomorrow i try my reading glasses vs/ prescription vs nothing, but i already know how the nothing will go.

September 29, 2008, 06:36 PM	#11
MacGille Senior Member Join Date: July 6, 2006 Location: Planet Earth Posts: 976	If you are shooting with iron sights, you can get a stick on aperature that you put on your shooting glasses. That can help. You do need to see the sights clearly. If the target is blurred but yu can see the sight alignment you can hit the target. I qualified Expert Rifle in the army and didn't get my glasses until the week after the qualification. Could barely see a blur for the target but aimed at the middle of the blur and only missed one bullseye out of 100 rounds. If yu want to shoot irons then get an aperature sight. The small hole has the effect of focussing light rays on the back of the eye. I put Mojo front and rear aperature sights on my Kar98 and I can hit out to 450 yds with great accuracy. Otherwise get glass. __________________ If ye love wealth better than Liberty, the tranquillity of servitude than the animated contest of Freedom, go from us in Peace. We ask not your counsel or Arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen. --Samuel Adams--<*ixoye><

October 1, 2008, 10:09 PM	#12
B.N.Real Senior Member Join Date: February 22, 2008 Posts: 4,092	My eyes are smoked and I'm only fourty eight. I used to see 25 yards easily and shoot well that way. Now I'm usually shooting 15 yards max. Makes open sights that are well designed (like on my Ruger P95) a God send.

October 1, 2008, 10:30 PM	#13
alloy Senior Member Join Date: September 11, 2008 Posts: 1,931	i think Macgille is right(at least in my case) about seeing the sights correctly...and the target is a blur anyway. even with good vision i primarily focus on the front sight? so the target has always been a bit fuzzy like peripheral vision. went back to the range monday morn with my prescription glasses and a pair of cheap readers. did very well with either. took them off, and the occasional strays started showing back up, the guns sight picture just wasnt good enough, longer time to align shots(focus time) and just overall not comparable to glasses on. gonna keep trying a few things.

October 1, 2008, 11:21 PM	#14
Hardtarget Senior Member Join Date: May 3, 2001 Location: Nashville, Tn. Posts: 683	At the range, this is just a "bother". I have time to tweak the sight picture. What scares me is a self defense situation. no time to find the sweet spot! Its all going to be over too fast to even find the sights! For me is with glasses, i can see. Without...there is NO good distance. Its all a blur. Mark. __________________ ...even a blind hog finds an acorn every once in a while.

October 2, 2008, 12:02 AM	#15
Al Norris Moderator Emeritus Join Date: June 29, 2000 Location: Rupert, Idaho Posts: 9,660	At 57, being left handed and right eye dominent, I've had to learn to use both hands and both eyes. Rifle or pistol. Recently, I've started to develope a cataract in my left eye. And... Correct sight alignment and the target is always blurry. Doesn't stop me at all. But that's just target shooting. Self defense shootings generally occur at a very close range. Does anyone besides myself practice point shooting?

October 2, 2008, 04:40 AM	#16
WeedWacker Senior Member Join Date: December 13, 2006 Location: Body: Clarkston, Washington. Soul: LaCrosse, Wisconsin Posts: 1,591	I practice my point shooting at the trap range. then i shoot skeet and it all goes to crap but I get the hang of it with singles trap __________________ - Jon Disequilibrium facilitates accommodation. 9mm vs .45 ACP? The answer is .429

October 2, 2008, 06:00 AM	#17
alloy Senior Member Join Date: September 11, 2008 Posts: 1,931	Antipitas: "Does anyone besides myself practice point shooting?" yes i practice drawing and taking a first shot at close range that way. like maybe 10 feet. instinctively like that i do fine. its when i try to get nit picky at longer distances. i had been away from handguns a few years. maybe 3 without going to the range or doing much practicing. during that time the eyes went bye-bye. took me a month to figure out what was going on. the glassed really helped. problem is...i cant walk around with reading glasses on and my long range vision is still good. might be a no win situation.

October 5, 2008, 05:53 PM	#18
HiBC Senior Member Join Date: November 13, 2006 Posts: 8,289	It took me a while to find this source again!! Check out Hansen's Eagle Eye Shooting Glasses. http://www.hansenseagleeye.com/index.html They grind a special small bifocal window in the sight eye lense. For a scope,and a right handed shooter,the window is located in the high part of the lense,near the nose. He also makes one for combat handgun shooters where the window is high and centered in the sight eye lense. I will post this in "accessories" also. I have not tried them yet,on my wish list.