astigmatism options?

[justin22885]

so, i have an astigmatism, something like -4.00 diopers or somewhere around there, the prescription of my current eyeglasses is like 7-8 years old.. so red dots are not as clear as id like them to be

first question, will updating my eyeglasses to a more recent prescription solve this problem or is it a problem that will always persist until i save up enough money for eye surgery?

second question, if the above wont fix the problem, what are my options? just forget the red dot entirely and stick to iron sights?.. generally shooting AKs, the iron sights are not the greatest, if i cant get a red dot to work right i may just have to give up AKs entirely, i guess the other option would be a 1-4 magnification scope and eliminate iron sights from the rifle entirely

so.. suggestions? options?

 

[LoneGoose]

A new eyeglass prescription should correct that (I had bad astigmatism until I had the lazik surgery). You might be happy with a long-eye-relief low-power scope with heavy crosshairs. Good luck, and keep saving up for the surgery. It really is like a miracle.

 

[bikemutt]

I can't use red dots for the same reason as you. The dot really isn't a dot to my eyes, it's more like a starburst.

I've found some reflex red dots seem to work OK for me. I use a Sight Mark model on my Kel-Tec Sub2000, it's far enough away from my eye it actually looks like a dot.

Beyond that, prismatic aiming devices generally have a diopter adjustment, like the SigTac CP4 or the Burris AR-series.

 

[chicharrones]

Beyond that, prismatic aiming devices generally have a diopter adjustment, like the SigTac CP4 or the Burris AR-series.

Yes yes. That's exactly why I'm looking into the Vortex Spitfire II 3x prismatic scope.

 

[justin22885]

if updating my eyeglass prescription until i can get eye surgery would fix that, then id probably rather do that, but the way it sounds is people who have their astigmatisms corrected with an up to date eyeglass prescription still have the issue

 

[boom boom]

I have fairly severe astigmatism in my dominant eye and have worn them for decades since youth. One issue with glasses and shooting comes from the shape of the lens--even though you may prefer how square/oval/etc. lens look stylewise--you will generally get the best shooting vision from round (or close to round) lenses as they do not distort the image as much--some lens materials are also better than others. Astigmatism in one or both eyes makes the distortion worse outside of a small sweet focusing spot in your lenses.

Ask your optician for an honest opinion (if you trust them--small eye clinics are usually better than the large shops on this) and tell them that you are a marksman that needs glasses for that purpose. They may also recommend that you have a special pair of shooting glasses be made if you want the squeeze the most out of what they do.

Another problem is glasses that will not stay put--some frames require that you go back on almost a monthly basis to have the optician bend them back to ideal shape. Every pair of glasses has a sweet spot where the frame is adjusted correctly to give an optimum view. When you are viewing something through the periphery of the lens or the frames have moved on your face--your vision quality will suffer.

Just wish that I could afford Prelix and at my age Lasix would still require glasses.

 

[justin22885]

i was actually planning to switch to something more like a goggle with a prescription lense, to make sure they stay put, plus keep them closer to my face

ill probably get PRK eye surgery later on.. longer recovery time but seem to yield better results than lasik, but thats a finance i cant afford right now

 

[ColoradoMinuteMan]

Justin, Have you considered/tried using a rigid gas permeable (RGP) contact lens? This often can correct an astigmatism much better than glasses ever could since it essentially replaces the misshaped refractive surface of your cornea with its own.

I've had severe astigmatisms for a long time due to a condition called keratoconus. I've actually had my left cornea replaced with a transplanted corenea and have to wear rather expensive special contacts in my right eye, but before my condition progressed I was able to use a regular RGP lens to correct my rather bad astigmatism with fairly good results.

 

[justin22885]

ive tried such contact lenses.. safe to say they are VERY expensive, and do nothing since the astigmatism requires an asymmetrically weighted contact lense to ensure the proper orientation and this gets screwed up every time i blink.. so contacts are a big no-go.. if updating my prescription works, fine, if not i guess i will look for an alternative to a red dot

what do you guys think about simply using an illuminated 1-4x scope?.. it has the advantage over a red dot of having the adjustable magnification.. i hear the vortex spitfire is a good alternative too, its a 1x illuminated scope with an etched reticle so it works with the lights off, a cool backup feature that would even allow me to omit my backup iron sights

 

[carbine85]

I use a low power lens for astimatism night driving. I use them when I shoot iron sights. The rifles I shoot the most have red dots on them now. I have also found that good shooting safety glasses in the yellow range help a lot. I don't know what it is about the color but it seems to let my eyes relax and focus better.

 

[ColoradoMinuteMan]

ive tried such contact lenses.. safe to say they are VERY expensive, and do nothing since the astigmatism requires an asymmetrically weighted contact lense to ensure the proper orientation and this gets screwed up every time i blink.. so contacts are a big no-go.. if updating my prescription works, fine, if not i guess i will look for an alternative to a red dot

what do you guys think about simply using an illuminated 1-4x scope?.. it has the advantage over a red dot of having the adjustable magnification.. i hear the vortex spitfire is a good alternative too, its a 1x illuminated scope with an etched reticle so it works with the lights off, a cool backup feature that would even allow me to omit my backup iron sights

Well, certainly everyone has their own idea of what "very" expensive is, but a pair of toric RGP lenses can be found for $150-$200 in my neck of the woods, and a pair should last you a year or two if you take care of them and your prescription doesn't change much. That seems near the going rate for glasses. By my standards that is pretty cheap considering my Maxim scleral lenses cost me $375 per lens annually.

 

[justin22885]

Well, certainly everyone has their own idea of what "very" expensive is, but a pair of toric RGP lenses can be found for $150-$200 in my neck of the woods, and a pair should last you a year or two if you take care of them and your prescription doesn't change much. That seems near the going rate for glasses. By my standards that is pretty cheap considering my Maxim scleral lenses cost me $375 per lens annually.

last i checked for my prescription they were like $600

 

[briansmithwins]

I've got astigmatism too. What I've learned over the years is:

1) Red dots like the Aimpoint are a very good device for show casing astigmatism. Every distortion of your cornea and lens will cause what should be a round dot to flare and distort.
2) Just because you can't see the distortion as easily with iron sights and etched or projected reticles (standard scopes and reflex sights) doesn't mean the distortion isn't there, it is.
3) The top corner of your glasses that's lined up with the sights/optic is not the best place to look through your lenses. The optician who is fills your prescription is going assume that you're going to spend 95% of your time looking through the center of the lens, and is going to make your glasses accordingly.
4) Modern disposable contacts* that correct for astigmatism are cheap, very comfortable, and put the optical center of the lens in line with your eye ad the sights/optic. I chose the contacts as a alternative to a set of shooting glasses that would be horrible except of the 2-3 hours a week I'm actually shooting.
5) Talk to your optometrist. Tell him that you shoot and need to correct your vision for shooting. I've brought in a Aimpoint** to my optometrist to show him what I need to see clearly. He had me try out 3-4 different brands and prescriptions of disposable contacts to get the set that worked best for me.

BSW

*Since I only use the weekly wear contacts for a few hours each month that I'm shooting a set lasts me for 4-6 months.
**Just the Aimpoint, minus the rifle.

 

[justin22885]

i dont know how i feel about mentioning the fact i have guns to doctors in an obamacare state.. i tend to keep that information private while in stuck here, and im not going to pay for contact lenses, especially when they dont work well.. the only ones that handle my prescription are more than im willing to pay.. ill just get an updated eyeglass prescription and find new optics

 

[briansmithwins]

i dont know how i feel about mentioning the fact i have guns to doctors in an obamacare state.. i tend to keep that information private while in stuck here, and im not going to pay for contact lenses, especially when they dont work well.. the only ones that handle my prescription are more than im willing to pay.. ill just get an updated eyeglass prescription and find new optics

I figure that if you're ever bought a gun, ammo, or cleaning supplies with other than cash, you're on the list anyway. Not to mention having a hunting license or CCW card.

My optometrist had me trial several contacts, which was free. I then bought several boxes of the ones that worked best. It cost me a little time to try them, and the state of the art in astigmatism correcting contacts has advanced tremendously since the first time I tried them.

BSW

 

[ColoradoMinuteMan]

last i checked for my prescription they were like $600

Yeah, I'm not sure what to tell you on that. I can get toric Bausch & Lomb RGP lenses for $200 a pair at the places I hang out at. It sounds like you are convinced that is a bad option. I wish you the best with your glasses, I know how frustrating it is to not see well.

 

[justin22885]

my astigmatism is just outside the range the more common contact lense manufacturers offer which means theyre more of a specialized product that i need.. also, everytime id blink theyd rotate and id lose focus

 

[eddd7]

For my latest eye exam, 6 months ago, a tweak was made to my astigmatism prescription, and my accuracy improved quite a bit. The only negative - close up work went downhill slightly to where in certain conditions, I wear weak cheater reading classes.

But for all other use, things got better.

I wear Air Optix for Astigmatism contacts and buy them from Lens.com. It's true that if you tip your head, the weight in the lens moves off bottom, but overall.......not too big a problem.

 

[jdh]

Lasik corrected 99% of my very wicked astigmatism. For me is was well worth it.

 

[justin22885]

well, not much i can do about the eye surgery right now, that has to wait.. new eyeglasses with an updated prescription and probably going to switch to a 1-4x illuminated, etched optic will be my plan, i think i like the vortex viper PST, should be fine even with an astigmatism

 

[Legionnaire]

Even when up to date, my prescription lenses don't fully remove the "starburst" from a red dot scope. Frustrating, because only my dominant eye as astimagtic; I can tell what it's supposed to look like through my other eye. It's not so bad that I can't use a red dot, but for precision work, crosshairs work much better.

 

[chris in va]

I find turning down the red dot intensity helps with the star effect. New glasses are a huge help.

BTW if an optometrist asks what your goals are, just say you are into photography.

 

[JDGray]

Acuvue Oasys! Don't even know your wearing them, don't float around(after the first time after you wake up) At least I have good luck with them

 

[justin22885]

so what id like to find then is a non-red dot optic that can be used in a similar manner

 

[carbine85]

Something I forgot to mention. I have a X Sniper Mosin Nagant and find the iron sights crude and hard for me to use. They are very similar to the AK (rear sight). I opened the rear sight slightly with a V cut and installed a red fiber front sight that lets the light through. What this does is allows my eye to see through the rear sight and focus better on the front sight. I can typically get 1.5" - 2" groups with this rifle. I'm also using my night driving glasses.