Need suggestions for far-sighted shooters who need glasses?

[losangeles]

CORRECTION: SORRY, I'VE BEEN CORRECTED - I'M NEAR-SIGHTED, NOT FAR-SIGHTED.


Old age is causing my eyesight to deterioriate. I used to have 20/20 vision without glasses but now I need glasses to see long distances. I use my glasses to drive and watch movies. I can see clearly items closeby normally without glasses.

Problem is when I have my glasses on to see distant objects, close objects become a blur, especially when I'm tired. That includes the sights of a pistol.

I just practiced at the range today and rented a bunch of different pistols for bullseye practice. Towards the end, I was really bad. I leave my glasses on and the front sight is blurred as I get more tired.

Any suggestions from shooters with glasses for seeing distant vision but are okay at close range?

 

[losangeles]

I'm thinking about doing the bi-spectacles route. Problem is that most of those are designed to have the close vision at the bottom and the far vision at the top. So I'd be shooting with my nose up all the time to see the sights.

Or I guess I can just forget about the glasses and settle for the blur of the target as long as I can see the front sights.

The fiber optic front sight like on the Ruger MKIII Hunter seems to make a good difference for me, too.

 

[Sunray]

"...to see distant objects..." That makes you near-sighted. Me too. As we ease into geezerhood our eyes
"...the front sight is blurred as I get more tired..." How's the lighting on the range? Bad lighting or the glare from flourescent lights can effect your eyes. Talk to your eye doctor and/or your optometrist. Your prescription may need adjusting. Mind you, if you're getting tired you should quit for the day anyway.

 

[Jim Watson]

You can get shooting glasses ground to focus on your front sight. I have a pair with the right eye sharp on the front sight, the left clear on the target (my normal distance Rx.) It only takes a few minutes to get used to them after changing at the range.
Decot will make them.
http://www.sportglasses.com/

You can also get glasses ground as bifocal with an intermediate vision segment located high and inside so all it takes is a slight tilt to see the sights clearly thorough it.
http://www.hansenseagleeye.com/

A local optometrist or opthalmologist who understands your needs can handle it. Be sure it is OK to bring even a cap gun to the office first.

You could experiment with drugstore reading glasses at the low end of the scale.

There is a stick on bifocal segment you could put on regular shooting glasses IF their power selection suited your eye. You'd probably want to have a dedicated pair of shooting glasses with the segment left in place instead of peeling it off your street glasses every time.
http://optx2020.com/

Lyman makes an aperture disc that suction cups to your glasses that will clear up the image somewhat.
http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/store/productdetail.aspx?p=19702&s=43962

Merit makes a nicer adjustable one.
http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/store/ProductDetail.aspx?p=8767&title=DELUXE+OPTICAL+ATTACHMENT

There is (or was) a clip on lens holder like a jeweler's loupe. I cannot find a website for them, all I have is a nine year old mailing address.

The Clearsight optical device Is a means of adding the extra lens without changing one's shooting glasses. It attaches Securely to the frame of the glasses, and positions the extra lens near the center of one lens of the shooting glasses. The central position of the lens is correct for revolver shooting but not for rifle shooting. Three small lenses of various diopters (a measure of refractive power) are provided with the device. The shooter experiments with the lenses to find which best suits his needs. Clearsight Products, 1501 39th Street, West Palm Beach, Florida, 33407.

 

[losangeles]

"...to see distant objects..." That makes you near-sighted.

Sorry, you're right -- the correct term is "near-sighted" not "far-sighted". I can see nearby okay but need my prescription glasses to see far.

BTW, thanks for the tip on the doctor, Sunray. And Jim, that's a wealth of information for shooters with glasses.

I'm glad to hear there are a few options out there. I'll chat with a doctor first. Not sure which way to go. I'd like the capability to see both near and far. I'm a little squeamish about the left lens/right lens alternative but maybe it's not too bad to adjust to it -- open left eye only to see the target, open right eye only for front sight. I've thought about bifocals for other applications before, but for shooting it seems I'll be constantly tilting my head up and down depending on what I'd want to see.

 

[scotty]

Jim covered the options very well.

I've been nearsighted most of my life. I find that I like contact lenses and have been wearing them most of the time for about 25 years. Over the last couple of years, my ability to focus on details such as print at near distances while wearing the lenses has deteriorated. No problem without lenses. My eye doc put it more politely, but it's geezerhood.

After some experimentation, I went with a different prescription for each eye (monovision). I was a little leery until I tried it. The eye doc gave me 4 different combination of disposable contacts to try for a day each and I chose the one that works best for me. I can now read with no difficulty and the front sight is crystal clear. All without giving up anything for distance.

The same can be done with glasses, but would more expensive to try out. The add on lenses that Jim mentioned would be a good way to try it out without the expense of new glasses.

 

[CraigJS]

Think about putting a dot sight onto your pistol. That way you can use your "long range" eyeglasses. Sights and target seem to be on one plane that way.. They really help old eyes!!
CraigJS

 

[kidcoltoutlaw]

My Doctor is a shooter

He set me up with a pair of clip ons power .5 . I did not see my sights that clear when I was 15. He tried a bunch of different powers in his office. I even brought my gun so I could make sure it worked. He is a mamber of the gun club I shoot at now you can't beat that.

 

[losangeles]

Think about putting a dot sight onto your pistol. That way you can use your "long range" eyeglasses. Sights and target seem to be on one plane that way.. They really help old eyes!!
CraigJS

Hey, come to think of it, this may be my solution. I've rented a dot sight from the range before and had great results.

However, one thought. I'd be sort of tied down to my pistols with the dot sight. I'd be at disadvantage if and when those pistols are out of commission for whatever reason and I have to borrow or use my other guns.

 

[oldtrooper]

oldtrooper

For handguns the best option is the lens ground to focus on the front sight. The best solution is to take the handgun to the doctor and let him measure the distance from the master eye to the front sight. He can then have the entire lens for the master eye ground to put the front sight in focus. The best part of this solution is that the front sight is in focus no matter how your head is tilted the sight stays in focus.

Like you were advised be sure and discuss this with the doctor beforehand. If he will let you bring the handgun in put it in a brief case or something that dosen't look like a pistol case. The one I used finished highschool with me and that was no problem except that he was a Navy man and not a shooter. We had quite an arguement over the front sight being in focus. He couldn't understand why you wouldn't want the target in focus. He never conceded but finally agreed that since I was paying for the service he needed to do it like I wanted.

 

[Moondoggie]

The monovision with disposable contact lenses also worked for me.

My regular glasses are no-line trifocals with the center section having zero correction. My prescriptions are pretty mild and both eyes are almost equal.

When I wear a contact lense I put it in my right eye only for normal use. For shooting a pistol I switch it to my left eye for distant vision. Took very little effort to learn to shoot with both eyes open, which is the prefered method for IPSC. Makes the front sight crisp and clear and the tgt just like it's supposed to be. I also added a red fiber optic rod front sight and a white outline rear sight to my IPSC pistol for an optimum sight picture (for me).

Of course, be sure to wear safety glasses when using contacts while shooting!