Trouble seeing sights clearly

[jpr9954]

While I still have 20/20 vision for distance, I can't read without glasses anymore. I also can't see my front sight that well. My arms just aren't long enough.

I know there are a lot of sights that are good for "old" eyes like mine. I use some and they are good. However, I still can't see them clearly.

For practice shooting, would I do well to actually shoot using reading glasses? I use 1.5 power glasses. Part of my thinking is that you want the front sight sharp but the target blurry. I can get that with reading glasses.

The other thing I thought about was getting a stick-on iris attachment for my Wiley-X glasses.

Something like this: http://www.meritcorporation.com/

Do they work for prysbyopia?

Thanks,

John

 

[Walkalong]

I went through the same thing. If I used the 1.0 glasses I was using the sights were clear, but the target fuzzy.

As my eyes got worse I can now use 1.25 glasses and see the sights OK and the target OK and shoot pretty good.

You actually get more used to it and I can hit with good white dot or night sires pretty well. Like I used too? Hell no, but acceptable.

I never tried glasses like that, but they are said to help greatly.

Red Dot sights are AWESOME. I hated them at first because they bulked up the gun, but if you want to shoot like you used to, I don't know another answer.

Like the guy in the movie said "embrace the horror". Bad eyes just plain suck.

Pic 1 - .45

Pic 2 - .38 Super

Pic 3 - .45 Colt

 

[Jim Watson]

I am myoptic, presbyoptic, and astigmatic; so drugstore reading glasses won't do it for me.
I have shooting glasses with the right eye ground to focus on the front sight, the left at distance. Not cheap but it is the only way I can get hits with iron sights.

 

[BSlacker]

Right eye corrected for best front/rear sight picture. I brought in a cardboard cut out of my P220 held it up and we used it so the doctor could get a distance for the right eye correction. Left corrected for the target. It is slightly disorienting at first and the effect of clear sights and good target last for me about two hours then more fuzzy. I didn't find cost higher than a normal pair of glasses but had to argue with the eye tech about the corrections and about the mounting if they were strong enough to hold, they are mounted in safety glasses inserts from the safety glasses manufactuer..
I work on equipment that eye doctors use to treat the eye with lasers. I know lots of eye doctors and have discussed this with some of them, some say yes some no. I use a doctor that shoots and he suggested this arangement.

 

[cdrt]

I have astigmatism as well and I had cataract surgery a few years ago. I still need to wear glasses for reading and close in work, so I had a set of shooting glasses made with the trifocal lens in the top position so I can see the front sight clearly and the bifocal in the bottom for changing sights, etc. Seems to work just fine for both Bullseye and Highpower shooting.

My eyes are good enough (20/25), that I go hunting w/o glasses.

 

[shu]

Step 1. Get some shooting glasses (yr favorite lightly tinted safety glasses).
Step 2. Get some http://www.optx2020.com/ of the appropriate power (or maybe a half step more than present need, to allow for future degradation).
Step 3. Lick and stick one plastic lens, upside down (flat side down, curved side up) on upper half of 'shooting eye' side of the glasses.

Now you have some safety shooting glasses with a bifocal magnifier in front of your dominant eye, placed just where you need it between eye and front sight.

Trust me on this.

(Not a tout for the particular source linked above. Google and find the best deal you can find. Sometimes Walgreens has them in store.)

Shu

 

[xring44]

I use a diopter with ajustable aperture, it gave me back the ability to shoot handguns with open sights, not only is the sights clear, the target is also. Its like going back 40 years. I love it and highly reccomend it for shooters with "older" eyes.

I just looked at your link, thats the same one I use, buy it, I promise you it will be the best money you've ever spent!

 

[DKA]

I have the same problem, went to CCW class yesterday and was worried about qualifying, but lucked through.

 

[lee n. field]

practice shooting

What kind of practice?

Maybe an XS Big Dot sight.

 

[stephpd]

glasses

Being near sighted I've had to wear glasses for a long time. Now that I'm getting older my eyes can't focus close up with the glasses on. I've tried bifocals but they hurt my eyes and couldn't get use to the dual images.

Now as far as handguns go, I can't see the front sight with my glasses on but can see the target well. Since I tend to believe that if I'll ever use a gun for self defense I train for real life, glasses on and not being able to focus on the front sight. Point shooting works well. I don't compete in competitions so accuracy is irrelevant. With point shooting and carrying a compact gun I'm able to hit the black part of the target out to 25 yards. Good enough for self defense.

It all depends what you want from a gun and what you want to do with it. Tight groups at distance with no time limit or hitting a man sized target several times center mass under real life conditions. I picked the latter and train for that.

 

[VA27]

Mechanic's glasses. At least that's what I call 'em.

My dad had his car in the shop [this has been almost 20 years ago] and the mechanic had it up on the lift, working on it. Dad noticed that his glasses had a trifocal in the top of the lens. The guy said he had 'em made locally so he could see without getting a crick in his neck from leaning his head back to use his bifocals.

My dad was working as an electrical contractor back then and he had the same problem wiring overhead light fixtures. So he went and had some made.

When I started having problems I remembered that and found a local guy [who is also a shooter] and talked to him about it. He said, "Bring your gun with you and we'll get some measurements."

So for the last 15 years or so I've been wearing them. My current frame is the Randolph Engineering Pilot frame and it works just fine. I buy the frames from Hidalgo and take 'em to the doc.

He doesn't do them himself, he found a specialty lab that makes the lenses to his order.

 

[Whole Hog]

Are you shooting for fun and trying to make little groups, or are you shooting as practice for something more serious? If it's the first, get whatever kind of glasses help you see the sights clearly and have a ball. If you're concerned about having to shoot without seeing the sights perfectly, get whatever kind of sights you can see the best. I have astigmatism and presbyopia and wear contacts and reading glasses. Although I do a lot of shooting for fun, I don't care about making tiny groups on a paper targets and try to practice under the same conditions I'd find in a serious situation - with my eyes in a normal condition. I've found that three dot sights and Big Dot sights are what I can see the best.

 

[jpr9954]

Are you shooting for fun and trying to make little groups, or are you shooting as practice for something more serious? If it's the first, get whatever kind of glasses help you see the sights clearly and have a ball. If you're concerned about having to shoot without seeing the sights perfectly, get whatever kind of sights you can see the best. I have astigmatism and presbyopia and wear contacts and reading glasses.

I am shooting for both fun and unexpected serious events.

I just ordered the Lyman Hawkeye diopter that sticks on my shooting glasses. If I like it, I may move up to the adjustable Merit Corp. diopter. However, both would be shooting for fun trying to have small groups.

I have tried seeing the plain little sights on my Browning HP with my reading glasses on and it helps a lot. I can still see across the room with them on - if a little fuzzy - and can see the sights very clearly. This may be my best long term alternative for the more serious stuff. I've gotten very good at tilting my head up and down. I think with good sights like the XS sights or Heinie sights plus my low powered reading glasses I'll be OK. As it is, I can still hit center of mass with no glasses and that really is all that counts in a SHTF situation.

 

[Whole Hog]

It sounds like you've got the bases covered. As long as you do some practicing without the diopters or your reading glasses, you should be in good shape. I sometimes do a little dry fire practice in the evening, after I've taken my contacts out.