Vision and Shooting

[steve.h]

As I've grown older, I have found that when looking down my gun the sight is clear, the actual target is out of focus.

I have been looking for solutions to this problem for years, and have plenty of thoughts on the subject. I know I'm not alone in the frustration I found relying on bifocals or progressive glasses at the range. They caused distortion and blurriness and forced me to move my head while aiming at the target.

What experiences have you all had? I would love to hear more about the vision solutions other older shooters have found, as well.

-Steve

 

[M-Cameron]

ummm.....the front sight is supposed to be clear....and the target is supposed to be out of focus.....

 

[o Unforgiven o]

Sorry to say but you don't have a "problem". Your eyes will only focus on one thing at a time, the sights are supposed to be in focus and the target will not be simply because your eyes cannot focus on two things at once.

 

[Larry Ashcraft]

Maybe the problem is the bifocals. I've worn glasses for over 45 years, and I didn't have any trouble until I tried shooting my silhouette pistol in the Creedmore position while wearing bifocals (which means I was looking through the bottom portion of my glasses while aiming). A switch to single vision glasses fixed that.

My vision is bad, and I have glaucoma, but I don't have much problem using iron sights yet. Sure, there's some degrading of sight. I don't know if I could see the 200m rams all that well these days, but I shoot well enough to make me happy.

 

[paradox998]

trick for older eyes

Here is an easy trick. Take a small piece of electrical tape and place it on a piece of scrap wood. Take a punch and make a small hole. Take the tape, trim it in a circle and place it directly in line with your shooting eye. Look through the hole and bingo, everything is in focus! Same principle as a pin hole camera. Works for me and the cost is less than 0.01

 

[Sky]

agree with all the above...dollar store 175 to 250 magnification which ever works for the front sight to be clear everything else is blurry or out of focus. Do not need expensive glasses to fix your problem...or I didn't.

 

[Furncliff]

I let the eye doc know that I'm a target shooter. She adjusted the progressive lens prescription. Good to go.

 

[steve.h]

Thanks for all your feedback. As someone in the eye care profession, I find this all very interesting.

My friend Sam Wortham, who is an award winning champion shooter, has these same vision problems. He has been working with a new technology, adjustable-focus glasses, and has had a lot of luck with them recently. You can read about his experience here.

Would you consider trying technology like this?

 

[o Unforgiven o]

Thanks for all your feedback. As someone in the eye care profession, I find this all very interesting.

My friend Sam Wortham, who is an award winning champion shooter, has these same vision problems. He has been working with a new technology, adjustable-focus glasses, and has had a lot of luck with them recently. You can read about his experience here.

Would you consider trying technology like this?

I am still not understanding these "vision problems". I am 17, my eyesight is 20/20 and yet I cannot get the sights and the target to be clear at the same time. I don't really see a problem here as long as you can see the front sights and the target well and it sounds like you do, but nobody can see both in focus at the same time.

 

[killchain]

I am still not understanding these "vision problems". I am 17, my eyesight is 20/20 and yet I cannot get the sights and the target to be clear at the same time. I don't really see a problem here as long as you can see the front sights and the target well and it sounds like you do, but nobody can see both in focus at the same time.

"Normal eyes" can only focus on one thing at a time. Human beings have "normal eyes." Your cornea is flexed through muscles to refract light to your optic nerve. This is how you focus, and why as you get older it becomes harder to focus at certain ranges.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eye#Normal_eyes

You need to focus on the front sight post, your rear sights should be slightly blurry, and the target should be blurry.

 

[Iron Sight]

Try a gun with a Red Dot sight system.

 

[steve.h]

My performance is affected by a particular condition called presbyopia. Many other shooters my age are affected by this, and have found ways to work around these problems by using bifocals or progressives. But I just find these don't do the trick - my field of view becomes greatly reduced when I'm trying to focus on the sites. Adjustable focus glasses are different, however, and allow me to enjoy the sport as I used to.

If anyone else has experience with presbyopia affecting their shooting, I suggest they give this new technology a try. Check them out: http://shoot.superfocus.com/

 

[Jim Watson]

At $900 a pop, I am going to have to be sold on the Superfocus.
I have for some time used monovision shooting glasses with the right eye ground to focus on the front sight, the left eye at my usual distance Rx for the target.
I am looking into new glasses, my old ones were lost in the Incident last January and I have been feeling a little lost as I got back into IDPA.

 

[Art Eatman]

I started IPSC shooting in 1980. Bi-focals, and then tri-focals. My solution was to have an add-on lens at the inner corner of the lens of my master eye. About 3/4" x 1", glued in place, with the magnification equal to the center part of my tri-focals: Just right for a dashboard, instrument panel--or pistol sights. Very slight blur for the target.

Works for irons on rifles, as well.

For Georgia folks, there's a lab in Albany which is familiar with the deal.

 

[rskent]

When I shoot my Match Rifle (AR15-A2) I have tried using street glasses, glasses with a special prescription, and different lenses in the
rear sight hood, no glasses. What I use now is a set of contacts with the hyper focal distance in my left eye set to infinity and in my right
eye set to 44 inches. They give me a pretty good sight picture overall. Driving to the range is a little weird though. I am looking at getting
a pair of knoblocks for next year.

For pistols, since I carry, and I can’t just tell a bad guy Hay stop just let me put on my special glasses I just started to practice point
shooting. It’s not that hard. I don’t get nice pretty little groups any more. But since I can’t even see the sights on my carry gun, it seems
like a good compromise.

Good luck
Steve

 

[Johnny Guest]

Some important questions

steve.h: There are some issues that need to be addressed. Not the least of these is, How do your posts differ from out-and-out SPAM?
Let's see now - -
In his first post, brand new member steve.h says he has trouble with having both the sight AND the target in focus at once. Kinds like all the rest of us, it seems.

And he asks, "What experiences have you all had? I would love to hear more about the vision solutions other older shooters have found, as well." A quest for knowledge, is it? Sounds good.

BUT - -In the second post, steve.h reveals himself to us . . .

As someone in the eye care profession, I find this all very interesting.

My friend Sam Wortham, who is an award winning champion shooter, has these same vision problems. He has been working with a new technology, adjustable-focus glasses, and has had a lot of luck with them recently. You can read about his experience here.

Would you consider trying technology like this?

And in his final post, Steve reveals to us that he suffers from the heartbreak of presbyopia, as do many shooters his age - -What age IS that, Steve?

But wait! There's HOPE! He suggests you try Superfocus, and provides a link. And, HEY! I'll bet that, as "Someone in the eye care profession," he's in a position to offer you a deal on Superfocus glasses!

Steve, would you like to share with us just what position you hold as "Someone in the eye care profession?" And with what company?

Also, why did the Zoom Focus Eyewear LLC/Trufocus people change the name of their product to Superfocus in October 2010?

Is there any input from any professional groups of ophthalmologists or optometrists that endorse the use of this gadget eyewear? Perhaps most important, have any eye care professionals -- ones that don't hesitate to identify their specific field -- signed off on this eyewear as being truly harmless?

Steve, if you just want to sell a product that might be of aid to target shooters, why don't you arrange for an honest, up-front advertisement. Reveal your commercial ties with the product and company. steve.h - what is your connection, if any, to the products or company in your link? How about it?

Johnny Guest
THR Staff

 

[Howard Roark]

steve.h magically appeared over on National Match.us in October and posted about the same glasses.

I don't think he got any takers.

 

[rikman]

At $1229 a pair I'm not surprised.

I use a pair of Decot Hi Wyd's. I went full bore and got all of my necessary lenses, rifle,pistol(right lens) amber for low light overcast days and darker brown for sunny days all for just under 500 bucks. Great knowledgable guys to deal with.

Rikman

 

[CharlesT]

I have some HD vision glasses that work pretty well.

 

[russ69]

As I've grown older, I have found that when looking down my gun the sight is clear...

I'll ignore the spam and just answer the question....If your (front) sight is clear, you have no problem.

Thanx, Russ

 

[Rogue6]

A recommendation for shooting glasses

During my last deployment I was issued a set of Revision ballistic eyewear (shooting glasses). Since I've gotten older I've started using reading glasses for close-up vision. The problem was that on mission I could see just fine out the windows but couldn't read the digital displays in the commander's station. Turns out that you can get a bifocal insert for the Revisions that works just great. Looking straight out (like through your sights) is normal, and looking down you can adjust your sights or fiddle with whatever close up. It was a neat solution.

 

[steve.h]

Hi everyone –My apologies if I came across as spamming in this forum. While I might be a new member, I have also been a longtime shooter and - like many of you - I experience presbyopia. Yes, as I mentioned earlier, I am an eye care professional, and am currently the COO of Superfocus (you can view my linked in profile here: http://www.linkedin.com/in/shecker)

I wanted to join in your conversations about aging, vision and shooting, because it affects me a lot, which is why I am passionate about the technology my company has created.

Anyway, I’m sorry if my participation in this forum made anyone upset. I am an honest member of the community as a shooter, and therefore I felt I had a place in this forum. I am happy to continue answering any other questions you guys have about myself or presbyopia.

-Steve

 

[Top_Gunn]

Like others who are getting along, I have a problem with presbyopia. Last year it got to the point where I could no longer shoot a rifle with iron sights accurately. When I wear glasses that let me focus on the front sight, the target isn't just blurry, it's so bad as not to be able to see enough detail to find the bullseye. Without glasses, I still have 20/15 vision but can't focus on the front sight of a rifle and still have any picture at all, even blurry, of the rear sight. So, reluctantly, I now have scopes on all my rifles, which solves that problem, but it's a real shame to have to put a scope on a lever-action rifle. Pistols at ten yards are still OK with iron sights.

So it's not really the case that you have "no problem" if you can see the front sight clearly. You have to have some sort of picture (blurry is OK, but a complete smudge isn't) of the target and the rear sight, too. All at the same time.

 

[teetertotter]

I am very near sighted and wear progressive lenses for daily wear. I have special shooting bi-focal lens which allows me to shoot at distances with great clarity and the reading portion to see where to record my score. I am fortunate to have access to a family owned optical company that has been in business for 3 generations. They specialize in specialty lenses as applications call for. We have been going to them for 30 years.

I sometimes will use the polarized clip-ons on the shooting glasses which are very small lenses. After an hours+wearing, it takes about 10 minutes for eyes to adjust to the daily wear glasses. I would not be W/O my shooting glasses.

 

[9mmepiphany]

I am happy to continue answering any other questions you guys have about myself or presbyopia.

-Steve

how about starting with these?

Also, why did the Zoom Focus Eyewear LLC/Trufocus people change the name of their product to Superfocus in October 2010?

Is there any input from any professional groups of ophthalmologists or optometrists that endorse the use of this gadget eyewear? Perhaps most important, have any eye care professionals -- ones that don't hesitate to identify their specific field -- signed off on this eyewear as being truly harmless?

as I mentioned earlier, I am an eye care professional

Also it looks like your training is in Mechanical Engineering, did I miss the medical training?