Prescription glasses for shooting with iron sights?

[mmattockx]

I figure this belongs here, since it relates mostly to my shooting of milsurp rifles and many of our older members have already had to deal with this problem.

Well, that time has come. I am 44 and have noticed a significant degradation in my shooting with iron sights over the last 12-14 months. Up until this summer I could consistently shoot 2-3" groups at 100yds with most every milsurp I have using the issue sights. Now I am more in the 5"-6" range and am noticing that I have a very hard time focusing on the targets now, especially if the lighting is not very good.

So, what do I want to look for in the way of glasses to help out my shooting? Single focus, bi-focal, something else? Lens type? Any other tips, maybe a stronger prescription than for everyday use or something biased towards distance sight?


Thanks,
Mark

 

[Old Outlaw]

You need to get an eye examination first. Explain to the Doc what you want to do. Give him an idea of the distance the rear sight is and front sight is from your eye. I have to wear tri-focals no matter what. But, I got the blended ones and have no real problem now. Lined trifocals are a bugger for me to shoot with. Only your Doc can answer your question.

 

[mmattockx]

You need to get an eye examination first. Explain to the Doc what you want to do. Give him an idea of the distance the rear sight is and front sight is from your eye. I have to wear tri-focals no matter what. But, I got the blended ones and have no real problem now. Lined trifocals are a bugger for me to shoot with. Only your Doc can answer your question.

Yes, I will be getting an exam. I was more wondering about the glasses details and what works/doesn't work specifically for shooting.


Mark

 

[samsplacci71]

OP, iron sights take some getting used to. Old Outlaw, in spite of his trifocals, is a good shot. I am nearsighted as well, so I use contact lenses for sports, outdoor or work requiring safety glasses and of course shooting. This may be an option. I have also come up with a solution to help me focus as distances over 100m using iron sights. Take a sheet of typical 8 1/2" x 11" blank white paper. Print or draw a large V, I mean a V that takes up the entire page, in bold and black. Align the bottom point of the vee with the bullseye of your target. This should help. It has worked wonders for me.

 

[Chuckbuster]

I'm on my first pair of bifocals...I guess progressive lenses is the new term. I had the same issue you have, a noticeable decline in the ability to use open sights, even apertures were becoming difficult. Also, I found that I could barely discern the target at 100 yards whereas in years past, I could call the placement of groups with my Garand. Right now, with the progressives I currently have, I find it much easier to see both sights and target. I suppose that for the most part, I am looking through the distance portion of the lens when sighting, but fortunately, I have had no major issues with transitioning from a single distance focus lens to the current lens when it comes to shooting. However, two things I have noticed are that I have a pair of single focus distance lens glasses and now find them unsatisfactory for shooting, and if I put them on, my sense of balance is disrupted; especially on stairs...so I need to watch my step if wearing them until I adjust to the new feeling of balance.

 

[vandoo66]

Damn this hits home!!! Goin on 47 and finally got to admitting I needed an eye exam 2 mths ago. I'll follow this closely as I have given myself the summer to ''swallow'' the fact that I'm OLD.

 

[glycerin]

It is critical, optically to see the front sight most clearly(especially for handgun, M4, etc.). I am near-sighted, and get one lense(right for me) focused at pistol front sight distance. My target is always blurry(your eye will accurately find centre of a blur, but front sight alignment is critical). Rifle works similar, but don't know how it works for far-sighted people. Aperture front and rear sights are very good for old eyes.

 

[bushwhacker]

I have progressive bifocals. Need them primarily for reading, but they also slightly magnify for distance. Despite all the horror stories I have heard about people falling down stairs with progressive glasses, I have never had a moment's trouble. My right eye is my better eye, which is fortunate since I am right handed. I shoot handgun with them. If I am sighting in a rifle I will wear them, but don't when hunting. It is worthwhile to get safety glass in glasses. I have had no luck with plastic lenses. The glass ones get scratched up soon enough. Opticians will try to sell you plastic because they are lighter. Your experience may vary from mine, but that is what I have found.
Bill

 

[Chuck3436]

My eyes aren't bad to the point where I'm required to wear glasses for my drivers license, but I'm borderline. So not required, but getting bad.

Let's just say that once I got a set of glasses everything looked high def. I can actually SEE the sights on my k98k now. Before It was literally lining up small blurs upon small blurs and I was just happy to hit paper at 100yards if even that at times.

In terms of range time, some ranges will and some won't allow you to use only prescription glasses for eye protection. I bought a pair of revision sawflies and got the RX insert done with my prescription for proper eye protection if the need arises.

That being said, I think a professional eye doctor will tell you what you need and whats available to you in terms of glasses. Just don't cheap out on lenses, get nice thick plastic, non-scratch, UV protection, no-glare blah blah blah.

One thing I do notice is that certain magnification scopes cause slight distortion when used through my glasses. Of course, I don't really NEED glasses with a SCOPE because its already magnified and clear. If i COMBINE the 2, I sometimes notices slight distortion of the sight picture, something to do with multiple layers of glass added between my glasses and the scope. Its minor but slightly annoying. YMMV.

 

[Silverado]

You're in Airdrie... there is a 'shooter's optometrist (or ophthalmologist?) in Edmonton. He advertises in a few national magazines, and has an ad in the front entrance of P&D. Perhaps it would be worth a trip?

 

[purple]

I recommend an eye exam and a discussion with the eye doctor. I just recently had one and the doctor just happened to be a young fellow who was getting into shooting and was very keen to help.

 

[H4831]

Been there, done that.
Think firstly during your examination, what would be best for you, disregarding firearms. No eyes, even the best young eyes can focus on the rear sight, the front sight and the target, at the same time.
So with all those years of shooting, most shooters can't really say how they have been managing things. Some will switch their focus from one to the other, without really thinking of what they are doing. With rear aperture sights, one can just look through the peep, and thus have only two points to want to see clearly.
I think the best of rifle shooters concentrate on the front sight, look through the aperture, which most target rifles have and let the target get a bit out of focus.
With bulls eye pistol shooting, concentrating on the front sight is very important. I once had an optometrist put emphasis on getting the front sight in focus, at my extended arms length.
This was not satisfactory and I would never do it again. For double vision I would just get graduated lenses.
One other thing to point out is the coatings that can be put on glasses, (Plastic lens.) There is a huge difference in various coatings that can be put on. You can pay a bit more and have a coating applied to the lens.
Or, you can double the price of the lens and have a top quality coating put on. I am a firm believer in getting the best coating you can buy, applied to the lenses. The difference in driving, especially night driving, has to be seen to believed. And of course, shooting is also greatly improved.

 

[Chuckbuster]

I have progressive bifocals. Need them primarily for reading, but they also slightly magnify for distance. Despite all the horror stories I have heard about people falling down stairs with progressive glasses, I have never had a moment's trouble. My right eye is my better eye, which is fortunate since I am right handed. I shoot handgun with them. If I am sighting in a rifle I will wear them, but don't when hunting. It is worthwhile to get safety glass in glasses. I have had no luck with plastic lenses. The glass ones get scratched up soon enough. Opticians will try to sell you plastic because they are lighter. Your experience may vary from mine, but that is what I have found.
Bill

I had a few issues with balance and depth perception when I first got my progressives...I had to hold on to the hand rail when going down stairs. I now have the opposite problem...I have the balance and depth perception issues when wearing single focus lenses. However, the problem dissipates after a few hours.

 

[mmattockx]

OP, iron sights take some getting used to. Old Outlaw, in spite of his trifocals, is a good shot. I am nearsighted as well, so I use contact lenses for sports, outdoor or work requiring safety glasses and of course shooting. This may be an option. I have also come up with a solution to help me focus as distances over 100m using iron sights. Take a sheet of typical 8 1/2" x 11" blank white paper. Print or draw a large V, I mean a V that takes up the entire page, in bold and black. Align the bottom point of the vee with the bullseye of your target. This should help. It has worked wonders for me.

I am used to iron sights and have always enjoyed shooting with them. I just can't see worth crap anymore at distances. Contacts may be an answer, but I don't need glasses for the rest of life (yet) and have a serious issue with sticking things in my eyes. Do they allow multiple focal lengths without problem? The target idea is good, but one of my problems is with iron sights in service rifle shoots and I can't doctor up those targets.

Damn this hits home!!! Goin on 47 and finally got to admitting I needed an eye exam 2 mths ago. I'll follow this closely as I have given myself the summer to ''swallow'' the fact that I'm OLD.

It does suck, but beats the alternative.

It is critical, optically to see the front sight most clearly(especially for handgun, M4, etc.). I am near-sighted, and get one lense(right for me) focused at pistol front sight distance. My target is always blurry(your eye will accurately find centre of a blur, but front sight alignment is critical). Rifle works similar, but don't know how it works for far-sighted people. Aperture front and rear sights are very good for old eyes.

I have no problems with pistols (yet), the targets are close enough that my vision is no issue. It is at 100+ yards that I struggle, a 6" round target used to be no problem to pick up, but now is a small fuzzy dot.

Let's just say that once I got a set of glasses everything looked high def. I can actually SEE the sights on my k98k now. Before It was literally lining up small blurs upon small blurs and I was just happy to hit paper at 100yards if even that at times.

What did you get for glasses? Single focus, bifocal? Any issues switching focus between the sights and the target?

You're in Airdrie... there is a 'shooter's optometrist (or ophthalmologist?) in Edmonton. He advertises in a few national magazines, and has an ad in the front entrance of P&D. Perhaps it would be worth a trip?

I will look him up. My mom lives in Leduc, so is a good excuse to go for a visit.

I recommend an eye exam and a discussion with the eye doctor. I just recently had one and the doctor just happened to be a young fellow who was getting into shooting and was very keen to help.

Good to hear, that would be great to get some expert help that understands the use.


Mark

 

[bearhunter]

You need to get an eye examination first. Explain to the Doc what you want to do. Give him an idea of the distance the rear sight is and front sight is from your eye. I have to wear tri-focals no matter what. But, I got the blended ones and have no real problem now. Lined trifocals are a bugger for me to shoot with. Only your Doc can answer your question.

In all honesty, nothing is really satisfactory when you get to a certain point of degeneration.

At this point, the only iron sighted rifles I shoot are those with ghost ring rear sights as that is conducive to counteracting the near sightedness by making things appear to be smaller. Near sighted people can't focus because things are actually expanded to irregularity.

The other iron sighted rifles I can get by with are those with 29 in bbls. I seem to be able to focus on the front sight and the target quite well. The rear sight, is usually fairly blurry.

I wear progressive lenses. I can't focus on a face, for recognition more than 5 feet away, without my glasses.

 

[silverfoxdj]

What ever prescription you decide on, check out REVISION eye ware, they are mil spec with perscription lens holder inserted separately to the frame, you can change the outer lens Clear, Yellow & Green and work well..

You can buy the frame inserts and assembly and take it to your optician for a final fitting.

 

[buffdog]

One thing that you should do is get your glasses a bit higher than usual. When you take aim, your head tilts downward slightly, and having oversized shooting glasses that have more area toward the top allows you to look through the lens. With regular sized glasses, there is a distinct possibility of looking OVER the top rim of the lens and not through the lens.

Also, when I was shooting pistol a lot, I had a bit of a rubber suction cup that had a hole through the center. It sure tightened up groups, and acted sort of like a peep sight that was attached to your glasses. Don't know if you can still buy them though.

 

[cyclops666]

I figure this belongs here, since it relates mostly to my shooting of milsurp rifles and many of our older members have already had to deal with this problem.

Well, that time has come. I am 44 and have noticed a significant degradation in my shooting with iron sights over the last 12-14 months. Up until this summer I could consistently shoot 2-3" groups at 100yds with most every milsurp I have using the issue sights. Now I am more in the 5"-6" range and am noticing that I have a very hard time focusing on the targets now, especially if the lighting is not very good.

So, what do I want to look for in the way of glasses to help out my shooting? Single focus, bi-focal, something else? Lens type? Any other tips, maybe a stronger prescription than for everyday use or something biased towards distance sight?


Thanks,
Mark

These ...

[/IMG]

 

[bigedp51]

You guys are something else, as an American I have to ask this question.............................

Don't you have any cheap bastards in Canada who understand how a camera aperture works?

I'm 63 and have chronologically gifted eyesight and also watch what Olympic Shooters use in competition.

Below shooting glasses costing big bucks that put a big dent in your wallet.

http://www.pyramydair.com/blog/2007/09/shooting-glasses.html

What a cheap bastard uses, a cheap pair of flip up sun glasses with a small hole drilled in the plastic lens.
NOTE: Below are for shooting a rifle and the hole is off center, for a pistol the hole would be in the center of the lens.



F-stop and the hole in my sunglasses explained.......watch the birdie.



Now stop your #####ing and crying and drill a small hole.

 

[Ganderite]

Like Glycerin said:

It is critical, optically to see the front sight most clearly(especially for handgun, M4, etc.). I am near-sighted, and get one lense(right for me) focused at pistol front sight distance. My target is always blurry(your eye will accurately find centre of a blur, but front sight alignment is critical). Rifle works similar, but don't know how it works for far-sighted people. Aperture front and rear sights are very good for old eyes.


As you age, your eye muscles get less elastic and cannot pull the eyeball into the focus you want. The solution is to cheat and use a lens to get the focus you want. The lens will correct astigmatism and give you a nice focus for the distance you want. A pair of prescription reading glasses does the same thing for about 12"to 18". The lower part of your bifocals are the same as reading glasses. I have a pair of glasses set for good focus at 24". I use them for the computer.

For shooting glasses, the left lens is your usual bifocal, so you can see your target, read the flags, and see your score book, ammo and magazine, etc. The right lens is a single prescription focused for your FRONT sight. If you shoot both pistol and rifle (shotgun) you need two pair. My shooting glasses cost about $45 a pair, so cost is no issue.

When you go for the eye exam, take a pistol slide or an air pistol as a device to find the correct focus for the front sight. A meter stick (yard stick for the old farts) will work for finding the focus for the rifle front sight.

A lens is made quite large, with the optical center in the middle. From this blank the lens for the glasses is cut out. The optical center need not be in the center of the glasses. #### your head the way you do when shooting, and let the doctor note the part of the lens you are looking through. For a rifle it will be near the top left of the lens, so that is where the optical center should go.

If your rifle has an adjustable rear aperture, click it smaller until the light gets dimmer. That is the setting to use. It gives you better depth of field. As stated, it does not matter if the target is blurry. You can hit the center of a blurry target, so long as the front sight is sharp.

One of the members of our National Rifle Team is an optician in Toronto. GTA shooters can pm me for his phone number.