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SASS Optometrist


Hopalong Mac McLin

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Looks like I need to start using prescription shooting glasses and need some guidance from an Optometrist familiar with the needs of the shooter. Any suggestions? I am in the North Alabama/Decatur area.

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Mac, I went to one a few years ago in Hendersonville, TN that is kin to one of our shooters. When I called and talked to him he told me to bring my guns. After the initial exam we went out back with my guns. He put a frame on me that excepted drop in lens and changed lens while I had the rifle shouldered till I had a crisp clear view of the front sight. Then checked with the pistols and it was clear also so that is what I went with.

 

Many will tell you to get the dominant eye set for front sight distance and the non-dominant set for distance. I tried that back in the 90's and could never get used to them and had to tape over the lens for distance. It may be because I shoot with both eyes open, I don't know, but it didn't work for me.

 

Randy

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My shooting glasses are set up like RSE's were setup by his optometrist. It takes about 20 minutes for me to get used to wearing them. When I first wore them I immediately was shooting stages several seconds shorter. They worked for me. I shoot with both eyes open. I would never drive a vehicle wearing them!

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Randy....who is the optometrist? I shoot with both eyes open too. My glasses are for distance; therefore, I need distance enhancement in my non-dominant eye but none in my right. I am presently using non-prescription safety glasses now and am getting by, but would really enjoy a little distance crispness.

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I just use my regular ones which are progressive. This gets sort of complicated. Do you want to see the target? Do you want to see your front sight? I think you have to pick, or drive your brain into overload with one lense for target=far and one lense for calibrated for the front sight. Add to that which is your dominant eye.

 

Then you have to look at the range(s) you shoot at. If the targets are close and are big, then you calibrate for the target and see it and allow your hands to guide you.

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I don't want any distance crispness, I just want to see the front sight, targets a little fuzzy are fine.

 

I don't remember his name off hand but I can find out. He's kin to or friends with Jagged Rock.

 

Randy

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I just call or talk to a prospective optometrist. I ask, what type of competitive shooters have you fit shooting glasses for? If the deer in the headlights look appears, I move on.

 

I use a front-sight-sharp dominant eye and distance sharp weak eye, single prescription lens for my shooting glasses. I would NEVER again try competitive shooting with the progressive lenses I use every day - takes too much time and too much neck straining to get the lenses right where the front sight is clear.

 

Good luck, GJ

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What GJ said.......Front sight....front-sight-sharp ;) Have dominant eye done for front sight, other eye for normal script. My regular eye doc knew exactly what to do. I still had small bifocals put in the bottom for reading stages and handling stuff, never in my way while shooting. Good Luck :)

 

Jefro :ph34r: Relax-Enjoy

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It is the Front Sight that should be in focus, not the target. One of the advantages that the younger shooters have is the ability for their eyes to change focal points rapidly. I don't like the dual lenses (close and far) setup, although I know that it is used by some. For many years I just used a prescription that set the focus on the front sight. I finally made the change to progressive lenses. It took a while for me to get use to them, but I now very much like them.

 

Snakebite

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I have two pair of shooting glasses because I shoot two different disciplines of shooting. For Skeet and Trap one need a clear focus on the bird which is 20 to 50 yards away and the gun sights are fuzzy. In fact one should not even be looking at the front sight but should know where the end of the shotgun is from your peripheral vision. For this reason both lenses in my Skeet glasses have correction for distance focus. For rifle, musket or pistol shooting the front sight on the gun needs to be clear and sharp and the target can be a little fuzzy. My glasses for this kind of shooting have the right eye focal point at about 34 inches and the left eye focal point at the standard 20/20 focus. Sometimes it is hard to go from one to the other in one day but I have done it.

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You might want to consider the fact that the distance to the front sights on your rifle and your pistols may be significantly different

 

A compromise may be required unless you are willing to adjust barrel length. This is why I have always shot 24".(rifle that is).

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You don't really need a "shooting optometrist." Just one who will listen to what you want. To avoid problems at the Dr's office, I had my wife measure the distance from the rifle front sight to my eye. I taped a pencil on a yardstick at that distanced and took it along. I asked the Dr for a lens to focus at that distance with my dominant eye and a purely distance lens for the other. He tried a couple of lenses until that pencil point was sharp. It takes me 30 or 40 seconds after I put my shooting glasses on to get used to the "mono-vision." I keep both eyes open when I am shooting. YMMV

 

Chancy

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L&M Lenses out of Silver Dollar in Odessa Florida did my current lenses in Wiley X frames.

 

Wrap around protection and great focus on the rifle/ pistol front sight.

 

Just sayin'

 

AR

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