Uh oh! I need prescription glasses for shooting?! Yall's advise..?

[Robin Trains SASS 80595]

Whelp, Ive gone and 'dun it again! Turned 55 years old . I knew it was a mistake ...and the eyes are giving a bit.

My reasonable nearsightedness is 20/20 with good glasses, but gives me a fuzzy front sight picture. Not terrible, but not tack sharp.

I think my solution is bi-focals? Something I have never tried. Before I spend any $, I wanted to ask if any of you have experience with different sorts of bi-focals, some specialized "shooting glasses" or options you suggest I explore.

Many thanks for the advise!
~Robin Trains

[Jim Brown]

Get a second pair of glasses with lens for dominate eye set for focal point on the front sight of rifle/pistol.

 

[Eyesa Horg]

I have Wiley x glasses, the right lens is what the Doc set for my sights and the left is my normal progressive script. I put them in about 10 minutes or so before shooting to get used to them. There was a thread recently that highly recommended the Hunter Gold HD glasses, I will try them next. I believe @Scarlett is a dealer for them.

[Chickasaw Bill SASS #70001]

I have worn bi focals , since I was 19 or so , (far sighted)

 

 never could shoot with em . 

 

 I just pull em off , replace with safety glasses when shootin' 

 

  CB   

[Texas Joker]

I have progressive lenses: no line bifocals.

My right eye is a -4.25 diopter. Left is a bit less.

 

My shooting glasses are my single vision script  bought through zenni optical 87.1 ansii spec for about $90.

 

Big close targets with both eyes open work out fine.  If I have to do detail work I need to either take off the glasses or switch to my normal pair.

 

Long range stuff no problem.

[DeaconKC]

I have tri-focals on my glasses, the middle section is set for me to see my sights clearly. Works okay.

[J-BAR #18287]

Cheap experiment. Go to the Dollar Store and get a cheap pair of reading glasses.  Buy the ones that make your finger tip clear when extended at arm's length.  Knock out the lens that you don't use for aiming.  Get some safety glasses that can be worn comfortably over the reading glasses.  The front sight should be sharp through the reading lens but you can still see the target well with the uncorrected eye.  Your brain will figure things out after you shoot awhile.  This will tell you if you want to go to the expense of corrective lens safety glasses.

[Robin Trains SASS 80595]

Great advise! Thanks pards

[Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770]

I've worn glasses since Jr. High School, contacts since age 30. Near sighted with just a bit of astigmatism in the left eye. When I hit my mid forties, my eyes did what everybody's eyes do and stopped being so flexible, and so started carrying reading glasses with me. As a truck driver I need good long range vision. 

However, after fooling around with readers for about ten years or so, I got a bright/redneck idea. I got my Eyeball Doctor to prescribe my contacts a power LOWER than ideal for distance. It still let me see distance extremely well, BUT gave my good enough close up vision that I no longer carry the readers, and only use them when doing close up work at a bench, or sometimes reading a book. With my hand stretched out in front of me, I can see my fingerprint clearly, and still see any target. 

[bgavin]

I'm in the computer business, so I have a dedicated set of bifocals dialed in at 36" (screen) and keyboard.
This makes a rifle sight crystal clear, and the far field is clear enough to see a SASS target.

 

[Texas Maverick]

3 hours ago, Robin Trains SASS 80595 said:

Whelp, Ive gone and 'dun it again! Turned 55 years old . I knew it was a mistake ...and the eyes are giving a bit.

My reasonable nearsightedness is 20/20 with good glasses, but gives me a fuzzy front sight picture. Not terrible, but not tack sharp.

I think my solution is bi-focals? Something I have never tried. Before I spend any $, I wanted to ask if any of you have experience with different sorts of bi-focals, some specialized "shooting glasses" or options you suggest I explore.

Many thanks for the advise!
~Robin Trains

I shoot with bifocal prescription in my Wiley X frames. It does make a difference. Luckily my technician at the optometrist was also a shooter and knew how to adjust my prescription for shooting glasses. I have not had any issues with them, I hear the new Hunters Gold HD glasses are great for putting in personal prescriptions for shooting. Might want to check them out. This is the route I will probably take when I am ready for a new pair. Being 73 and not really having much difference in my prescriptions over the past 5 years has helped.

 

TM

[John Kloehr]

I am also looking at HD Gold, really just holding back due to tight funds.

 

Have never shot with bifocals, did try with progressives. Progressive lenses were a big fail; can't help bobbling my head to focus on whatever I am looking at so the eye-to-sight geometry is not stable.

 

I shoot either with my regular single-vision glasses or with my "shooting" prescription, depending on the sport. The "shooting" prescription is set for sharp focus on the front sight of a Baretta 92fs pistol (as I happen to have a green gun)

 

My optician is 2A friendly but does appreciate me not pointing a real firearm at the room wall.

[Smokin Gator SASS #29736]

I have a pair of decot glasses with right eye set for front sight focus and left for distance. Works great for iron sights. But when looking at a red dot optic the dot is a big star. This summer I got a pair of Hunters gold with both eyes distance prescription.  They are fantastic.

[Buckshot Bear]

I wish I had the testicular fortitude for corrective laser eye surgery.

[Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770]

50 minutes ago, Buckshot Bear said:

I wish I had the testicular fortitude for corrective laser eye surgery.

I'm not so sure. You know how your prescription changes as your eyeballs change? What happens after you get the LASIC and your eyeballs are fine, and they change again? You're back to not having good eyesight again.

[DocWard]

When I finally decided enough was enough, I discussed it with my eye doctor. She has worked with other shooters (had a humorous story about having police called while working on the lawn of her business with a long range black powder shooter). I decided not to lug all of my guns in. Instead, I had my daughter measure the approximate distance from my eyeball to the front sight of my rifle and shotgun as I held them, along with each pistol since I shoot double duelist. I gave the distances to my doctor, along with the ranges I tend to shoot for CAS, and a few weeks later I had shooting glasses with my preferred yellow tint. It was scary being able to see a focused front sight without eye strain.

[bgavin]

Lasik works by removing the cornea surface to correct for the vision du jour.
Eyes change, as evidenced by a changing prescription over your life time.

Lasik can usually be done only once, due to thinning of the corner.
Same as radiation therapy for prostate cancer, it is a One and Done treatment.

I hit geriatric hyperopia (Dad was an eye doctor) at age 40, been wearing glasses the last 33 years now.
I can't imagine the catastrophe of losing my vision... so I will permanently avoid Lasik, same as cataract replacment, EVs or voting Democrat.
 

[Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770]

Another strike against Lasik, the treatment can also lead to Night Blindness. Nope.

[T.K.]

Wore glasses since I was 12 switched to contacts at 18 and I first had Lasik in 2000, a touch up (Yes second Lasik) in 2010. I never had a problem. My left eye has slighrly reverted  since and I wear a contact on my left eye only. When my very slight cataract gets bad enough I'll get my prescription put into the lenses they implant.

The key to a successful Lasik is to find a Doctor that doesn't share his machine with other Doctors. Which I understand is done quite frequently because of the expense.  They all start tweeking the adjustments to their preference and pretty soon the machine is completely out of wack and requires a manufacturer reset which is also very expensive and usually not done.

My Doc was David Shapiro out of Ventura, Ca. I highly recommend him if your going to get it done.

[Shooting Bull]

I had Lasik and loved it.  Perfect eyesight.........................................for about 10 years.  I'm now back to needing glasses for close up stuff.  I've got a set of Wiley X dialed in for pistol front sight distance.  I wouldn't change a thing. 

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

I heard of one shooter who had a pair of bifocals done upside down just for shooting.

[Smokin Gator SASS #29736]

2 hours ago, Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 said:

I heard of one shooter who had a pair of bifocals done upside down just for shooting.

 

There are places that specialize in making glasses for various industrial workers who need glasses set up for specific work.

[bgavin]

One of my friends had it done, and was simply astounded at what he could finally see in the shower.
Told me he had not seen his toes in many decades.

[Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770]

26 minutes ago, bgavin said:

Told me he had not seen his toes in many decades.

I haven't either, but it doesn't have anything to do with my vision.

[Anvil Al #59168]

I wear trifocals in everyday life. 

 

No way I will shoot in them or in bifocals. 

 

My shooting glasses are just that. Set up for shooting. Front sight very clear.

I don't want to worry about making sure I have my head just right when I'm in the middle 

of a stage. 

 

I good eye doc should be able to write you one up for just that.

 

And HD Gold can make you some good glasses.   

 

[Pat Riot]

I am 62. I have worn glasses since I was 5 years old. I have never had 20/20 vision even with corrective lenses. I tried to find a prescription and lens maker that would help my vision while shooting with sights. I have not succeeded and gave up years ago. 
I see both front and rear pistol sights as slightly blurry as well as the target. Even though it’s all a blur I still shoot fairly accurately. 
 

I tell you this because you may just be one of those folks like me that cannot get the perfect set of glasses or contacts for shooting. Please don’t let this ruin your enjoyment of shooting. I nearly did years ago and then one day decided not to worry so much about it. 

[J-BAR #18287]

38 minutes ago, Pat Riot said:

Please don’t let this ruin your enjoyment of shooting. I nearly did years ago and then one day decided not to worry so much about it. 

Wisdom here, especially for SASS/CAS.  Our sport allows a bit more aiming "slop" than most shooting sports.  Enjoy!

[Scarlett]

On 11/8/2023 at 8:54 AM, Eyesa Horg said:

I have Wiley x glasses, the right lens is what the Doc set for my sights and the left is my normal progressive script. I put them in about 10 minutes or so before shooting to get used to them. There was a thread recently that highly recommended the Hunter Gold HD glasses, I will try them next. I believe @Scarlett is a dealer for them.

I was a dealer for Hunters HD Gold but I’m not  any longer. It takes more time and attention than I have available at a match to help someone pick the proper glasses. I RECOMMEND, without reservation the Hunter HD Gold Glasses. They have helped my shooting - though the promised X-Ray vision through the smoke is only about 50%. 

 

Seriously, contact Brian Conley - he developed and owns Hunters HD Gold - he will get you fixed up. There’s a guarantee… 

 

You won’t be disappointed. I promise. Look at the profile picture. Scarlett is right. 
 

Big Hugs!

 

Scarlett

[Scarlett]

Brian’s Contact info:

brian@huntershdgold.com

his cell (he’s on central time): (205) 532-9874