Aging Eyes
- Thread starter ZPITA
- Start date
Stone Cold
New member
I took a course at TDI in Ohio. The staff there advised me to go with the XS sight system. I had just put wide notch Novaks on all my pistols, so I wasn't interested in spending the money. I may do one pistol and see if it helps. The instructor that used them shot pretty good despite being older than dirt.
Try contact lenses. Ask for monovision. I'm left-handed and left eye dominant. My left contact is for seeing up close and my right contact is for distance. I can see the front sight and the target this way. It works well for handguns out to 25 yards. When I use a rifle with a scope, I see better if I use a left contact with a prescription for distance. I haven't tried rifles with iron sights.
If you only need to be able to see the sights, for enjoyable shooting at the range shooting, check into the Merrit opticle aid. It costs about $70, but really works. www.meritcorporation.com (518-346-1420) Ask them to send you a catalog and tell them the trouble you're having.
I tried a guys Lyman set up at the range and it helped greatly - just like the Merrit - went to buy one but nobody had it locally - so I punched some holes in some black electricians tape - then with some experimentation found the size hole and the tape placement on my glasses that worked best -
not very fancy and I look like a dork
- but it worked - just remember to place the tape on your glasses lightly and you can peel off and reuse - 
not very fancy and I look like a dork
- but it worked - just remember to place the tape on your glasses lightly and you can peel off and reuse - This was provided by the Front Sight newletter from Ignatius Piazza. http://frontsight.com/newsletter/html/22-old-eyes.html
This sounds an awful lot like what people are looking for:
"Hansen's Eagle Eye custom shooting glasses with uniquely placed , easy to use bifocal segments will allow you to obtain a clear sight picture at your scope or handgun sights and greatly improve your shooting and hunting ability without compromising your distance viewing."
http://www.hansenseagleeye.com/
This sounds an awful lot like what people are looking for:
"Hansen's Eagle Eye custom shooting glasses with uniquely placed , easy to use bifocal segments will allow you to obtain a clear sight picture at your scope or handgun sights and greatly improve your shooting and hunting ability without compromising your distance viewing."
http://www.hansenseagleeye.com/
armedandsafe
New member
I use progressives andfind them fine for pistol. I had the intermediate range cut high into the lens (not quite half-way up) and they work for all my pistol work.
For iron sights on rifle, I got a set of the stick-on bifocals lenses they make for sunglasses. I cut out a small dot (about 3/16" dia) and placed it in the upper, inner edge of my shooting eye lens. That brings the front sight into focus and the rest of the lens is normal for distance.
I've been wearing this setup all day, every day for about 5 years now. Just last month, one of my friends asked what I had done to my glasses. She had just noticed the sighting spot for the first time.
I've seen them locally from $14 to $35. I've seen them on the web from $12 plus shipping to $45 plus shipping. They come in different strengths, so have your optician use his trial lenses to see what diopter you need for the distance from eye to front sight. Mine is still 1 diopter, but I'll be going to 1.25 diapoter next year, I fear.
http://www.neoptx.com/
Pops
For iron sights on rifle, I got a set of the stick-on bifocals lenses they make for sunglasses. I cut out a small dot (about 3/16" dia) and placed it in the upper, inner edge of my shooting eye lens. That brings the front sight into focus and the rest of the lens is normal for distance.
I've been wearing this setup all day, every day for about 5 years now. Just last month, one of my friends asked what I had done to my glasses. She had just noticed the sighting spot for the first time.
I've seen them locally from $14 to $35. I've seen them on the web from $12 plus shipping to $45 plus shipping. They come in different strengths, so have your optician use his trial lenses to see what diopter you need for the distance from eye to front sight. Mine is still 1 diopter, but I'll be going to 1.25 diapoter next year, I fear.
http://www.neoptx.com/
Pops
I agree with jaydubya; special range glasses don't help much in a self defense situation, unless you are attacked while shooting at the range! I'm 65 and suffer from something called Fuchs dystropy, a congenital condition where the cornea is not smooth, and leads to increasingly blurry vision. I was never a competitive shooter, even while in the military but I always could see well enough that a middle-of-the-night situation would not panic me (based on my vision). It is tougher now, but I also thought that a laser sight would really help. My main home defense gun is a Ruger P97 and since it does not have removable grips I guess the Crimson Trace is no help for me. On another post I have asked if anyone has a suggestion for laser sights for this gun, but no one has responded. I may have to switch back to my old standby, my S&W Model 19, 4 inch, with 38+p or 357mag ammo. For that gun I know I can get a Crimson trace.
Well, I just turned 65 and have been through most of the progression:
..Air Force pilot with perfect eyes;
..+1.5 or so off-the-shelf reading glasses for a little boost;
..stick-on plastic lens on upper half of shooting glasses, dominant eye side,
http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&ke...=aps&hvadid=2482907097&ref=pd_sl_4sy299vwa8_b
(this worked marvelously well until the eyes got worse, with the front sight in perfect focus through the top half of the protective eyewear);
..bifocals;
..trifocals (worthless; the mid distance, computer and front sight, was like looking at the world through a narrow slit);
..bifocals for driving + reading, second set of glasses for computer and front sight distance (must change glasses to read and score target; always realizing as I leave the driveway that the driving bifocals are back on the computer desk);
..ruger new-vaquero in 45 colt (to see if point-shoot is a workable solution - also, good stopping power but far less flash and noise than 357mag inside a house - never did follow through on this idea much);
..crimson trace laser on the Glock 26 (great in low light, not much help in daylight).
Only thing not tried so far is eye surgery with plastic lenses. The wife however had both eyes done last year with multi-focal re-zoom lenses because of cataracts. She had been quite near sighted all her life, and is now good-to-go for newspapers out to infinity. Uses +2 reading glasses for fine print. Only down side is eyes very sensitive to bright light; sunglasses a must-have outside. Some flare and scattering from bright lights at night.
- shu
..Air Force pilot with perfect eyes;
..+1.5 or so off-the-shelf reading glasses for a little boost;
..stick-on plastic lens on upper half of shooting glasses, dominant eye side,
http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&ke...=aps&hvadid=2482907097&ref=pd_sl_4sy299vwa8_b
(this worked marvelously well until the eyes got worse, with the front sight in perfect focus through the top half of the protective eyewear);
..bifocals;
..trifocals (worthless; the mid distance, computer and front sight, was like looking at the world through a narrow slit);
..bifocals for driving + reading, second set of glasses for computer and front sight distance (must change glasses to read and score target; always realizing as I leave the driveway that the driving bifocals are back on the computer desk);
..ruger new-vaquero in 45 colt (to see if point-shoot is a workable solution - also, good stopping power but far less flash and noise than 357mag inside a house - never did follow through on this idea much);
..crimson trace laser on the Glock 26 (great in low light, not much help in daylight).
Only thing not tried so far is eye surgery with plastic lenses. The wife however had both eyes done last year with multi-focal re-zoom lenses because of cataracts. She had been quite near sighted all her life, and is now good-to-go for newspapers out to infinity. Uses +2 reading glasses for fine print. Only down side is eyes very sensitive to bright light; sunglasses a must-have outside. Some flare and scattering from bright lights at night.
- shu
Have tried to go through everything recommended. Very detailed. Very helpful. And some very confusing.
As I shoot with only one eye open I decided the best was to get glasses with my shooting eye set up with an enloarged reading area set for actual sight distance and upper for distance. And the non shooting eye distance only.
Then I began to worry about what happens as I try to use both eyes. Should I have a clear lense or also the same as the shooting eye with larger sight focus area.
I know in the end it is up to me, but would appreciate feedback from those who may have tried this.
As I shoot with only one eye open I decided the best was to get glasses with my shooting eye set up with an enloarged reading area set for actual sight distance and upper for distance. And the non shooting eye distance only.
Then I began to worry about what happens as I try to use both eyes. Should I have a clear lense or also the same as the shooting eye with larger sight focus area.
I know in the end it is up to me, but would appreciate feedback from those who may have tried this.
UPDATE
Taking all the suggestions into consideration, Spent an more then an hour with optician with pistol working on shooting glasse. Tried many variations. Concluded the best for me would be a bifocal (not progressive) lens. The lower portion adjusted to be the front sight in perfect focus and upper part standard lens for distance.
The lower is placed higher in the frame then the normal reading lens to allow head to be in normal position for shooting with only slight head movement to have the benefit of the distance perscription.
The lens will be polycarbonate but what some of you might find interesting, since I could not have a true curved lense with the ones I picked I elected to use a standard protective frame. It is very cheap and provides not only a good frontal protection but also has flaps that protect the side of the head aroiund the eye and over the top.
Taking all the suggestions into consideration, Spent an more then an hour with optician with pistol working on shooting glasse. Tried many variations. Concluded the best for me would be a bifocal (not progressive) lens. The lower portion adjusted to be the front sight in perfect focus and upper part standard lens for distance.
The lower is placed higher in the frame then the normal reading lens to allow head to be in normal position for shooting with only slight head movement to have the benefit of the distance perscription.
The lens will be polycarbonate but what some of you might find interesting, since I could not have a true curved lense with the ones I picked I elected to use a standard protective frame. It is very cheap and provides not only a good frontal protection but also has flaps that protect the side of the head aroiund the eye and over the top.