Getting Lasik, does it improve shooting any?

F

Fishing_Cabin

New member
Hey Folks,

I just thought I would ask. I am getting Lasik (actually that new fangled wave-front lasik) in a couple of weeks. I have 2 problems that I hope it will correct (2 Dr's say it will) and that is 1, I have an astigmatism, and second, my uncorrected vision is around 20-300. I have worn contacts for years and my shooting has been consistant. usually 95-97 score on my yearly qualifications with a pistol, 100 with shotgun and rifle.

Ive always been a decent shooter (my friends say I am better then I am) but I have to work at the sight picture because of bluring at times. I know with lighting conditions this may not always change though.

I was wondering what improvement or changes others have seen in their shooting skills before and after the Lasik. Anyone have any first hand experience?
 
if you cannot see the target then you cannot hit it. However if you can see the target but not a competent marksman then you still miss. So having good eye sight will enable you to be able to train better which will result in better accuracy :) imo that is

I have not had the surgery personally but a good friend had it and after he stopped having to put the drops in his eyes and they healed up it really did help.
 
Not my experience, but my wifes. She had each eye done differently. One is set up for reading and close work, the other for distance. If you shoot right handed, and are having something like that done you probably want your right eye done for distance.

I guess everyone is different, but it took several weeks for her vision to improve after the surgery. She was beginning to think it had made her vision worse. It has been about 3 years now and we couldn't be happier with the results. Her vision is MUCH better now.
 
If you are thinking about any eye surgery discuss it with your eye doctor. If your eye doctor is a shooter that is an added bonus. What works for one person on an Internet message board may not work for another person due to physical differences.

I met my current eye doctor competing in competitive events. It is why I switched to him.
 
I had Lasik done in 2005 as a gift from my grandma. It makes a huge difference. The whole time I was in the military I dealt with glasses (BCGs) and contact lenses. What a pain. Lasik is just like getting a mulligan. You start over again at 20/20. Some people start to lose their eye sight again, some people do not. I've tried real hard to take care of my eyes since then my eyesight is still spot on.

If you can afford it talk to your doctor and do it! The shooting sports will never look better.
 
My wife had Lasic done with each eye different. It took her a while to get adjusted to which eye to use for shooting.
 
I had Lasik early this year. I too had a high degree of astigmatism and very poor vision - similar to the OP's. I was not a candidate for Monovision surgery (typically used to correct for aging eyes and an inability to see close-up) because of the amount of astigmatism that I had.

My right eye was corrected to 20/15 as of my last checkup. My left eye, which had the most astigmatism, was corrected to about 20/40 as of my last checkup. As a part of my surgery plan I get free "tune-ups" for life. I will most likely have a tune-up done on my left eye.

I have found that my eyes are much more susceptible to dryness and allergic irritation. I keep a bottle of eye drops in my range bag. I also keep a bottle of over-the-counter anti-allergy drops handy at home and at work. Both dryness and allergic irritation can cause my vision to blur slightly. Obviously, this would affect shooting somewhat. Typically, I can blink my eyes and reduce the blurry vision to a great extent.

I really like not needing prescription sun glasses and shooting glasses. I also like not having to wear glasses in inclement weather while hunting or shooting.

All-in-all, I would do it again.
 
Thanks for the replies guys. I am confident it will improve my distance vision, which is good. I am still a bit concerned about the minor bluriness that I have, which goes from near to far, nothing major, just things arent as "crisp" as I hope they will be after the procedure.

Ive grown up shooting, and while I dont shoot every week, I still shoot alot, even though 45 ammo isnt 6.99 a box anymore. (telling my age maybe? :) )

My personal problems that I experience vision wise while shooting are thus:

1. Shooting a scoped rifle. I really dont have that much of a problem (besides holding still at times, which we all do). From prone or on the bench from 50-250 yards I can get consistant groups of less then 1/2 MOA with a bare bones 700VS in 308 with handloads or Federal Gold Medal. My other scoped rifles I can get similar results though the groups may not be as good. The cross hairs have a slight fuzz at the edge (not much, just barely noticable).

2. Unscoped rifles. I really havent shot much lately except for the AR and M16. This is similar to pistols in that trying to get a clear front sight, with everything lined up there is still a bit of a blur, or fuzz around the edge.

3. Shotguns, never really had much of a problem that I noticed. Unless shooting high speed type skeet, its more of a habit to point, lead, squeeze, and watch it go to dust. With a short barreled shotgun at the range with buckshot and slugs its basically similar. Never really had a problem with it, but then again 1oz slugs at 50 yards to a b27 target should be fairly easy for most anyone.

4. Pistols, never really been able to shoot fast with accuracy too. The blur or fuzz around the edge of the front sight is distracting moreso then a rifle. Before anyone says focus on the frontsight, I am. The front sight is the clearest part of the sight picture, as I have always been instructed it should be.

Keep in mind when I say a blur or fuzz, its more like fuzz in that it isnt crisp. I still shoot better then a good number of my friends/coworkers. Ive worked with several different instructors, trying different ideas, I may rarely get a slight improvement, it more seems to be that tiny bit of blur that holds me back from improving more.

I dont have a problem getting on target, its more that lack of crispness that I hope to get corrected as well as the distance vision. Perhaps that has given ya'll more insight on my situation, and maybe others can offer some insight.
 
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Laser surgey to treat Presbyopia has not been approved yet by the FDA in the USA. Conductive keratoplasty has been approved by the FDA.
 
i had corrective laser eye surgery a few years back. i was not a shooter at the time, but my vision was pretty abysmal.

it certainly has a life improving effect, but one oddity is that it changed my dominant eye.


maybe i was always left eye dominant, but i dunno, i always felt i used my right eye the most. after the surgery, a fear years after, i took up shooting and became almost obcessed with it and was irritated to discover i am a right handed, left eyed shooter.

bollocks!
 
I have a buddy who had lasik done. He says his vision is A LOT better, but at night any lights blur or stream, so it's a bit difficult for him to see well with headlights or streetlights etc... I would imagine shooting at night would be difficult with that occurring.
 
I had Lasik almost 3 years ago at Restore, I was really nervous, but the staff was very competent and put me at ease. I now have 20/15 vision and can shoot just as well if not better than when I wore contacts. My night vision isn't as good, but seems to have gotten better with time and I haven't had issues in low light training. My biggest issue has been an increase in sensitivity to light. Sunglasses are pretty much mandatory when I'm outside, even when overcast. But this too has gotten better over time. Overall I have no regrets about Lasik and it hasn't changed my ability to shoot one bit.
 
Each person is different. You would need to be checked to see if you are even a candidate. I did that about a dozen years ago and went through with it. My vision before the LASIK was very bad with a bad stigmatism. I think it was around 20/400. I could not even walk safely without glasses.

After the LASIK, my vision was at least 20/20 and the astigmatism was gone. Over the years, my eyes have changed some. I sometimes wear corrective glasses, but I am okay without them too.

My only regret is I wish I could have had LASIK years earlier. My vision was a major problem in sports, the military and in day to day life.

Another thing I remember is being outside in a light snow. A snowflake landed on my eyeball. I thought it was cool. No more messed up or foggy glasses. Also, nothing protecting my eyes.

And, to your question, LASIK can improve your shooting performance. Fogging glasses were such a pain on the range. All my Army time, I had to use a hand to fan my glasses between shots on the range. Contacts do not work well in a tactical environment.
 
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As my shooting got worse the screen on my TV got bigger. By the time I was up to a 55" screen it was time for the cornea implant. My shooting improved and I still have the 55" TV.:D
 
I had the surgery done in 2005 and I have loved it! I was always considered by my friends as a good pistol shot and always seemed to do pretty good. Most importantly I really ENJOY shooting a pistol. With that said I had a big scare about two weeks after surgery. I was walking along the creek and came up on a log full of turtles ( you know whats about to happen). I brought my pistol up for sight picture and I had TWO distinct rear sights. I was devastated to say the least. Turned out, they just needed a little more healing. Everything thing cleared up and I have been qualifying with 100 ever since. I only mention my mishap with the double vision as a warning, because it sounds as if you are also current LE. The new and apparently improved method of the Lasik may not cause the problem I had and I surely do not mean to give you a worry, just the heads up. Again, I love my gift of perfect vision and find myself thanking the Lord several times a week for such a blessing. Best of wishes to you!
 
Thanks for the input guys. I go tommorrow for my last pre-surgery visit. I have worn contacts for a long time now, and the Dr said that I needed to wear glasses instead of the contacts for a while before the surgery so they eyes can relax in shape, and they would double check everything a few days before the surgery to make sure that everything is still good. Both my regular eye Dr (who is an MD) and the office doing the procedure (also an MD) both feel I am a good canidate for lasik. If all goes well tommorrow, I should go friday for the surgery unless something changes.

Also, I know 104, Aduc, and sils79 mentioned some issues with with night vision, which I have been warned about as well. From what I have read and was told by both of the Dr's, is that the new "custom wave front" procedure is an improvement that really helps to retain, but also hopefully improve night vision. I do know the Dr that is doing the procedure does follow up care moreso then others I have talked to. Basically I will have an apointment the following day, and then a month later, 2 months I believe after that for a year. To be honest my main reason for posting the question here is, like many others here, I'm ok going to the doc and saying "fix me" after I get hurt/sick. When it comes to something that is elective like Lasik, I tend to be about worried more so because its an optional procedure.

Over the weekend, unless the Dr says otherwise, I will do some dry fire excercises at home and post my thoughts then.

As far as shooting afterwards, from what I understand they said give it a couple of weeks to be totally safe for a pistol or a 22, but a rifle in 50BMG I may should wait a bit more...So I guess my shoulder will get a break for a bit. :)
 
I had a great experience after having both eyes done about 5 years ago. Prior to the surgery I was left eye dominant (I'm a right hand shooter) which is a strange way to shoot a pistol. I also wore progressive lens glasses. I was a decent shooter, though and placed well in SASS and IDPA shooting.

After the surgery, my vision was corrected to near 20/20 in both eyes and the astigmatism in my right eye nearly gone. Consequently, I'm now right eye dominant and enjoy shooting even more since I no longer need glasses (except clear eye protection) to shoot. :D
 
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