Merit Optical Eyepiece

merit

I have two of them. The Merit is one of a number of adjustable iris shooting aids available.In addition to the Merits, I have adjustable irises on my .22 target rifles and I have a set of Champion adjustable shooting glasses which house an adjustable iris (for air pistol and Free pistol)
The Merit and the others are for target work and they do what they do - provide an increased depth of field and sharpen the image of the front sight - quite well. For a shooter whose eyes need help and who does not want to or cannot use a red dot sight, the Merit is a useful accessory. There is a short learning curve to finding the best position for the item on one's glasses but once that is done, the Merit works just fine
Pete
 
I agree with my friend, Pete. While introducing my neighbor, 67, to pistol shooting, out of curiosity he tried my merit. He ordered one the next day.

To add to Pete's comments, the merit works best for me (I have some some retina damage) on brighter days when I can dial it down -- I can focus on more than just the front sight. On overcast days it isn't as effective. Also, take care not to let it get away from you. The suction cup model is small and easy to misplace. I don't know how many times I've seen a "Lost: Merit device" in the gun club newsletter. For rifle work, I'd opt for the Merit adjustable receiver sight aperture.
 
I had a Merit until the suction cup dried out and cracked and eventually got lost altogether. I replaced it with another aperture that clamps onto my glasses (Champion?).

While they did increase my depth of field, they didn't really help my shooting. I suspect there's either a learning curve I wasn't willing/able to get through, or that they simply work better for some than others.

One piece of advice I'd offer is, with the greater depth of field, be sure you keep your awareness your sight alignment. With the target easier to get into focus, it's easy to get sloppy and negate the benefits of the aperture.
 
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