The Old Salt
New member
Several months back I started out on a quest to solve part of my shooting problems by getting glasses made just for shooting. Problem was I just wanted ONE PAIR that would work for both pistol and scoped rifle.
AND I HAVE THEM!!!
I was in the Liberty MO Sam's store one day so I walked into the Optometry Dept and asked to speak to the Optometrist. When he came out wearing boots I knew there just might be a chance that this might be the guy! After a brief discussion of what my needs were and what I wanted he through he might be able to assist me. As luck would have it, he hunts and his brother target shoots. So I made an appointment.
On the day of my appointment I showed up with my 1911 slide. After we did all the usual eye testing and the "what do you like better 1 or 2" stuff, he had dialed in a distance prescription that allowed me to read all the 20/15 line and about half the 20/10 line. I was excited!
Next we set up for my bifocal requirements. This is where the 1911 slide came into the picture. He set up my bifocal prescription so the sight on the slide were in focus with the slide held in shooting position, arms length. By tweaking the focus adjustments he was able to keep the sights just in focus and the door knob to the exam room some 15' away was a little fuzzy, PERFECT!
Out to the tech I went for picking frames and setting them up. I picked a set of frames with a little bigger lens. Next they had a lab they could order the glasses from that would put the bifocal prescrip in the top portion of the lens and the distance prescrip in the bottom portion.
Why the upside down arrangement? With a little tip down of the head, your pistol sites are in focus. Got tired of tipping my head back to see the sights. With oversize lenses where 80% (all the lower) is the distance prescript, looking through my scopes I wouldn't have to try to line up the exact sweet spot in my progressive lenses to get my scope cross hairs in proper focus. What a head ache!
The minimum bifocal lens dimension was 12mm. So they ordered the glasses with 12mm bifocals on top and the rest of the lens (lower portion) the distance prescript. The lab had to make them several times to get them correct, but they finally arrived.
Took them to the range 2 weeks ago. First time results are encouraging!
Results:
Pistol, Ruger SR-1911, hand cast 230g LRN, 5.8g Unique
5 shot group, fired rapid fire, lapse time 10-12 sec, @ 7 yards was 15/16".
Best group I ever shot & I'll take that for an old blind guy!
Rilfe, Custom 308, Rem 700 Action, Bell & Carlson Stock,
Timney Trigger set 1#10oz,
Scope 6-24x50 Elite Tactical Bushnell,
Ammo 175g SMK, IMR 4064 G(*), IV (*), bullet set 0.010" off rifling
Best 5 shot group, fired at 200 yards, measured 1 1/8".
If I could learn to breath and squeeze with my heart beat, I'd do better. But at SS age that might be asking a lot.
I would post up pictures if I could ever learn how.
Anyway the new glasses are a smashing success! If you are in the KC area and have shooting issues where better glasses might assist, I couldn't recommend the Sam's Optometrist any higher. Its Thompson Family Vision inside the Liberty MO Sam's Club. Great Guy, great service, believe they have other locations as well.
AND I HAVE THEM!!!
I was in the Liberty MO Sam's store one day so I walked into the Optometry Dept and asked to speak to the Optometrist. When he came out wearing boots I knew there just might be a chance that this might be the guy! After a brief discussion of what my needs were and what I wanted he through he might be able to assist me. As luck would have it, he hunts and his brother target shoots. So I made an appointment.
On the day of my appointment I showed up with my 1911 slide. After we did all the usual eye testing and the "what do you like better 1 or 2" stuff, he had dialed in a distance prescription that allowed me to read all the 20/15 line and about half the 20/10 line. I was excited!
Next we set up for my bifocal requirements. This is where the 1911 slide came into the picture. He set up my bifocal prescription so the sight on the slide were in focus with the slide held in shooting position, arms length. By tweaking the focus adjustments he was able to keep the sights just in focus and the door knob to the exam room some 15' away was a little fuzzy, PERFECT!
Out to the tech I went for picking frames and setting them up. I picked a set of frames with a little bigger lens. Next they had a lab they could order the glasses from that would put the bifocal prescrip in the top portion of the lens and the distance prescrip in the bottom portion.
Why the upside down arrangement? With a little tip down of the head, your pistol sites are in focus. Got tired of tipping my head back to see the sights. With oversize lenses where 80% (all the lower) is the distance prescript, looking through my scopes I wouldn't have to try to line up the exact sweet spot in my progressive lenses to get my scope cross hairs in proper focus. What a head ache!
The minimum bifocal lens dimension was 12mm. So they ordered the glasses with 12mm bifocals on top and the rest of the lens (lower portion) the distance prescript. The lab had to make them several times to get them correct, but they finally arrived.
Took them to the range 2 weeks ago. First time results are encouraging!
Results:
Pistol, Ruger SR-1911, hand cast 230g LRN, 5.8g Unique
5 shot group, fired rapid fire, lapse time 10-12 sec, @ 7 yards was 15/16".
Best group I ever shot & I'll take that for an old blind guy!
Rilfe, Custom 308, Rem 700 Action, Bell & Carlson Stock,
Timney Trigger set 1#10oz,
Scope 6-24x50 Elite Tactical Bushnell,
Ammo 175g SMK, IMR 4064 G(*), IV (*), bullet set 0.010" off rifling
Best 5 shot group, fired at 200 yards, measured 1 1/8".
If I could learn to breath and squeeze with my heart beat, I'd do better. But at SS age that might be asking a lot.
I would post up pictures if I could ever learn how.
Anyway the new glasses are a smashing success! If you are in the KC area and have shooting issues where better glasses might assist, I couldn't recommend the Sam's Optometrist any higher. Its Thompson Family Vision inside the Liberty MO Sam's Club. Great Guy, great service, believe they have other locations as well.