Old eyes and shooting specs

S

Scott Evans

Staff Alumnus
I turned 50 this year and have needed and used bifocals for about 2 years for reading. What recommendations can those with some expertise make for me as to what I should be asking for in the way of shooting spectacles? It seems like I need the stronger reading lens at the top of the eye glass as well as the bottom. What has worked for you? This is very frustrating. :confused:
 
Hello, Scott Evans. Getting old sucks! I used to be heavly involved in IHMSA in my 20's..few years ago I started shooting handguns again after about a 20 year layoff..couldn't see the sights! I too have used the Merit, but it has a suction cup..and in cold fall weather, it doesn't always want to stick. I have found a clip-on Gehman with adjustable appature holes to be easier..also can be flipped up out of way. Sinclair International/Brownells have them.
 
Hey, try trifocals! What I did that worked like a charm was have a glued-on extra lens attached to the upper inside corner for my master eye. Same grind as the middle part of the tri-focal. Just right for dashboard, 172 panel or gun sights.

Oval, about 1/2 or 3/4 inch by 3/4 or one inch. The larger size works well with the RayBan aviator-style glasses. Fairly inexpensive add-on.

Handgun sights were razor sharp, with only a slight blur of the target. Same for iron sights on a rifle.
 
I went to no line bifocals several years ago and can now use iron sights again ! They allow you to find a focal point that works to focus both front and rear sights .
 
I went to no line bifocals several years ago and can now use iron sights again ! They allow you to find a focal point that works to focus both front and rear sights .
Click to expand...
For me too, this works very well with iron sighted pistols.
 
I wear no line progressive and transitions lenses, I buy 2 each year, I tend to break glasses. When I'm on the puter (like now) I wear cheapy reading glasses from CVS :)
 
I use two different lenses, the right one for the sights, and the left one for the target.
Any kind of split or progressive lenses didn't work for me.
I never seemed to have my eyes in the right part to see well.
This, however, works very well and can be home made, with drugstore reading glasses, if your long range vision isn't too bad.
If not, then prescriptions would be required.
 
no line trifocals

Me too thought my days of shooting iron sights were gone but no-line trifocals put me back in the game maybe better than before I can bobble head up and down and get a very good focus on the front sight 58 year old eyes and all, get them made out of polycarbonate and they will be light and you eyes will be protected
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At 47 I am in the same boat.
I had to get a pair of bifocals to see better,turned out I couldn't see anything with them on so I just quit wearing them lol...I work const. couldn't see my feet with the bifocals and working over head couldn't see anything close up in the upper part of the glasses it was all blurry?...I also worry a bit about shooting my scoped rifles with glasses,that's the biggest reason I held off so many years on getting glasses....I'll have to try the iron sights with the cheaters on lol :D
Good Luck
 
Find yourself a good opthamologist. Get lasik'd or if you have cataracts like I did, get intraocular lens implants. I had worn glasses since I was eight years old. Now I don't unless it is small print in low light, then I wear magnifiers from the 99 Cent Store.
 
Progressives don't work too well for me re handguns. I have to hold my head at a peculiar angle to get the "mid range" Rx.

The guy who makes my glasses told me about glasses he makes for golfers. The mid range Rx is a little circle on the inside lower corner of the lens for the master eye.

He says for me the solution is that little circle on the inside upper corner of my master eye.
 
I live with progressives but don't really care for them. I have been to a couple eye Doctors and they tell me the same thing: "Your far sighted vision is getting better with age, not an uncommon thing." Have any of you been told that crap? I am now supposed to have 20/20 far sighted vision according to the tests. I can't even see the spot at 100 yards I used to shoot at with open sights in my 20's.
 
old eyes

I shoot skeet and sporting clays using Decot Hy-Wyd sporting glass that have small bifocal dots for reading (ammo boxes, score cards, etc.). Their lenses, in various tints, are snap-in / snap-out. For hand-gun shooting thru iron sights (e.g. cowboy action), they made me a right-eye byfocal snap-in lens with the top set for my INTERMEDIATE prescription. This gives me a sharp focus on the front pistol sight with the right eye; with the left I am still set to see targets sharply at a distance. I leave these glasses on for 2-3 hours of a SASS match -- no headaches or other problems. Good luck finding the best solution for you!
 
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