reading glasses vs distance vision

G

geetarman

New member
How many of you, if you have bi-focals/reading glasses use the reading glasses when using a scope? Anyone?

The older I get, the harder it is for me to get a crisp reticle when wearing my normal distance vision glasses. Would there be an advantage when using a scope to adjust the reticle and sight picture while wearing readers?

Thanks
 
Adjust the scope's eyepiece to give best focus on the reticule; that's what it's for. That has to be done every time you get new prescriptions in your glasses. I've had to do that for decades. So does everyone else wearing prescription glasses.

The range focus on the scope doesn't need to be changed; all it does is focus the target image on the reticule. It's the eyepiece that focuses the reticule in your eye and it adjusts to compensate for different lenses in your glasses.
 
Bart B. Adjust the scope's eyepiece to give best focus on the reticule; that's what it's for. That has to be done every time you get new prescriptions in your glasses. I've had to do that for decades. So does everyone else wearing prescription glasses.

The range focus on the scope doesn't need to be changed; all it does is focus the target image on the reticule. It's the eyepiece that focuses the reticule in your eye and it adjusts to compensate for different lenses in your glasses.
Click to expand...

You may have solved a problem that I have dealt with for years... thanks :)
 
A quick couple of points to add.
The best way to set up eyesight adjustment with a scope's rear adjustment is to use a blank sheet of typing paper! You place it in front of the scope bent up at a 45 degree angle. What it does is to give a featureless background to the reticule so that you JUST focus the rear for your eye, nothing else.

While doing this look fully away from the scope/paper for a few seconds occasionally. This rests the eye which will be automatically trying to compensate as you go. The ideal setup is the reticule being instantly tack sharp as you first look into the eyepiece. If its "a bit fuzzy" but quickly becomes sharp you're still a little out, go back & refine a bit more till it is dead sharp instantly.

Also those with bi/trifocals.
Make sure you're looking through the same part of the lens setting up as when you're using the scope. I know it sounds obvious but its really easy to have a different part of the lens in use when bench-resting for scope adjustments than the one you normally shoot with.
 
^^^^^^^^^^

Hooray for wogpotter putting all that stuff in print!!!!!

You can also put a sheet of tissue over the objective lens held there with a rubber band. Then you've got both hands free to hold and adjust the scope.
 
Thanks for all the replies.

What I have noticed is that the last few years, none of the scopes I have really have a clear distinct profile out to the edges.

I worked in optical tooling for a lot of years and I remember certain manufacturers produced optics with absolutely stellar optics. Others not so much. Some manufacturers had considerable variation even within the product line.

I have quite a few scopes ranging from Weaver to Nightforce and the reticle is easier to dial in on some than the others.

I know my age has a lot to do with it but I do remember what is was like to view a reticle that just popped into focus.

I get my eyes checked regularly and the doc says there is nothing wrong with my vision . . .it is just not like it was when I was 25.

I have worn glasses for a lot of years now and used to wear my glasses when looking for groundhogs. When I spotted them. I took my glasses off because I had my scopes adjusted for clear vision with an unaided eye.

We have a neutral background on the berms at the range and I am familiar with the technique of how the reticle is supposed to be adjusted. The problem is it seems regardless of what I do, the reticle is not clear and sharp from the center to the edges. I am going to try the tissue technique next. Perhaps that will help.
 
A lot of that would relate to the pitch of the eyepiece focus screw.
Personally I like a coarse pitch as the reticules optical center movement is faster so the effect of our-in-out of focus can be "rocked" better.

If I had to deal with some kind of aberration (spherical) that was throwing the center or edges out I'd just go for center & ignore the edges. Lets face it how often did you aim on the fringe of the circle?
 
I wear bifocals, but cant my head over so much when shooting that I never noticed a difference. However, that is me and not everybody. I still shoot a recurve bow without sights and it made a heck of a difference wearing bifocals. The eye Doc only knows what you tell him, so you have to be precise when you explain what is going on. I was told by two different eye Doctors that my long range vision was getting better as I got older. In an office test yes, in the real world no. Both were older, competent Doctors and believed me. When I was younger, I could draw a circle around a Coke can, fill it in with black marker, and put holes in it all day with my open sighted mauser at 100 yards. Now I can't even see the spot at 100 yards without a scope. Things are different outside the office.
 
wogpotter A quick couple of points to add.
The best way to set up eyesight adjustment with a scope's rear adjustment is to use a blank sheet of typing paper! You place it in front of the scope bent up at a 45 degree angle. What it does is to give a featureless background to the reticule so that you JUST focus the rear for your eye, nothing else.

While doing this look fully away from the scope/paper for a few seconds occasionally. This rests the eye which will be automatically trying to compensate as you go. The ideal setup is the reticule being instantly tack sharp as you first look into the eyepiece. If its "a bit fuzzy" but quickly becomes sharp you're still a little out, go back & refine a bit more till it is dead sharp instantly.
Click to expand...

You and Bart B. have "cleared up" a few things that had been bothering me for some time.

I followed your advice/recommendations, and had my first enjoyable experience using a scope.

Thank you both :)

10403278_960301820653673_3871436618270578441_n.jpg
 
I have progressive lenses on my regular glasses and found that sighting with a scope was a problem because I never thought the target was clear when the reticle was clear even when I adjusted the reticle focus.
I talked to my optometrist and he explained that the progressive grind is only really accurate at the center and sighting a rifle tends to cause sighting towards the edges of the grind.
He recommended getting a pair of shooting glasses without the progressive grind. They were a big improvement and I found that I actually shot more consistently. They are my 'rifle glasses' or 'scope glasses' now.

However, when I am shooting a hand gun with iron sights, I use my progressive glasses because I can see the front sight better and seem to shoot the hand guns more accurately. With the 'rifle glasses' the front sight is a real blur and I don't shoot as accurately.
 
Glasses and scope

This thread is only from last year so I will post what I went through Sunday.

I was not satisfied with the site in of my 721 Remington in 30-06 with my Gamegetter 8.5 x 32.

I wear glasses so I figured that I should wear them for eye protection and to help me shoot better as others have done. My glasses are only single vision so I figured that I would have no problem. I shot 50 rounds of my hand loads and was getting to the point that I had my zero in good at 100 yards but I was having to deal with a blurry target for a second before my vision cleared. One second is a long time when hunting.

Just to try it I tried shooting without my glasses...wow my target was clear so I tried a couple shots......the shots hot the tree a few feet to the right of my target......hmmm Back on with the glasses and a few shots and I was right back on target but blurry.......

Then the light bulb moment my glasses are prisims so not only was I fighting the focal length of the glasses I was fighting the prisim.

Another 50 rounds and I was back on target eventually as it took a while with a 1/8" turret.
 
I wear reading glasses but thankfully the kind I can buy at the drug store because I'm hard on glasses.

Normally I don't have to use them one any of my scopes. I can focus the score. The exception is the M82 I use on my M1903A4. For some reason I'm not able to adjust it for my eyes and have to use my reading glasses.

My problem is iron sights. I have no problem seeing the front sight without the glasses but I cant read the marks on the sight adjustment knobs or write in my data book.

To solve this I buy two pair of reading glasses, the same kind and style but different power. I measure the distance between my eye and the front sight of the rifle. Then find one pair that meets that requirement. The second pair is the power I use for reading.

On one set of glasses, the one for seeing the front sight, I pop out the left lens and replace it with the left lens of the reading glasses.

Works great I can see the front sight and have the left eye to make adjustments or notes in the data book.
 
I have an astigmatism, on a good day when it's not so bad I can focus the crosshair just fine on a bad day I see two crosshairs one will be bold the other will be faint or what I call a ghost image.

I have progressive lens glasses that I need for reading however they do nothing to help my astigmatism so I shoot without my glasses.

As I get older I sure wish I had good knees and good eyes again, the things I took for granted in my youth.
 
I hope it was "clear" that a person should adjust the scope for far vision (glasses?), not reading glasses.

If you adjust for reading glasses, it may be okay for the range, so you can see the close-up stuff, but for hunting, you don't want to be walking around with reading glasses. You may trip and fall and won't be able to spot game well.
 
I prefer to wear shooting glasses when shooting, because I don't trust that regular prescription glasses will provide all that much protection. So, I simply focus the eyepiece for a crisp reticle with the non-prescription safety glasses.

It does make it necessary for me to take off the safety glasses, put on the reading glasses, etc., when switch between shooting and reading or writing notes, etc.

I do the same thing with red dots and of course pay the same price in inconvenience. OTOH, I wold never expect to have my reading glasses on under 'field' conditions or to have the need for taking notes, so I think it all works out.
 
Stick On Readers

I take my shooting glasses and stick on the Optx reading lenses. The stick-ons can be placed on the top or on the bottom of your shooting glasses lens.

Placing a stick-on reader on the top of your shooting glass lens will let you look through it to see the front sight when your head is down. Placing a stick-on reader on the bottom of your shooting glasses lens will let you read your data book. And if your eyes change, just peel them off and put different ones on.

http://www.amazon.com/OPTX-20-Stick...TF8&qid=1441717720&sr=8-3&keywords=optx+20/20

Best of luck,

Wes
 
Back before my cataract surgery, I wore tri-focals. My solution to the iron-sight problem was to have a small lens glued to the upper inside corner of the master-eye lens. The correction, then, was the same as the middle portion of the tri-focal; perfect for arms-length sighting of a handgun in my usual Weaver stance. Worked for iron sights on rifles as well.

Lens size of about 1/2" x 3/4".

Slight blur of target, but it seems more important for the sights to be sharp.

Scopes? I've always adjusted the eyepiece so the view is sharp. No biggie.
 
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