Seeing the front sight clearly...

T

topspin43

New member
:confused:

I am a fairly new shooter... love the sport, took lessons and have been practicing dilligently. As a 50 year old, I have 20/20 vision but need reading glasses to see up close. I own a Beretta 92 FS Stainless with red dot sights. My problem is... I cannot see that front sight perfectly --- I NEED LONGER ARMS!!
Should I use my reading glasses while shooting? Then I'll have problem seeing down range. Any thoughts?

BTW love this forum... everyone is so patient with us rookies!

Boynton Beach, FL
 
I have been going thru the samething i'm still getting by on the pistols but had to put scopes on my rifles.Lot of the guys are going to Reddots on the pistols ugly but they do work.Been thinking about trying to get a special pair of glasses, guess there is always the Tri focal.Friend uses them and does real well but have never heard anything good about them in normal wear.
 
An optemetrist can make you a pair of glasses with the focal point wherever you want. Bring the gun you shoot (if allowed) or a device that will show the place the sight would be when you hold it out in shooting position. Then they can use that point to adjust to and ask "does this look better?" "or this?".
Josh
 
I have the same problem. My eye doctor prescribed blending trifocal lenses and if I hold my head just right, that works. BUT, what works better (at least for me) is the cheapie glasses at the local dollar store. I try them out by holding something the size of a pistol (Jersey is not the state to take in the real thing) at arms length and try the different powers until it is crystal clear. Then buy that pair. One's head does not have to be that exact and the front sight will always be sharp. Quantrill
 
I wear the blended tri-focals, and have the middle section cut a little high. I went to the optician with both a pistol and a rifle and he found where I look when sight ing a pistol. That is the top of the mid-range cut. Then, he had me sight a rifle, while he used the trial lenses to find the best power for the rifle's front sight. I buy the stick-on bi-focal lenses for sunglasses and cut out a small dot to stick on the upper, inside (nose) corner of my glasses lens, which gives me a clear picture of my front sight through the peep.

Works for me.

Pops
 
Boy are we a bunch of old timers or is it just me? I wear tri-focals and to see the front sight I need to be looking through the tiny center section. That's OK for some types of shooting but not combat type (IDPA ETC).

I had a pair made just for shooting. Since I didn't need the reading part, I eliminated that section. I then had the middle (front sight viewer) made as large as they could make it and had it placed as high on the glass as they legally can. To see the target as I move around the course, I have to lower my head but to see the front sight, I hold my head normally. I only put them on when I'm on the firing line.

Works for me!
 
I had a simular problem only I do wear them all the time

BUt I am 20-20 with out them close up.
I went to my eye doctor, a woman, and told her my problem. She was so nice she actualy told me to bring in a plastic toy gun with sights and she would try to help me.
What I found out was that with your head pointed straight ahead your glasses are ground for the sweet spot to be exactaly in front of your eye balls or the center of your eyes.
If you stand like I do when you shoot two handed with a hand gun (right handed) your body is slightly pointed to the right, also your head and you look through the right glass (strong side) but through the left lower corner of that glass.
What she did for me was to have the lens ground for the sweet spot where I look through the lens when I am shooting a hand gun.
All I can say is that it did wonders for me.
It was expencive but I dont care.
 
Agree with Quantrill. Clarity of front sight is most critical and reading glasses work the best for me. Target will be a bit fuzzy but that will happen anyway if you focus on the front sight, glasses or not.
 
I've had cateract surgury on both eyes and I find it hard to focus on the front and rear sight and still keep the target in focus, @ 50 feet it's all I can do to keep within the center 2 rings on a target with my rifle. I also don't see real well in the dark and the indoor range I go to is dark except for the light on the target. I just bought a scope for my 30-30 and I haven't had a chance to try it out. I'm going shopping for a handgun at the gun show in May. Anyone in my situation that know what I can do to improve things let me know.
 
I found a solution (for SD at least) with Crimson Trace lasergrips. I only have to focus in one plane - the spot that is on the bad guy (or bulls-eye). It's made shooting fun again.
 
If you are really serious about your pistol shooting, there are many solutions for aging eyes. Unfortunately, presbyopia does make it slower to focus from target to sights.

I have my left lens for distance and the right lens is set for the front sight. The bottom portion is the smallest bifocal they will make and I use it for scoring. To eliminate the side by side ghosting of the sights I have a vertical prism to make the sights converge. I also have a horizontal prism to make the sights converge up and down. It's amazing what can be done to improve vision.
 
I went to the range...

with my reading glasses... fired 50 rounds. The 50 without 'em. Did better without them. But gonna keep trying different solutions you guys suggested.
thanks for all your input. :rolleyes:
 
After Rt

Eye only Lasik, now use a +1.25 for rt eye and a plano for left. Use monovision for every day, no glasses at 66. +1.25 allows good front sight focus and a reasonably clear target, can use left eye uncorrected to shoot for street work. Walgreens has a optical static cling product under $20 that works and can be placed to suit. Awful to get old, but hey it sure beats the other option.
 
I have the same problem and got a pair of shooting glasses from Hansen Eagle Eye in California. Jim Scoutten featured them on his website and they really work. The bifocal is placed at the top of the lens of the master eye. I can see my sights and the target about as well as you could hope to. Well worth the cost.
 
Ask your eye doctor to fit you with monovision corrective lenses or contact lenses. Monovision undercorrects your non-dominant eye and dramatically increases your ability to focus on close (18" to 36") objects while keeping your distance vision reasonably clear.

I had monovision contact lenses and now monovision Lasix and am very happy with the results at home, in the office, and at the range.

If you look around, you may be able to get prescription shooting glasses.

Chris
 
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