Varifocal Prescription Glasses

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Dreaming100Straight

New member
I have been learning to shoot wearing my street glasses, which have varifocal lenses, with both eyes open as I do shooting trap and skeet. I am not sure, but it seems that I focus much better on the front sight if I tilt my head up a bit so I am looking through a lower part of the lenses. Otherwise, it is very difficult to focus after a box or two. Does this sound normal for a guy with older eyes (age 68)?
 
I'm also 68 and use them. I seemed to have a problem adjusting to shooting at first but somehow, everything seems to work on its own now. I guess I adjusted to how to do it and it is now automatic.
 
That's what I do.

I've worn progressive lenses for a number of years as they work better for me at intermediate distances. The blended portion acts somewhat like a tri-focal lens.

I've had shooting instructors "inform" me that I can get special shooting glasses made so that I don't have to tilt my head back. Yeah, I've worn glasses since I was in fourth grade - I'm fairly sure I know all of the options available to me in glasses - but, thanks Mr. Keen Sense of the Obvious.

So, my answer to the instructor is that I prefer to use my standard glasses because if I have to use my gun in a self defense situation, I don't think the bad guy is going to wait while I change into my special shooting glasses.

I want all the practice I can get with the glasses I normally wear.

Then I ask them if I've missed the target or shot badly. The answer invariably is "No." So then I ask, "Then - what's the problem?" I guess the unorthodox shooting stance makes THEM uncomfortable - that's their problem as it works for me.

Find your own form for shooting and make it work for you - that's what I do.
 
Yes. It will take some getting used to. Both eyes open for me is difficult because I am left eye dominant and right-handed. I do fine with a handgun, but have never been a great wingshot.
 
Thanks all. It sounds like I am on the right track and will give this a go at the range this afternoon. It may also be time for a new prescription, which may permit me shoot without looking through as low a place on the lenses.
 
A friend of mine ties a bandanna round his head & then loops down a small string to allow the bridge-piece to be raised slightly. It works for him.:cool:
 
I've worn progressive lenses for quite a few years now. I have the optician set up the lens so that the middle distance portion is slightly higher up.

For shooting glasses I now use Bolle with a prescription insert, and I have the prescription insert similarly set up.

When I was doing a lot of competitive trapshooting, I used Decot shooting glasses, also with progressive prescriptions. The folks at Decot were able to set up the lenses in the same way -- the intermediate distance portion slightly higher up.
 
Thats what I have been doing, tilting my head up just a bit to look through a lower portion of the lens til I get a sharper picture
 
Interesting, Frank. My wing glasses are Decot so if I wanted to I could simply get a set of lenses for pistol to compliment the ones I have for clays. The thing about the Decot frames I have (not all their frames are the same) is that the nose bridge can be lowered and raised. That may not be quite as dashing as suspending them by a string from a bandana, but it's the same idea.

But what I was thinking of trying is what you do with your street glasses, and have the transition point set up just a bit higher. This may especially be good as I do much less reading when looking down, as with a book, and more looking forward at a PC screen.

One thing about tilting the head up is I can get a sore neck.
 
Tilting head up ...is going to cause you neck problems ( especially at your age..and lack of physical conditioning )....:D ... ( yes I know the OP, and he knows its true !! ).

Call DeCot and get a set of lenses made for your handguns...( don't be so cheap ..)...:D ( again, I know him -- and he knows its true )...
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Ok, there is value, if you are going to carry for Defense...to shoot with your street glasses...and get used to the sight picture with your "street progressive bifoculs"...and all the guys under 30 on here "are rolling in the aisles and laughing" at us old guys...

but in my view...Defense..is for between 3 Feet and probably 24 Feet ..and if you need a gun someday, and I hope not !! ...and you're shooting at an "averaged sized Buffalo like me" you'll be fine if you focus on center chest hits.

However, if you're trying to wear out a 3" circle at 8 yds, or 10 yds..or 15 yds...call DeCot.../ one lense will be made for distance so you can see the target ...and one lense, dominant side, will be made for focul length of your front sight... / you'll have more fun in your training..and learn better fundamentals if you can see the front sight clearer ! ...and nothing is free...
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and for you guys that still think I'm picking on him ...well, you're right...but he had to know it was coming ...;)

and yes, go see a good Opthamologist...and get those eyes checked...( and I have my flame retardant bicycle shorts on, waiting for your comeback )!!
 
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I've worn progressive lenses for thirty five years and have become use to them. One thing I have learned over the years is that the larger the lenses the easier they work for me.
 
Here is another thing to remember as I ran into this last year. For handguns shooting with perscription glasses with prisims built into them was fine BUT when it comes to using a rifle scope it wont work becsue the prisim works against the scope. I ran into this when I was trying to site in my 721 for 600M last year. I wound up just using a pair of safety glasses to dial my rifle in and just live with my depth perception being off a bit when rifle hunting.
 
seems that I focus much better on the front sight if I tilt my head up a bit so I am looking through a lower part of the lenses.
Click to expand...

That's what I do and have for the past 15+ years...works well if you get your optometrist to grind the reading portion of the lens a bit higher than normal. You get used to that position in a day or so for regular reading and I find that it's a boon to working at the computer as well. Tilting my head a bit is instinctive for me when I shoot now, even when working from the holster at speed.

Rod
 
Like buckhorn sez, use what works for you.
For me it's two lenses - dominant right eye lens for the gun and the other eye lens for the targets.
That works the very best - for me.
 
Have simply adjusted my pistol purposes from being accurate at longer ranges, to up close and fast. No more little bitty targets out to 50 yards, but larger "blobs" from 21-75 feet.

Very uncomfortable tilting my head back, even with the progressives raised up some.
 
Contacts

I have also used progressive glasses. Now I use progressive contacts. You can set them up so the aiming eye is focused for sights and other lense for targets. Now you rob Peter to pay Paul you do not get the range of focal lengths that you do with glasses but it is the best I have found for shooting. The head tilt is okay but slow if you are shooting against the clock ie; IDPA, SASS etc. the contacts also allow any glasses to be used. I took a handgun to the eye doctor and used that as the distance. With variable focal length rifle, shotgun, and handgun all are in focus. You can usually get a pair to try at little or no cost.
Try it you might like them.
Gus
 
And that's the challenge Dreaming. Frank had a good solution.
Like Frank I had a very slight tweak in the focal points I commonly use.

And for me, I had to try about 4 different progressive lenses before I found what worked best for me. The first was OK, the second was good, the third gave me a constant headache. The last is literally perfect for me.

As for the suggestion above for 'loaners', if you can find a dr. that will do that, do it.
 
I use glasses with "arms length focus" on the right side (the whole lens) and my regular prescription on the left side. My eye doc is a Handgun shooter too and recommended it to me. It feels odd the first couple of times, and I would not wear them outside the range, but it works for me.
 
Just a different slant on this.
There are several different "styles" of progressive lens grind. Which type you pick determines where the near, intermediate, & far zones are. Many trifocals, or progressive lens wearers seem unaware of the differences & how they can be put to best advantage.
Which grind are we discussing here?
 
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