As any of us who wear glasses know, our eyes and getting older can be annoying. They simply don't work like the once did, something I have been experiencing, and struggling with in recent years. The glasses I currently wear are no longer working well. So yesterday I went back to the eye doctor for a new exam. Turns out my issue is the changing shape of my eye, which for several years now is actually getting better, not worse. I think my eyes are getting worse but actually they are not, the prescription I need is not as strong as it once was. So I am going to try some contact lenses for the first time, and they will be "progressive", in that these are supposed to be the best technology they have to help old eyes focus on close and distant objects at the same time. Like looking down iron sights, for example.
The doctor said they won't be a miracle fountain of youth that will make things like they were 30 years ago, but he did say that this is what helps people like us best of all. I will also get some new glasses, but I will start with the contact lenses first.
So, who here can tell me about your experiences with this progressive lens stuff, did it really help some, or not? What should I expect? He said the glasses probably would be a better fix, in that there is more lens to put this progressive change in to, and it is easier to find a good head tilt position to see what I want to with glasses. I am a bit skeptical, as I am not a fan of bifocals, which I gave up a few years back. I can see close in better just by removing my glasses. I have a couple of different pairs/powers of off the rack magnifying lenses for when I really need them.
We're all different I know, but I'd like to hear about your experiences-good or bad-in trying to get corrective lenses that enable you to shoot better.

Well, I use contacts and glasses.
Without them, I'm helpless.

I do use a Merit iris attachment on my glasses when shooting target pistol and it helps me. Other than that, I can't say about bifocals, as I haven't needed them yet. *fingers crossed*

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Lost it all in a boat accident

For action pistol shooting, like IDPA or USPSA, I use "computer glasses" which are single vision glasses that focus at 4 feet.

Multi-focus lenses may be OK for standing in one place and shooting at a stationary target, but that all goes to pot when you and the target are moving and you have to shoot from awkward positions. I now wear my shooting glasses most of the time, except for reading.

I can't imagine that in a defense situation the perp will pose while you "tilt your head until the sight picture is clear." So why practice that way?

I cant comment on contacts, but I have had progressive trifocals for many years, I do not have a problem with them, sure you do have some limitations, but it is just a matter of getting use to them, and it does take awhile

I wear tri-focals. What I did was have a pair of single lens glasses made up in the middle prescription. Sights are nice and sharp, but the target is a little blurry. With my eyes that's the best I could do.

I've worn progressive tri's for years. They're really not bad for most things...I haven't had a problem with them for normal defensive pistol practice. I think they do screw up my trap shooting...but it may be that I'm just a lousy wingshot. Most of my rifles now sport optics.

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Rick, W0FG
CTR2 68-72

Good luck with the contacts, because I wear contacts and also need reading/computer glasses and once I put the shooting glasses on, I can't see anything at all.

Point shoot for defense. AimPoint for target shooting, if you can afford one.

I am lucky enough to have found a sympathetic eye doctor. He wrote me up for glasses and contacts that focus the dominant eye on the front sight while the non-dominant eye is corrected for 20-20. It works well for me.

I hope that helps,

Frank

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sona si latine loqueris .

I recall reading one of Charlie Askins" books-written over 50 years ago-where he recommends having glasses just for shooting, i.e. ground to focus on the front sight for a pistol shooter. I (Age 59, nearsighted) should have bifocals, I find it simpler to put my eyeglasses on a neck cord and slip them off when I have to read, use the computer, etc. I remember reading an interview with a top gun engraver years ago, the writer noted his workshop had several windows that gave him a good view of the countryside, the engraver said that allowed to use his long vision, otherwise he'd be wearing thick glasses now. I am convinced that eyes, like muscles-or ears-do respond to training and conditioning. Also talking to your optician and enlarging the focused area for special needs
is a big plus.

I am not familiar with this Merit thing, can you give us a description please?

Here's the link to an article by Jeff Quinn on the Merit Optical unit. I have one; I don't use it often but I think it works okay.
Sonny

Merit Optical Attachment from Brownells: A Cure for Fuzzy Sights

I currently wear progressive glasses and have a hard time at the range. The only way to see the front sight is to tilt my head back and focus using the lower portion of my glasses. It's very uncomfortable to say the least and I still can't really see the front sight and when I do, I can't see the target.

This past week I bought two pairs of drug store reading glasses (one pair is +2.00 and the other is +3.25). Both pairs are identical and have removable lenses. I had to go to a few stores before I found them. Most pairs I found had the lens molded or glued to the frame.

I swapped one lens from one pair and put it on the other pair. I'm able to focus on the front site with one eye and see distance with the other.

I'm due for a trip to the range soon and I'll find out then if it's going to work for me.

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Linda
SWCA #1965, SWHF #245

I have both hard contacts and glasses. I've never been able to see long distance as well with glasses as I can with the contacts though.

If you’re a target shooter there is the option of Red-Dot sights for the visually challenged. As for standard sights there are options such as the X/S dot front sight combination with a 10-8 rear sight, Warren Tactical, Novak wide notch series and fiber optics.


Basically in my experience one may index the sights in your field of vision and at 25Yds do creditable shooting for score on IPSC or IDPA targets.

The G17 has Warren Tactical sights and the MP9 OEM sights. The sights on the MP9 are being changed out to a 10-8 (U) notch plain rear and a Novak night sight front.

A precise sight picture would be nice but sight picture is only part of the equation hold and trigger control are also important. The target represents the combination of POA & POI for both pistols firing controlled pairs . Learn to accept your sight picture for what it is and go with it.

This is the reason Red Dot sights are made. So us over 40, (or 50-60-70) can still shoot. Actually, as I get older, my nearsightedness is turning into more normal vision, just not the depth of field. My last trip to the Optometrist and he commented if he makes any more change on the distance vision of my right eye, it will be plain glass. I can now see my front sight better than I have for many years, but the target is still blurry.

One thing, don't get any "fashion" glasses, the narrow squared off ones that are popular now. You have way to small an area of clear vision. When picking my frames out, the girl waiting on me asked why I wanted such big lenses and I told her I was a trap & Skeet shooter. She admitted her boy friend shot trap and had commented that he couldn't see the birds well with his new narrow glasses.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

There is an optometrist, Dr. Norman Wong, in San Francisco, who is both an eye specialist and a pretty dang good bullseye shooter. He has a collection of very, helpful articles here Dr. Norman Wong Articles as posted to the Bullseye List about dot flaring and other shooting-related vision problems, and how to diagnose and correct them. I recommend his guidance highly. It sure helped me with a problem I was having putting all of my shots in a nice tight group 6 inches to the left of the bull. Turned out the reading glasses (d'oh!) I was wearing to magnify the front sight were so distorting that the target at 50 yards appeared that much out of alignment! So much for home diagnosis and treatment. Read what this very qualified pro has to say about these issues. Hope this helps.



Bullseye

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Five screws and 3-1/2 inches.