Bifocal shooting?

Spence the Elder said:
Bifocals just don't cut it when shooting a pistol. Trifocals work better but in all honesty, if I'm shooting at targets 20' or less I take my glasses off. I focus on both front and rear and while the target is a bit of a blur, if I aim at the same spot of the blur each time I get a fairly consistent 3-4" grouping at 15-20'.
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Boy that is good, i wish i could get that grouping.
 
I didn't read all the posts so I apologize if this is duplication.

The OP said he was a trap and skeet shooter. This can work to your advantage. You are accustomed to focusing on the target, not the sights of a shotgun. If you've ever shot moving targets with a handgun, the same technique works.

It also works for stationary targets. Since my first guns were shotguns, I acquired the "bad" habit of shooting with both eyes open, always watching the target, not focusing on sights. These habits carried over into handgun shooting and I've always used the same technique, regardless of what open sight weapon I was firing.

When you're shooting at a moving target, you don't really have time to focus on the sights, fire, then refocus on the target to see if you hit it, then come back to the sights for another shot if necessary. I just stayed focused on the target until it was hit. The sights were "there", somewhere in the picture but I know I do not focus on them. Which is good, now, because I couldn't focus on them if I wanted to.

You (nor I) won't win any benchrest competitions using this technique but you will be surprised at the tiny targets you can hit, just by using shotgun aiming technique. I have a .22 Browning rifle that I don't think I've ever seen the rear sight, yet hitting a beer can at 50 or 60 yards is no big deal. Keeping both eyes open is very important. Sometimes when the light is right, you can see the bullets in flight. When you do, you know you didn't blink.

Try it. You've got nothing to lose but keep in mind it will not come overnight.
 
cp1969 said:
I didn't read all the posts so I apologize if this is duplication.

The OP said he was a trap and skeet shooter. This can work to your advantage. You are accustomed to focusing on the target, not the sights of a shotgun. If you've ever shot moving targets with a handgun, the same technique works.

It also works for stationary targets. Since my first guns were shotguns, I acquired the "bad" habit of shooting with both eyes open, always watching the target, not focusing on sights. These habits carried over into handgun shooting and I've always used the same technique, regardless of what open sight weapon I was firing.

When you're shooting at a moving target, you don't really have time to focus on the sights, fire, then refocus on the target to see if you hit it, then come back to the sights for another shot if necessary. I just stayed focused on the target until it was hit. The sights were "there", somewhere in the picture but I know I do not focus on them. Which is good, now, because I couldn't focus on them if I wanted to.

You (nor I) won't win any benchrest competitions using this technique but you will be surprised at the tiny targets you can hit, just by using shotgun aiming technique. I have a .22 Browning rifle that I don't think I've ever seen the rear sight, yet hitting a beer can at 50 or 60 yards is no big deal. Keeping both eyes open is very important. Sometimes when the light is right, you can see the bullets in flight. When you do, you know you didn't blink.

Try it. You've got nothing to lose but keep in mind it will not come overnight.
Click to expand...
Thank you for your observations I will try your idea.
 
I wear trifocals and shoot IDPA and pin matches. I have fiber optic front sights installed and that helps greatly, even if the front sight is slightly blurred. If I am sighting in a new pistol or changing the sights for a new load, I will turn my glasses upside down so I can focus on the front sight. I can still see the target well enough to do what I need.
 
I had cataract surgery in my right eye at the age 38. The surgery gave me perfect long range sight but my close up vision is very blurry. Now several years later I am starting to adjust my shooting forum. I am right handed. I tried cheaters but like was mentioned target gets blurry. I have learned to use my right eye when shooting pistols. Bought good scope for rifle. Open sights not so good.
 
nun said:
I had cataract surgery in my right eye at the age 38. The surgery gave me perfect long range sight but my close up vision is very blurry. Now several years later I am starting to adjust my shooting forum. I am right handed. I tried cheaters but like was mentioned target gets blurry. I have learned to use my right eye when shooting pistols. Bought good scope for rifle. Open sights not so good.
Click to expand...

Meant to say learned to use left eye when shooting my pistols.
 
Having the same problem, I tried contacts, trifocals, reading glasses and the works without much success. Finally I took an old pair of frames and had my eye doctor put a bifocal lens (full lens) in my dominant eye side and a regular prescription glass in my other side. As long as I shoot with both eyes open, I can see the front sight clearly and see the targets also. It wasn't expensive either since I provided the frames.
 
Well i have tried the hole in the patch several times and i think that looking through my bifocals and seeing the sights clearly and seeing the target a little fuzzy is the best way for me. But is was fun trying something out. The punch i bought wasn't a waste, i have lost quite a bit of weight and i will be putting some new notches in my belts. thank you for all the comments Bye Doug
 
Clarity

Lineless bifocals or progressive lenes make it easier to see sights and target. I have found a 'sweet spot' that works reasonably well.

The solution was 'computer glasses' with a 24" focal length, arm outstretched and thumb nail is clear. This makes the front site clear and sharp. The Merit eyepiece will make the target sharply focused. Don't notice the weight at all.
 
remember husky the focus in trap is on the target while in pistol it is on the front sight -if you are using sights on a pistol correctly at any age and any eyesight the target should be blurry
 
Thank You Major D, That is an excellent explanation, and it makes sense, i never thought of it that way. thanks again Doug
 
Mine are pretty strong but the no-line bifocals make seeing the front sight easier. I now find the rear sight on longer barrels completely washed out and it's difficult to center the front sight. Iron sight rifles are hopeless for me and even 6-inch revolvers are tough if any kind of speed is required. I try to stick with 4-inch or less. Getting old sucks!
 
Hussky said:
This may be cheating? but do laser sights work for accuracy?
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Sir ,
This target was shot from 30 feet double action with my hands braced against my belly with a S&W 629 with a 3 inch barrel ,and Crimson Trace laser grips.
I am not trying to show off my shooting skills,but rather how good a laser can be.I was not trying for the best possible groups or extreme accuracy, I was just having fun and ended up surprised at how well I did.

I had lasic surgery a few years ago,and at the last minuet the Dr. asked my my hobbies .I told him hand gun shooting so he suggested we do one eye for near and the other for far . Well it turned out we did exactly the wrong thing.
My right dominate eye is far while the left/ weak eye is near-it effects lots of things you would never expect .Like driving the car I can`t see the nav screen without turning my head enough to use my left eye.The annoyances go on and on.
I blame myself for making a too hasty decision.

I digress though the point is :lasers help a lot and I now have 4 of them and will probably buy more as time goes by.
 

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I've worn bifocals and progressive lenses since before I was 30.

The solution I've found is similar to what others have said: "reader" or "computer" glasses (but for me they are my "sheet music and scorereading" glasses) from the prescribed near-vision portion of your lens.

As far as driving goes...I wish I could get a prescription windshield!
 
It just so happens that I was at the range last week was not happy with the groups I shot with my 625. I wear progressive lens but can read w/o glasses. I have shot for years w/o any glasses. Since I am near sighted I have a perfect sight picture and a blurred target. I put single vision glasses on(golf/tennis) and my groups got a lot smaller. I am 63. I can see the target and while the sights are not perfectly clear I can tell if they are lined up.. Well, it only took me 50 years to figure this out.
Good Luck,
Uncletim
 
I think that's the sad truth of getting older - we have to start wearing glasses. But this doesn't have to be so bad! With all the technology today, there are a variety of solutions which can help.

As presbyopia develops, the eye's lenses become less flexible making focusing on close objects difficult, and this causes the most frustration as shooters lose accuracy. There are tons of vision tricks to offset the impact of presbyopia, such as using custom-made, cantilevered stocks and scopes.

What are some of your cool tips for fellow shooters dealing with vision related problems out on the range, please let us know. We want to put an end to more shots veering to the right!

Happy Shooting!
Steve's Angels
 
Hussky said:
I am new to pistol shooting (other than pocket mouse guns) and i just bought a 539, i really like the gun. i use to shoot allot of trap and skeet and i was fairly good. This was over 30 years ago, i am 70 ish now. I have been out to the range several times at different distances, and i am coming to the conclusion that it is very difficult is shot with bifocals. because if i look though the bifocal then the target is blurs or vise versa. any comments on this problem. i would like to be good at target shooting and maybe competative shooting. Thank you Doug from Florida
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Doug,
I do a lot of pistol shooting, USPSA, Steel Challenge, IDPA, etc mostly with iron sighted guns. My solution was to have an extra lens made for the right eye of my shooting glasses which puts the focus point ca, 3ft fromt my eye. Thus the right eye sees the sights clearly and the left eye sees the target. Somehow the brain puts it all together.
The other solution is to install an optical sight on the gun. I have done that with several revolvers and semi-auto pistols but much prefer the sight acquisition with iron sights.
Tony
 
My optometrist is also a shooter and he prescribed a special pair of glasses that have the normal progressive lens for the weak eye and a reader magnifier for the dominant eye. It works well when shooting but I have to remove them immediately after I leave the firing line or they are too distracting to use.
 
Thanks allot for the info, it is very useful. This sounds like it would be perfect for mono vision. I have tried mono vision with contacts and i got use to mono contacts easily, but i didn't like the problems that can come with contacts (infections). I had contacts before my shooting days started. Thanks again
 
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