Can't Hit S%&# Anymore - Glasses and Rifles

[maintenanceguy 510]

My eyes have always been pretty bad.  I wear glasses and everything is fine unless I'm trying to shoot a rifle with iron sights.

 

When I shoot a handgun, my head is upright and I'm looking through the center of my glasses - everything is fine.

 

If I shoot a rifle with a scope, the image is magnified enough that I can see everything clearly - everything is fine.

 

But when I shoot a rifle with iron sights, things don't work so well.  If I have a good cheek weld, my head is tilted down and too the side.  I'm looking through the top edge of my glasses.  Only the center of the lens puts things in focus.  My eyes were never great and as I'm getting older, the target is becoming a blurry dot.  I can guess fairly well where the bulls-eye is and I still manage to get most of my shots close but I'm only guessing.

 

I've been shooting with scopes to compensate for a long, long time.  I just took a scope off of one of my rifles and was reminded how bad the problem is.

 

Anybody have a good solution to this?  I've come up with nothing.

[NJGF 375]

Get a special set of shooting glasses so the rifle front sight is sharp with your dominant eye and your other glass is sharp on the target. It is strange at first but your eyes can quickly become comfortable with them.

[maintenanceguy 510]

I've gotten glasses made before that let me focus on the front sight.  The issue isn't the focal distance (whether the same with both eyes or different with each).  The issue is that I'm not looking through the center of the lens - where things are in focus. 

 

I can't get a proper cheek weld and look through the center of the lens. 

[NJGF 375]

Speak to the person making the glasses. They typically will measure to the center of the glass but you can ask them to put the focal point higher on the glasses so they should be sharp when you look at the top part of the glass.

[maintenanceguy 510]

Speak to the person making the glasses. They typically will measure to the center of the glass but you can ask them to put the focal point higher on the glasses so they should be sharp when you look at the top part of the glass.

That's a good idea.  I'll see if my Dr can make me a set like that.

 

I'd need the "center" to be almost at the edge of the lens but maybe it's possible.

[bhunted 887]

Had the same problem. Doc made me Progressive TriFocals... I can see everything necessary...

[Vlad G 345]

Some glasses can be made to have the prescription work in all directions. For example my current shooting glasses (Rudy Rydons) have the prescription edge to edge and following the curved lenses. It doesn't matter which way my head is on the rifle as long as I'm looking through the glasses I get a nice clear picture.

[raz-0 1,259]

Digital mapped prescriptions will mostly wrap. As Vlad said rudy's new rx in frame lenses do this. A less awesome, but cheaper solution is Costco. All their lenses are now a digitally mapped "grind" .

 

I've had the same done on my Rudy rx inserts a while ago and it was absurdly pricy. Get a promo code and rudy's can be pretty reasonable. Costco is cheaper than perl or lensxrafters .

[45Frank 32]

My eyes have always been pretty bad.  I wear glasses and everything is fine unless I'm trying to shoot a rifle with iron sights.

 

When I shoot a handgun, my head is upright and I'm looking through the center of my glasses - everything is fine.

 

If I shoot a rifle with a scope, the image is magnified enough that I can see everything clearly - everything is fine.

 

But when I shoot a rifle with iron sights, things don't work so well.  If I have a good cheek weld, my head is tilted down and too the side.  I'm looking through the top edge of my glasses.  Only the center of the lens puts things in focus.  My eyes were never great and as I'm getting older, the target is becoming a blurry dot.  I can guess fairly well where the bulls-eye is and I still manage to get most of my shots close but I'm only guessing.

 

I've been shooting with scopes to compensate for a long, long time.  I just took a scope off of one of my rifles and was reminded how bad the problem is.

 

Anybody have a good solution to this?  I've come up with nothing.

I hear ya. I had a lengthy thread on another forum last yr about this subject.

I last year bought a 45-70 and swore to myself I was going to use the iron sights, even spent some money on Skinner sights. I do have the trifocals too. It was all a disaster and I had to scope it.

My problem with the iron sights is If I see the iron sights clearly I can't see the target, if I see the target I can't see the sights. I did good up to about 50yards then nothing.

[Krdshrk 3,878]

Digital mapped prescriptions will mostly wrap. As Vlad said rudy's new rx in frame lenses do this. A less awesome, but cheaper solution is Costco. All their lenses are now a digitally mapped "grind" .

 

I've had the same done on my Rudy rx inserts a while ago and it was absurdly pricy. Get a promo code and rudy's can be pretty reasonable. Costco is cheaper than perl or lensxrafters .

 

Any info on how high of an index lens Costco uses?  I see on their website they list 1.67, which is pretty crappy compared to the max now which is 1.74, I believe.

[SmittyMHS 603]

My eyes have always been pretty bad.  I wear glasses and everything is fine unless I'm trying to shoot a rifle with iron sights.

 

When I shoot a handgun, my head is upright and I'm looking through the center of my glasses - everything is fine.

 

If I shoot a rifle with a scope, the image is magnified enough that I can see everything clearly - everything is fine.

 

But when I shoot a rifle with iron sights, things don't work so well.  If I have a good cheek weld, my head is tilted down and too the side.  I'm looking through the top edge of my glasses.  Only the center of the lens puts things in focus.  My eyes were never great and as I'm getting older, the target is becoming a blurry dot.  I can guess fairly well where the bulls-eye is and I still manage to get most of my shots close but I'm only guessing.

 

I've been shooting with scopes to compensate for a long, long time.  I just took a scope off of one of my rifles and was reminded how bad the problem is.

 

Anybody have a good solution to this?  I've come up with nothing.

Welcome to middle age! And it won't get any better unless they come out with some new Lasix style. surgery. i have BUIS on my AR just for looks. A red dot helps a lot.We're getting older and need to adapt.

[ChrisJM981 924]

I have an eye appointment Thursday at an ophthalmologist for prescription safety glasses. We get ours from MCR Safety. http://www.mcrsafety.com I'll report back what options they have. These are for work, but they will be doubling as shooting glasses, so I'll try to test them out through the tops of the lens for irons asap after they're ready.

[Eric. 9]

What you need is a special pair of frames that bridges higher.  Check out decot hy-wyd sport glasses.  I'm pretty sure this addresses the issue you are having.

[raz-0 1,259]

Any info on how high of an index lens Costco uses?  I see on their website they list 1.67, which is pretty crappy compared to the max now which is 1.74, I believe.

 

I'm -5.25 and -4.25 they are pretty thin and work well for shooting when I forget/forget to use my dedicated shooting glasses. I've tried the higher index stuff (not digital mapped), and at higher prescriptions, they are not so hot for anything at even somewhat oblique angles of viewing. 

 

Keep in mind, if for shooting you don't want the thinnest material you can get, you want something that works ergonomically and is harder to penetrate. 

[Krdshrk 3,878]

I'm -5.25 and -4.25 they are pretty thin and work well for shooting when I forget/forget to use my dedicated shooting glasses. I've tried the higher index stuff (not digital mapped), and at higher prescriptions, they are not so hot for anything at even somewhat oblique angles of viewing. 

 

Keep in mind, if for shooting you don't want the thinnest material you can get, you want something that works ergonomically and is harder to penetrate. 

 

True but my prescription's almost 2x as bad as yours.  I really just need to get LASIK/PRK done but the money's going to other things for now...

[raz-0 1,259]

True but my prescription's almost 2x as bad as yours. I really just need to get LASIK/PRK done but the money's going to other things for now...

Dang! Thats bad.

[GramGun79 226]

What about contact lenses? 

[Handyman 5,682]

Anybody have a good solution to this?  I've come up with nothing.

 

Just get one of those guns I keep hearing about in the media that spray bullets everywhere. You don't even need to aim.

[Newtonian 453]

My eyes have always been pretty bad.  I wear glasses and everything is fine unless I'm trying to shoot a rifle with iron sights.

 

When I shoot a handgun, my head is upright and I'm looking through the center of my glasses - everything is fine.

 

If I shoot a rifle with a scope, the image is magnified enough that I can see everything clearly - everything is fine.

 

But when I shoot a rifle with iron sights, things don't work so well.  If I have a good cheek weld, my head is tilted down and too the side.  I'm looking through the top edge of my glasses.  Only the center of the lens puts things in focus.  My eyes were never great and as I'm getting older, the target is becoming a blurry dot.  I can guess fairly well where the bulls-eye is and I still manage to get most of my shots close but I'm only guessing.

 

I've been shooting with scopes to compensate for a long, long time.  I just took a scope off of one of my rifles and was reminded how bad the problem is.

 

Anybody have a good solution to this?  I've come up with nothing.

I used to have the same problem with another manly arm's length activity -- chess. Neither my reading nor my distance glasses allowed me to focus on the pieces. I didn't realize I had a problem. One day one of my punching bags, an optician, asked me what glasses I was using. He pointed out that at my age and with my particular vision problems (at the time he made all my specs) neither prescription should work. So he made me a pair of "chess glasses" that fixed the problem 100%. Don't ask me what he did because I don't know. Might be a good idea to mention your intermediate distance problem during your next exam. They can make you a pair of glasses that will work. Don't order it from the MD or vision center because they'll rape you. Send the prescription in to Eyebuy.com and for about $50 you'll have your glasses.