Aging eyes....

[Southpaw1911]

I'm getting to the point where when I shoot now the front sight is no longer clear and so my shooting has gone downhill. Last match was the worst, I wear reading glasses but they don't help because the front sight is too far for them to be effective. I don't need glasses for distance, yet? So, does anyone know who offers shooting glasses that might keep me going to matches? Thanks!

[Overkill0084]

Sounds cliche, I know:
Talk to your Dr. & Optometrist. I have heard of prescription glasses tuned for shooting. I have no experience with them...yet.

[jonathan]

I bought a pair of drugstore "cheaters". I can now focus pretty well on the front sight. The targets are a bit fuzzy but for me it seems to work better. Cheaters come in strengths ranging from something like 1.0 thru 3.0. I got the 1.25. Cost was around $5. Might be worth a try.

My eyes will be 71 in a few days. Getting old sucks. NOT getting old would suck more!

[camillo]

I'm thinking a green fiber optic front sight with rear Battle sight is going to help my (similar) situation.

[Mick0610]

I took the slide from my Limited gun in to my Optometrist and he built me some glasses with just enough power to function PLUS a fiber optic front sight helps greatly.

[Southpaw1911]

Right now I have tritium sights but the green dawson might be alot easier to pick up. I may try the cheap cheaters and see how that works. I trip to the optometrist possibly but it would be nice to have one who understands shooting or actually shoots.

[GOVTMODEL]

Originally Posted by Southpaw1911

I'm getting to the point where when I shoot now the front sight is no longer clear and so my shooting has gone downhill. Last match was the worst, I wear reading glasses but they don't help because the front sight is too far for them to be effective. I don't need glasses for distance, yet? So, does anyone know who offers shooting glasses that might keep me going to matches? Thanks!

See Dr. Norman Wong's articles at http://www.starreloaders.com/edhall/nwongarts.html

He's a Bullseye shooter and Optometrist, and the first of his papers is intended for you to take to your optometrist.

[Southpaw1911]

That a some great info from Dr. Norman Wong, I printed the first article, now I'm looking to the American Optometric Ass., Sports Vision Section for someone that may be in my area.

[richpetrone]

I'm 60 years old, and when my eyes started having difficulty with picking up the sights, I went to Dollar Tree, bought five sets of different diopter reading glasses, a total of $5, and found that a 1.5 diopter worked fine for quite a while. I now use a 1.75 diopter pair which I have been using now for about three years, and they still seem fine. The cheap reading glasses are shatterproof since they are made of a polycarbonate lens, and do offer some eye protection. Even though the targets are a slightly blurry, I have no problem getting a good sight picture, I use plain black patridge sights. I do not believe I am hindered by my vision to any great extent.

[staysafe]

Tese work great for me


http://www.hansenseagleeye.com/

[frankmmiii]

Hey Southpaw1911,
Here is a website to check out for eye exercises. One not listed is to look at the Morning Sun with your "eyes closed! It has to be the morning sun and you must do it with your eyes closed! Do this for 10 minutes and roll you eyes once in a while during the 10 minutes. When you visit this site you will get 1 pop-up add just close it and scroll down untill you see the first exercise 1. Blinking. This really works!
http://www.stevenaitchison.co.uk/blo...e-your-vision/

[frankmmiii]

I've noticed since I've been using smartphones and iPads that my vision has degraded a little. Not so much with computers as I tend to sit farther from the screens. Your eyes are muscles and need to be exercised. Such as focusing and refocusing from near to far and far to near. Try the exercises religiously and see if your eyesite improves. I guarantee it won't get worse and can only get better.

[richpetrone]

Needing readers to see print up close is quite common when people age, and usually starts around the age of 40, and sometimes later. This isn't caused by weak muscles, but is caused by losing elasticity in the lens of the eye that allow the ability to focus on close objects and print. Eye exercises can't hurt, but I have never heard they will reduce the need for reading glasses. If so, I am sure more people would use the technique and expound how great it is for improving their close up vision.

[Tenringx2]

Depending on the type of shooting you are doing, Rudy has some with bifocal readers at the bottom of the lens, I wish I could get them with the bifocal towards the top. I tend to tip my head down while shooting, not back.

https://www.e-rudy.com/rydon-readers-landing.php

An option a eye doctor gave me was to use a magnified (reader) contact only in my dominate eye. This brings the front sight into focus while still being able to get a decent picture at a distance. Been trying to get used to it but, for me it is kind of like wearing readers and it just seems to throw me off.

[richpetrone]

If you try to use a "reader lens" only for the dominant eye, you will have less visual acuity or long distance focus so objects further away may be slightly blurry. The diopter of the reading glass will determine how blurry your vision is at longer distances. A weak 1.5 diopter used for normal 20/20 vision eyesight, may not be too blurry, but a strong 3.0 diopter lens would be tough to see objects at longer distance.

If you try to use a reader only for the dominant eye, and a plain or clear lens for the non shooting eye, your overall visual acuity will be better with the non shooting eye, and your brain will try to use the non shooting eye for dominance.....which can cause problems. If both eyes use readers, it is much easier to keep both eyes open and use the dominant eye for sighting. If you have a problem keeping the non shooting eye open, some folks will put a translucent piece of tape over the glass lens to further reduce the need to close the non shooting eye. Keeping both eyes open can reduce eye fatigue, and is often best when shooting a handgun.

[Tenringx2]

Originally Posted by richpetrone

If you try to use a reader only for the dominant eye, and a plain or clear lens for the non shooting eye, your overall visual acuity will be better with the non shooting eye, and your brain will try to use the non shooting eye for dominance.....which can cause problems.

This does seem to be the issue with only the dominate eye magnified. It feels like my brain is searching for, or looking to compensate for the difference. It does feel weird.

[BillD]

My optometrist made me a pair of shooting glasses with the focal point right where I need it. He even let me bring my pistol in to make sure the front sight was crisp.

[chrysanthemum]

Originally Posted by GOVTMODEL

See Dr. Norman Wong's articles at http://www.starreloaders.com/edhall/nwongarts.html

He's a Bullseye shooter and Optometrist, and the first of his papers is intended for you to take to your optometrist.

Fabulous link and set of papers.

THANK YOU for providing !!

SUGGEST THAT THIS BE MADE A PERMANENT "STICKY"

[TEA]

Try bilberry. A shooting buddy of mine's eyesight was going so far down hill he was having trouble reading the paper even with his glasses. His ophthalmologist recommended bilberry to him and within about 6 months he was shooting expert and master level scores again.

[Southpaw1911]

Bilberry, eye exercises, bifocal shooting glasses...worth a "shot"....sounds like I'm in good company searching for that crisp front sight.Thank to all!

[gregj]

Originally Posted by BillD

My optometrist made me a pair of shooting glasses with the focal point right where I need it. He even let me bring my pistol in to make sure the front sight was crisp.

This ^^^ I normally wear progressive bi-focals. I had my optometrist make me a pair with my left Rx for distance, my right Rx near - actually at about 27" - which is where the front site would be. (I'm right handed and right eye dominate.)

Works fantastic!! Probably the single best thing I could have done to improve my shooting.

[RLH]

I have the same problem at my age. I still have 20/20 for distance, but my sights are fuzzy. What I did was check Ebay and purchased several pairs of Aviator style 1.0 reading glasses. rear & front sight crystal clear and target is very clear also. Just a slight amount of fuzz at the target. I think I payed about 15 bucks for 3 pairs of the glasses. Just make sure the intire lens are 1.0 in strenght and not bi-focals.

[DMark]

Also look into getting "wide-notch" rear sights. Most are in the .156 range for the rear opening. Novak makes a "Super Wide" for the 1911 that is .170 wide. The extra light with the wide notch will help you to center the front sight.

Here is Heinie wide notch rear with a Dawson FO front sight.



I run all black wide notches on all of my 1911s with either a FO front sight (competion) or a night sight (carry guns). I have +1.00 inserts for both eyes in my shooting glasses.

Now that I can see the front sight again....., I realize that before getting my inserts - - - I was point-shooting alot in IDPA matches.

[DMark]

Sorry for the double tap of my post.

[gus3836]

I have variable power contacks they work really well for the front sight it is sharp and you can see the target pretty decent. I you use a different power length in the nonaiming eye so you can see the target also. You can wear regular shooting glasses that give better eye protection. My biggest problem is I am right handed but left eye dominate so I close the left eye quite a bit working on it but I am too slow and it too late in the game to worry about it.