Old fart presbyopia and pistol sights

[radmcg]

Need some advise for shooting handguns. My near vision has gotten so bad that the sights on my handguns are now way out of focus. The target is still perfect. If I wear my reading glasses I can see the sights fine but the target is out of focus. Any old farts with recommendations. I just haven't shot my pistols lately and discovered how bad my near vision had gotten this week.
AHA
Rad

 

[thebolt]

Re: Old fart presbyopia and pistol sights

Time for new eyeglasses. They can make your new glasses specific for shooting with the focus on your handgun sights.

 

[radmcg]

Re: Old fart presbyopia and pistol sights

The problem is then the target is out of focus. I was wondering if anyone has done a near lens in one eye and nothing in the other. i have a partner that does his contacts that way. One for up close and the other is for far vision. Just not sure if you could shoot that way. He just does tht to work.

 

[wilecoyote]

Re: Old fart presbyopia and pistol sights

before all,try an adjustable iris on a shooting google frame (without lenses),on the dominant eye: (I'm 55yrs. old) this saved my shooting with revolvers and iron sighted k98k_ the trick is learn to regulate the different angulation required shooting revolver OR rifles,of course_ (even Clint Eastwood,in a late western movie,discovered himself with the same problem but,being Clint,discarded temporarily the revolver and adoptedt a shotgun...)_

 

[kraigWY]

Re: Old fart presbyopia and pistol sights

I'm in the same boat. I can get reading glasses the focus on the front sight (rifles) but then can't see to read my score book or count clicks.

So I went to the drug store and got two pear of the same kind of glasses, the right lense I left in for shooting (focusing on the front sight and still seeing the target which is suppose to be fuzzy. The second pair was for reading. I popped out the left lense of my shooting glasses and replaced them with the lense of my reading glasses. Now I can shoot with my right eye and use my left eye for the score book and sights.

This works on pistols too.

 

[radmcg]

Re: Old fart presbyopia and pistol sights

Thanks for the help guys. The lens swap was kind on what I was thinking.

 

[95LTZ]

Re: Old fart presbyopia and pistol sights

I have had tri-focals for 18 years or so. They are called "Double D's" or occupational tri-focals. The bottom is the one for reading, the center is for distance. The third goes at the top of the lense. I put a pencil in my fist and held it up the same way you would a handgun. I told the Doc I wanted the focal length 6" past the pencil. Now while driving the reading section takes care of the instrument panel, the center for driving & the upper tri-focal for the overhead compass & such. Works great at the store as you can clearly see items both on the top of the shelf & on the bottom shelf just by moving your eyes. It works really good for me. I hope your results would be just as good.
Semper Fi

 

[BuckskinRider]

Re: Old fart presbyopia and pistol sights

radmcg,

I guess I'm an old fart - 61 yo in a few months - so I think I know what you're going through. I almost gave up shooting anything unless it had a scope. Even though I wore progressive lenses, contorting my head/neck was too much. While I could still shoot my bow I didn't realize how bad things were until I went to get my annual eye exam a year ago.

The doc asked me if I'd ever considered contact lenses. I'd always been told that I couldn't wear them. This guy talked to me about Mono-Vision. Like you said ... one lens for near and one for far. After getting used to them you can't tell the difference. But now everything is in focus when I shoot ... when I shoot everything - rifle scoped, rifle iron sights, handgun, bow, shotgun ...

The only thing that is still blurry is my EOTech. The focal plane is too far out for my near focus by my right eye. [If I ever have to shoot weak side ... I'm set! It's really sharp! LOL]

Mono-Vision may not be for everyone, but it's given me back the opportunity to enjoy shooting.

Feel free to PM if you have more questions.

Randolph

 

[radmcg]

Re: Old fart presbyopia and pistol sights

Thanks guys thats great information and greatly appreciated. My partners wife is my optometrist so hopefully we can tweak the lens a little. Randolph did it make you dizzy or nauseated at first with one eye doing one thing and the other something else? Just curious.
Thanks
Rad

 

[Greg Langelius *]

Re: Old fart presbyopia and pistol sights

66 today, and still The Resident Elder Fart, My money is on doing what it takes to get the focus sharp on the front blade.

Playing games with warping the combined focus into separate distances is guaranteed to give you a massive eye strain headache, and that's the good news.

Give in with grace; you are now among us Elders, with all the feebleness that encompasses.

You will be forced to make The Choice.

The right choice is to refine the focus on the front blade. Yes, the target will blur, but better that than the sights.

".. and see the front sight..., feel the trigger..."

Greg

 

[wilecoyote]

Re: Old fart presbyopia and pistol sights

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Greg Langelius *</div><div class="ubbcode-body">66 today, and still The Resident Elder Fart, My money is on doing what it takes to get the focus sharp on the front blade.

Playing games with warping the combined focus into separate distances is guaranteed to give you a massive eye strain headache, and that's the good news.

Give in with grace; you are now among us Elders, with all the feebleness that encompasses.

You will be forced to make The Choice.

The right choice is to refine the focus on the front blade. Yes, the target will blur, but better that than the sights.

".. and see the front sight..., feel the trigger..."

Greg</div></div> ...that's the reason because I support the concept of the regulable iris mounted on a shootig google frame:as italian,I have learned that from elder German shooters,and if I don't remember wrong, their concept of national sport is not soccer,is Shooting...

 

[BuckskinRider]

Re: Old fart presbyopia and pistol sights

Rad,

No dizziness or nausea.

I wear them daily ... drive ... use the computer ... read reports ... and like I said shoot various weapons with various types of sighting.

Just like normal vision ... focus on the front sight ... back sight and target are not in focus. Only difference is that the front sight is crystal clear and there's no eyeglass frame or other distraction.

You can have all sorts of opinions about this, but the fact is that for some this is a fantastic alternative. I don't see a down side.

Plastic lens or glass lens? On your eyeball or suspended in front of. It's still an assist.

Good luck on your choice.

Randolph

 

[radmcg]

Re: Old fart presbyopia and pistol sights

Thanks for all the help.

 

[9H_Cracka]

Re: Old fart presbyopia and pistol sights

Readers/bifocals are set up for 20/15 at 14 inches in near darkness, like a book on your chest reading in bed.

Pistol front sight distance in good light - you can get by with half (or less) the power of your readers for a usable sight picture and still keep the target.

Try something around +.50 or +.75 diopter and go from there.