Why are my turrets blury?

[Photobug]

I know why but after a lifetime of supernormal vision now in my 50s I am having to get used to glasses and it sucks. The reason I bought my first scope earlier this year is shooting well with iron sights was getting harder. My vision is not that bad, I can read a book without glasses but can't read fine print or anything too close.

Now that I am trying to shoot in precision events and have to see through the scope and then read the numbers on my turrets a few inches away. I have a number of reading glasses and top focal bifocals for shooting, but they are more focused for pistol arms length, not turret length. How can I see through the scope and read the turrets. I am open for suggestions but would prefer a magnifier on the scope rather some bifocal which make so far seeing through the scope harder than it should be.

 

[Baron23]

@Photobug - I was 47 when I went to the eye doc as I was finding reading the newpaper to be more difficult and was concerned. She told me I needed reading glasses. I was shocked and appalled and she said to me "Mr. Baron, at 47 you made it without needing reading glasses longer than most."

I tried a scope mounted magnifier and found it to be minimally functional. They were Tyler's of MK Machining's older model (but not that older...bought about a year ago). It used a Fresnel magnifier lens and was foggy and almost impossible for me to get good focus or clarity.

He has a new gen of this product that appears to use a different lens but I have no experience with it.

I opted for stick on bifocal lenses that I bought from Amazon but are available from many sources.

Amazon.com: Optx 20/20 Stick-On Bifocals, +200 : Health & Household

Buy Optx 20/20 Stick-On Bifocals, +200 on Amazon.com ✓ FREE SHIPPING on qualified orders

www.amazon.com

Now, I used Randolph Ranger shooting glasses....like, real shooting glasses. Have used them for a very long time when shooting tournament skeet (which I'm too fucking old and broken down to do anymore). I do business with LM Lenses and Mike is a great, honest, and very knowledgeable guy on this subject.

Unlike pistol shooters who want the bifocal up top to see sights, I found putting the stick ons on the bottom of the lens to work out very well. They are utterly out of the way when in position yet a small tilt of the head up and I can see my turrets quite well.

Just a thought as I found this worked well for me.

Cheers

 

[usafa77]

Southern Precision Rifles bugholes.com makes a high quality scope mounted one

 

[acudaowner]

easy answer get your eyes checked as long as you are alive your getting older

 

[A&8's]

I feel your pain, Brother. At 50 (51 tomorrow), I'm in the exact same boat. If the damn turret was 2" further, I could leave my face on the gun and adjust. I refuse to get "one more thing to add on to my rifle, that may get bumped out of alignment, broken or knocked off." As a result, I "hold" 90% of my elevation on multiple target array's. The ONLY time I dial for multi targets is if I have enough time to pull my head off, dial and reacquire a good cheek weld.

 

[Holliday]

Turret Magnifier

Turret Magnifier The MK Machining Turret Magnifier easily mounts to your scope tube and provides an approximate 3x magnification allowing for easier viewing of small markings on your rifle scope turrets. Features an easy to remove magnifier which makes changing out lenses a breeze. Includes...

www.mkmachining.com

 

[308pirate]

I know why but after a lifetime of supernormal vision now in my 50s I am having to get used to glasses and it sucks. The reason I bought my first scope earlier this year is shooting well with iron sights was getting harder. My vision is not that bad, I can read a book without glasses but can't read fine print or anything too close.

Now that I am trying to shoot in precision events and have to see through the scope and then read the numbers on my turrets a few inches away. I have a number of reading glasses and top focal bifocals for shooting, but they are more focused for pistol arms length, not turret length. How can I see through the scope and read the turrets. I am open for suggestions but would prefer a magnifier on the scope rather some bifocal which make so far seeing through the scope harder than it should be.

View attachment 7689773

Presbyopia

It happens to everyone

 

[Holliday]

I feel your pain, Brother. At 50 (51 tomorrow), I'm in the exact same boat. If the damn turret was 2" further, I could leave my face on the gun and adjust. I refuse to get "one more thing to add on to my rifle, that may get bumped out of alignment, broken or knocked off." As a result, I "hold" 90% of my elevation on multiple target array's. The ONLY time I dial for multi targets is if I have enough time to pull my head off, dial and reacquire a good cheek weld.

Yet another advantage to these Christmas tree reticles that I have disliked but been forced into. I am warming up to them.....

 

[Familydude]

I’m not recommending this to anyone, nor am I saying it’s even a good idea. As a matter of fact, I’m prepared for the upcoming onslaught of criticism...

My wife had LASIK surgery in which her vision was corrected so one eye is for distance, the other for up close. Works great for her and apparently the brain taps into the eye in greater use for the moment, with no confusion.

I thought I’d do something similar but not permanent. Got a pair of my reading glasses, left in the lens I use for the reticle and turrets, and replaced the other with a clear, non-magnifying, non prescription lens. I can see both up close and distance. Works great for me.

 

[DownhillFromHere]

I had cataract surgery a few years ago... I see fine at distance but definitely had trouble dialing a scope or clearly seeing anything closer than several feet away. The human eye's lens becomes essentially crystalline and incapable of any focus change at about age 60, pretty much equivalent of the plastic lenses in my surgery'ed eyes.

With no disrespect to Tyler at MK Machining (good guy), I personally found the inexpensive magnifier to be practically useless.

I think @Baron23 has a viable approach in his post above, but I haven't tried it.

With that said, I practiced enough that I can dial my Vortex Razor or ZCO without any correction. I have to come out of the gun - up and back - enough to see the turret just well enough - blurry but well enough - to dial. It helps to practice so that there is some muscle memory - the "feel" of how much two or five or eight mils of change takes on the scope. But at the end of it, I find it faster to dial, without correction, while on the clock than to fiddle with corrective stuff.

There is always the question of whether to dial or hold on a given stage. But now I have the confidence to dial when it makes sense; whereas early on I thought I had to use holdover because dialing took too long.

My $0.02.

 

[Baron23]

I had cataract surgery a few years ago... I see fine at distance but definitely had trouble dialing a scope or clearly seeing anything closer than several feet away. The human eye's lens becomes essentially crystalline and incapable of any focus change at about age 60, pretty much equivalent of the plastic lenses in my surgery'ed eyes.

With no disrespect to Tyler at MK Machining (good guy), I personally found the inexpensive magnifier to be practically useless.

I think @Baron23 has a viable approach in his post above, but I haven't tried it.

With that said, I practiced enough that I can dial my Vortex Razor or ZCO without any correction. I have to come out of the gun - up and back - enough to see the turret just well enough - blurry but well enough - to dial. It helps to practice so that there is some muscle memory - the "feel" of how much two or five or eight mils of change takes on the scope. But at the end of it, I find it faster to dial, without correction, while on the clock than to fiddle with corrective stuff.

There is always the question of whether to dial or hold on a given stage. But now I have the confidence to dial when it makes sense; whereas early on I thought I had to use holdover because dialing took too long.

My $0.02.

Having cateract surgery in my right eye…and yes, I’m right handed so it’s the important eye….in mid-Nov.

They do make lenses that are supposed to be able to correct distance and near but they have more problems than just distance lenses. Tend to cause bad flares/star bursts at night driving…friend decided he wanted the whole enchilada and regretted it terribly as he really couldn’t drive at night anymore.

So, I’ll stay w my reading glasses which are still working wonderfully.

 

[GrumpyOleFart]

Lasik or contact lenses a possibility?

 

[Photobug]

@Photobug -

Amazon.com: Optx 20/20 Stick-On Bifocals, +200 : Health & Household

Buy Optx 20/20 Stick-On Bifocals, +200 on Amazon.com ✓ FREE SHIPPING on qualified orders

www.amazon.com

I had perfect vision till 50. But has gone downhill since then. I am due for a visit to the eye guy. Each time I have visited I have to buy a new pair of very expensive glasses, which I don't wear anyways as I only need them for fine print, and cheap reading glasses work fine.

I tried all sorts of options to shoot pistols and iron sighted rifles and yet have found anything that works better than no glasses. I even bought some of those stick ons but never tried it as I realize anything that made the sights sharper made the target fuzzy. You know the phrase you can't hit what you can't see?

I will head to the grocery store and try to find out which focal will give me a sharp focus at cheek weld to turret distances. Then try some of the stick on magnifiers in that magnification.

 

[Ravenworks]

Since you should be wearing safety glasses why not get them in bifocals?
Same price.

Bifocal Safety Glasses - Safety Reading Glasses

Bifocal Safety Glasses & Safety Reading Glasses. Top Brands, Styles, And Lens Options. Large Inventory. ANSI Z87.1 Certified. Low Prices. Fast Shipping.

www.safetyglassesusa.com

Amazon.com : bifocal safety glasses

 

[candyx]

When will they make a read out of the turret inside the scope.

 

[Baron23]

I had perfect vision till 50. But has gone downhill since then. I am due for a visit to the eye guy. Each time I have visited I have to buy a new pair of very expensive glasses, which I don't wear anyways as I only need them for fine print, and cheap reading glasses work fine.

I tried all sorts of options to shoot pistols and iron sighted rifles and yet have found anything that works better than no glasses. I even bought some of those stick ons but never tried it as I realize anything that made the sights sharper made the target fuzzy. You know the phrase you can't hit what you can't see?

I will head to the grocery store and try to find out which focal will give me a sharp focus at cheek weld to turret distances. Then try some of the stick on magnifiers in that magnification.

The key is to have real shooting glasses w enough vertical dimension that the stock on is below where you look at distance, the reticle, or the sights.

Ot at least that’s my take on it.

 

[Im2bent]

Since you should be wearing safety glasses why not get them in bifocals?
Same price.

Bifocal Safety Glasses - Safety Reading Glasses

Bifocal Safety Glasses & Safety Reading Glasses. Top Brands, Styles, And Lens Options. Large Inventory. ANSI Z87.1 Certified. Low Prices. Fast Shipping.

www.safetyglassesusa.com

Amazon.com : bifocal safety glasses

You guys are funny...let's look through a zco ( replace with your flavor of scope) with super cheap plastic garbage lenses .

 

[Baron23]

You guys are funny...let's look through a zco ( replace with your flavor of scope) with super cheap plastic garbage lenses .

Exactly. I don't understand it either.

Hell, people spend $300 for a muzzle brake...or $170 for a "PRS" sling.... but won't get off of some $$ for high qual shooting glasses. But, its their money and to each their own.

I tried the cheap bifocal glasses and IMO they were no bueno but I'm spoiled by the clarity of my Randolph Ranger lenses.

Cheers

 

[Photobug]

Since you should be wearing safety glasses why not get them in bifocals?
Same price.

Bifocal Safety Glasses - Safety Reading Glasses

Bifocal Safety Glasses & Safety Reading Glasses. Top Brands, Styles, And Lens Options. Large Inventory. ANSI Z87.1 Certified. Low Prices. Fast Shipping.

www.safetyglassesusa.com

Amazon.com : bifocal safety glasses

I had some reading bifocals that I used for woodworking, they got stepped on so need to replace.

I just ran to the dollar store and got there with a minute to spare, not realizing they changed hours. I grabbed some 2.50 magnification readers and that gets me a focus 9" away which is my distance to turrets.

My one concern with bifocals is the need to crank my neck so far to get a view out the bottom of the glasses. I have some top focal shooting glasses I bought trying to solve my issues with other style shooting, they did me no good. I would hope a top focal at 2.5 might solve my needs.

I would consider some expensive glasses if I knew they worked. I buy expensive sunglasses but don't care for aviator glasses (and I was a professional pilot). I am not paying $200+ for glasses that I don't like the way they look on me.

 

[metal2meat]

I hit the big 50 this year and was prescribed glasses a couple years ago. I have the same issues. I have to break position, slide my head back toward the rear end of the stock to see the turrets. I bought a turret magnifier from Mk machine and it helps, unless there’s glare and/or dust building in the lens.

The last NRL match I shot, I used the H59 reticle and shot 90% of the match using holdovers. Once you get used to it, it’s pretty proficient.

 

[Photobug]

I hit the big 50 this year and was prescribed glasses a couple years ago. I have the same issues. I have to break position, slide my head back toward the rear end of the stock to see the turrets. I bought a turret magnifier from Mk machine and it helps, unless there’s glare and/or dust building in the lens.

The last NRL match I shot, I used the H59 reticle and shot 90% of the match using holdovers. Once you get used to it, it’s pretty proficient.

I like the idea of the turret magnifier but not heard great reviews from them. Also it does not look like it would help see the windage turret. I shot yesterday with some sunglass bifocals and was able to using the 2.0 magnification read the turrets well but he need to crane my neck so high to see out he bottom of the glasses was not comfortable.

I took a rifles only .22 class late June and the last drill we did was using hold overs and under to shoot an entire sequence. It definitely brought my percentages down from shooting the same targets the day before but it was also fairly windy that day. I will work on some holdover shooting to try to get better. It would also benefit from not having to spend time adjusting turrets and not breaking the sight picture.

 

[Photobug]

A follow up question: What constitutes shooting glasses? I have about 4 pair of cheap shooting glasses $30 range ones but wear nice expensive glasses for daily walk around or being on the water.

I see shooting retailers offering things from Leupold and Oakley but don't see mention of any ANSI standards. Is there any way to ensure a pair of sunglasses meet the needed safety standards for shooting safety?

 

[drglock]

I use Oakleys with the yellow shooting lenses and put a stick on bifocal in the upper right corner of the left lens. I only need them on stages that I’m dialing on. Works great don’t hardly have to move my head off my stock to dial elevation.

 

[Baron23]

I tried a scope mounted magnifier and found it to be minimally functional. They were Tyler's of MK Machining's older model (but not that older...bought about a year ago). It used a Fresnel magnifier lens and was foggy and almost impossible for me to get good focus or clarity.

I just reread my post after somebody gave it a "like" and I want to be very clear about the part quoted above.

I love @Tyler Kemp and MK Machining and have a number of his products and I'm very happy with them.

But, the turret magnifier just didn't work out for me and was just another thing hung on the gun.

Again, mine were the older style Fresnel lens type and i know he has a Gen 2 that may be much better. But, I'm happy with my stick on magnifier lens and that's what I'll stay with for now.

By the by, I did recently receive from MK a set of his new scope caps for a Leupold Mk5 5-25 x 56 and I like them VERY much. They fit well, are very robust, the caps lock down very well but without needing a hammer to get them closed (unlike a set I have from another vendor of a similar cap....which are a PIA to open and close...mostly close). If you are looking for some very high qual scope caps, check out MK Machining.

 

[Photobug]

I'll give an update.

I went shooting and brought all my glasses with me. With the top focal glasses, I was having the magnifier interfere with scope viewing. With normal bifocals on I was having to break my position a lot by having to lift my head so much, keeping in mind I am fairly new to precision shooting, so don't have a well established "position".

I have some stick on focals coming and will trying to place them in a spot maybe outer right corner of my dominant eye to see if that, allows me to peak up at the turrets, and not interfere with my scope sight picture.

 

[Photobug]

Southern Precision Rifles bugholes.com makes a high quality scope mounted one

These were out when you posted this but they are now back in stock, only 6 left. I have one thing to try before giving this a try. Are you able to see both elevation and windage through this magnifier?

 

[usafa77]

just elevation

 

[Tyler Kemp]

You'll find my Gen 2 model to have a much nicer lens. I had to drop some cash to get custom lenses made, but it's super crisp and has a lot of magnification. Here's the view through it:

 

[mojavejim]

When will they make a read out of the turret inside the scope.

It's called the Revic.
Try a small led light, I have issues since lasik under roof but a little light goes a long way.

 

[6.5SH]

You'll find my Gen 2 model to have a much nicer lens. I had to drop some cash to get custom lenses made, but it's super crisp and has a lot of magnification. Here's the view through it:

View attachment 7699501

Looks nice have suggested it to a few older friends in need.

 

[Steel head]

At about 42 my close vision really started getting wonky.

 

[Photobug]

You'll find my Gen 2 model to have a much nicer lens. I had to drop some cash to get custom lenses made, but it's super crisp and has a lot of magnification. Here's the view through it:

Looks good. Tell me about the custom lens. Did you have them MK Machining custom the lens or did you have an optician make it? How did you install the upgraded lens?

 

[6.5SH]

Looks good. Tell me about the custom lens. Did you have them MK Machining custom the lens or did you have an optician make it? How did you install the upgraded lens?

Tyler IS MK Machining.

 

[Photobug]

At about 42 my close vision really started getting wonky.

At around that age I failed an eye test because of astigmatism. I realized if I go in hydrated I was able to pass the eye exam for another decade.

 

[Tyler Kemp]

Looks good. Tell me about the custom lens. Did you have them MK Machining custom the lens or did you have an optician make it? How did you install the upgraded lens?

This new lens is round so will not work with the Gen 1 magnifier, however I'm more than happy to offer a substantial discount to customers of the Gen 1 model.

To be honest, I have literally no idea who designed the lens. Going American made was going to be many, many thousands of dollars to get things to a livable price. So my good buddy random chinese man took my request, sent me a few samples based upon my desires, they worked just as I had hoped, and I said "hell yes, please make me 10,000".

 

[Dels]

49 this year, and at my last visit, my optometrist made my contact prescription in my left eye (non-dominant) slightly underpowered, or less than 20/20. Allows me to read and see my turrets fine.
My right eye is fully corrected. The brain just alternate’s between the two accordingly. Not the right decision for everyone, but works great for me.

 

[chevy_man]

A follow up question: What constitutes shooting glasses? I have about 4 pair of cheap shooting glasses $30 range ones but wear nice expensive glasses for daily walk around or being on the water.

I see shooting retailers offering things from Leupold and Oakley but don't see mention of any ANSI standards. Is there any way to ensure a pair of sunglasses meet the needed safety standards for shooting safety?

I wear oakley's that do have a Z87 rating. I initially bought them for the prizm lenses and clays shooting, but ended up spending the $$$ on the rest of the lens's to use them at all times.


Our range is eye protection mandatory. As much as I would love to look through my nicer scopes without glasses, the 1 time something happens you're sooo much better off with eye pro. Look at Kentucky Ballistics and the chunk of metal that broke his orbital with his glasses. He would be down an eye if not dead from that piece of shrapnel without those $5 glasses.

I just reread my post after somebody gave it a "like" and I want to be very clear about the part quoted above.

I love @Tyler Kemp and MK Machining and have a number of his products and I'm very happy with them.

But, the turret magnifier just didn't work out for me and was just another thing hung on the gun.

Again, mine were the older style Fresnel lens type and i know he has a Gen 2 that may be much better. But, I'm happy with my stick on magnifier lens and that's what I'll stay with for now.

By the by, I did recently receive from MK a set of his new scope caps for a Leupold Mk5 5-25 x 56 and I like them VERY much. They fit well, are very robust, the caps lock down very well but without needing a hammer to get them closed (unlike a set I have from another vendor of a similar cap....which are a PIA to open and close...mostly close). If you are looking for some very high qual scope caps, check out MK Machining.

I like Tylers stuff and have a bit of it. However, any Leupold that doesn't have the aluma caps is missing out! O-ringed and magnetic, folds flat, threaded to the scope tube on both ends. They are what everyone should make, but they do charge accordingly.

To be fair, I won't ever waste money on butler creek caps and have a bunch of included caps in a drawer because they suck so bad. I have a few sets of Tylers caps for other nice scopes, but nothing beats being threaded to the tube.

 

[DownhillFromHere]

... the 1 time something happens you're sooo much better off with eye pro. Look at Kentucky Ballistics and the chunk of metal that broke his orbital with his glasses. He would be down an eye if not dead from that piece of shrapnel without those $5 glasses.

Two anecdotes to underscore this...
-------
I was shooting a USPSA-like match with knock-down steel targets. While reloading my magazines 30-40 yards from the target array, I felt a stinging impact to the side of my nose. Touching it, I felt blood but no metal. Later, at home after the bleeding had long since stopped, I used tweezers to extract a deeply-embedded, frisbee-shaped piece of bullet jacket maybe 2mm across. What were the chances of a tiny bit of copper of that specific shape rebounding off a steel plate at just the right angle to travel that far with sufficient velocity to bury itself in my skin? Had it been an eyeball, it would have been a much more serious matter.
-------
A guy with whom I used to shoot skeet had a little acrylic square with a shot pellet in it hanging from his shell pouch. I asked him about it. He said he kept it hanging there so people might ask... story was he was shooting his last target of the round on low 8. He called the target, fired & broke it, and instantly felt what seemed to be a wasp sting right between his eyebrows. Touching it, he felt blood and a bump. He went into the men's room and, wiping away blood, saw a small hole. Squeezing it like a zit, a pellet popped out.

It's extremely rare, but if a pellet hits a flying clay target just right, it rims around the target skirt and zings back, with rather minimal loss of velocity. I never watch trap, skeet, or clays without eye protection, even if I'm 40 yards back from the field. I've heard a pellet ping off a drink machine 30 yards from a field, heard pellets tear through tree leaves 40 yards from a field. I can count the incidents on one hand after decades of competitive skeet where over 40,000 targets are shot in a single weekend... but is that rarity worth risking your eyes? It's FAR more common to get clocked by pieces of broken target. I don't know of any clay target range that doesn't require eye pro.
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