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Thread: Eyeglasses and seeing sights on handguns and rifles.

  1. #1
    Boolit Master

    BigAlofPa.'s Avatar
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    Eyeglasses and seeing sights on handguns and rifles.

    Im at the point in my life where it's hard for me to see the sights on some of my pistols. Last years eye exam. The doc said i could use what he called a small prescription. I opted out, Because i can still see well driving and spotting game and stuff off in the distance. And i could still see my sights and target. Now the sights are blurring. I do use reading glasses. 2.50 strength. How do those who wear glasses see the sights and the target? I would guess bifocals would not work? Im ok with that since i have reading glasses. Thanks Al.

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    Boolit Master
    JWFilips's Avatar
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    I always thought of Getting a pair of my prescription glasses with progressive bifocals installed upside down this way when you crouch down in the defensive pistol position the bifocal area would be on the sights
    " Associate with men of good quality, if you esteem your own reputation: for it is better to be alone than in bad company. " George Washington

  3. #3
    Boolit Master



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    See your optometrist and explain your problem(s) to him, the Doctor has likely had others inquire. The answer is eyeglasses tuned to a proper focal length for your eyes to see the sights in sharp definition.
    Gun control is not about guns.

  4. #4
    Boolit Master

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    Ok cool ill measure the distance from my eyes to sight on the gun that is closest then. Probably my Mosin nagant. But ill check them all.

  5. #5
    Boolit Master Wheelguns 1961's Avatar
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    I wear progressive bifocals and I do just fine. If I am having a hard time, it is usually because my glasses have slid down a little. I just push them up and continue.
    Due to the price of primers, warning shots will no longer be given!

  6. #6
    Boolit Master


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    I've been down this road. I now request what I call 'computer glasses', main lens focal length at 26", with bifocal readers. I found that 26" works for my computer monitors and also handgun and rifle sights.

    For cowboy competition, I get Wiley X Romer II safety goggles with the 26" prescription on the right, for sights, and the distance prescription on the left, for targets. A few minutes accommodation is all it takes for my eyes and brain to figure it out so that I see a single image near and far.

  7. #7
    Boolit Buddy
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    Al

    May 1984 American Rifleman had an article on vision that was pretty good. I have an electronic copy I can email you if you want it.

  8. #8
    Boolit Master


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    Getting old is tough. As your eyes get old they will not focus at close distances,thus the need for reading glasses or bifocals.
    As you correct your vision for close focus the correction will not let you see at distance. So from here on out you must decide what to do.
    For pistol you can bring the sights in focus by correction (bifocals) and hold on the target as best you can. This is usually acceptable as the target distances for pistols is not that great.
    The obvious answer for rifles is a rifle scope or a red dot where the eyes just have to focus on the target. Peep sights can help as the peep apature is somewhat a diopter like a bifocal. But shooting for groups at 100 yards or more with conventional iron rifle sights is not possilble.

  9. #9
    Boolit Buddy
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    I'm wearing reading glasses and becoming red-dot aficionado

  10. #10
    Boolit Master
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    Have a buddy that wears glasses full time, when he went in last year he related the same issue. The Dr set him up with a “working” focal length instead of a reading length. He reports a night and day difference when shooting, though he has to keep 2 pair of glasses.

  11. #11
    Boolit Grand Master

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    when I was competing ( NRA High power) I used a set of Knob block shooting glasses . with my prescription ground into the 1 lens. These allowed the lens to be centered for postion and me looking thru the center where the prescription was most accurate. There was is an optometrist named Bob Jones who specializes in glasses for shooters. He used to have booth on commercial row during the nationals.

  12. #12
    Boolit Master

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    My mosin don't have a scope. I been looking for a good set up where i won't ruin the originality of the gun. I hear so many good and bad on each set up i find. My 7600 i like the sights for close up shots. My eye exam is may. Im going to call and see if i can get in before that. In the mean time ill grab a pair of low power readers too. Paper Puncher ill send a Pm with my email addy.

  13. #13
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    I have a set of shooting glasses with a fixed bifocal. I brought in a handgun - cylinder to set the prescription to where the sights were in focus. I can't see my sights well with a progressive bifocal.
    [The Montana Gianni] Front sight and squeeze

  14. #14
    DOR RED BEAR's Avatar
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    I use a set of fixed magnification safety glasses to were i can see the sights and still see the target . For me it is a comprise between target and sights started off with little magnification i now use 4 or 4.5 magnification .also my long range shooting with iron sights is a thing of the past scopes only or some other optics iron sight pistols are 25 yrds or less. You can buy these cheap magnification safety glasses from amazon around $4 or $5. You may want to ask your doctor if there is something he can do then all the better. I also use my regular glasses and green lasers they are easier to see in daylight.

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    Get a Merit disc for punching paper and high power green laser for everything else.

    BTW seeing the target is not anywhere near as important as seeing the sights.

  16. #16
    Boolit Master
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    If your distance vision is good you might want to try a peep sight/globe sight combo. I have artificial lenses in both eyes (cataract surgery) and the same problem-- blurry sights. I put a peep sight on the rear and a globe sight on the front. That way, you can look through the two holes and place your target in the center of the hole in the front sight. The eye naturally tends to center in a hole. So, I see a crystal clear target centered in two slightly blurry holes-- and it all works out fine. This works for the rifles, but not the pistols-- but it helps.
    Hick: Iron sights!

  17. #17
    Boolit Master
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    I have had to resort to placing a pair of dollar store reader glasses over my regular glasses, all held in place with my shooting ear muffs. I can see the sights doing this. I look goofy but I’m 65 and I don’t care anymore.

    Recently I heard about EyePal. They are nothing more than a static cling circle of rubber with a small hole... an aperture sight that clings to your glasses or safety glasses. $18 for a couple of stickers? I’m cheap but gave it a try and was shocked how well I can see my handgun sights and a sharp target at the same time!

    Mine came with one with a hole suitable for handguns and one for rifles. I haven’t tried the one for rifles yet, but bet it will work fine. I’m just grateful that it works like it does so I can enjoy reaching my potential at the range.

    I only intend to use this at the range... I don’t think it would be good for hunting since you need suitable light, and don’t think it would be easy to use rapidly.
    Plata o plomo?
    Plomo, por favor!

  18. #18
    Boolit Buddy
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    Quote Originally Posted by Phineas Bluster View Post
    BigAlofPa.,

    If you have normal distance vision, but can not focus on rifle and/or handgun sights, a pair of simple low power reading glasses with a full lens magnifier of +0.50 and +0.75 diopter may solve your problem.

    I have normal distance vision, but have trouble focusing on objects closer than half a fathom. I have been using the Elvex Rx-500 Safety Glasses at +0.50 diopter for rifle and +0.75 for handgun. I can see my front sight again!

    You can obtain these glasses here. The price is very reasonable. They are definitely worth trying.

    PB
    Start with a quality eye exam! You get what you pay for, it should cover distance and near vision. As suggested some form of correction will work. I have gone through most if not all of the suggestions and use them according to what I am shooting, where and when. There really is no one size fits all. Some are better than other and all work to a degree. I prefer apertures, red dots and scopes and what I shoot. I would suggest starting with an aperture (you can create one with your fist). A Merit adjustable can be mounted on your shooting glasses.
    West of Beaver Dick's Ferry.

  19. #19
    Boolit Master

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    Great article Paper puncher. Thank you very much. My step son was over today. And he wears glasses. I asked him how he does with seeing the sights and targets. He said no issues. He dose not have bifocals. So that gives me a ray of hope.

  20. #20
    Boolit Master

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    Tri-focals here and no problems with sights, scopes, target acquisition, or scoring hits in the "X" ring. You get used to them, know where the sweet spots are (near, mid-range, far), and learned consistency is the key to everything.
    If it was easy, anybody could do it.

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