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Thread: Eyeglasses and seeing sights on handguns and rifles.

  1. #21
    Boolit Master
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    I have two pair of glasses, one for distance, and one for reading. I have to keep switching back and forth, and it is really irritating. I don't use bifocals because they don't work in the machine shop for me.
    I've had to resort for scopes for most of my stuff. Most difficult is shooting pistol with open sights at 100 yards. It drives me nuts.

  2. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by ghh3rd View Post
    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.
    Try a 3/4" or 1/2" square piece of painters tape with a hole punched through it. Put it on your eyeglasses and move it til you focus through the hole.
    [The Montana Gianni] Front sight and squeeze

  3. #23
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    Idaho45guy's Avatar
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    I've worn glasses since I was 8 and graduated to bifocals at age 45. They worked just fine for shooting and I have been getting some impressive groups with open sights for years.

    Then I went to Costco last year for my latest set and everything went screwy. Apparently, my previous doc had me set up with the computer distance progressive lenses with a larger field of view for the close up stuff.

    Costco just gave me the standard field of view and magnification and my groups got twice as big and my match scores went down.

    So, I dug out my old glasses and things are better. Costco is so cheap, I can go get new glasses this Summer and make sure they set them up properly this time.

    I've heard of online glasses vendors that are ridiculously cheap. Clark Howard recommends these guys... https://www.zennioptical.com

    But you need some critical measurement; the one that measures the distance between your eyes, I believe. Most optometrists don't include that with your prescription, but apparently Costco does.
    "Luck don't live out here. Wolves don't kill the unlucky deer; they kill the weak ones..." Jeremy Renner in Wind River

  4. #24
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    Just went to the Zenni site and went through all of the steps to order decent, progressive lense glasses with all the options and it was under $100. Not bad. Costco was maybe $20 more.

    Will go back to Costco so I can talk with them in person about making sure I get the right set up. The Zenni site was confusing in that regard.
    "Luck don't live out here. Wolves don't kill the unlucky deer; they kill the weak ones..." Jeremy Renner in Wind River

  5. #25
    Boolit Master
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    I wear tri-focals. I can see the rear sight of my rifle, and I can see the target, but the front sight is pretty much a blur. I guess at it and usually do just fine.

  6. #26
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    Quote Originally Posted by Wheelguns 1961 View Post
    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.
    ^^^Happens to me a lot...start to notice once rifle groups go astray...on freehand pistols, transition between bifocals is PIA, had to nod a few times to get a clear front sight picture...

  7. #27
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Froogal View Post
    I wear tri-focals. I can see the rear sight of my rifle, and I can see the target, but the front sight is pretty much a blur. I guess at it and usually do just fine.
    I can actually read a book or magazine BETTER without my glasses. It is the distant objects that get kind of fuzzy. I CAN shoot without my glasses, and even hit the target, but maybe that is just pure luck.

  8. #28
    Boolit Master

    Hickok's Avatar
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    A Glock 17 with a 17 round mag at really close range really helps with sights problem!
    Maker of Silver Boolits for Werewolf hunting

  9. #29
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    BigAlofPa.'s Avatar
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    Mach 12th i see the eye doc. Glad i don't have to wait to May.

  10. #30
    Boolit Buddy Pablo 5959's Avatar
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    https://www.amazon.com/Hydrotac-Stic...815133673&th=1
    I put one of these up in my safety glasses a the right spot to look down on my sites.
    Get .5 less then you use for reading. This will work for arms length. All I see of the target is a blur. So I just am at the center of the blur.

  11. #31
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    I went to flip-ups when I was competing. Flip the front lenses up, and the back lenses are ground for near-vision. See the sights like a champ. When the stage is finished, flip the front lenses down, and I had normal vision. I had the back lenses photo-brown, for brightness control.
    I also had a strip of masking tape on the nasal side on the near left lens. Looking straight ahead, it didn't interfere, but when positioned to fire, looking sorta over my right shoulder, it blocked the target - and MAINLY, the bullet going down range! I couldn't see the bullet with my right eye, as the pistol recoiled up into my field of view. But the LEFT eye was looking along the SIDE of the gun, and I could see the 45 slug arcing it's way to the target (The 22 sometimes, too). Especially troublesome when one sees it going into the 9-ring, instead of the 10!
    Echo
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    One of the most endearing sights in the world is the vision of a naked good-looking woman leaving the bedroom to make breakfast. Bolivar Shagnasty (I believe that Lazarus Long also said it, but I can't find any record of it.)

  12. #32
    Boolit Master Handloader109's Avatar
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    Another option that may help is adding a laser to your handgun. I've two crimson trace rail mounted. In under a g17 and other on my ppx. Both have threaded barrels and lasers keep me from changing out sights. Now I just got a new Kimber micro 9 with laser grips. Works well.

    Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk

  13. #33
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    I shoot outdoors how does a laser do in the daylight? Im not up to date on all the new fangled tacticool stuff. i did try a reflex sight on my Ruger mk3. Totally useless to me on a sunny day.
    One round at a time.
    Member of the NRA,GOA and FAOC. Gun clubs Zerby rod and gun club. Keystone Fish and Game Association.

  14. #34
    Boolit Master
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    Take a look at a "tin can" red dot sight. I've got about a dozen of them and I've used them for hunting and competition. They are a God send for older eyes. They almost always have more adjustment in the brightness settings (usually 11 settings) and some have different reticle choices. There are several different quality brands on the market with lifetime guarantees. The problems you had with the reflex sight is pretty common. I have a few of those also, but they're used for competition and the ones I have have adjustable brightness settings and work pretty good. Comparing the two, the only advantage to the reflex is simply size and I believe the tin can types are overall a better choice. If you want to get a "decent" one to try look at the Bushnell TRS-25. They are available for anywhere between sixty-five and eighty-five bucks if you look around. I don't rate them as good as the ones costing two hundred + dollars, but they're almost as good. If you don't like it, you'll probably get about all your money back if you sell it.

  15. #35
    Boolit Master knifemaker's Avatar
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    At 71 I still have 20/20 vision for distance, but must use 1.75 reading glasses for anything closer then 30 inches. For shooting I went to the dollar store and purchased cheap reading glasses at 1.0 power. They allow me to see the rear & front sights on my handguns very clearly and do not cause excessive blurring of the more distant target I am shooting at.
    Like NSB I also like the Bushnell TRS-25 red dot sight. I have several I use on my Ruger mini-30 and Ruger PC-9mm carbine. They work great and well worth the money you pay for them which is far cheaper then most others.

  16. #36
    Boolit Master

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    Yeah i have the red dots on my Pistol caliber carbines and my AR 22's the tube ones. They are nice. I bought out our walmart one year when they had them on clearance lol. They are CP brand i think. Choice of red or green and different brightness dots and they have some other designs like a target circles too. And a 1/2 circle option. I like the dot the best.
    One round at a time.
    Member of the NRA,GOA and FAOC. Gun clubs Zerby rod and gun club. Keystone Fish and Game Association.

  17. #37
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    For a long time I shot with readers. A few years ago I started going to an ophthalmologist that is a shooter. I took my competition pistol in and got a shooting only prescription and glasses that focused 2" past the front sight. That was so the sight wold be sharp enough but the target would be less blurred than if the focus was at the front sight. I'm right handed/eyed so the left lens was made for distance only. The right lens is for distance with a large bifocal at the top of the lens. It's in exactly the right place when I lower my head to the top of the pistol. The glasses are shooting glasses so they have the benefit of meeting ANSI safety glasses standards. The lenses can be dyed any color you want. At the recommendation of some shotgun shooting friends I went with a rose color that makes clay targets stand out against the sky. The next set of lenses will be neutral gray.
    Sometimes life taps you on the shoulder and reminds you it's a one way street. Jim Morris

  18. #38
    Boolit Master

    BigAlofPa.'s Avatar
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    Today i see the eye doc. I'll post what he/she said.
    One round at a time.
    Member of the NRA,GOA and FAOC. Gun clubs Zerby rod and gun club. Keystone Fish and Game Association.

  19. #39
    Boolit Master

    BigAlofPa.'s Avatar
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    Back from the eye docs. Getting no line bifocals. Polycarbonate scratch resistance lenses with auto darkening. He said ill be able to see the sights and see out further too. He did say it will take some adjustment on my part. Out of pocket will be 69.00 over what insurance covers.
    One round at a time.
    Member of the NRA,GOA and FAOC. Gun clubs Zerby rod and gun club. Keystone Fish and Game Association.

  20. #40
    Boolit Buddy
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    I just use regular bifocals, focus on the sights with the bifocal lens. The target will be "a little out of focus". Better groups this way for me at least.
    Getting old is the best you can hope for.

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