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Thread: Shooting glasses

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy
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    Shooting glasses

    Hi guys
    Have been wearing readers to read with and it dawned on me that maybe they would work for handgun shooting. So I tried the lowest I could find- 1.00. Well they sure make the sights clear but it’s a bit much. Ok for very close targets but too strong. A .75 would be better but I can’t seem to find them. Short of having an eye doctor make them, is there any options out there? I don’t want any progressive or bifocals because I shoot so many positions and in hunting such as prone that I would be looking through the top and vise versa.
    Thanks for any help.

  2. #2
    Boolit Grand Master popper's Avatar
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    Over the counter glasses lowest is one diopter. I don't use any for pistol, as practice for SD as I wouldn't have time to put them on and draw. Scope for rifle. I don't shoot 3 gun or any competition.
    Whatever!

  3. #3
    Boolit Master

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    My ophthalmologist is also a friend and fellow shooter. He gave me the two following bits of really depressing news:

    1. Presbyopia sucks.
    2. Old eyes hurt.

    Short version is you're going to have to spend money to find out what works or doesn't work for you. In a perfect world, I'd have the ability to rapidly dial my lenses for three distances - infinity, the front sights on my guns, and close in for reading and working on guns. In reality, I've mostly discarded the super near prescription and am running bifocals for the first two, since I spend A LOT of time in the middle distance; trifocals cut a lot of that out, and tilting my head so much to use the extreme close on those trifocals is a literal pain. Even with that, I only tilt my head to the lower bifocal for when I need a truly clear front pistol sight - namely when getting those sights adjusted. For the most part though, I'm shooting decently with my full distance prescription (light permitting) by lining up the three blurs on pistol sights; shooting rifles with a longer sight radius in which the front is sort of clear; and shifting to all-black sights that have no brightly colored inserts that "halo" when you can't focus on them clearly.

    Practically, I think dedicated shooting glasses are only going to be truly useful for competition shooters who can adjust a "dial" for match day, and adjust the dial back when they're done. For defensively carry or hunting, you need to interact normally with the world until presented with a requirement to use the gun quickly. Realistically, I think this means finding a sighting system you can use acceptably well with your day-to-day eyewear. About the only thing close to a good option here is the Decot shooting glasses who's frames have nosepieces that allow you to adjust the height of the lenses to place your progressives or bifocals in a more advantageous location (Zeiss used to have a frame like this, but no longer, I think).

    The best option - install red dots or glass optics that place your aiming device and target in one focal plane on whatever you can. Especially those things you'll need to shoot rapidly or in bad light.

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  4. #4
    Boolit Master Recycled bullet's Avatar
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    I asked my optometrist to set the focal distance. We measured the distance from my eye to the tip of my fore finger outstretched and what this causes is I can now see my fingerprint clearly in bright sunlight with the glasses on. This allows me to see the front sight clearly.

  5. #5
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    Remember the Law of Probability - The probability of being watched is directly proportional to the stupidity of your act.

  6. #6
    Boolit Buddy Sig's Avatar
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    I've gone to what my eye doc calls monovision with my contact lenses. I'm left eye dominant & right handed shooter. My left contact is focused to the distance of my front sight & my right set for distance vision. I've been wearing these daily for about 3-4 years. No issues driving or working. In fact I see the gauges on the dash much more clearly. My doc said about 60 percent of folks their brain doesn't adjust & cannot function wearing 2 different focal lengths. I've been lucky & now seldom put on readers unless I'm looking at very fine print. I do change out to 2 distance contacts when shooting clays. I hated wearing glasses.

  7. #7
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  8. #8
    Boolit Master
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    I am long sighted and wear contacts and found that EyePal shooting aids really helped, they just stick onto your shooting glasses

    https://eyepalusa.com/

    ukrifleman

  9. #9
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    They make those adjustable glasses that let you change the rx in each eye. Think insaw them on Amazon.

  10. #10
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by MrWolf View Post
    They make those adjustable glasses that let you change the rx in each eye. Think insaw them on Amazon.
    They did not work for me... Waste of money on my part...

  11. #11
    Boolit Master

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    NRA Benefactor Member NRA Golden Eagle

  12. #12
    Boolit Master
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    I did as Recycledbullet. Got them in yellow for better contrast.

  13. #13
    Boolit Grand Master

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    There used to be a clip on attachment called Clear sight. clipped on the bow of eyeglasses and came with a .25 .5 .75 and 1 lens I have one and it works but dont know if they are still made

  14. #14
    Boolit Grand Master
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    My optometrist is also a shooter, and when it became obvious at about age 60 I needed both readers and distance correction including a slight astigmatism, we finally came to a plan. I said I wanted glasses I could put on first thing in the morning and wear until I went to bed. They were big old Google eyes modeled after my Ray Ban Shooters and they were both progressive and transitional for different distances and light conditions, and had hardened lenses for shooting and work around machinery etc. Were they more expensive? Yep, but I replaced readers, distance glasses, sun glasses, shooting glasses and safety glasses with that one pair.

    In the intervening decade plus I’ve replaced the lenses 4-5 or more times and the frames at least three times. Recently I had cataract surgery, so as soon as I healed and my eyes settled down, I went to the same optometrist and got a fresh set of the same type for my “new eyes”. “Shooting glasses”? I don’t need no steenkin’ shooting glasses!

    Froggie
    "It aint easy being green!"

  15. #15
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    I use progressive bifocals and had a pair of lined bifocals made 10 years ago. The line is set up so I can see sights at the top of the line and a millimeter movement of my head puts me on the target at 25 yards. If I shoot irons on a rifle they are receiver sights so it isn't really a problem, nor are scopes.
    [The Montana Gianni] Front sight and squeeze

  16. #16
    Boolit Buddy
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    zennioptical.com is a company that lets people order their own glasses. They make readers down to +0.25. I have bought a few pairs of prescription glasses through them.

  17. #17
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    I used a non glare fishing sun glasses they have at Walmart. The sight is nice and clear.
    Well they work nice for me anyway.
    The Soldier that Volunteers, fighting for his Country and his rights,
    makes the most reliable Soldier on Earth.

  18. #18
    Boolit Master
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    Now that the new tint options are available I don't need two sets of glasses.

    Used to be that the tint used when driving was not suitable for night or indoors. Now you can get a transition tint that darkens in the car and is polaroid when outside. Still not totally clear indoors, but, close enough for what I do.

    I still don't care for progressives when shooting, but, I can adjust. If I were a pistol competitor I'd have a special pair made for that purpose.

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