I see your pain.

I just hit 58 and it's getting tough to focus on things. It hit my wife and other friends my age 5-8 years ago, and now it's happening to me.  Pretty quickly as a matter of fact.

Makes me appreciate my Aimpoints!

Astigmatism will make your sight alignment less precise.  It can be fixed to a certain degree but my astigmatism has a primary and secondary axis and they really only get the primary one corrected.

I used the Aimpoint OK, someone stated correctly that the blob does not change its shape but it is not round.  Good enough for me to 200 m.  Minute of COM was going to have to be good enough.

I got a TA-31F ACOG to see those farther away or smaller targets.

Yeah, an ACOG.  Sigh.  Too rich for my situation right now.  Maybe someday.

Part of the problem for us older guys (I'm 64) with corrected vision, is a separate problem called "accommodation" which is the ability of our eyes to focus sharply at different distances.  While we can really only focus sharply at one distance, as our eyes age, the ability to accommodate deteriorates and this compounds the problem.  I'm farsighted and need glasses for distance.  I actually have better than 20-20 vision up close.

But, I have learned from some friends that I can have special glasses made to sharply focus at medium distances, in particular for use when looking at a computer screen.  I was getting headaches from sitting at the computer screen.  It turns out that a computer screen is just about the same distance as between my eye and the front sight of my rifles.  Voila:  problem solved.   I can get a sharp focus on the front sight with my computer glasses.  Yes, the target is slightly blurred at 100 (although still way better than without glasses), but it is still plainly visible.   You want your focus to be on the front sight anyway.

Might want to talk to your optician about "computer glasses."

I'm 71 and have had this problem for years especially with pistols. I recently learned of Hydrotacs (cost abt $14) that you can stick on your shooting glasses. Get them on Amazon. They are small bifocal lenses you place on your glasses where you want them. For example, for shooting, I put one on the top of my right lens. This means I only have correction on the top 1/3 of my right lens. Everything else is uncorrected. It's not perfect, but it's so much better than anything else I've tried.

I would like to try and summarize all the suggestions to see what my option are in one list.   Might take me a bit to compile.  

Options:  

1.  Just give in to the fact that you need optics.  (I don't necessarily mind this fact, except that they cost money, add weight, and RDS sights aren't my favorite due to the blobbing.  The only REAL option I like out of these is a compact ACOG.  But I probably might not ever own one due to cost.  I of course have a few traditional scopes, but again, they're bulky and heavy and that's irritating to me.  So I don't know what the next best thing would be.  Maybe that Primary Arms 2.5 thingy.  Or....  I don't know, I saw leupy had a straight 2.5 scope that isn't all that heavy.  I also wonder about the Red Dot that vortex has with the 2x magnifier.  I've heard some say the magnifier is kind of cheap and it's kind of weird how it just screws on, but it might be a good option)

2. Only use a rifle length iron sight system.  (This isn't too bad of an option, but I fear this also is not going to be optimum.  I know that last time I shot the A2 20" about a month ago, the target was still not looking as good as I would like when focusing on the front sight.  The sights are definitely crisper than a carbine, but I think what someone said about the clarity of different plains is degrading.  Meaning when focusing on the front sight the target is getting blurrier.  But maybe it's not as bad as I think.)

3.HK style front sight????  Or more accurately, someone suggested a KNS Hooded Duplix front sight.  Which I guess is only 25 bucks. ( I might have to look into this The downside is that the only railed gun I have is a middy with a 9.5 rail, so the front sight will still have to be further back then a rifle system.  And I'm not sure if that will be good enough.  But this is an intriguing suggestion.)

4. Glasses specifically made to overcome this, or things that attach to your glasses.  Magnified shooting glasses and I don't know if anybody mentioned it, I think someone did, those aperture things you attach to your glasses.  I think that's an option.  (I don't really mind these options for the range, but of course they don't help with SD or hunting.   If I ever get back out hunting again, but this could be an option.  I'm not sure how you go about getting them, but I don't think the ones at the dollar store are going to help me, but I could pick some up just to see)

5. Lasik. ( That's just not an option right now for several reasons.)  

Does that about sum it up?  

JJREA,

 I'm almost 50 now and wear reading glasses and probably get bi-focals next year.  While I enjoy shooting receiver sights on my rifles, I've excepted the fact that I need optics now.  My M4ergy will have its ACOG switched over to my M16A4ergy and Aimpoint reattached.  Going to add a 3x scope to my Marlin 1894S .41 mag hunting carbine.   Have you look at some of the lower powered specific scopes for the ARs?  ie the ones used on 3 gun?  Cheaper route then a ACOG.


CD

Yeah, I'm trying to work out how to set up what rifle.  But I might still have some time left shooting irons with the A2 20"er.  I was doing some aiming yesterday, and it was getting dark, and with the small ap things are still pretty clear.  It's just so much worse with the carbine sight radius.

One thing which kind of sucks is that everything came into focus better if I closed my left eye.  Or almost closed.  When I left it open, things were less clear.  Which seems counter intuitive.  I've learned to shoot with both of my eyes open for a long time now and I thought it aided in seeing everything better.  Frickin eyes.

One thing left out of this discussion is Cataracts. I started getting one in my late 50's.
They can cause the problems discussed here and mimic the red dot issues attributed to astigmatism.
They scatter the light before it can be focused on the retina.

Prescription lenses make sure the focal point is directly on the retina, not in front of or behind, which is the cause of near or farsightedness.
Lenses also can correct the effect of your eye not being perfectly round which causes astigmatism. Problem is even if the light is now directly focused on the retina
as it should be it is diffused by the your cloudy natural lens, i.e. cataract. Your vision will never be sharp and clear, even with the finest glasses on earth.

When I bought my first Eotech (because my vision made iron sights inaccurate) and looked thru it the first time I almost cried.
The dot was blurry with star bursts coming out of it. All that $ basically wasted.

About the same time I went to my optometrist for new glasses. We tried every possible combination of correction but it was never sharp and clear.
She searched my eye with everything she had but could find no reason for it. I decided to visit an ophthalmologist (a medical doctor). They
administer drops that dilate the eye allowing them to truly examine it and see what no optometrist can. He immediately spotted a 1/2 mm
posterior cataract.

Fortunately I now have a nice new clear plastic lens in place of my natural one. My red dot is now clear and sharp as well as the target behind it. My optical scopes reticles are sharp and clear and I can use iron sights again. If you want your eye fully checked for health go to an ophthalmologist. After you have done that and want a prescription for glasses go to an optometrist. This is no knock on optometrists, their job is to refract for lenses and they are very good at it.

Continued on next post, system says I'm too new to make a long post.

A previous poster talked about accommodation (the ability of muscles in the eye to bend a young flexible lens so it can focus at varying distances) After 40 our natural lens becomes stiff and no longer can be easily bent so along comes reading glasses. As you age you loose more flexibility and it gets worse. When the eye muscles are in the relaxed state your lens is focused for infinity (distance). When you look at something close the muscles need to instantly bend that flexible lens. That is why as you age you loose close focus and not distance focus.

This brings up a problem with those new clear plastic lenses the surgeon just stuck in your eye that enable you to see like a kid again. They do not bend at all. You choose which distance you want the focus to be set at and he will implant the correct lens. Science can not yet duplicate that flexible natural lens you were born with.
But its better than poor vision at all distances.

I chose my right eye to be set for distance and my left eye to be set for intermediate distance (also called computer distance which is about 27" or an arms length in my case). Now I only have to have glasses for reading distance (14" to 16"). Most people choose distance in both eyes and need separate glasses for computer and reading. If you want to make more $ than you can ever spend invent a replacement lens that can give accommodation like your natural lens did.

So first get an exam by an ophthalmologist and go from there. If you do have cataracts don't worry, it's the most performed surgery on earth with a very high success rate.

42, and my eyes hit MANopause about 2 years ago, like someone threw a freaking switch.














 

It seems like for me in the last month, the date on my watch or watch itself, is much clearer when I pick up my glasses.  It was like someone flipped a switch.  Especially in low light.  



One thing that is unclear to me, and I have to do some more experimentation, is that the front sight on my 1911 is pretty darn clear.  I feel like I can focus on it.  And my M9 too.  Although it seems like the M9 is a little less clear.  It's also a bit wider.  I'm not sure what's up with that and that might be a separate issue, but it got me thinking about a couple of things.  

First is that I didn't do an experiment yet, but is the front sight further away from my eyes when extending my handgun, compared with a carbine?  I'm not sure if the distance is really the big issue.  Because on the carbine or the rifle, the front sight is definitely a lot clearer when I use the small aperture.  And of course as I said, it's just a lot more clear on the rifle sighted gun.  

So that gets me thinking it has something to do with the sights itself.  Like why would open pistol sights be clear, that definitely have a lot shorter sight radius, than a carbine with a big ap?   I'm going to pull more open sighted guns out of my safe and start looking through them.  Like my lever guns.  

But I wonder if an open sight on an AR would work.  I thought I had seen somebody made them at one point or another.  An open sight and then flip to a smaller ap.  No ghost sight.  That could be a possible solution in the iron sight part.  I know an optic solves it all, because I have been looking through them and they're fine.  They just add bulk and weight, as I've said.  


My Great Grandma had Cataracts real bad and it is something to think about.  Scary, but something I may need to look into.  Maybe I'm looking at computer screens too much.  Or my kindle or the TV.

Skimmed through the thread

I'm 49 same problem. I use the KNS sight pins


And a couple a years ago I got my first RDS. I have three RDSs now

That works better than flat post?

An old guy at the range the other day said he preferred a big ole fat front sight on his 03A3 because he could see it better than the thin blade that is stock.  Having said that, he had a scope mounted on it when he was shooting it.

For me yes. It's kind of hard to explain but the dot on the top of the pin works. I cover the intended target with the dot and shoot.

But with a regular sight pin I was trying to put it on the intended target but the post didn't have a defined top that I could easily focus on. Basically the KNS is this     o     and the square pin was this     -  

That is an interesting solution.  Might have to think about that.   Like I said earlier about pulling my lever guns out, their front posts are circular too.  But brass and not black.

Well said, sir. I mentioned the accommodation issue, and I believe it to be the main issue for most of us with older eyes and front sight blur.  I prefer the two sets of glasses method, but understand why you went with separate lenses for left and right.   I spend a lot of time at a computer keyboard, so I use my "computer" glasses as my default for everything, including shooting if using irons, and use my "regular" glasses for driving.  Either way, changing focus to computer distance or arms length is probably  the solution for most of us with older eyes.

I'll have to talk to my eye doctor when I see him coming up.  We usually go in January.

I've been noticing something else.  I've been dry firing with a new snubby I got, and also a 6" revolver.  And with the snubby, the target tends to almost double, when making the front sight crisp in my eyes.  But it doesn't happen with the 6"er as much.    For all the young guys out there.  Don't get old.  (G ood luck with that)

Astigmatism is starting to give me fits with rifle shooting. I can still shoot a 1911 at 100 yards, and hit the target at least once per value-pack of ammo. (Or a bit better ).
Shooting irons or red dots is still doable, but with too much concentration.

It's a hard realization, because my grandfather taught me to shoot. He was all irons, all the time, all ranges. I started with a LaRue Po Boy as a gateway drug. The last couple years' successful Christmas lists included specific budget magnified optics - Weaver Grand Slam Tac 3-10x40,followed by a Vortex Viper PST1-4x.