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Posted: 5/20/2016 8:22:07 PM EDT

For those of you who's eyes aren't as young as they used to be what do you use to shoot? I wear 1.5 reading glasses for reading. If I wear the readers I can see the sights perfect but the target is harder to see. If I wear regular shooting glasses I can see the target great but the sights are blurry. Thanks.

Posted: 5/20/2016 9:52:05 PM EDT

[#1]

Optical devices are your friend.

Posted: 5/20/2016 9:52:47 PM EDT

[#2]

Welcome to old age.

Posted: 5/20/2016 9:54:22 PM EDT

[#3]

I'm in the same boat with the same problem and no cure. Used to be a pretty fair pistol shot, but not any more. Stopped shooting small bull's eye stuff and went to larger, reactive targets. Frustration level reduced. Good luck. Post any other fixes. Surgery maybe?

Posted: 5/20/2016 10:19:11 PM EDT

[#4]

I wear bifocals for normal use... my shooting glasses have my near prescription (single prescription) lens my dominant (right) eye and the regular bifocal prescription in the left, with the partition line moved up a couple of millimeters...these mono vision glasses take a little time to adjust for depth perception.... for shooting aerial clay targets, I just use my normal bifocals

Posted: 5/20/2016 10:54:50 PM EDT

[#5]

I got a pair of progressive readers from my eye doc a few years ago.

Over simplifying it bit, they have a +1.5 reading prescription in the very bottom, about 1.0 in the low-middle for computer and middle distance, nothing in the center, and then about +0.5 in the top, which works great for shooting handguns with iron sights, as well as rifles with peep sights.

Posted: 5/21/2016 12:01:42 AM EDT

[#6]

My readers are now either 2.5, I wish the sights were just blurry still. Here's what I've tried:

Lasers. Crimson Trace Lasergrips. Try it and you will be shooting small groups again. When I shoot with the laser I don't even try to use the sights. Just put dot on target and squeeze.
I'm experimenting with a red dot sight. Never used one before. I just put one on a ruger 22/45 lite pistol tonight so I'll be trying that as soon as I can get to the range.
I will also be contacting a place I've read about called Tactical RX. They make Rx glasses for shooting. Google them and see what you think.

Posted: 5/21/2016 12:38:57 AM EDT

[#7]

I found some stick on lenses and attached them to the top left corner of a pair of sunglasses. You can look under them pretty easy for walking about. It worked well enough. (not this brand but it came up on the search)

Stick on readers

After that success I went to a gun friendly optometrist, measured what we need and had a pair of glasses made where the rt eye is front sight focus, lt eye normal. An expensive option but it works for competition shooting.

Posted: 5/21/2016 7:49:06 AM EDT

[#8]

2.5 on the readers for me as well. I really haven't found an answer; rifles are easy, just put an optic on them - handguns I just kind of gave up. It's been many, many years since I've shot competitively so I just live with it. I can still see fine to drive etc. so I'm not really willing to shell out the $$$ for surgery just for this. XS sights are growing in me; they are no good for true accuracy but for combat and aging eyes they aren't too bad!

Posted: 5/21/2016 8:07:15 AM EDT

[#9]

Bottom line when shooting a pistol always wear what ever RX makes the sights sharp - as long as you can see the target somewhat you know where to put the sights - if your target focus is sharp you are doing something wrong-

Posted: 5/21/2016 8:13:06 AM EDT

[#10]

Rifles for me have some kind of optic. For my G19 I installed Trijicon HD sights. The beauty of those sights is the extra wide notch on the rear blade. It allows me to "see" more light to the left and right of the front post which makes centering it without glasses possible.

Posted: 5/21/2016 9:15:43 AM EDT

[#11]

One of the worst thing about aging! I battled for quite a while with the same issue. My groups are way smaller with the readers on the sights and a slightly blurry target than other way around.

Posted: 5/21/2016 1:35:08 PM EDT

[#12]

Oh, by the way, there is no surgery to fix this...

Posted: 5/21/2016 1:37:55 PM EDT

[#13]

Merit optical attachment is your friend.

Get the suction cup and put it on your shooting glasses.

The iris allows perfect focus of rear sight, front sight, and target.

http://www.midwayusa.com/Product/978528/merit-optical-attachment-with-suction-cup

Posted: 5/21/2016 1:44:30 PM EDT

[#14]

OP, this is exactly why most of my pistols now have lasers on them. I can still do OK using my readers to get crisp sights and blurry target, but if I ever had to use a pistol for defense, I don't like training based on the assumption I'll have my reading glasses on.

Posted: 5/21/2016 4:54:59 PM EDT

[#15]

Quote History

Quoted:
OP, this is exactly why most of my pistols now have lasers on them. I can still do OK using my readers to get crisp sights and blurry target, but if I ever had to use a pistol for defense, I don't like training based on the assumption I'll have my reading glasses on.

View Quote

Practice enough and you should be able to shoot accurately enough at short range to take care of things.

Posted: 5/21/2016 4:59:17 PM EDT

[#16]

Playing pool is great visual practice with my progressive lenses. Better than an hours rimfire to learn varied focus points at once.

Posted: 5/21/2016 9:36:26 PM EDT

[#17]

I wear magnified safety glasses in +1.5, just like your readers but a bit more protection. When shooting peep sights like my Garands or AR's the reduced aperture gives you better depth of field. Not perfect but much better than the old eyeball by itself. I went from 4 to 5 inch groups with irons to 3 to 4 inch groups with the glasses. I agree that optics are the way to go for serious mid/long range use with older eyes.

Posted: 5/21/2016 11:50:56 PM EDT

[#18]

Quote History

Quoted:
Rifles for me have some kind of optic. For my G19 I installed Trijicon HD sights. The beauty of those sights is the extra wide notch on the rear blade. It allows me to "see" more light to the left and right of the front post which makes centering it without glasses possible.

View Quote

I'm 46, and my eyes are not what they were, just installed ameriglo pro-I dot sights on a G19. Lots of light on either side of the front sight, really good sight picture. Just putting it out there.

Posted: 5/25/2016 9:58:59 PM EDT

[#19]

I don't shoot with my reading glasses on. All I focus on, is front sight, both eyes open. Hit whatever I'm pointing at!

Posted: 5/25/2016 11:17:51 PM EDT

[#20]

Talk to your eye doctor get glasses made with the strong eye lens set so you can focused at sights distances. On the weak eye side you get a distance lens. Takes a bit of getting use to but if your already use to shooting a handgun with both eyes open it works pretty good.

Posted: 5/25/2016 11:35:56 PM EDT

[#21]

Most target shooters add +0.5 to +0.75 to their distance Rx for pistol shooting. For rifle, +0.25 to +0.5 added to distance Rx.

Posted: 5/26/2016 12:04:43 AM EDT

[#22]

Quote History

Quoted:
I'm in the same boat with the same problem and no cure. Used to be a pretty fair pistol shot, but not any more. Stopped shooting small bull's eye stuff and went to larger, reactive targets. Frustration level reduced. Good luck. Post any other fixes. Surgery maybe?

View Quote

I find elephant hunting works best for me now...

Posted: 5/26/2016 7:35:00 PM EDT

[#23]

I've always been near sighted now my close in vision is going.

I wear my normal 3.0 power contact in my left eye and a 2.5 in my right.

Doesn't make it super sharp but it helps.

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