Within the last year or two, I discovered I need reading glasses.  I'm 45, and have been fortunate to have had 20/20 vision throughout my life.  Had a vision test, and my wife's eye doc came to the conclusion that I'm around a 1.25 rating on the inexpensive cheaters everyone buys at Walgreens or whatever drug store near you.  I can now see close up and everything around my office is better, but...

I'm also noticing that I am having the same issues that lead to the readers while at the range shooting pistol at longer ranges.  My thin, fiber optic front sights are no longer clear at an arm's distance without my readers, and (with them on) the targets are badly out of focus.  I get that I'm supposed to focus on the front sight, and I can (with the readers), but it would be ideal to also be able to see the targets at 10 - 15 yards.  

Other than bifocals, what solution is there for this?  Are safety (range) glasses available in magnified ratings?  I'm sure I'm not the first person to age into a situation like this.  Could use a little guidance.

That's how I started, OP. I had 20/20 my whole life and then when I was in my late 40's I needed cheaters.

Well, in my late 50's that changed and I had great vision up close (just the opposite) and my long range vision needed correction. It was then I was diagnosed with Cataracts.

I wore prescription lenses for about 2.5 years and then the Cataracts got so bad that it became a medical issue.

I had Cataract surgery last month in my left eye and I couldn't be happier and I'm scheduled for the right eye next month. However, I will need a light prescription for up close reading.

Keep a close check on the Cataract situation Bro, and good luck.

Magnified shooting glasses are plentiful.

There's also stick-on cheater lenses that you can use with your favorite shooting glasses.

ETA: Magnified Stick-Ons

I can shoot right handed, again, for the first time in several years, because it doesn't look like someone smeared a dab of mayonnaise in front of my right eye anymore.
But the cheaters are needed or I can't see my monitor.
It just feels weird having to take my glasses off to see my feet.

Why did you change my response?

Why did you change my response?




I think he was saying each same situation as you but other eye.

subscribed. over the last week I've been getting headaches the more I look at computers and stuff. thinking I may need to go to glasses, so looks like I'll have to learn to shoot a new way. on the plus side, it gives me reason to get quality magnified optics and put a dot on a pistol

Sorry.
I thought I was obviously showing similarity, as swampfox3 pointed out.
My mistake.
I humbly do beseech you of your pardon.

Thanks - will do.  My parents have both had removal surgery, so it's not out of the question to think it might be in my future too.

For what it would cost to try a pair of 1.0 or something similar, it's definitely worth a shot.  My first pair was probably $12 and the difference in clarity for anything within 3-4' was amazing.  I feel like my close-up vision deteriorated so slowly that I didn't really notice.  Then, I was installing recessed lighting in my basement ceiling, standing on a ladder and trying to make the electrical connections within about a foot of my face, and I couldn't see what I was doing.  That was my "wake up call".

i bought cheater reading glasses on my way in to work. It seems to be helping, less headache and shit but we'll see how it goes. I think I may have worse vision in one eye than the other. I did the Snellen chart (have them at work) but still 15/20, just not the same each eye.

Mine were diagnosed as being .25 off from my left eye to my right.  Didn't seem like enough to justify prescription lenses @ $300 when my store-bought cheaters seem to be doing the trick without any drama.  Then again, if someone told me I could buy some $300 device and my rifle would be more tacticool or shoot better, I wouldn't hesitate.  This hobby destroys rational priorities.

Yep, it sucks.

I started needing reading glasses in my early 40s and my distanced vision started going about 10 years later so I am wearing bifocals now.

My solution has been to go to some type of optical sight on just about everything.

Problem is that it just isn't practical for some guns.

So I have just practiced focusing on the front sight and having to deal with a blurry (sometimes very blurry) target.

You can learn to compensate for it to a degree.

There are diopter devices that stick on your glasses that are reported to work but I have never tried them. Just seems like a pain to deal with.

Merit Optical used to be the one I would see advertised and recommended but I just looked around and it appears everyone is out of them. May not be available anymore.

There is a different brand that is being carried by several vendors.

Might be worth a try.

NP.

I must have read it wrong.

I'm glad you are doing well.

I couldn't be happier and I can't wait to get my right eye done next month.

I'm pissed with the thought of $200 glasses but totally ok with the thought "well shit, now my carry gun needs a dot"... so $500 for an M&P, $200 to get it milled, $300 for the dot, and obviously holsters and mags and training... wonder if I can use an HSA for it if I get a doctor's note?

First off, be aware that if you have an aggressive forward stance, you may need to lift your head to make the bifocal-type lenses work with your sight.

I just turned 50.  I started using cheap reading glasses about two years ago, and as I'm still in the military, deployed to the middle East last fall.  I'm in Air Guard security forces after bouncing around the branches, and a civilian cop.  Before the deployment, I figured I'd better get in to see an actual eye doctor.  I can't recall my close score, but far I'm still 20/15.  A civilian doctor gave me a prescription for no-line bifocals.  They work well.  The Guard issued me regular bifocals (with the line) in several versions-- regular glasses, gas mask inserts, and an insert that can be put into a special nose piece to be used in conjunction with the issued ESS eye protection.

I liked the no-line a lot better.  I found on-line a place that will create no-line inserts for the ESS.  It was at my own expense, (I think over $300, which I wrote off)  but well worth it.  I sent them a copy of my prescription. I think the place was called Mountain Optics.  If there is interest I'll dig up contact info.