Author Topic: Is any one else farsighted and have trouble seeing iron sights and you target (Read 4303 times)

scott johnson · « **on:** February 07, 2009, 12:20:47 PM »

I have laser on my .45, and also shoot it with the iron sights just in case The laser would fail when I needed it,Any ways Ihave a heck of a time with my bifocals trying to see even my sights let alone my target because you cant look through your sights with your bifocals and then see the target beyond and then trying to hit somthing at 50 feet ,Dont get me wrong I do okay but its tough, Ithink im just screwed ,By the way all my rifles I use a scope so I dont have a problem. Anybody else have this issue while trying to shoot a hand gun just

curios.

williamlayton · « **Reply #1 on:** February 07, 2009, 12:27:33 PM »

Used too have the same problem.
I had cataract surgery and lenses implanted.
Now I don't have that problem.

Blessings

Graybeard · « **Reply #2 on:** February 07, 2009, 12:59:08 PM »

Quite honestly I never have gotten that near sighted-far sighted thing down. Can't seem to keep it in my head which is which. BUT I can't see crap up real close but am 20-20 distance vision.

Some years back tho I couldn't see crap at either up close or far away. In fact at the worse I think I was 20-80 left eye and 20-250 right eye for distance and as I said I've not been able to see up close in a lot of years.

Back then shooting rifles with irons wasn't too bad especially with a peep sight. Handguns with irons got very tough and for sure I needed the longest barrel I could get to get it far enough out to focus on.

Then I had a scratch on my right eyeball and it got infected somehow. I'm not sure when or how it all happened but it got BAD. I went to an eye doctor who immediately made me an appointment with the top specialist in the state on Corneas and he got me medicated to reduce the inflamation and infection and put me on a treatment for my dry eye condition.

These days I'm 20-20 and while I still can't read without reading glasses sights even on short barrel handguns are perfectly do able for me. I still kinda like the longer barrels I grew used to for shootng but I can actually see the front sight on a snubnose revover now.

ihuntbucks · « **Reply #3 on:** February 07, 2009, 01:39:16 PM »

Scott,I use to have the same problem and I wear bifocals.I went to mono vision contacts and problem solved.I wish I had went to them years ago.With these one eye is for short and the other long.It takes a few days to get use to them,but after that it's wonderful.You might want to see your eye doc and see if you can wear them.Good luck......Rick

Autorim · « **Reply #4 on:** February 08, 2009, 01:06:46 AM »

Our eyes are all different. I am 69 and have a similar problem. I wear bifocals and when I shoot iron sights the sights are not entirely in focus. Given that, I can still shoot reasonably accurately. For me that is about a 1.5 inch group at 20-25 yards off the bench on a good day with a consistent load. Shooting tight groups is about trigger control as much as sight alignment. I am not a competitive shooter so what does it matter. It's still fun and I shoot a lot.

The human eye is remarkably adaptive. Receiver sights on a rifle are a good example. The aperture ring is always fuzzy, but the eye will still optically center the front post. Try shooting some groups off the bench. You may be surprised.

I like red dots and have them on several handguns. I can shoot more accurately with them and can get on target faster. I rarely hunt, but I have a 7 year old grandson and plan to take my .45 Ruger Bisley when I go with him. It has the 7.5 inch barrel and I feel comfortable with it at reasonable distances.

Shooting with me has always been about fun. I enjoy the technical aspects of firearms and reloading and have learned a lot in over 60 years of shooting - still learning. Go shoot and have fun. I guess the politically correct term for our condition would be "optically challenged".

Mikey · « **Reply #5 on:** February 08, 2009, 01:11:40 AM »

Scott: I've worn bi-focals for about 8 years now and have changed my prescription a couple of times due to aging eyeballs - the rest of me stays young forever, of course, but the eyes needed glasses.

First couple of prescriptions I got were a royal pita - had to lift my head up to go to the lower part of the lens for close up work and then try and go back and forth to make sure I had a good sight picture on the target whilst holding the sights in perfect picture - you know how well that works.

Then I got whizzed and my glasses bit the big one so I went back for another set and while examining my eyeballs the doctor said - oh, you need a new prescription. OK, but don't give me that 'melded' bi-focal crap, or those 'progressive lenses' or the ones with the line in them on accounta it drives me nuts and I can't shoot fer schmidt wearing those.

So they changed it so that when I wear my glasses normally (hold my head normally and look straight on through the middle part of the lens) I can see clearly to about 50' or so but then have to look through the upper part of the lens to see distance clearly - like to about 125-150 yds and I read through the lower part. This gives me a great sight picture for handgun use and allows me to use open rifle sights pretty accurately.

There may not be anything wrong with your prescription, it might just be the way your glasses are set up for you. Previously, I would have to lift my head to use the lower part of the lenses to obtain a good sight picture, then hold steady (hopefully) and re-focus through the upper part of the lens for a good view of the target. Now I is more normal, I think...... You may want to see of your eye doctor can do anything about your lenses. HTH. Mikey.

schnarrgj · « **Reply #6 on:** February 08, 2009, 09:11:11 AM »

When my eyesight started going down in my early 50's, I blamed the ammo. Then came the glasses. Actually I find the progressive helped me a lot. Now I don't have to use plan B "carry a cane-put the cane on the target-slide the weapon down the cane to the target-shoot-repeat as necessary"!!!

RaySendero · « **Reply #7 on:** February 08, 2009, 09:26:22 AM »

Scott,

I'm far sighted too. So far I'm ok with a pistol with an arms length hold. Can't shoot rifle without a peep sight or scope. Getting old sucks.

scott johnson · « **Reply #8 on:** February 08, 2009, 01:06:39 PM »

Thanks everyone for the responses,Scott

Bill of Ojai · « **Reply #9 on:** February 11, 2009, 04:13:15 AM »

I also had corneal implants for cataracts, both eyes. Now I'm far sighted and need reading glasses for anything close.

Can't see my iron handgun sights worth beans. I read somewhere that DeWalt makes industrial safety glasses in diopters.

Going to try those next as set of range eye protection.

All the best...

coyotejoe · « **Reply #10 on:** February 12, 2009, 03:53:43 AM »

I'm 67 years old, wore glasses since I was 12 and today would wear bifocals except the the lower half would have almost zero correction so I just wear small single vision lenses for distance and look under them for reading. I had a pair of shooting glasses made with the right eye corrected for perfect focus at 36" and the left side my normal distance correction. They work very well for iron sight pistol shooting. However, I have found something even better. I have the "tubeless red dot" sights on three handguns, one Burris, one DrOptic and one cheap Chinese. They are zero magnification, unlimited field of view, work as well up close or at full arm's length, don't interfere with quick point shooting, add no weight and very little bulk and with them I'm shooting smaller groups than ever before. When mounted as in the photo one can still use any normal holster. The hood turns it on and off so I attach the hood to the holster so that it pops off when I draw the gun and is ready for instant use with no switches to fool with. As you can probably tell, I'm very enthused about them. If I had to rely on a scope or one of the heavy, bulky tube sights I'd just carry a rifle!

oaksalad · « **Reply #11 on:** February 15, 2009, 06:48:13 PM »

Hi,I have just gotten my new glasses with the progressive lenses.I cannot over emphasize
the difference in my vision now.I just wished I had gotten them much earlier.Maybe a new
pair of glasses will help you.

Take care,Frank

thxmrgarand · « **Reply #12 on:** February 16, 2009, 06:49:37 AM »

For my recently purchased glasses I took my target pistol in to the vendor, and all woman firm as it turned out, and they designed trifocals such that the middle vision is correct for the front sight on a six inch barrel. All the ladies had to handle the pistol and all said they are shooters (this is Alaska). For designing the glasses they had me focus on the federal building up the street. One of the ladies said the FBI is on the 7th floor so I should aim there. The glasses are far superior to those that were replaced but would likely not be superior for a charging bear or an intruder given the precision in focus that would be required.

blhof · « **Reply #13 on:** February 16, 2009, 09:59:35 AM »

I use one of those One Ragged Hole aperture sights that came on my Ruger and it works wonders. Try their website and see if they make sights for your pistol. They're relatively cheap; cheaper than scopes and more durable.

Cottonwood · « **Reply #14 on:** February 21, 2009, 05:23:02 AM »

I have a sight on one of my handguns that I made like the One Ragged Hole, it works in good daylight but not in the darkend woods or low light conditions well as you loose the front sight. I put a red dot on my hunting revolver and can see that red dot so much better without my glasses.

Shooting my .45 I wear my regular reading glasses to see the handgun sights clearly on my semi auto. Now this of course makes the target fuzzy, but I can still see where the center of the target is... just not as clearly as I used to.

Blackhawk44 · « **Reply #15 on:** February 22, 2009, 01:03:22 PM »

Same problem about 10 years ago. Tried something different. Asked my eyeglass makers to make mine TRIfocal. Adjusted the center lens to focus at the end of my outstretched fingertips. Works well for handgun sights and open rifle sights. Works for me. BOL.

Hook686 · « **Reply #16 on:** February 23, 2009, 02:51:01 AM »

I shoot both handgun and carbine. I had a pair of shooting goggles made that focus using handgun sight distance, which also works with the leverguns buckhorn sights. My regular blended bifocals work just fine when I mount a scope.

Actually I was always told to focus on the sight, and not the target. I guess it must be easier for me these days.

Old Fart · « **Reply #17 on:** February 24, 2009, 05:29:06 AM »

I've got a bad case of the short arm desease. I'm still able to shoot my pistols. But I kind of have to guess where I'm pointing. I use the best guess system......

Ole Man Dan · « **Reply #18 on:** March 12, 2009, 04:02:39 AM »

I'm like 'BlackHawk'; I switched to trifocals and my problems went away.
I went so far as to take one of my pistols to my eye exam. (Make sure the Doc knows you are a shooter and want to show him where you want your focus.) The end result is a sharp focus on the ft. sight.
I now have several pr. of Trifocals. My desired focal pt. is 2-4ft for trifocals.
I use them daily for computer work. (I don't have to keep tilting my head back)
My next glasses will have the entire lower half set at trifocal length. I have seldom needed the bifocal part.
I don't hold a book close for reading... (Glasses that are bifocal type cost less than trifocals too)

Jack Magnum · « **Reply #19 on:** March 28, 2009, 03:45:32 PM »

Quote from: williamlayton on February 07, 2009, 12:27:33 PM

Used too have the same problem.
I had cataract surgery and lenses implanted.
Now I don't have that problem.

Blessings

Lucky you !!!! I had both my eyes have lense implants do to cataracts. The one thing they neglected to tell me was they normally put a long distance lense in one and short range in the other eye. Yep ! They put the long range lense in my dominate eye and now I can't shoot iron sights without the sights being fuzzy. I shoot scoped alot.

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #20 on:** March 29, 2009, 01:52:54 AM »

ive adapted. I just shot worse now and dont let it bother me.

hobbles · « **Reply #21 on:** March 29, 2009, 02:08:27 AM »

Find the glass's rack at any dept. store and pick up a cheap $5 pair that you like for shootin. I got a pair that I can't read with but they seem to be in the middle so I can see the rear sight and the target out at 50 yards. Try it, it works for me.

PS: I'm usin the +150 glass's for shootin..

poncaguy · « **Reply #22 on:** March 30, 2009, 02:05:05 PM »

I'm almost 68 and red dot scopes work best for me on my pistols..........