Trouble seeing crosshairs clearly

[Goldstar225]

Father time has taken it's toll.  I'm having trouble seeing my crosshairs in sharp definition and I need a solution that will work in a hunting environment.
 
I wear prescription lenses, progressive bi-focals, that work fine for handgun shooting (correction in the lower portion of the lense) but are useless with the scope.  If I'm at the range a pair of $15 reading glasses gives me a good sharp view of the crosshairs but the readers are not practical to wear in the field due to blurring my vision for normal vision at distance.
 
Surely others have encountered and overcome this problem and I need their advise. I have cnsidered having a set of bi-focals made with the correction in the top of the lense.  Not knowing if this is the solution I'm hesitant to risk spending that much money on something that may not work.
 
I appreciate any help that ya'll can give me.
 

[Graybeard]

Generally speaking you should be able to adjust the eye piece to bring the cross hairs into clear focus. That is the purpose of it being adjustable. Hold the scope up to the sky or just a plain light colored wall. Adjust a bit then look again. Don't stare thru the scope the entire time you are adjusting it as your eyes will try to adjust to it and you want to adjust the scope to your eyes.

[charles p]

I one wore two different contacts prescriptions.  My right and dominant eye was my distance eye and my left was my reading eye.  After climbing into my deer stand, I would switch the two contacts.  In about a minute my brain learned to adjust and I found focusing at the close distance to a scopes crosshair was much easier with the reading lens in my right eye.  I now wear progressive lens glasses like you.  Mine turn dark in the daylight.  Using GB's recommendation, I can properly focus again.  Fortunately my lens correction is not severe and is actually getting better with age.  As the day grows darker, I simply push my glasses up onto my forehead which makes using binocs easier and causes no problem with my rifles.

[Goldstar225]

Thank you!  That did it.  I had tried adjusting the ocular lense before but chickened out, afraid that I would screw it off and lose the seal.  This time I kept turning and checking and I've finally achieved a sharp, clear image and crosshairs.   

[hillbill]

Thank you!  That did it.  I had tried adjusting the ocular lense before but chickened out, afraid that I would screw it off and lose the seal.  This time I kept turning and checking and I've finally achieved a sharp, clear image and crosshairs.   

also, some types of crosshairs are better than others depending on your vision.im not sure what they are called but but i have the best luck with ones that are thick and then change to very thin as they reach the cross.duplex? the kind that are a medium thickness all the way from top to bottom and side to side make it much harder for me to see say a 2 inch bull at 100 yrds or more,

[jlgwiz]

I have the progressive lenses also.  Trying to see through the scope was just not in the cards with them. Always seemed to get caught between long vision and the next correction down.  So I had a pair of bi-focals made with the majority of the lens for distance vision and a part at the bottom for medium close (say 1.5 feet or a little longer).  Can't read or do alot of real close work with them but looking through the scope is much easier now.  Also scouting the area from the blind is easier since most of the lens is for distance.  Another thing, if I tilt my head back a little when shooting the pistol,  I can focus on the sights with the lower portion of the lenses.  Now for just everyday wear,  I love my progressive lenses,  probably one of the few thing described as progressive that I like but that is getting off base.


   jlgwiz

[chefjeff]

Would an illuminated reticle help you?

[drdougrx]

My problem exactly.  I wear contacts and found the crosshairs and later the bullseyes became fuzzy ovals.  Seems a I have a bit of astigmatism so I wear an astigmatism corrected lens in my right eye....problem solved.

[kynardsj]

I too wear bi-focals and all my scopes have a fast focus ring on them to make everything nice and clear.

[Goldstar225]

Well I took my .308 and .22 to the range Thursday.  It was a ombination of tesing out the focus and working up a hunting load for the .308.  Best rifle day I've had at the range in a while. With the scopes properly focused I had no trouble planting the crosshairs on the 1" square aiming point.  That was both with and without my progressive lenses on.  I had to backthe ocular lense so far out that I became concerned that I would remove it from the scope. Squirrels and deer beware this fall!!

[Sourdough]

Being a Plumber/Pipefitter and working for the Dept Of Defense, they furnished us with safety glasses.  Since a lot of my work was overhead, I got those glasses with the bifocal on top and bottom.  They sure came in handy for some things, like when I am hunting and need to wear my glasses, then shoot.  Normally I just take my glasses off to shoot.  I'm fortunate my eyesight is not that bad, and I can get along without my glasses.  I am in the same perscription that I started with back in 1978 when I started wearing glasses.  My bi-focal is just a clear lens with no correction.