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Farsighted and glasses issue looking for advice

555 Views 26 Replies 17 Participants Last post by sharps4590, 3 d ago

WhyMi

Discussion Starter · 8 d ago

So I am Farsighted. Meaning I can see decently far away but not up close. Starting to go to the range after a looong while and have an issue. I where progressive glasses which mean the top of the glasses are for normal vision but when I need to see up close I use the bottom half of the glasses. Kind of like bi-focals but better.

When I raise the pistol to shoot I can either:

See the sights clearly but the target is blurry OR
See the target but the sights are blurry

Anybody have this issue? Maybe just getting regular magnification glasses would help?

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One Shot

· #2 · 8 d ago

Red Dot, Green dot or reflex sight works for me.

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gdmoody

· #3 · 8 d ago

WhyMi said:
Kind of like bi-focals but better.

I am not so sure about that statement! I tried some of those "progressives" years ago and could not see anything out of them and very quickly went back to lined bifocals.

You might want to check into tri-focals to help with your problems. I have them and can see the targets off in the distance and the sights on a rifle up close or the sights on a pistol at arm's length, by a quick movement of my eye.

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sharps4590

· #4 · 8 d ago

I don't like progressive lenses but, that's always a matter of preference.

I think it's often a matter of practice. Even when we were younger and didn't need glasses we could not see the rear sight, front sight and target clearly. We might have thought we could but honestly, we were lying to ourselves. Our eyes focused pretty quick but, not that quick. Focus always has been and always will need to be on the front sight. The rear sight and target will be blurry. Unless you're shooting a scope where everything is in the same focal plane that's the way it's going to be. You can change your hold on the target to a 6 O'clock, unless you already are and, that should help. Another thing that makes a huge difference is to use a diopter on your glasses. It will force your eye to focus differently and will help to sharpen the sights.

Other than that, we have to practice and trust the rear sight and target are where we believe them to be. They're going to be blurry, neither you nor I can change that but, we can adapt and learn to work with it.

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Reactions: 5

grrobinson

· #5 · 8 d ago

Front sight, front sight, front sight.

Reactions: 5

gwpercle

· #6 · 8 d ago

Been all up and down the "Eyesight Problems" road ... I got three words of advice ... even though I prefer open iron sights , the 3 words of advice is ...
Red Dot Sight !
The little compact ones on handguns are the best things for the visually impaired !
Gary

Reactions: 5

Virginia Patriot

· #7 · 7 d ago

gdmoody said:
I am not so sure about that statement! I tried some of those "progressives" years ago and could not see anything out of them and very quickly went back to lined bifocals.

You might want to check into tri-focals to help with your problems. I have them and can see the targets off in the distance and the sights on a rifle up close or the sights on a pistol at arm's length, by a quick movement of my eye.

I agree wholeheartedly, I wear the lined trifocals and have had no problems so far. I have had trifocals for about 10 years now and I am good to go...JM2C

Reactions: 1

REParker

· #8 · 7 d ago

WhyMi said:
So I am Farsighted. Meaning I can see decently far away but not up close. Starting to go to the range after a looong while and have an issue. I where progressive glasses which mean the top of the glasses are for normal vision but when I need to see up close I use the bottom half of the glasses. Kind of like bi-focals but better.

When I raise the pistol to shoot I can either:

See the sights clearly but the target is blurry OR

See the target but the sights are blurry

Anybody have this issue? Maybe just getting regular magnification glasses would help?

I wear progressives, too, and have a similar issue. I have to cock my head at a certain angle to get a good sight picture. Interestingly, I was just thinking about this the other day. The eye can only focus on one plane at a time. Ideally, that plane should be the front sight...let the target go blurry. I was thinking that a pair of those drugstore glasses, at a magnification that would be in sharp focus at about 30-33 inches, would be perfect (but just for the range)...for unanticipated social encounters I guess you've gotta go with what you've got but still concentrate...even if you can't "focus"....on the front sight. Hope that helps.

Reactions: 1

Firpo

· #9 · 7 d ago

I have that exact issue as well and solved the problem by going to daily contact lenses. Now distance suffered just a tiny bit (200+ yards) but I can see iron sights great and my phone well enough without cheaters although I will use them for intricate work. Distance…….I can see individual leaves on trees that are 300 yards away and that’s good enough for me.

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gvw3

· #10 · 7 d ago

I have had poor vision all my life. I recently tried a new idea I had. I bought a 3x pair of readers at Walmart. They work well. I can see the crosshairs clearly but still see the target well. I can't understand why this works but it does for me.

Thursday at my trap league I gave them a try. Seem it works for clays also.

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tedwitt

· #11 · 7 d ago

I wear progressive lenses too, that's all I've ever had in bifocals. Learn to shoot with both eyes open, cock your head, one eye will focus on distance, usually my left eye, right eye will focus on Iron sights. It's hard to explain, just try it.

soonerfan66

· #12 · 7 d ago

I got a cheap pair of wally world or dollar store 1x or 2x readers . Can see my sights but it's not enough to mess up your focus down range .

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Shortonammo

· #13 · 6 d ago

I expect the target to be blurry once I acquire it and return focus to the front sight. When shooting, I wear eyeglasses that allow me to focus on the front sight with my arms extended in the fire position. I shoot for fun, so I have time to adjust my eyewear for the gun and situation. I am not sure what to advise if you are practicing for conceal carry or competition.

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soonerfan66

· #14 · 6 d ago

Needing glasses to shoot can be a pain . I use my cheap low power readers when shooting for fun . Of course when CCW I'm not going to have time or the bad guy won't wait for me to find and put them on anyway so I went with a set of Big Dot Sights on mine . Not hole in hole shooting but can be center mass no problem .

Reactions: 2

WhyMi

Discussion Starter · #15 · 6 d ago

Thanks for your replies everyone. So my options are:

Red/Green dot sight - hmmm not this is a thought
Over the counter reader glasses (thought about trying this)
Contacts - meh but will look into it
Learn to adapt - don't like it
Trifocals - never heard of them

I do not have a CCW but given a situation like that I would hope I would hit the target at least once even considering my eyesight. I feel like 0-20 yards you have a decent chance of hitting the target if you just poiint in the general direction lol. Once I move out of my communist state I will certainly get my ccw though.

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soonerfan66

· #16 · 5 d ago

Sorry I forget some folks don't have all the freedoms they should have . I understand also about the contacts , bi and tri focals . They just were not a fit for me . Unless a person is one step from being Ray Charles your right in close range got a decent chance of still hitting your target .

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Grizzley1

· #17 · 5 d ago

I have 20-20 vision in my right eye and 20-25 in the left but for short distance I wear dollar store readers. I can see the front sight clearly and the readers don't bother my distance sight enough to matter. I had to get them because my arms weren't long enough to read anymore.

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tedwitt

· #18 · 5 d ago

Right now I'm half blind. Gotta get surgery soon I hope.
Left eye is 20/30, right eye is 20/100.
I ain't shooting much till I'm fixed.

Reactions: 2

Old School or Nothing

· #19 · 5 d ago (Edited)

With a pistol I put on the readers and focus on the front sight. With iron sights on a rifle I leave em off and pretend I can see the sights. Peep sights help some with a small apperture up close to your eye on rifles. I have scopes with fast focus eye pieces on my target rifles.

I have been relearning point and shoot with hanguns and it works to some extent. Works on one gallon jugs out to 15-25 yards but not that well on 1" target dots 😂

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sharps4590

· #20 · 5 d ago

What kind of shooting are you wanting to do? Precision offhand and off a bench? Combat/defensive? Plinking/fun?

I don't know what your vision is. Mine, at my last eye exam and lens change, was 20/20 in both eyes, corrected and I use plain ol' lined bifocals. Without glasses, I don't know but I can't read without them, it ain't good.

I prefer to shoot revolvers accurately and prefer single actions. I shot this group yesterday, 30 yards, rested. Freedom Arms, 45 Colt, 5 1/2 in. barrel. 4 of those shots are right at 2 inches. I believe had I used my
"Magical Blue Painters Tape Diopter" I could have put them all under 2 inches. I have before and recently.

At combat/self defense ranges, shooting one of my D/A revolvers I don't even see the sights.

Plinking and fun. Heck that might be from 10 feet to a few hundred yards so I might or might not even use the sights.

Try a "Magical Blue Painters Tape Diopter" if you want to do precise shooting. I don't know why so many are so averse to that, it works wonderfully and it's cheap. When I get serious, the tape comes out, handgun or rifle and, I shoot 99% open or iron sights.

The other ranges? If your vision is still sharp all that's happening is your eyes aren't focusing back and forth as fast as they used to. Then you have listed your options. You have to decide, and practice. Accurate handgunning, whether up close or way out there, is a perishable skill. What's the old saying, "use it or lose it."

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