I have searched but came up with zero here. A few years ago there was a discussion here about PH's in Africa taking some vitamin/medicine that help with their eyes as they get older. I am thinking it kept the cones/rods soft as they age. I am hoping I did not dream this or imagine this.It came up in conversation at a Christmas party and adult beverages were present. Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks
Wesley

It may be Bausch & Lombs Occuvite. Check their web site. Ophthalmologists in this area have been recommending it for those of us over 50.

My opthamologist has me taking Occuvite by Baush & Lomb. Can't hurt!!!

Unfortunately I have developed Macular degeneration in my right eye, my aiming eye because I’m right handed. I shoot a lot of iron sighted double rifles so this is a real problem for me personally. My ophthalmologist also recommended B&L Occuvite over 50 to slow the effect down.

My problem is I’m in my late 70s and macular degeneration is incurable so now I’m faced with going blind in my right eye, and all my doubles are cast for a right handed shooter. I’m going to have to mount a light illuminated 1 power scope on all my doubles so I can shoot them with both eyes open. I can see the illuminated dot in the scope and with both eyes open the binocular effect will allow me to still shoot my doubles instinctively for a while longer.

I’ve been taking the occuvite for about three years and I’m sure it has slowed the effect but the macular degeneration is still getting to the eye. For general ageing I think the Occuvite is a valuable hedge. I just wish I had started it a lot earlier.

I say all you young guys would be smart to start taking the Occuvite early and get good eye protection in a shooting glass!

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quote:

Originally posted by MacD37:
Unfortunately I have developed Macular degeneration in my right eye, my aiming eye because I’m right handed. I shoot a lot of iron sighted double rifles so this is a real problem for me personally. My ophthalmologist also recommended B&L Occuvite over 50 to slow the effect down.

My problem is I’m in my late 70s and macular degeneration is incurable so now I’m faced with going blind in my right eye, and all my doubles are cast for a right handed shooter. I’m going to have to mount a light illuminated 1 power scope on all my doubles so I can shoot them with both eyes open. I can see the illuminated dot in the scope and with both eyes open the binocular effect will allow me to still shoot my doubles instinctively for a while longer.

I’ve been taking the occuvite for about three years and I’m sure it has slowed the effect but the macular degeneration is still getting to the eye. For general ageing I think the Occuvite is a valuable hedge. I just wish I had started it a lot earlier.

I say all you young guys would be smart to start taking the Occuvite early and get good eye protection in a shooting glass!

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Mac,
Would you consider having your stocks altered to shoot left-handed? I switched from shooting right-handed to shooting left-handed because of an eye problem. Rifles were relatively easy because you are aiming, shotguns took many rounds at skeet and trap.
I don't think it is as hard as you might imagine.

quote:

Originally posted by Blacktailer:
Mac,
Would you consider having your stocks altered to shoot left-handed? I switched from shooting right-handed to shooting left-handed because of an eye problem. Rifles were relatively easy because you are aiming, shotguns took many rounds at skeet and trap.
I don't think it is as hard as you might imagine.

Yes Blacktailer, I have thought about that, however a double rifle is used much the same as a shotgun close in where it counts a double rifle is shot instinctively .

I can shoot a handgun pretty well left handed but a rifle or shotgun when mounted left handed it so foreign to me that I simply can’t do it well, and certainly not quickly.

As for now the one power illuminated scope works because of the binocular effect the illuminated dot in the scope is superimposed into the vision of the good left eye and works quite well. The drawback is I’m looking at a couple thousand dollars for each of seven double rifles to install them with the bases and rings and scopes.

At my age I may simply do a pair of the doubles and one or two of my big bore bolt and single shots and get rid of the rest of my collection. My other doubles I may simply give them to my sons because I can’t bear selling them.
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Mac,

What you think you can do is probably less than what you really can. I'm right handed and about 15 years ago lost my right eye. Of course, now it's left handed or nothing. Since that time I've been on many safaris and have shot most of my DG. The PH's I've hunted with since that time have always been surprised at how well I've got on.

Don't get me wrong. I don't recommend poking your eye out with a sharp stick. You can still get along and have a great time.

Sorry about hijacking this thread. I shoot quail as my primary scattergun game and if you can shoot them lefty, a buffalo with a double is no problem. Ask the PH and trackers on my last safari. A francolin flushed about 5 feet away from me on a buffalo stalk. Before it was 20 feet away my rifle was at my shoulder, safety off and I was tracking it in the scope.

quote:

Originally posted by JohnDL:
Mac,

What you think you can do is probably less than what you really can. I'm right handed and about 15 years ago lost my right eye. Of course, now it's left handed or nothing. Since that time I've been on many safaris and have shot most of my DG. The PH's I've hunted with since that time have always been surprised at how well I've got on.

Don't get me wrong. I don't recommend poking your eye out with a sharp stick. You can still get along and have a great time.

John I have no problem shooting left handed with a standing target off the sticks with my big bore doubles or big bore bolt or single shots from the WRONG SIDE. However with a follow up at a fast moving target, especially when charging where one or two shots that MUST count I wouldn’t want to try it left handed. I’ve spent a life time making sure my rifles are properly set up, and changing horses in this late date is a little concerning to me. At my age I don’t move as fast or with as sure footing as I did when I was 20 yrs old, so in a tight case the shot I take must take up the slack in my aged body’s capabilities.

quote:

Originally posted by Blacktailer:
Sorry about hijacking this thread. I shoot quail as my primary scattergun game and if you can shoot them lefty, a buffalo with a double is no problem. Ask the PH and trackers on my last safari. A francolin flushed about 5 feet away from me on a buffalo stalk. Before it was 20 feet away my rifle was at my shoulder, safety off and I was tracking it in the scope.

Blacktailer, as I said above in lethal combat training I was taught to be to be able to switch to my weak side incase I was wounded placing my strong side out of service. This I can do pretty well with a handgun because the sights are at arms length in from of my eyes. In that case I can use either eye to aim, and my body is positioned the same way it is when shooting right handed. With a rifle or shotgun your body must be trained to be positioned in a completely opposite configuration not only that but a right handed bolt or double rifle have things the must be operated backwards to the way they were designed. The trigger configuration on a double is configured backwards and the bolt is on the wrong side. Neither is conducive to fast operation, and in the case of a double rifle a quick re-load is very slow.

The old saying “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks” comes to mind when I consider I have been shooting instinctively since the age of about five years old, and I’m pushing 80 years of age today. Shooting at a standing animal, a deer or paper is one thing but stopping an “IN YOUR FACE” charge is quite another!

I might be able to relearn my shooting to some degree by the time I’m too old to do any serious hunting, but I don’t think I’m as confident as others seem to be.

I think I’ll just go ahead and set up with the scope and shooting right handed till I can’t any longer, and let others take up the game! My African hunting has about run it’s course anyway, but I still enjoy speed and accuracy competition at the Hoot & shoot every year where today I’m still pretty quick, and accurate RIGHT HANDED!

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Mac,
I commiserate with you on the eye problem. I have had lens replacements in both eyes, resulting in very good distance vision, but the same old problem of fuzzy sight pictures up close. I chose a Trijicon RMR for my .470 double, and it works quite well for me. It is very small, does not change the balance or handling of the rifle, and unlike a scope,the dot shows up regardless of the position of your face on the stock. Best of all, the RMR with mount costs less than half of a premium scope and mounting hardware. Good luck to you.
Tim

The eye antioxidant I-Caps in the BLUE box are quite good as they contain lutein and zeanthanin. Recent research shows Omega 3s to be somewhat helpful in this area also. I would take one twice a day with food. If you are a smoker take the eye antioxidants WITHOUT beta carotene(due to a statistical relationship betwen beta carotene and increased risk of lung cancer.) I sometimes prescribe Tozal (Rx only) which has all of the above plus other antioxidant goodies. There are 2 forms of ARMD (age related macular degeneration). One is dry and the other, by far the worse one, is wet. Research demonstrates better results with eye antioxidants against the slower moving dry type. I am an eye doc. Everyone should see their eye care professional on a regular basis regardless of age and visual status. There are some other eye docs on AR and maybe they will post too!

my eye doc recommended fish oil with omega 3 and B&L preservision

Is Occuvite an over the counter purchase or do you need a prescription?

Over the counter

quote:

Originally posted by Tim Ferrall:
Mac,
I commiserate with you on the eye problem. I have had lens replacements in both eyes, resulting in very good distance vision, but the same old problem of fuzzy sight pictures up close. I chose a Trijicon RMR for my .470 double, and it works quite well for me. It is very small, does not change the balance or handling of the rifle, and unlike a scope,the dot shows up regardless of the position of your face on the stock. Best of all, the RMR with mount costs less than half of a premium scope and mounting hardware. Good luck to you.
Tim

Tim The RMR is a nice sight, and as you say it is light and easier and cheaper to mount on a double rifle and they work well for a simple sight replacement of Irons. The only draw back is that it has no magnification when needed to be able to see the little sticks that may deflect a bullet resulting in a wounded buffalo or lion leading to a very dangerous follow-up.

Though they cost more to buy and install on a double rifle the Trijicon TR21-3 is a 1.25-4X24, so that when a complex shot through bush where one needs to thread a bullet through a small window in the bush to the target without hitting an un-seen twig, the TR21-3 can be jacked up to 4 power to spot those twigs. Also when carried on the lowest power it can be used with both eyes open. I have always liked the German #4 reticle in a scope used on a rifle for dangerous game, and the constant illumination of the trijicon scopes is a plus with a green dot, that is easy to see with my bad eye.

I agree that the RMR is fast on moving shots and is a very good sight! It just lacks that one feature of magnification that is available in the TR21-3






TRIJICON 1.25-4X24 ACCUPOINT GERMAN #4 AMBE

Mfg: Trijicon
Model: TR21-3

SKU: BH_TRI TR21-3


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