Never being afraid to ask a stupid question I am certainly ready to get flamed for this one.

You probably know I bought my first double a couple of weeks ago. I haven't done any shotgunning for quite a while and rarely shot open sights with my bolt guns.

I'm getting better at shooting my double with the flip up "night sight" being that it is a larger "blur" than the brass bead sight. I say blur because that is what it is to my eyes.

I wear reading glasses but see distance well.

Here's the stupid question.

I finally got snap caps for the double and have been dry firing at objects in the house and on the property. The other night I was at the computer for a bit and had my reading glasses on. Unthinkingly, I picked up the double and had an ephiphany. I could see the front sight very plainly as well as the rear V. The reading glasses do change my distance vision somewhat but not enough that I can't make out fine detail,

So, stupid question.......

Anybody shoot with reading glasses?




Addendum - Double is a 1902 Army Navy and altering it is not in the equation.

Not a stupid question at all. I think this is a serious issue for those of us with aging eyesight. I wear prescription glasses w/ lined bi-focals. I can see the sights better thru the bifocal part of the lens, but that requires tilting my head back too far. Shooting my double rifle, I just blur the sights. This limits my effective range to about 50 yards, preferably less. Shooting a handgun, I actually aquire the target with the distance part of the lense, then tilt my head back and align the sights with the bifocals. It is amazing how well I can see the sights thru those bifocals. I think you found your answer, IMHO, shoot with the reading glasses. Isn't aging a lot of fun? I hope this helps

Frosty, I have the same sight issues; I have 20-15 vision, but fine detail blurs up close. But when you think of it, it's better to have the sights clear and the animal a bit fuzzy. A slightly fuzzy Cape Buffalo or Elephant is still a pretty distinct target.

Whew!! I survived. Brett must not be online.

I plan on giving the reading glasses a test drive with live ammo at the range this weekend. It will be interesting to see the difference.

I'll report in.

If this wasn't an old English double it would already have an optic site on it.

Frostbit,

I have the same problem with my eyes and I had a special pair of glasses made for shooting. They are bi-focal and have just enough power in the main lens to make my sights sights clear and still see animal clear. The lower lens is my regular reading power. I used wire rim frames with large lens so when I look ar sights I don't see rim. You might see your eye doctor and have him make you a pair. Tell him you want the front sight clear.

Its a pain getting old and the vision part is the worst.

Sam

Biebs is right , front sight is the important thing. My minimum focus has changed and I can no longer focus on the front sight with glasses with my M29 revolver. I tried without glasses and front sight is sharp though deer is a bit more fuzzy.Now 50yd deer fall at one shot [as did the 50yd with glasses] but I'm happier to see a sharp sight ! Competition handgunners can be heard mummbling "front sight , front sight"

Frostbit
Try a rear aperture sight (peep sight). It doesn't matter if the rear is fuzzy, you'll automatically center the front sight. Very fast and also very accurate.

FB,

What's happening is your aging eyes now can't see distance clearly either. Go to your optician and get a pair of bifocals (or progressives if you want to spend the money). I can still shoot irons OK even 'tho my reading bifocal bottom is 2.75 and my distance upper lens is about 1.25. (I also have a correction for astigmatism but that's not part of this discussion.) Key is get the right prescription top and bottom and use it for your irons. Not a problem.

Regards, Tim

My sights were blurred. I had my optimologist give me disposable contact lens for my right eye. Presto change-o I can see my iron sights.

I got a couple of 470's ,one with a peep and the others got a rear v. for Irons I see out of the peep much better, front sight is still a blurr. My buddy's 400-450 had 26" barrel last time I threw it up the front sight was clear.
That extra 2 " makes a differance
JD

Several things...I am a retired Air Force Biomedical Sciences Officer.

1. The magic age for requiring bifocals is 44.

2. Your eyes have their greates accomodative ability at age 12. That means ability to focus quickly on objects at a variety of distances.

3. What you might consider are a pair of computer glasses. These are like a bifocal but...the top segment iis really the middle segment(middle distance) of a trifocal and the bottom segment is the bottom (or closeup) segment of the trifocal.

4. Work with your ophthalmologist or optometrist. They can build a set of tiral lenses in a trial frame. Get permission to take your rifle in so you can try out the setup. This should keep the front sigt in sharp focus, the rear sight in focus, and provide enough definition of the target. It works for me.

5. Give it a try and report back.

Eagle One
NRA Benefactoe
SCI Life Member
SASS Life Member
Four trips to Africa

FB:

I am in the same boat. Heck, I could hardly see the front bead on my 500 NE today until I used the night sight.

I am getting lens replacement surgery soon. I hope it helps. If not, I may have to see Doktor Optik!

I use prescription bifocals of normal use and i can shoot my rifles with them. I use a special longer focal length reading glasses for use on my computer & I cannot see well at longer distances with these.

I wear 175 readers for about everything up close (perfect vision past arms length). I have great difficulty picking up my sights without them but anything past a few yards is then very blurry. I experimented a little and discovered that a pair of the low powered 100's gives me plenty of sharpness on the sights (rifle and pistol) AND I can still see my targets CLEARLY. The clarity I now have has added years to my open sight shooting. Hope it will also work for you all.

Put a ghost ring aperture sight on your double. That way, you don't have to focus on anything close. just the front sight (and the target).

It's no accident that 100% of US military rifles since 1917 have used peep sights instead of open rear sights.

Better yet, get a good bolt action rifle and put a low-powered scope on it. With a scope, everything is in the same sight plane.

I have been working through this for pistols as well as my double. I normally wear single vision lenses of -2.75 and -3.75. Iron sights have become difficult.

Now, I am using a weaker prescription in my right lens but full strength in the left. That leaves both the sight and the target in focus when I look at them. The brain quickly figures it out and you don;t notice the difference. One thing that helped me: You can get a complete set of single vision glasses from Zenni.com for about $20 including shipping. I tried three or four combinations on the range until I had exactly what I wanted and then ordered good glasses.

quote:

Originally posted by Indy:
Put a ghost ring aperture sight on your double.

Thanks for the suggestion but it's a 1902 Army Navy and I'm not going to alter it. If I did I would just put a Doctor Optic on it.

I never really thought about it, but I shoot iron sights pretty well when I'm wearing my progressive glasses. Somehow, it works in that I tilt my head to the right to get my cheek on the stock and my right eye sees the sights well and (maybe????) my left is in focus for the distance part.

I wish you hadn't asked this question because now I'm going to wonder why it works instead of just shooting stuff dead.

BTW, I have progressive lenses both in a pair of Polaroid sunglasses and in a pair of Transitions.

I'm not sure about this. I'd rather have slightly blurry sights on a double and good medium/long distance vision. If what's coming at you is a blur, what chance have you got of hitting it?

quote:

Originally posted by Maximus Brutus:
I'm not sure about this. I'd rather have slightly blurry sights on a double and good medium/long distance vision. If what's coming at you is a blur, what chance have you got of hitting it?

When I wear 2.00 power reading glases the distance is NOT a blur and the sights are crystal clear especially the front sight. If I take the glasses off the distance is crystal clear and the front sight is invisible unless I use the flip up night sight. Then it's a big whilte blur that is a best guess to accuaracy.

This weekend I'll shoot with the glasses on and I ironically just broke the left lense out of pair working on the truck and bumping my head. So I'll take them along as well and try the right eye reading glass left eye normal vision trick as well.

I am right handed and left eye dominate so I "wink" at my targets already anyway. With the single right reading lense I can pick the target up with my left unlensed eye and shoot it with my right eye.

I realize this may be confusing in print but I'll let you all know how it works.

quote:

Originally posted by JudgeG:
I never really thought about it, but I shoot iron sights pretty well when I'm wearing my progressive glasses. Somehow, it works in that I tilt my head to the right to get my cheek on the stock and my right eye sees the sights well and (maybe????) my left is in focus for the distance part.

I wish you hadn't asked this question because now I'm going to wonder why it works instead of just shooting stuff dead.

BTW, I have progressive lenses both in a pair of Polaroid sunglasses and in a pair of Transitions.

Sorry Judge,

Let me know when you are coming up and I'll treat you to a Scotch and help you forget.

Frost:

"Gear in the well" for Zimbabwe on Thursday and I'll try not to figure out why my old eyes (and glasses) still let me shoot stuff.

Before you take any radical action, you might want to consider the lighting conditions in which you are shooting / practicing. I suffer from the same condition you describe - aging eyes. I had lasik surgery before I left the Navy in 2004, so my distance vision is fine. For me, the ability to clearly see the sights on my double is very lighting dependent. When I practice indoors with snap caps, the front sight is blurry. When I shoot out at the range (which has covered positions), it is pretty much the same. Bring on direct sunlight (like you would experience in most African hunting situations), and I can see by sights crystal clear. I have not used my double in low light situations, and if I had to, I might just use the flip over night sight. So, you might want to check out shooting in sunlight and see how you do.
Mangwana

Frost,
I wear non prescription 2.0 cheater glass as well. The eye Dr. just gave me some disposable, wear once, throw away contacts. Before the contact lens my pistol sights my iron rifle sights were blurred. The contact solved all my vision problems.
When I tried shooting in my cheaters I found that the sight picture wasn't always the same and I had trouble down range with my vision.

the contact lets you shoot both eyes open.
Just my experience!

Only other choice is a small red dot on your rifle. I have one on my 450/400. It works great!

Back from the range. I used cheap Costco 2.00 readers and the sights were clear the black 8 inch target slightly blurred at 25 yards. I shot better than I have without the glasses so I may stick with this plan.

I did not try the single lens in the right eye trick. I may try that tomorrow when we head back to the range.

On a side note my wife was again deadly with her 7 x 57. The woman could shoot well before Gunsite but now she drops into these rather uncomfortable looking positions and still drills the bull.

Three weeks to Zambia and I think we are on track.

Had to try it. Grabbed my 1.5 computer glasses and a rifle. The front sight was clear and sharp and I could see the background at 80 yards.

Dave

quote:

Originally posted by Frostbit:
Back from the range. I used cheap Costco 2.00 readers and the sights were clear the black 8 inch target slightly blurred at 25 yards. I shot better than I have without the glasses so I may stick with this plan.

I did not try the single lens in the right eye trick. I may try that tomorrow when we head back to the range.

On a side note my wife was again deadly with her 7 x 57. The woman could shoot well before Gunsite but now she drops into these rather uncomfortable looking positions and still drills the bull.

Three weeks to Zambia and I think we are on track.

Try a pair of the 1.00's, it is just enough to focus the sights and STILL see clearly down range. Hope it works for you.

Range report froM this weekend. The reading glasses have really no a big difference.

Go to the Eye Doc and get some Contacts.

quote:

Originally posted by Frostbit:
Range report froM this weekend. The reading glasses have really no a big difference.

Holy crap!! I didn't proof this post obviously.

I meant to say the range session with the reading glasses was a success.

quote:

Originally posted by Frostbit:
Holy crap!! I didn't proof this post obviously.

Sounds like you need glasses......

Get checked out for a pair of Verilux lenses. Also works well with a peep on a bow also.

quote:

Originally posted by Jim Manion:

quote:

Originally posted by Frostbit:
Holy crap!! I didn't proof this post obviously.

Sounds like you need glasses......

I too need reading glasses and have trouble focusing on front rifle sights. My distant vision is fine. Bob Jones shooting glasses work very well for me and are low cost compared to other glasses availible.
http://www.bjonessights.com/
I ordered a pair with plain lenses. I then took my rifle and the glasses to my eye doc and told him I needed a prescription for my right eye to focus on the front sight and left lens for normal vision. Coated lenses were ordered locally and fitted to the frames. They work great. I will be taking them to Camp Perry for the Vintage Rifle and M1 Garand matches this year.

I shoot a lot of BPCR with rear tang sights. I've found over the last two years that computer glasses (focus between 24-36 in.) make a considerable improvement in my shooting. They will not allow the target to be completely clear and force me to focus on the front sight. If I can physically do so, I will try to focus on the target and let the front sight go blurry, which causes vertical stringing. I get inexpensive glasses ground to my prescription, except that I go +1 diopter from my distance vision prescription. For very bright days, I can use +1.25, and on very dark days I can use +0.50, but the +1.00 work the best overall. (the effect of +1 diopter from distance prescription is far focus at 1 meter, although the smaller iris that happens during bright light greatly increases the depth of focus.

Clarence

Last range session today before everything is packed up for the June 16 departure. The reading glass have worked out marvelously.

Go git 'em, Frosty! :-)

Frostbit,

JBoutfishing's suggestion of Varilux lenses will do the job. Varilux is one brand of progressive addition lenses - there are several others. I would personally suggest a faster progression style of progressive lens like the Howa Compact instead of designs with a lower progression that may require a slight vertical movement of the head in order to focus on the rear, front sight and the target simultaneously. Any optometrist would be able to help pick the right type of progressive lens. If it does not scare your optometrist, take your rifle along and have them do a refraction with the gun on your shoulder.