Hey Four-Eyes!

rufus · Apr 28, 2012

Quick, how many fingers?

If you are like me, you're blind as a bat. It kinda makes shooting with precision really hard. I realized this on my last trip to the shooting range when I accidentally left my glasses at home.

Without my specs, I see two front sights and the targets, at 25 yards, are just a blurry things against other different colored blurry things. After shooting about 200 rounds, I had to ask the guy next to me what my target looked like. He gave me a funny look and said "uh, kinda low". When I retrieved the target, only about 10 shots hit paper, all at least 10 inches low. The trip was a total waste of ammo.

Anyways, I've been thinking about what I've been doing for too long now: shooting while wearing glasses with glass lenses. Not a real good idea. So, been contemplating ordering something from HERE.

What do you wear for RX eye protection?

Simonpie · Apr 28, 2012

Any lens shop can get your prescription in plastic safety lenses. They'll probably come with side shields, but I remove them because they cause fog and look dorky.

Pistol guys are funny. I almost never take a single shot without seeing where it went. I can't imagine what one gets out of 200 rounds and no feedback.

rufus · Apr 28, 2012

Yup, not a good day.

Ron Eagle Elk · Apr 28, 2012

I'm with Simonpie. My everyday glasses are bifocal safety glasses that I picked up from the vision center at Wal-Mart. In addition to a set with clear lenses for indoor use I have two pairs of brown lens, polarized sun glasses. One pair of these stays in my range box, just in case. I usually don't forget my glasses as I can't see to drive without them.

rufus · Apr 28, 2012

Never thought of Wal-Mart. Hummm....

Edit: Just looked at their offerings & think I'll pass. Gonna spring for something that will double for sunglasses so I can see better while driving during the day. Comfort is very important to me.

Paradox · Apr 28, 2012

The optical department at Costco is really good. I have got several pairs from them now, the quality and service has been top notch. Good prices too. As long as you get the polycarbonate lenses you'll be good to go for shooting with them.

speedtriple · Apr 28, 2012

Look at Rudy Project. They have some nice frames that you can change lenses in, and will take a clip in set of RX lenses.

I have some Oakley prescription sun glasses that I use stick on readers inside the lenses. Works pretty well.

dmancornell · Apr 28, 2012

OP, have you considered just buying prescription glasses with shatter proof plastic lenses? That's what I've been shooting with and it works very well.

rufus · Apr 28, 2012

dmancornell said:
OP, have you considered just buying prescription glasses with shatter proof plastic lenses? That's what I've been shooting with and it works very well.

Yes, but my every day glasses are not very "safety" oriented. They work great sitting at the computer, but don't do much for protecting my eyes from flying stuff. I'm looking at a wrap around style like <broken link removed> , maybe tinted.

deen_ad · Apr 28, 2012

I started wearing hard contacts in 1962. I couldn't see the big "E" on the charts, in fact I couldn't see the wall it was on.
A few years ago on optometrist changed me over to soft lenses. After a year of that I had eye surgery for cataracts and they replaced the lenses with custom ones with correction built in. I now have 20/15.
Went shooting last week and found that I had no trouble seeing the sights and target at about 21 feet. But I can't read anything, not even a computer screen without "cheaters" to help. But compared to the vision I've had for most of my life it's TERRIFIC!!

Burt Gummer · Apr 28, 2012

For those who need simple 1.0-2.5 reading glasses that can be used to shooting, Costco has a nice 3-pay for about $20. They look like shooting glasses a bit also.

deen_ad · Apr 28, 2012

Burt Gummer said:
For those who need simple 1.0-2.5 reading glasses that can be used to shooting, Costco has a nice 3-pack for about $20. They look like shooting glasses a bit also.

That's where I get mine.

Cougfan2 · Apr 28, 2012

deen_ad said:
I started wearing hard contacts in 1962. I couldn't see the big "E" on the charts, in fact I couldn't see the wall it was on.
A few years ago on optometrist changed me over to soft lenses. After a year of that I had eye surgery for cataracts and they replaced the lenses with custom ones with correction built in. I now have 20/15.
Went shooting last week and found that I had no trouble seeing the sights and target at about 21 feet. But I can't read anything, not even a computer screen without "cheaters" to help. But compared to the vision I've had for most of my life it's TERRIFIC!!

Dude, I hear you. I had worn glasses since grade school. Long story short, I hadn't been trap shooting for a long time and several years a go I decided to dust off the Browning Citori and go bust some clays. I checked the shotgun to make sure it was unloaded, threw it up to my shoulder and could not see the front sight. Oh shoot (or not)!

I hadn't even realized it, but for a long time I had been compensating for the loss of sight in my right eye by unconsciously focusing on objects with my left non dominant eye. No wonder my pistol shooting had been going to hell! Went to my Ophthalmologist and discovered that I had cataracts. I was basically blind in my right eye and my left eye was catching up.

Fast forward, I had cataract surgery on both eyes. IT CHANGED MY LIFE!!! I can now drive without glasses at all and only need reading glasses occasionally. I'm still going to go in and get contacts or glasses for my distance vision as while it is good, it isn't as good as I would like it to be, but as weird as it may sound, finding out I had cataracts and getting the surgery was one of the best things that ever happened to me.

teflon6string · Apr 28, 2012

I'm in the same boat, really having to pay attention to my sights, chin angled up a bit (to get the bifocals at least partially into play). Getting old isn't for sissies, but we all make adjustments be it with special optics or whatever works. I have found that a peep sight works really well, even if it's a bit blurred, so I suspect more and more of my rifles will end up equipped that way. I also try to squeeze off a few gunfight shots without corrective lenses now and then, just to stay in touch with instinctive point and shoot skills at short range. The logic is that we cannot pick and choose our emergencies, which might include darkeness, injury, damaged sights/optics/glasses, blinding backlight, etc. Train for various conditions, including having trouble seeing.

GuyBMeredith · Apr 29, 2012

I normally wear Transitions progressive lenses for general use, Drivewear polarzied Transition progressivelenses for sun and driving.

However, for shooting and computer I use polycarb Transition lenses in aviator frames. These are single focus set for 30" which is a good distance for concentrating on front sights and the computer screen.

.40cal EMT · Apr 29, 2012

My dad when shooting rocks a pair of +1.25 shooters glasses picked up at wholesale sports, sucks cause he is still blind and should be in a bifocal that's b2.25, and the lower an a -1.25 either way they do make some shooting glasses with amagnification for shooters

Gunner3456 · Apr 29, 2012

I used to be very nearsighted. I had lasik surgery which I'm delighted with.

I got something which is not the norm but I wouldn't be without. In the surgery they gave me what is called monovision. They corrected my dominant right eye to 20/15, but corrected my left eye to a somewhat nearsighted 20/60.

Vision is additive and I never notice that one eye or the other is always slightly blurry. My left eye can read, my right eye is crisp at distance, but I see just well enough out of both of them at any time that I still have good depth perception. The perception I have is that everything is always sharp, close or far unless I deliberately cover the eye which is truly sharp. Then I see the slight blur.

I had this done about 10 years ago. After wearing rather thick glasses all of my life, I can only say that it's a treat. I of course still need shooting glasses for safety.

For any younger folks, I sure wish I had taken care of my hearing all of these years. When I was younger it was never mentioned and some day I'll need hearing aids. I get by now, but its day is coming.

MilitantBEEMER · Apr 29, 2012

I have had glasses since grade school. I am left eye dominate but shoot right handed. My biggest issue is I am not able to focus on a front site clearly. I am not sure if a different front site would help or not? I tend to practice my point and shoot accuracy instead. Additionally I have had to have new glasses twice in 5 months! My vision was twice as bad last week when I had it rechecked as it was in December... I am hoping to see a specialist an find out if there is a fix. So yeah getting old has its challenges for some of us.

Ding · Apr 29, 2012

Without my specs, I see two front sights and the targets,

I wouldn't worry about it if ya are hitting BOTH targets..Just multi tasking :s0114:

rufus · Apr 29, 2012

Thanks all for the excellent suggestions. After thinking about this a little more, I'm going to be making an appointment with my optometrist to update my prescription. It's been about eight years since I've seen him and I think my eyesight has gotten worse in that time. Maybe he'll set me up with a good pair of shooting glasses too. Getting older sure has it's challenges!