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Handgun sights, aging eyes, Optometrist and a Sig P365. Login/Join 
Bookers Bourbon
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Picture of Johnny 3eagles
posted
I will preface by saying I have been shooting for many years, and last shot in competition in 2001. The majority of my handguns have Tritium Night Sights installed or have a Red Dot optic installed.

I continue to enjoy shooting but the majority has been with those handguns with optics installed. Shooting my "iron" sights has been to maintain proficiency rather than pure enjoyment. The majority of my range time has been on outdoor ranges, where it is too light for the tritium to work, and too dark to see the proper sight alignment. Painting the front sight a bright color was less than satisfactory.

My recent visit with my optometrist led to the focus issue on the front sight. She asked me to bring one of my handguns with me next visit in two weeks, and she would develop shooting lens with the focus specifically for the distance to the front sights. Cool! Too answer the obvious question, Yes, she is.

In the meantime, I had a TFO (Tritium Fiber Optic) front sight installed on my Sig P365 and just got my slide back today. Initial observations indoors leads me to believe this may be an excellent choice for my current CCW. Hopefully I'll hit the range again tomorrow to verify this.





If you're goin' through hell, keep on going.
Don't slow down. If you're scared don't show it.
You might get out before the devil even knows you're there.


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Posts: 7336 | Location: Arkansas  | Registered: November 06, 2010Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Please lets us know how it works for you.I like the idea.
 
Posts: 994 | Location: UP of Michigan | Registered: October 21, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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I have my glasses set for

Dominant eye lens is set to focus on front sight

The other eye has a progressive lens and handles target focus

Works very well


RC
 
Posts: 1955 | Location: Indiana | Registered: March 17, 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Bookers Bourbon
and a good cigar
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My uncorrected vision since cataract surgery is steady between 20-20 and 20-25. I always shoot with both eyes open.





If you're goin' through hell, keep on going.
Don't slow down. If you're scared don't show it.
You might get out before the devil even knows you're there.


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Posts: 7336 | Location: Arkansas  | Registered: November 06, 2010Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Getting glasses that are "tuned" to handgun sights seems to work for some people, but it is expensive. Can you wear them all the time, or are they only for the range?

Iron sights with an extra-wide rear sight opening, and a thinner front sight post, is another approach (one that doesn't involve glasses). I recently installed Trijicon HD XR sights on several guns. These have a .122 front sight post (with a bright dot) and a .169" rear sight. They help! It is a good approach for a small gun that won't really fit a red dot optic.

But nothing beats that red dot optic for ease of use by old eyes. Mine is a 3.5 MOA RMR-2. I can keep both eyes open, and I can see it through the main lenses of my glasses (which have bifocals).
 
Posts: 1597 | Location: Virginia, USA | Registered: June 02, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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The XS Big Dot sights are awesome for aging eyes.


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Posts: 1549 | Location: Fayetteville, NC | Registered: April 05, 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Very interesting topic as I'm hitting the big SIX-OH in a few weeks and have been wearing glasses for over 15 years.

Many years ago, I saw a magazine article about sights for aging eyes. This was before tritium was used for anything other than watch dials. Back then the consensus was for a solid black "U" notch in back and a polished brass bead up front. I don't have any defensive guns set up that way, but I do have a solid black rear sight coupled with a red fiber optic up front, a couple of guns with Trijicon HD-XR sights and a 1911 with XS Big Dots in front of their wide v shaped notch. Nothing seems to work good enough for my standards, so I took a course in "Combat Point Shooting" ... not relying on the sights at all. As long as I continue to train myself with this practice, this is what works best for me.


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"Tonight, we are a country awakened to danger and called to defend freedom. Our grief has turned to anger and anger to resolution. Whether we bring our enemies to justice or bring justice to our enemies, justice will be done". {George W. Bush, Post 9/11}



 
Posts: 842 | Location: Long Island, N.Y. / Stephentown, N.Y. | Registered: March 20, 2010Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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I just turned 60 two months ago, been wearing glasses for about half my life. That came from years on the CAD scope and hitting the books when I went back to school.

Clearly seeing the front sight when younger was never an issue, but became very difficult as I aged. A few years ago I asked my optometrist to configure the right lens (right eye dominant) to a focal point about 26" from my eye, the distance to the front sight, same as did the OP. The left eye lense stayed the same to allow focus at distance. I put the glasses on when I get to the range and leave them on until I am done. They make a big difference.

But, I have to switch back to regular glasses when using a Romeo1, where you focus on the target.
 
Posts: 312 | Location: Ohio | Registered: January 04, 2015Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Merc50, thanks for your post. That is exactly what i was planning. I am anxious to try out the TFO sight first before getting back to the Eye Doctor.

Back when I was in the business, I taught Point and Shoot to our officers. We trained point and shoot at 3, 7 and 15 yards.





If you're goin' through hell, keep on going.
Don't slow down. If you're scared don't show it.
You might get out before the devil even knows you're there.


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Posts: 7336 | Location: Arkansas  | Registered: November 06, 2010Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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quote:
Originally posted by Merc50:
I just turned 60 two months ago, been wearing glasses for about half my life. That came from years on the CAD scope and hitting the books when I went back to school.

Clearly seeing the front sight when younger was never an issue, but became very difficult as I aged. A few years ago I asked my optometrist to configure the right lens (right eye dominant) to a focal point about 26" from my eye, the distance to the front sight, same as did the OP. The left eye lense stayed the same to allow focus at distance. I put the glasses on when I get to the range and leave them on until I am done. They make a big difference.

But, I have to switch back to regular glasses when using a Romeo1, where you focus on the target.


This is the solution. I’ve been using lenses like this for three shooting seasons now. They work very well and I find I adjust quickly when I put them on at the range. I tried Meprolight night sights, TFO’s, etc. There’s no real solution in different iron sights. If you can’t focus on the front sight, you cannot achieve your best results.

I went with Revison eyewear for my safety glasses. They allow me to change between clear, amber and sunglasses lenses with the prescription lenses held in a frame behind the safety lenses.

Revision prescription ready

Prescription Carrier

Your local optometrist should be able to do the lenses onsite for the Revision prescription frames. Mine did it in one day and my optometrist is located in a rural community of 12,000 people.
 
Posts: 445 | Location: Southern Alberta, Canada | Registered: April 17, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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quote:
Originally posted by RoverSig:
Getting glasses that are "tuned" to handgun sights seems to work for some people, but it is expensive. Can you wear them all the time, or are they only for the range?

Not expensive at all, if you learn how to read and understand an eyeglass prescription. Then make your own adjustments to it and order glasses online, from someplace like ZenniOptical.
 
For me, front sight focus lenses are exactly the same as computer monitor distance focus, so I use the same altered prescription for both. For the computer glasses, I have a bifocal made so I can also read documents on my desktop.



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Posts: 10887 | Location: South Congress AZ | Registered: May 27, 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Ah yes, getting older eyes_

I have basically the same problem of my old eyes focusing on the sights with a crisp sight line-up.

My optometrist has made a number of shooting glasses for my ,er,(older) friends & has made a couple of sets for me over the years.

They do work but not as good for me as just using my computer glasses' prescription made into shooting glasses.

My computer-reader shooting glasses are just about perfect for my non-optic shooting out to around 50 meters or so. Gives me a nice crisp in-focus sight picture & somewhat blurred target. I actually feel that the slightly blurred target is more of positive than a negative as I see way less sight movement so holding apparently steady through the trigger pull is more relaxed & allows me to easily stay within my normal arc-of-movement.

I usually shoot about 50 rounds with my computer prescription glasses for best accuracy practice then shoot another 30 or so rounds with plain lens shooting glasses at 10,15,20 meters as I don't normally wear glasses day to day (just need for reading) & that simulates what I would have to do in a self defense or animal attack situation. With no cheaters I can usually keep them all on a silhouette target but it is usually more like patterns than tight groups (especially at the 20 meter mark).

Getting older (actually old) takes its toll on precise shooting without a red dot or optic (I definitely need optics for long distance precision accuracy)

A couple of years ago I went to red dots on some of my pistols & THAT greatly improved my non prescription-glasses shooting. I was so happy with the red dot sighting but the more I thought about it the less I liked the idea of practicing with a red dot only to carry a conventional sighted pistol. Now I still shoot some red dot for competitions (when allowed) but try to not rely on the red dot crutch for normal carry gun practice.

It seems that most of the old-timers that I shoot with have found their own unique ways of dealing with the old-eyes syndrome as we don't all have the same aging-eyes disorders.
 
Posts: 67 | Registered: August 13, 2017Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Older eyes here too.
Shooting 1911's mostly lately and have found that nowadays I shoot my guns with the shorter barrels better.
Guessing that the front sight only being 4" away at the end off the barrel rather than 5" away is the reason.
Hesitant to try and have a specific pair of RX shooting glasses made, mainly due to cost (recently retired and the stock market ain't giving me fuzzy feelings) and finding an optometrist that actually understands what I need.
The references to "computer reading glasses" makes me think maybe going to the drugstore and trying to find a pair of "readers" cheap to try first.


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Posts: 373 | Location: West Virginia | Registered: February 25, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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quote:
Originally posted by DLC762:
Older eyes here too.
Shooting 1911's mostly lately and have found that nowadays I shoot my guns with the shorter barrels better.
Guessing that the front sight only being 4" away at the end off the barrel rather than 5" away is the reason.
Hesitant to try and have a specific pair of RX shooting glasses made, mainly due to cost (recently retired and the stock market ain't giving me fuzzy feelings) and finding an optometrist that actually understands what I need.
The references to "computer reading glasses" makes me think maybe going to the drugstore and trying to find a pair of "readers" cheap to try first.


Yes, readers should help, just keep in mind that most readers are focused for reading distances (usually closer than computer screen placement glasses).

You will probably eventually need to find computer reading glasses as they are more closely matched to your eye-to-pistol sight distance.
 
Posts: 67 | Registered: August 13, 2017Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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quote:
Originally posted by heisrizn:
The XS Big Dot sights are awesome for aging eyes.


Totally agree, works for this one eyed 80 yr. old for EDC.


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Posts: 240 | Location: NW Michigan | Registered: June 30, 2010Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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quote:
Originally posted by RC:
I have my glasses set for

Dominant eye lens is set to focus on front sight

The other eye has a progressive lens and handles target focus

Works very well


RC - is the dominant eye lense a single vision lense or is it a bifocle or trifocle lense?

If it is a bifocle or trifocle, what are the other distance setting.
 
Posts: 6720 | Location: Virginia | Registered: January 22, 2001Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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quote:
Originally posted by Broadside:
quote:
Originally posted by RC:
I have my glasses set for

Dominant eye lens is set to focus on front sight

The other eye has a progressive lens and handles target focus

Works very well


RC - is the dominant eye lense a single vision lense or is it a bifocle or trifocle lense?

If it is a bifocle or trifocle, what are the other distance settings?
 
Posts: 6720 | Location: Virginia | Registered: January 22, 2001Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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I guess specialized shooting glasses might be OK if you are a bullseye shooter, but if your purpose is practicing for self defense, it seems like a bad idea. Unless you plan to wear them all the time.
 
Posts: 9053 | Location: The Red part of Minnesota | Registered: October 06, 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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quote:
Originally posted by MNSIG:
I guess specialized shooting glasses might be OK if you are a bullseye shooter, but if your purpose is practicing for self defense, it seems like a bad idea. Unless you plan to wear them all the time.


This seems self evident that we need to train exactly how we would fight. However, by using glasses that give you perfect sight pictures, we develop our muscle memory in terms of perfecting the presentation of our handgun. As a result, when without corrective lenses the weapon is presented in the correct position for our less than perfect eyes to pick up the sights.

It works from my experience
 
Posts: 445 | Location: Southern Alberta, Canada | Registered: April 17, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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In the meantime, I had a TFO (Tritium Fiber Optic) front sight installed on my Sig P365 and just got my slide back today. Initial observations indoors leads me to believe this may be an excellent choice for my current CCW.


Hello Johnny,

Just wanted to check in with three quick questions. I have been looking at a of TFO front sight that has an orange outline ring. Could you share your range report?

My fist question is the which sight manufacture?, second did the POA/POI change?, and third where did you send your slide for the swap?

Thanks in advance for your assistance. -Marue


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Posts: 386 | Location: Texas | Registered: August 20, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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