... for handgun shooting. I recently had cataract surgery (I was near sighted my whole life ... now I'm far sighted, 20/40 and do not need glasses to drive). I now use 2.5 cheaters (reading glasses) for reading, and half that, 1.25 cheaters for the computer. My Ophthalmologist is not a shooter and not sure understands the need(s). Any information from those who have similar vision is appreciated. Thanks.

I am not the eye glass expert

But I have vision issues, when I was shooting my head would go up and down trying to see the target and then the front sight then back again
Not very efficient for action pistol sports

I asked around until I found an eye doctor who was also a hunter / shooter

He understood my issues and set me up with a set of glasses with one lens focused on the front sight the other eye was my standard progressive lens

It works well, now I can go to any doctor , show him my old prescription, take the gun out and he sets me up with a prescription as needed

I have used prescription shooting glasses for years. It is well worth the effort and money to get them fitted. My first time to get them, the opthomologist allowed me to bring in a revolver sans cylinder. My last time I took in a wood mock-up with sights glued on.

You wear your regular glasses and then the doctor places supplemental lenses in front of your lens until you get the focus you want. Then that diopter is added to your prescription for shooting glasses.

Your computer glasses may be close.

I have been using these for years and they work great. I wear prescription progressive lens and I just stick one of these on my lens of my dominant eye.
You can stick it to the lens of your shooting glasses also. You want it strong enough to clear up your front sight but not so strong as to blur the target.
I went to the drug store and tried on reading glasses and used the tip of a pen in my outstretched arms and then looking around at normal shooting distances until I discovered the 1.25 power that works for me.
https://www.safetyglassesusa.c...k-on-bifocal-lenses/

I have similar issues with my sight in that I can see the target just fine but the sights are blurry.

I have used the same lenses that ftw is recommending and they can work.

I have been using these lately and really like them: Magnifier Safety Glasses

I tried these and like them even more despite the inexpensive cost: Magnifying Hunting Shooting Safety Glasses

For full disclosure, both of these glasses turn a red dot into a comma shaped dot.

The good news is that I don't need magnification to shoot a red dot and can use regular shooting glasses.

Hope that helps,
Henryrifle

For my aging eyes, I had a pair of shooting glassed made up with my dominant eye's focal point right where the front sight is, and my other eye is set up for distance. Works great for IDPA, Steel and so on. Sooner than later I think optics will take over more of my shooting.

A few years ago I addressed this issue when I went to my eye doctor for my annual exam.

My vision requires a little correction for reading (close distances only) for my right (dominant) eye, left eye is fine. I shoot right handed.

I told the doctor that I wanted the right lense in my shooting glasses to have the focal point at 27" from my eye, in the center part of the lense. That's my measured distance to the front sight. I had them leave the bottom of both lenses with the normal reading correction, in normal bi-focal configuration.

This allows me to see the front sight clearly with my dominant eye, thru the center of the right lense. The left lense is per my normal prescription, which allows me to use both eyes for closer distances, and allows me to "cheat" and close the left eye for distance work.

This is similar to the technique used for contact lenses, where they set up one eye for up-close and one eye for distance. The brain figures out which picture to use.

I put the glasses on when I get to the range, and it only takes a few minutes to adjust to them. I leave them on the entire duration at the range.

This has worked for me for range use and for training courses and competition shoots.

My only concern is that I would need to tip my head back to use the lower "reading" part of the right lense to clearly see the front sight, if I ever need to pull the weapon in a defensive situation, when wearing my every-day glasses. I'm assuming that will involve distances where it won't matter.

YMMV.

I have issues with my eyes. I need cheaters to read and see the front sight cleanly.

Last year I picked up a pair of SSP bi-focal shooting glasses. I went with the top magnification. So far, they have been working great.

https://sspeyewear.com/pages/tactical-collection

I can see the target clear enough without my glasses but the front sight got fuzzier over the years.
I can't use my distance glasses, the front sight is a blob. (lower power) Reading glasses makes the front sight doable but then the target is worse than a blob.
When the doc said to tilt my head up and down using bifocals to switch between the two I said, "And how do you do that at speed?"

I'm probably going to end up with a set of dedicated shooting glasses like others use but I'm not there yet.
(I need to find a doc that is a pistol shooter or at least knows what they need)

So I bought one of these to try: Adjustable Iris for regular glasses
YAY, IT WORKS!! High "camera" quality construction, adjusts 6 ways from Sunday and flips up out of the way between sets. Best $60 I've spent this year.

quote:

Originally posted by bpnkrtn:
... for handgun shooting. I recently had cataract surgery (I was near sighted my whole life ... now I'm far sighted, 20/40 and do not need glasses to drive). I now use 2.5 cheaters (reading glasses) for reading, and half that, 1.25 cheaters for the computer. My Ophthalmologist is not a shooter and not sure understands the need(s). Any information from those who have similar vision is appreciated. Thanks.

All you need to do is take your current script and ask them to put your distance focal point at the distance from the front sight to your eye.

In all likelihood it will be a bit closer than your computer glasses.

The modified script may be different for one handed bullseye shooting v. a two handed hold as the distance to the front sight will be different.

Went down that route myself over the past 10years or so..

1 -Early on, as a bullseye shooter, I found that just using a "Merit disk", attached to my normal glasses, did the trick for me(amazing how much that can improve your sight picture).

2 - Next thing I tried was a set of prescription shooting glasses. I took my handgun to the eye doctor(with his permission), and holding it at arms length, he adjusted the prescription so I had a clear view of both sights.(not too difficult at all).

3 - Next point? For target shooting, if you just skip both steps 1 & 2, mount a good Red-dot sight and fire away.

4 - Finally, age finally won and I gave up bullseye shooting, and took up defensive practice. Realized that for this purpose, I'd never have time for putting on glasses or turning on a Red-dot. I just moved to laser sights and limited myself to 10-15yd defensive practice.

YMMV but probably not.

Got fitted for a nice pair of prescription & transitional Wiley X's last year - huge difference in picking up targets out beyond 10-15 yards.

Not cheap.

I found a cheap solution. Got safety glasses with bifocal inserts for $11.

 
I tried the dominant eye focused on front sight, and the other eye on distance. It made me dizzy.
 
My diopter correction for both eyes is not that much, so I changed to having both eyes focus on the front sight. The targets beyond are quite clear, but I engage in pistol shooting only.
 
I use Wiley-X Talon glasses with their prescription insert.
 

Fellers ... thanks for all the information! I do appreciate it. I'm studying all y'alls suggestions. I am using a red dot more and more but I'm not ready to give up on irons just yet ...

Thanks again.

I didn't like the idea of another pair of specs to lose/scratch/break, so I gave the Merit disc a try and have been very satisfied. (It also sharpens "fuzzy" red dots.)

I wear bi-focals within the standard "sporting" prescription frame. The bi-focal line is visible, but I have no problem or delay with shooting. I'm able to focus on the front sight and visualize the target without problem.

As a matter of fact, I often can see the bullet down stream. Much more when observing other shooters, though.

The use of red dot and magnified optics in competitive shooting has allowed me to get one prescription for almost everything. The only thing I don't use corrective glasses for is iron sight pistol. I have a small spot of non corrected vision right where the front sight on a pistol is.

quote:

Originally posted by Steve in PA:
I have issues with my eyes. I need cheaters to read and see the front sight cleanly.

Last year I picked up a pair of SSP bi-focal shooting glasses. I went with the top magnification. So far, they have been working great.

https://sspeyewear.com/pages/tactical-collection

I use the same as you do. Works fine for me as well.

One of my long time shooting buddies is an eye surgeon. There are no "great" solutions for failing eye sight. Prescription shooting glasses are a must in my world as I no longer where contacts.

I did not get all crazy trying differest stuff. I just put my normal perscription in a pair of shooting/safety glasses, but added the progressive bi-focal to occassionally grab the front sight.