My eyesight has gone to hell, how do you guys shoot with glasses?

[Forum Boss]

One other advantage of Contacts (in one eye or both). You can have different safety glasses for different disciplines, and also use sunglasses as needed. When I shot pistol sports I sometimes used darkened safety glasses in summer, with Shotgun I used yellow tinted eyewear, and with rifle, normally clear. I also used a very high coverage wraparound with forehead and cheek seals when shooting steel targets at closer range with shotguns because we had occasional splashback.

 

[ballisticxlr]

I don't. I rip them off and have my diopter adjusted to deal with my uncorrected vision. Why have ultra expensive glass only to put cheap polycarbonate eyeglasses behind them. This of course eschews the entire notion of eye protection.

 

[bozo699]

Lefty,
I have had to have glasses since I was 40!.......when I turned 50 my gf thought big glasses made me look old and demanded I got smaller ones!........They SUCK!...... for shooting so after a couple years of those Jon Lennon crappy glasses I said enough!..... If you look at Tubb or Boyer or many of the top shooters they have huge glasses on so I went back to my grandpa glasses and it's much better,.....however I bought contacts for the first time and decided to try mono vision ,....meaning I have distance in my right eye and close up in my left eye,....not everyone can do it the dr said but I have no issues with it, I can see the target clearly and if I have to look close for a scope adjustment or something the left eye takes over!.....Life is great again!..... I still wear glasses for daily use and work and even if I am just shooting casual but for working up loads and especially matches I love the contacts!....I throw a fit everytime I gotta put them in or take them out but it's still worth it my friend!
Wayne

 

[K22]

Bifocals here - takes some getting use to and some adjustment with a scope.

Adjusting the scope's eye relief and adding a cheek pad to the stock to align eye with scope helped me.

If you can afford it, your eye doctor may be able to provide you with prescription shooting glasses that provide optimum resolution of the cross hairs.

 

[6ShotsOr5?]

Soft contacts.

They are much better than before -- more comfortable.

Honestly, get the high grade ones and it will be fine.

Yes in the first 15-20 minutes after you slip them in (after not having anything in your eyes before) you may blink a lot, your eyes might get a little red, and a little teary. But honestly, man up, just relax it will be just fine.

With the new high-grade soft contacts you won't even know they are in your eyes after a few minutes.

I would tell you how long I have had a soft contact in my eyes without irritation, but you wouldn't believe it, and my Opthomologist would get mad at me.

Yes I also have prescription shooting glasses. In my opinion, quality soft contacts are WAY, WAY better. But I do also always wear eye protection.

BTW, you can have one contact in and one naked eye. I do that during most of the day so I can read small print (I am naturally near-sighted).

+1. I’ve been wearing contacts for over 40 years, and have never regretted switching from glasses. If you put up with the first 1-2 days of discomfort, you will be glad you did. The other part that takes some getting used to is putting them in. After a week or so you’ll almost forget they are in your eyes.

 

[Terry]

I bought some yellow safety glasses. With them I can adjust the scope so I can see better without my prescription glasses.

 

[Forum Boss]

With modern SOFT contacts there should not be 1-2 days of discomfort. Honestly, you will probably feel nothing after a few MINUTES. Once you learn how to put them in quickly while still wet, you pop them in, blink a couple times and that’s it... no extended discomfort whatsoever.

 

[Texas10]

I had 20-15 vision until I hit the big 40 and then needed readers. Now days I need trifocals. The blended lens have a very small area of acute focus and worthless for shooting. I had a set of trifocals made in high contrast blu-blockers. Made such a difference in my vision behind the scope.

 

[hoz53]

I may have to try the contacts again? I have had 4 pairs of glasses made and the biggest problem is getting them to place right so I'm not looking through the frame or an edge of a lens. The last four months or so I have noticed it becoming more difficult to see targets or the crosshairs. I have had to wear glasses for a few years but have been able to shoot fine without them but it's just not gonna work that way anymore.

contacts, especially if you only need soft ones are defineately worth a try. I have to have hard ones(gas permeable) Soft are so much nicer. My shooting glasses are large aviator style (non corrected) and at the bench i find im always seeing the top rim or looking through the top of the lens. My contact hasnt moved much on my eye though so I still get a clear reticle and pretty much target. My eye is to bad to be able to just adjust the scope focus for it without correction(contact or glasses)

 

[Lefty Trigger]

contacts, especially if you only need soft ones are defineately worth a try. I have to have hard ones(gas permeable) Soft are so much nicer. My shooting glasses are large aviator style (non corrected) and at the bench i find im always seeing the top rim or looking through the top of the lens. My contact hasnt moved much on my eye though so I still get a clear reticle and pretty much target. My eye is to bad to be able to just adjust the scope focus for it without correction(contact or glasses)

I think thats where I'm at now. I cant seem to get a clear focus with the scope adjustments anymore. Good thing were going into winter because I have hardly any insurance left for this year and my vision portion dont renew until March.

 

[Lefty Trigger]

Eric
What height scope rings are you currently using?

I think they are high rings. I picked a set that would allow me to lift my head, cycle my bolt and go back without having to wiggle around to get a clear sight picture. Remember I'm a lefty shooting a right handed rifle.

 

[Downhill]

Back when I shot irons, one of my team mates was an optometrist. He would make my shooting glasses with the focal point exactly where I needed it to get proper eye position. However those glasses were not usable for every day use, shooting only.

 

[txdan]

I have been putting it off way too long and I'm going to have to start wearing glasses problem is I just cant shoot with them on. I cant seem to get around behind the scope to look through the glasses, I fricken hate them! I go back to the eye doctor in March and may try contacts again but could not stand them in my eyes.
How do you guys do it??

I went to offset rings. Multiple benefits! Oops. Bolt might not clear with your configuration

 

[Tommie]

Since I’ll never be able to put contacts or anything else in my eyes (call it a fobia)...
How should the conversation go with the non-shooting optometrist? What features, specifications, design, etc details need to be discussed? Should I assume that the optometrist will know what to do when I say I need glasses for shooting with a scope?

 

[Stumpy1]

Here is an article written by Dr. Norman Wong -he knows what he is talking about for sure.
His focus (no pun intended) is bullseye pistol, but the basics are the same, and correct.

Encyclopedia of Bullseye Pistol

Hope this helps you to have a good, productive conversation with your optometrist

Otherwise, some of the guys you shoot with likely have at least some experience with getting lenses that work for what you are doing, and can help shorten the learning curve.

Frank

 

[SGK]

Try soft contacts but personally I struggled to wear them for longer than two hours at a time. I then had LASIK and it was absolutely amazing. That was almost 20 years ago. They can do so much more now.

 

[DIBBS]

I shoot, or try to , with bifocals. (poorly) Tall rings. Glasses are usually dirty, I'm looking through the top of them- and many times take them off and adjust the scope. Also have prescription sunglasses with safety glass and use those at times. Still trying to find the fix.

 

[oldtimer6.5x39]

I’m in my early 50s and my eyesight isn’t too bad except I can’t read without reading glasses and I can’t see standard pistol sights without them either. Since I can’t count on always having reading glasses with me because I’m constantly losing them, I upgraded my pistol(s) with Trijicon SRO Red Dot Sights. I can see these sights, clear as day.