Advice on Glasses for Shooting

[danny]

In just one word. . . LASIK.

My doctor (a shooter) told me that if you get Lasik done, you are only substituting one problem for another.

Danny

 

[danny]

Lasik.... my wife is having cataract surgery and they are putting a lense in her eye that has her prescription in it. Better option than lasik. More permanent.

If and when I get cataracts, then get it fixed, I want lenses with my prescription, transition effects (and they must be Polarized) and UV protection.

Danny

 

[moondog]

Agree with LCazador. The optical center for glasses can be adjusted for you head in the shooting position. Some docs understand this, most don't. I won't wear any kind of sunglasses for shooting with a scope. I pay a premium for scopes with good light transition. I'm lucky I guess in that I take my glasses off to read. So seeing the elevation turret looking over my glasses is a non issue. Zenni has been my go to for most of my glasses needs.

 

[Ruger15151]

I compete in F-Class.

I have progressive lenses and I like them for everyday. However, when shooting prone I end up using the top portion which is for distance but I am looking at a scope that is 4" from my eye. I adjust the diopter but it is still a strain on my eyes. I find that in low light conditions my eye will get blurry and only recover if I lose it for a few seconds.

I have tried single prescription lenses which reduce the eye strain but I have a hard time seeing the flags at distance.

I'm not sure what is the best compromise.

 

[Relic]

I keep a pair of non transition glasses for shooting in my range bag.

This^^^^^

 

[dusterdave173]

For years I wore progressive bifocals--they always offered the 'bigger" view area ones but at much more costs--I never got them--so I get my last glasses at Warby Parker==they only offer the larger area style to cut down on issues--WOW! I had been cheating myself all along! The larger field progressives are the Only way to go--Fantastic!!
I also had cataract lens replacement--went with the best extra high $$ multi focal--ummm if you had very poor sight and bad cataracts I can understand why you would be happy with the results but it can't compare to my "good eye" which I elected Not to fix--anyway I shoot without my glasses and let the scope do the work--the replacement eye does do iron sights much better than before but that is about all I can say good about it--Yes we all get the "best Dr" etc --they just do not understand shooting sports needs even when they say they do IMO Multi focal?--Nope wish I had gone the other way

 

[Liven The Dream]

My deal.
Iron sights to scope. Have Shooting Glasses Frames #1. The Lens in them where set for iron sight Prone Shooting. Those lens are for the Distance of my sight radius of my Match Rifle 38". I told my Eye Doctor I wanted to see a PC Screen at 38". I had the Bifocal installed at 4 a clock right lens.
Today theses Glasses have worked fine for me in F/Open Scope Shooting, at 1000 yards and 600. made High Master Mid and Long range.
Yes a good Quality Scope and adjusted in important as well.
As for my everyday Progressive Lens Glasses at the Bench 200/300 yard Load Testing they work with scope and Frame of Glasses moved a little along with my head.
78 and those cataracts just not at the point they can be removed.
Best of Luck.
I have shot with Guys in there 80's and shoot well at 1000 with a Scope and Glasses.......

 

[divingin]

Well I find myself at the point that contacts are no longer clearing up my vision enough to be able to see targets and reticles clearly enough to grow in the sport.

I am trying to figure out what the general option here is for glasses shapes and if the transition shading lenses are the way to go.

I know a lot of the shooters here wear glasses, I am trying to get an idea of what to tell the eye doc when I go in.

Also is it best to have one pair of glasses just for shooting and another pair for everyday. Moving back to glasses is going to take some getting use to.

Thanks everyone for the input

Through a scope? Your regular prescription should work fine, assuming it's correct and working well for you. You are focusing at a single distance through a scope (adjusting reticle and downrange focus to match, and set those to the target distance.) Lens shape (or frame style, if you will) may make some difference; ideally you want to be looking through as close to the center of the lens as possible, but that is problematic with shooting.

It's iron sights (where you have rear sight, front sight and target at different distances) where things get screwy.

 

[RCE1]

I wear progressives. They work fine for me and the transitions don't bother me at all. I even have a pair of safety glasses in my prescription. I get most of my eyeglasses from Zenni. My ophthalmologist never says anything bad about the glasses I bring with me to my appointments, either. In fact, I think his techs are a bit surprised at how good they are.

 

[JEFFPPC]

Remember one thing. Every piece of glass you look through regardless of is composition degrades the picture.

 

[rayporter]

i just got my first pair of glasses and it is an adjustment.

i have been struggling with reading flags seeing crosshairs at the same time.

shooting will never be the same.

 

[wkdickinson]

Well I find myself at the point that contacts are no longer clearing up my vision enough to be able to see targets and reticles clearly enough to grow in the sport.

I am trying to figure out what the general option here is for glasses shapes and if the transition shading lenses are the way to go.

I know a lot of the shooters here wear glasses, I am trying to get an idea of what to tell the eye doc when I go in.

Also is it best to have one pair of glasses just for shooting and another pair for everyday. Moving back to glasses is going to take some getting use to.

Thanks everyone for the input

I wear progressives as my regular glasses, but like many have stated here they don't work very well for shooting (600 yd. & RF BR). I used to use just plain safety glasses to shoot with, but could never find any that were truly good enough. A few years ago I decided to order a pair of Decot "Hi-Wide" shooting glasses (rose color) with "lined" bi-focal lenses. They are truly amazing! I wish now I'd done it years ago.

 

[BearBio]

I could never adapt to those transition lenses, but some like them. I found my head bobbing around try to get a clear sight which I could never manage. I have bifocals which give me a defined sight area and I have had no difficulty shooting a scoped rifle for over 30+ years with bifocals.

If you go the bifocal route, the one piece of advice I would offer is get lenses large enough, so you have a large enough vertical viewing area for each area of the bifocal. The other critical issue is the height of the near distance part of the bifocal. Any competent Optimist can fit you properly.

I could not adjust to bifocals (I was in grad school and found that they increased the chance of tripping when walking a deer trail at dusk while doing my thesis). Recently had cataract surgery. My far vision is good, but my near vision is shot. Dr. wants to wait before prescribing a "reading" prescription for me (Had second eye done last week),

 

[quietburp]

I could never adapt to those transition lenses, but some like them. I found my head bobbing around try to get a clear sight which I could never manage. I have bifocals which give me a defined sight area and I have had no difficulty shooting a scoped rifle for over 30+ years with bifocals.

If you go the bifocal route, the one piece of advice I would offer is get lenses large enough, so you have a large enough vertical viewing area for each area of the bifocal. The other critical issue is the height of the near distance part of the bifocal. Any competent Optimist can fit you properly.

I wear no-line bifocals. However, they are not like Elton John size lenses. So, I reduce strain on myself by looking over the frame all that takes is adjusting the diopter and the parallax. It's worked out well and I am also more relaxed.

And that is also the biggest thing I have been learning. Keep adjusting position and adjusting things so that you are relaxed, other than the butt stock pressed to your shoulder. That helps reduce the wobble.

 

[quietburp]

Lasik.... my wife is having cataract surgery and they are putting a lense in her eye that has her prescription in it. Better option than lasik. More permanent.

Forum Boss: I will need Cataract surgeries for both eyes in the next couple of years -- thanks for explaining that corrective lens can be done at same time.

Fall of last year, my glass frames broke and it had been over ten years since my last exam. So, I went for a new exam and prescription. The doctor found that I have the beginnings of a cataract in my left eye (my right eye is what looks through the scope. Even though I am left-handed and carry a pistol left-handed, I shoot long guns right handed.)

"Cataract?" I asked. "That's odd because I drive a Toyota."

Thank you very much. I am here all week. Try the clam chowder and remember to tip your attendant.

 

[dhagerty40]

following.. since I should have been wearing bifocals for last 10 years, it is finally time to get a pair of them.

Also, I just fired my eye doctor as I was only there for 4 minutes and he never checked my close vision (waited 5 weeks for that appt). the previous appt, they screwed up my glasses so badly they had to go back and have new lenses made. comes out the doctor had the left and right eye reversed...

 

[danny]

following.. since I should have been wearing bifocals for last 10 years, it is finally time to get a pair of them.

Also, I just fired my eye doctor as I was only there for 4 minutes and he never checked my close vision (waited 5 weeks for that appt). the previous appt, they screwed up my glasses so badly they had to go back and have new lenses made. comes out the doctor had the left and right eye reversed...

He had to get to his next appointment...

Danny

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

I have the Ray ban shooting glasses. Started with bifocals lenses, couldn't ever get used to walking fields or moving around in the boat. My peripheral depth of field was off causing slight miss steps. Had the lens changed, now good to go walking/hunting. Currently not using any corrected lens for scoped firearms.

 

[Rank Amateur]

Forum Boss: I will need Cataract surgeries for both eyes in the next couple of years -- thanks for explaining that corrective lens can be done at same time.​

My wife wore glasses/progressives or contacts for 30 years. Early last year her cataracts progressed to the point where she needed them removed. She opted for the “tri-focal” replacement lenses along with lasik for the procedure. The surgery/lenses have eliminated her need for glasses of any kind. She shoots both iron sights and optics, reads, does close work and some photography without any additional corrective lenses and she claims that she sees better now than with any lens in the past. It took her almost a year for her brain to adapt to the various focal zones of the tri-focal lenses, but now it is seamless for her. Insurance doesn’t cover the “upcharge” for the tri-focal lenses, so this is an expensive proposition. But, when my cataracts progress sufficiently, it is exactly what I’ll be doing. Likelihood of needing additional corrective lenses in the future (past this cataract surgery with the tri-focal lenses) is close to nil. Only decent sunglasses and plano safety glasses required.

 

[K22]

Recently a member asked about advice on glasses.

There is an excellent article in the October 2024 AARP Bulletin on glasses primarily directed towards seniors.