Progressive contact lenses

[miningshawn]

Are you a contact lenses wearer over 50 who has tried progressive lenses? If so, I would like to hear about your experience.

I have worn contacts for years - 20/50 both eyes, nearsighted. Over the last couple of years I have struggled with my close vision when the lenses are in. I have shot with and without them and have had no problem. Until now.

It seems that the progressive lenses introduce something like a parallax error? I shot some groups that were..... ungood. I pulled them out right there on the line and shot with uncorrected vision (of course after some scope adjustment) and everything was back to good. Same shooting with prescription lenses, which I don't like to do. I prefer to use protective Eyewear.

Is there a trick to these progressives that you know of? I would wear single focus but it is hard to read my DOPE card. Full prescription Eyewear is pretty spends, but unless you folks have some advice it might be my best option.

 

[jpx2rk]

Have you tried the safety glasses with reader/cheaters in the lower portion??? I've got several pair scattered around the house/garage/gun room, etc., and they help me when I need some up close help.

 

[PhilC]

I was over 50 when I tried them, hated them and went back to straight lens with readers. When I had cataract surgery they asked if I wanted similar, said no, want distance vision priority at 20/20 for same reason. No regrets at whatsoever for me, might not be the same for you or others.

Edit to add I got my first pair of contacts in '81 or '82.

 

[6ShotsOr5?]

I have them and have had the progressives for many years. Mine are progressive in both eyes. I’m right eye dominant and the left eye contact is doing the heavy lifting for reading up close. Since you didn’t have a good experience for shooting, consider asking your optometrist about using a progressive lens only in your non-dominant eye. Maybe that can help your reading but you will still have good results with your shooting eye.

 

[bsekf]

Are you developing cataract's? After cataract surgery everything changes. I have to use readers. There are cataract implants that are like bifocals, my cataract surgeon didn't recommend them. I have readers scattered all over the house, barn, cars. I use plano lens in my Rangers.

I can't imagine wearing bifocals for shooting or even walking.

 

[mharp]

Had cataract surgery on left eye 3 years ago. Got a multi focal implant. Very pleased. Started wearing a multifocal contact in my right eye a couple of years ago. It like it. That said, I haven’t shot that well recently but never considered it being linked to my contact. Could someone please expand on the potential parallax effect of multifocal contact lens?

 

[foxguy]

Thanks for bringing this topic up. I will have to have implants in the future due to cataracts.

 

[Ccrider]

I use different contacts. I am right eye dominant and have a stigmatism. I use a contact for distance in my right eye and for close up/ reading in my left eye. Took a little getting use to but once you do, zero issues. I can read up close without my contacts in, but needed them more for seeing clearly at a distance.

 

[dhenry132]

I had multifocal lenses, put in both eyes after cataract surgery four years ago, little pricey but I really like the outcome. Anything to help almost 70-year-old eyes and they work great.
20/15 and one and 20/25 in the other eye.

 

[SSchnd]

I recently tried contacts as shooting with out an Rx is just painful, can't see the scorebook well, shot plots on e target great and or small print. My astigmatism fights me. Tried them for a day at range and really liked the contacts. Its just near impossible to get them into my eye. fought with them for a hour one day. got them only to think I have them either backward or in the wrong eyes. Head slap here. But Sure better than trying to use my Rx frames. I was able to see things and did not fight the target bull changing shape.

I have yet to try them again to get better at putting them in. YMMV

 

[Red Fish Stan]

I have used multifocal contacts for over 20 years. No distortions, near to far focus is smooth just like it was before needing them. Have tri focales for when I don't have them in. I hate the three different focus ranges that can cause tripping on uneven ground. The work great with my scopes and cameras Stan.

 

[miningshawn]

Thanks for all of these experiences and suggestions.

I think the best option is to use a fixed power lens in my right eye, and a progressive in the left. This will let me see down range without issues.

I will have to start setting up all of my close in work on the left side of the rifle but it should work out fine.

I appreciate all of you.

 

[Bill Norris]

For anyone facing cataract surgery and being a shooter I wanted to share my experience with the surgery. I am just now in recovery with my left eye and have pretty much completed recovery in the right eye. After talking to a couple of folks who shoot and wanted the dominant eye to be @ 100 % and my Surgeon I decided to go with the Toric Lens in my right eye and the regular lens in the left. My visit to the normal eye care Dr. on Wed. was very good as he said he sees no reason at all to prescribe glasses or contact lens at this time. Can't wait to get a rifle on the bench to see how well I can now see those tiny dots on targets and align the reticle dot with it.

 

[Lizzy49]

For anyone facing cataract surgery and being a shooter I wanted to share my experience with the surgery. I am just now in recovery with my left eye and have pretty much completed recovery in the right eye. After talking to a couple of folks who shoot and wanted the dominant eye to be @ 100 % and my Surgeon I decided to go with the Toric Lens in my right eye and the regular lens in the left. My visit to the normal eye care Dr. on Wed. was very good as he said he sees no reason at all to prescribe glasses or contact lens at this time. Can't wait to get a rifle on the bench to see how well I can now see those tiny dots on targets and align the reticle dot with it.

I have an appointment November 13 for cataract evaluation. I saw your post and I'm wondering how you are doing and if you're glad you got the surgery. Date on your post looks like you're a year out.

 

[Bill Norris]

I have an appointment November 13 for cataract evaluation. I saw your post and I'm wondering how you are doing and if you're glad you got the surgery. Date on your post looks like you're a year out.

Very glad I did it no doubts. The healing process is not very long at all. I had no discomforts with neither eye. It's amazing how bright colors are immediately after the cataract is removed. Go for it Bro.

 

[Lizzy49]

That's great news glad you're doing well. Seeing the new red score targets as compared to the black is one of my issues. Thanks for the encouragement.

 

[Scott haywood]

I have worn contacts for over 50 years, they are good enough for daily work but I can see better, with more clarity at long distances when wearing high quality glasses. I shoot benchrest so my right eye is looking through the scope while the left is looking at the conditions and flags. On the few times I have tried to shoot with contacts I struggle with seeing the conditions and my scores reflect that. As we all need to wear some form of eye protection anyway while shooting, I decided why not just wear high quality prescription eyewear? Unless you have some sort of vision issue that requires contacts, I'd suggest that.

 

[Texas Solo]

"Same shooting with prescription lenses, which I don't like to do. I prefer to use protective Eyewear."

Just get polycarbonate lenses.
They ARE safety glasses

 

[Tangent]

Had contacts since the mid eighties, quite short sighted. I just use some cheap reading glasses for close work. No issues shooting prone or off-hand. My distance vision and astigmatism are both corrected to at least 20/20. It's very obvious to me when things aren't pin sharp.

 

[Straightshooter1]

I have an appointment November 13 for cataract evaluation. I saw your post and I'm wondering how you are doing and if you're glad you got the surgery. Date on your post looks like you're a year out.

Sometimes it takes more effort than you hope for and for me, in the end, it worked out and I'm glad I had the cataract surgery. Last I posted my trek through the process and I'll past it again here:

Last September (2024) I went in for cataract surgery and had multifocal lenses implanted. It was very disappointing to start with. I initially told the doctor, far vision was what was very important to me and was assured that's what I'd get but might need reading glasses with these lenses. It turned out it was just the opposite, though glasses wouldn't help with the far vision. I could read things at 20/20, anything else, like watching TV was either blurry or I was seeing like double with ghosting images everywhere during the day. Night time was really bad, seeing triple lights, stars or moon, where there should be one image. I was told to give my brain time to adjust. . . .like having to wait from Sept. into January before deciding if anything needed to be done or not. That ghosting was a real problem shooting.

January, then February and into April appointments, the tests showed that things were not improving. There was talk about having Lasik to correct things. Got a new doctor and he gave me better alternatives, one of which was to replace one or both of the lenses. I agreed to replace the one in my dominate eye with a mono lens for distance and leave the other since I could read well with it. That was done in late May this year. Turns out leaving it with this way with two difference lenses is working pretty well for me now as distance is fine as is reading. The multifocal lens that works for reading still has the issue as before when I close my other eye. But both eye open, close up for reading to distance works fine now.