shooting with bifocals

[RW]

Just wondering if some of you have a problem shooting with prescription progressive bifocal glasses!! I have a hard time looking thru my scopes with them and I have to switch to my standard bifocals with the bifocal lens on the bottom. When I try looking thru a scope with the no lie type I mostly see two reticules. I was just curious if every one has the same problem that uses them or if the is an alternative way other than going to my old glasses or going with out them to shoot.
Thank You, RW

 

[snakepit]

I shoot with my bifocals off by adjusting the eyepiece to focus the crosshairs and adjusting the parallax to focus the target. For the crosshairs without my glasses I have the eyepiece adjusted almost all the way out. For me this works good at 600 yds which is what I normally shoot. This works in place of both my progressive or my standard bifocals.

 

[RW]

I have done that also just put them on top of my head to shoot off of the bench but when out and about walking around say coyote hunting it is a pain to not be wearing my glasses for spotting and just walking around, and I was just curious if some one had a solution to the problem. RW

 

[tenring]

At one time, I refused to wear my bifocals while shooting. Then, several years ago I had a cataract removed from my right eye. A week later at the range, a primer blew, causing residue to hit that eye. It stung, but no permanent damage. From that point forward, I always wear my glasses.

 

[BobT]

I had the same problem, and I couldn't shoot with irons hardly at all. I really struggeled with this then I found an eye doctor that is also a shooter, he fixed me up with a set of progressive lenses that work wonderfully for shooting.

Bob

 

[johnmyers]

Tinted prescription shooting glasses without bifocals work well. Tough to read with up close but better to shoot with

 

[bheadboy]

The progressive style is the source of the problem.

I have shot for years with std bifocals and particularly for Sil Pistol prone lying on my back had him move the second stage lense over so it was useful in that position. leaving the primary clear for the longer sight distance.

Bob

 

[wc872]

Years ago I had a job that it was much easier to be able to see well at three distances. Reading numbers off a clip board & then analog gauges about 5 ft. away & the normal distance or driving glasses. Back then they were called "Electricians" glasses (trifocals with reading in the bottom distance in the center & 5 ft. at the top of the lenses) Many years later they called them douyble DD's (my personal favorite) Now they called them "Industrial" lenses.
My eyes were bad enough that I needed red dot sights on all my handguns. Then were on a trip to the eye doctor I put a pencil in my fist, held it an arms length & had them make the focal length 6" beyond the pencil. Perfect for the front sight a hangdun.....no more red dot's. For rifle shooting & driving I had a pair of glasses made with the intermediate (the normal top prescription) put in the bottom portion & the distance prescription in the main portion of the lense. This works better for driving to the range because I can now see the gauges clearly & once at the range when in position for shooting the rifle the distance prescription is all I can see. I think that almost all eye glass lenses are up to safety glass standards so you have the benefit of always having your safety glasses on.
This combination has worked well for me for several decades.
Semper Fi
Jim

 

[snakepit]

At one time, I refused to wear my bifocals while shooting. Then, several years ago I had a cataract removed from my right eye. A week later at the range, a primer blew, causing residue to hit that eye. It stung, but no permanent damage. From that point forward, I always wear my glasses.

Our local range and other ranges I have shot at require that you have some form of glasses on when shooting. So when I take my bifocals off I put safety glasses on.

 

[snakepit]

I think that almost all eye glass lenses are up to safety glass standards so you have the benefit of always having your safety glasses on.

Polycarbonate lenses are usually an option when ordering new glasses. This is the material used in Bullet Proof Glass and Safety Glasses. I cannot remember how much extra it was when I ordered mine but I do not think it was that much.

 

[MrMajestic]

If you Guys would have listened to your Father and stopped early...... ;D
Seriously, I have a set w/o the bifocal(I use progressive) that I use for shooting and hunting. The bridge is setup to let ride high like shooting glasses.

 

[dunraven]

as an optometrist, i encounter this problem fairly often. the optimal situation would be to use only your distance prescription. the lined bifocal, fit low and out of the way, would be a good second choice. and make sure you are wearing an accurate Rx, as uncorrected astigmatism can give you a type of double vision, or ghost image.

 

[wapiti25]

I have gone back to std bifocals as the progressive's did not feel or work as good for me.

 

[dwt]

Find yourself a eye dr. that shoots and you are in business , luckily there is a great one around me . He added years to my game , pistol , till I could not play the run and gun game any longer and now rifle , he has keep me from dropping down to the the just have fun level , to staying in the hunt , when I do my part .

 

[audredger]

Started wearing glasses at 35... bifocals at 40. Standard bifocals a a pain if you do carpentry work. Had a set ground with the add on the top. They make an "occupational" lens with the add both top and bottom. I just had them leave the bottom off.

 

[vtmarmot]

I tried progressives a long time ago and hated them. I have no issues shooting with bifocals with the line. It is crucial for me to have the magnifying part to keep notes and my score book and to deal with problems that crop up. If you want to experiment with different types of glasses, the online stores are much cheaper. I got two bum prescriptions from different opthomalagists. I concocted my own by looking at past good prescriptions, calculating the rate of change, and extrapolating. I also used online astigmatism tests to figure out how that had changed. I then ordered from www.eyebuydirect.com and was very happy with both the price and result. I now have got four pair of glasses from them including bifocal sunglasses. I'm very happy with all of them as they are tailored to specific needs.

 

[snakepit]

I then ordered from www.eyebuydirect.com and was very happy with both the price and result.

I just received a new prescription for glasses the other day and decided to give www.eyebuydirect.com a try so I followed your advice and ordered a pair from them. Thanks for the information.

 

[Outrider27]

Some years ago I had an eye doctor that didn't shoot, but she was game to find a solution to my problems. After having me "smuggle" my pistols into the exam room for some measurements, she built me a pair of what I can best describe as no-line trifocals with the reading portion at the bottom and quite small - just tall enough to be useful. Sometimes a non-shooting eye doctor (especially one up for a new challange) can do just great.

 

[Greyfox]

I wear progressive, no line bifocals and shoot 2-3 benchrest matches per month. I don't recall ever having a problem.

Rick