Eye sight and getting older

[StewNTexas]

A lot of years ago I was a world class rifle shooter. Won a small pile of 14k medals from Uncle Sam. Was 'asked' to participate in the 1964 summer olympics, but decided not to reinlist. Dumb ass kid. Thought I had the world by a string. Worked presidential security, then HMX-1. Walked through the white house with a pistol strapped on. Way to smart for own good.

At 60 had to get a defib/pacemaker installed, and that ended the rifle shooting. The doctors told me that the way the things were wired up, shoulder slamming recoil was a thing of the past. Time to learn more about pistol shooting.

Time passes on. Wore glasses/contacts for years. Then I hit 70 and cataracts. Had a great doctor. He fixed the left eye first, GREAT vision for any distance over three feet. Then the shooting eye, not quite so good. Decent sight over three feet, but at p'istol target distance I had a bit of fuzzy going on. I am trying to switch to non-dominant eye, and it tough going. Scheduled for exam with doctor in about 45 days. It may be that the right eye can be 'touched-up', or I will have to go back to some type of glasses.

[RPB]

bronco78

On the Advantage Tactical sights, after you get them (color is a bit different in person than online selector, especially because you can test in various lighting conditions/background shirt colors etc), before installing them, (XD dovetails are tighter than Glocks etc) actually hold the front sight color up against various backgrounds in various lighting conditions instead of just using the online color selector to decide http://www.advantagetactical.com/colors.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Reason: I chose orange rear and yellow front for all my guns = yellow contrasts with a white shirt background (Tee-sirt etc) more than a white one does, is bright enough to see in low light, and who can predict what color a bad guy will wear. Red was a bit dark for me to see in lower light. After picking yellow for front, the Orange *contrasted* the most so that the yellow front was faster to pick up in all lighting/backgrounds for me, but was still light enough to see in low light too. YMMV

Still, Even with strong backlighting, when you'll see *no" color ... you can still make a *triangle* fast
Additionally, the ATS are great for "one-handed" operation... that's the other reason I get them on every Primary gun I carry.

[fishfree]

I wear trifocals... I have only a tiny sliver of lens suitable to focus on the front sight but with the aid of a Hi-Viz front sight I can still get all my shots inside the 8-ring at 25 yards, which is acceptable for 'social work'. For target shooting (bulls-eye) I can take the time to find that little sliver of mid-range focus in my trifocals to do a proper sight image alignment.

[sawdust]

I need a different prescription for night than for day. I also need a different prescription for about every 2-foot change in distance

Seems to me that from a self-defense perspective, one should practice in the mode that they would most likely be in. At home, I seldom wear glasses. In a "situation", glasses can easily be left behind, lost, or knocked off. At the range, I practice without prescription glasses. That gives me a slightly fuzzy front sight and a much-fuzzy target picture. I figure that's the mode I will most likely be in most ofthe time.

I gave up on winning any markmanship competitions years ago.

[RPB]

I need a different prescription for night than for day. I also need a different prescription for about every 2-foot change in distance

Seems to me that from a self-defense perspective, one should practice in the mode that they would most likely be in. At home, I seldom wear glasses. In a "situation", glasses can easily be left behind, lost, or knocked off. At the range, I practice without prescription glasses. That gives me a slightly fuzzy front sight and a much-fuzzy target picture. I figure that's the mode I will most likely be in most ofthe time.

I gave up on winning any markmanship competitions years ago.

I tried the "sleep in them" contacts and couldn't adjust years ago.

Now I think a lot about middle of the night, hurry, decide which to grab first (I only have 1 hand) eyeglasses or pistol ...
That's why I got big easy to see sights, the decision on what to grab first "can be" pistol, otherwise it would "have to be" glasses for me, and then gun, ... if time ...

[Skiprr]

I wrote too much on the subject just seven days ago to repeat.

Start about five paragraphs down: viewtopic.php?f=23&t=51180&p=623308&#p623308" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[fishfree]

I need a different prescription for night than for day. I also need a different prescription for about every 2-foot change in distance

Seems to me that from a self-defense perspective, one should practice in the mode that they would most likely be in. At home, I seldom wear glasses. In a "situation", glasses can easily be left behind, lost, or knocked off. At the range, I practice without prescription glasses. That gives me a slightly fuzzy front sight and a much-fuzzy target picture. I figure that's the mode I will most likely be in most ofthe time.

I gave up on winning any markmanship competitions years ago.

I tried the "sleep in them" contacts and couldn't adjust years ago.

Now I think a lot about middle of the night, hurry, decide which to grab first (I only have 1 hand) eyeglasses or pistol ...
That's why I got big easy to see sights, the decision on what to grab first "can be" pistol, otherwise it would "have to be" glasses for me, and then gun, ... if time ...

For this very reason I practice point-aim firing for inside-the-house distances. I need more practice at it but I could probably pass the CHL practical that way just from the 3&7 yard targets. My goal is 100% inside the 8-ring at 15yards by point aiming and limited to 2-3seconds per shot. If I can do that then I won't need my glasses while in my own home at night.

[Seabear]

I wrote too much on the subject just seven days ago to repeat.

Start about five paragraphs down: viewtopic.php?f=23&t=51180&p=623308&#p623308" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Great write up, pretty much what I was trying to descibe about my shooting glasses. I had written a full research paper length response and lost it so I posted a Reader's Digest version.

It's just not that hard, like you said, tell an optometrist to make a set of monovision glasses with the dominat eye focused at the distance of YOUR front sight and the other lense can go for distance. Works like a champ.

When I started trying to figure this out on my own I sent an Email to Jerry Miculek figuring he would have some insight....no pun intended. I didn't hear back from Jerry for about a month. By the time he had the chance to answer I had gone through my process of getting it figured out. Guess what Jerry wears.....monovision glasses with his dominat eye set to front sight focused. TADAAAA

It works people. Get a set made, your life will change.

[TDDude]

I tried the stick on "instant bifocal" devices that folks have talked about.

http://www.stickonbifocals.com/

When standing on the line and shooting at targets they work great. I would invert them, stick them to the upper portion of my safety glasses and just go to town. When I would turn my head down slightly to shoot, my vision would then pass through the corrective lens and the front sight is crisp and clean.

The problem is that now virtually all of my pistol shooting is IDPA. I'm only on a range line when I'm teaching or working on a specific firearm and doing testing.

With IDPA, I'm always looking around a barrier, head cocked to one side, looking around corners.... you get the idea.

When my eyeballs are not focused straight ahead, then I'm not looking through the corrective stick on or worse, my vision is constantly sharp-blurry-sharp-blurry. If the lenses were wider, it still would be a problem whenever my head was slanted. I would still be going in and out of the field of focus of the lens. It's very disconcerting to have that happen when I'm on the clock, moving in and out of cover, shooting at moving targets and basically having a great time.

I ultimately went back to my 1.75 CVS cheaters. I use the wrap around safety glasses for when I'm not shooting because splashback is a big problem but when I go up to the line, I change to the cheaters. Yes the target is fuzzy but I shoot much better when I have a sharp sight picture. I know when the post is on the money so I stick with what works. The secret to fast shooting is: sight picture, press.. sight picture, press.. sight picture, press. That's it and that's all of it. Without the lenses, I have no sight picture to speak of. I can hit the paper but I get more points down without the lenses than with and since I'm there to win, I'll shoot with.

[Seabear]

TDDude you really aught to try a pair made like I was talking about. I use them for everything on the range, I have no problem going from pistol to carbine in a match, it works great.

[TDDude]

TDDude you really aught to try a pair made like I was talking about. I use them for everything on the range, I have no problem going from pistol to carbine in a match, it works great.

I guess I forgot to mention that one version of glasses that I made was monovision. I attached the stick on to one lens only. I tried it at a range first to try it out but could never really get used to it. Perhaps if I get regular glasses made that way it would be better. The problem is that I'm too cheap to be getting glasses made as an experiment. Maybe I'll get some cheaters and pop one lens out first to see if that works.

[Seabear]

TDDude you really aught to try a pair made like I was talking about. I use them for everything on the range, I have no problem going from pistol to carbine in a match, it works great.

I guess I forgot to mention that one version of glasses that I made was monovision. I attached the stick on to one lens only. I tried it at a range first to try it out but could never really get used to it. Perhaps if I get regular glasses made that way it would be better. The problem is that I'm too cheap to be getting glasses made as an experiment. Maybe I'll get some cheaters and pop one lens out first to see if that works.

I completely understand. I sitll have not gotten a "nice" pair made. I got the cheapest base frame set I could get. Cool thing is the lenses are large (dorky) but I can see clearly at any angle.

[fickman]

I wrote too much on the subject just seven days ago to repeat.

Start about five paragraphs down: viewtopic.php?f=23&t=51180&p=623308&#p623308" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Unfortunately, age isn't the only variable.

I was diagnosed with Stargardt's Disease - a dry form of macular degeneration - when I was 23 (31 now). In retrospect, I can identify symptoms all the way back to 12 or 13. My current vision is about 20/80 (left) and 20/70 (right) with my glasses on. I have about 80% of my total field of vision left, with almost all of the loss being in the center vision where we should have are sharpest visual acuity. I also have significant night vision loss. If I walk into a dark room (restaurant / movie theater) from sunlight, it can take 20-40 minutes before I can see anything that's not a light bulb. It has also greatly impaired my ability to recognize faces from beyond 8-10 feet. Within five years I should be 20/200-20/800 with my best-corrected vision which is legally blind. I'm left relying on my peripheral vision for most tasks.

So, as a CHL holder, what can I do?

- Sulk, wallow in self-pity, and turn in my license (not an option)

- Practice shooting with a focus on knowing 1) the functionality of my firearm and 2) my limitations. In a real situation, there are shots I simply won't take, even if it puts me at increased risk. I know how accurate I am at given distances, and I know when I've positively ID'd my target and when I haven't. This same approach should be employed by anybody with a physical limitation, disability or impairment e.g. severe arthritis, shaky extremities, vertigo / dizziness, reduced mobility, etc.

- Use larger or brighter sites (haven't done this yet, although brighter sites may actually impede my ability to see beyond them in low light. I may have to give in one day and go for the mounted flashlight - acknowledging that the benefit to me outweighs the usual negatives.)

- Make sure my wife carries and is practicing! (She's got fantastic accuracy and normally carries an XD-SC .40. I work from home, so most of the time I leave the house, she's with me.)

- Educate the sheeple and push for low-vision rights (or true Constitutional carry). Just because I have visual limitations doesn't mean I should forfeit my right to self (or family, or home) defense, or gun ownership in general. As long as the ANTIs don't jack with the qualification test, I should be able to pass it for a LONG time coming. If I ever can't, I guess my wife will have to carry two firearms so she can toss one to me if "IT" ever begins to go down or we'll have to get the qualification test removed from the requirements or deemed discriminatory. There was an article a while back about a completely blind man shooting a home invader. (Georgia or other deep South state IIRC.)

I'm glad to see this thread. I haven't brought this up before for a few reasons. 1. I was afraid of being dogpiled by people who think it's irresponsible for me to carry, 2. I don't like to announce my impairment to others - I'd rather overcome it with people never knowing about it or defining me by it (especially if I burn you in a pickup game of basketball at the gym!), 3. I've been busy and basically lurking for a while.

[RockingRook]

I have the same problem, front sight is fuzzy looking. I wear tri-focals and it is difficult to find the
place in my glasses to see that front sight clearer. I now shoot with both eyes open and it is a little better.
Both eyes will compensate a bit.

If you do not wear glasses then reading glasses might help since they are for close up looking.

Chuck

[RPB]

Trifocals:

I wear them

my last eye exam,

I said "I drive" and need to see far and ...


Front sight
I took a hard to read church hymnal and held it angled out where the front sight would be, told the eye Dr I HAD to be able to read that line clearly without moving my head, or the book all around/up and down to do it (previous trifocals were too hard to find the magic section of the lens, they enlarged that area of the lens on this pair and they work fine)

up close
Then I pulled out a computer processor and told them I needed to read the serial number on each sticker, but could use a magnifying glass if I had to (photo below is larger than actual size)


I love my new glasses, finally they understand