Do I need to wear glasses?

[newStar]

Hello,

Lately, I've been experiencing a blurry view of my pistol sights while shooting or dry firing. I've found that I can achieve a clear view of the pistol sights by wearing my reading glasses. However, using these glasses means I lose sight of the target. As I'm reaching 60 years old, I still want to maintain this hobby for as long as possible. Could anyone share their experiences or suggest solutions for dealing with changes in vision due to aging?

Thanks in advance.

[ar15barrels]

Go get your eyes checked.
Specifically mention that you are concerned with focusing on your front sight and beyond.
If you bring a squirt gun or some other toy gun that's obviously not a firearm, the eye doc can set you up a shooting specific prescription based on how you actually hold the gun and look at the sights.
It's totally worth doing.
I'm only 50 and I just updated my prescription last week and I am at a 1.25 diopter for distance now and I can see the front sight much better with that prescription.
Doc wants me using 2.5 for reading but I am still reading just fine with my 1.25 distance prescription.

[Jimi Jah]

Hello,

Lately, I've been experiencing a blurry view of my pistol sights while shooting or dry firing. I've found that I can achieve a clear view of the pistol sights by wearing my reading glasses. However, using these glasses means I lose sight of the target. As I'm reaching 60 years old, I still want to maintain this hobby for as long as possible. Could anyone share their experiences or suggest solutions for dealing with changes in vision due to aging?

Thanks in advance.

1x power scope. That is the only way to get the reticle and target in complete sharp focus. This applies to good eyes as well. Otherwise, good eyes adjust to target or front site, never both.

All my rifles have scopes. You get tired of wasting ammo. Big smiles when you start hitting stuff. Handguns, not as important as those are for shorter body mass range.

[IVC]

I would consider two options: 1) Bi-focal glasses, where the lower part is fine-tuned for the sights and the upper part is for distance, or, 2) Start shooting a red dot with distance glasses, no issues with changing focus because you're always target-focused.

Everything else will be a crutch or a compromise.

For irons, you *must* have the sights in focus (for optimal accuracy; you can get by with loose focus, obviously, but that's a crutch) for aiming, then you *should* be able to focus well enough on (distant) target to identify it and transition between targets. This constant shift in focus requires you to have the ability to focus both near and far, which won't happen with a single focal length glasses.

Red dot is a blessing of sorts, not because of the technology and how it works (which is an advantage on its own), but because the nature of shooting with a dot requires a *single* focus distance, which is well-suited for glasses with a single focal length. It's a win-win even for those who don't wear glasses, and it's a win-win-win for those who do.

A LPVO (low power variable scope) is a great option for rifles, where you get it to work like a dot at 1x and like a precision scope at the upper magnification, while keeping everything in a single focal plane, which is what you need if your eyes are not what they used to be.

[DolphinFan]

If possible get LASIK. Best thing I did. Over 18 years now and vision is still excellent.

[hambam105]

Two minute video should answer everyones question;

https://youtu.be/m2KSIRPTllc?si=RC_l0OhN-UdLi-Gf

[allright]

I'm 77 (and wear bifocals), and about 4 years ago, I had the eye doc write a prescription for my dominant eye (right) set for the front sight, and the non-dominant eye set for infinity. This helped tremendously, however it take a bit of getting used to. Recently, I had cataract replacements on both eyes, this was way overdue, but I had NO idea that my poor vision in dim light, driving at night, and more had become so poor over time. Now, I wear a +1.25 reading glass in the dominant, right eye, and just a safety glasses over both eyes, this REALLY works well. Just my $.02!

[Vinnie Boombatz]

Hello,

Lately, I've been experiencing a blurry view of my pistol sights while shooting or dry firing. I've found that I can achieve a clear view of the pistol sights by wearing my reading glasses. However, using these glasses means I lose sight of the target. As I'm reaching 60 years old, I still want to maintain this hobby for as long as possible. Could anyone share their experiences or suggest solutions for dealing with changes in vision due to aging?

Thanks in advance.

What part of the sights are blurry? The rear sight and target SHOULD be blurry. Your eye can ONLY focus on one focal plane, so it's natural to have the rear sight and target blurry.

If that's not what you're taking about and your front sight is blurry and is keeping you from lining up your sights properly, you need to see the optometrist.

I started wearing bifocals a couple years ago for work. Can't read fine print and text up close, but when I'm in a class or at the range I don't need my glasses. I also switched to red dots on most of my handguns and shotguns. I have astigmatism and I really don't see the big deal about not being able to see a crisp dot, and instead see a blob. My solution is to put the blob over where you want the bullet to go...problem solved.

[L84CABO]

Post your city and ask for recommendations for an optometrist who has as much experience as you can find, fitting shooters. They'll be able to run through your options better than we can based on your specific eye issues.

But with that said, red dots may be a great solution for aging eyes as they allow you to focus on the target instead of the front sight post/dot.

[Big Chudungus]

I would consider two options: 1) Bi-focal glasses, where the lower part is fine-tuned for the sights and the upper part is for distance,

Interesting. Will investigate with my bi-focals, but my eyes aren't that bad.

I thought it was mostly that blurred sights is mostly OK because you can still line up the blurs just fine just like you focus on front sight with blurred rear sight.

I'm thinking with my 3 night sight tubes with green front and two yellow rear tubes it could be very blurry and still work because I'm just looking at relations between the perfectly round blurs.

[naz]

Put red dot on your handgun

[divingin]

Interesting. Will investigate with my bi-focals, but my eyes aren't that bad.

I thought it was mostly that blurred sights is mostly OK because you can still line up the blurs just fine just like you focus on front sight with blurred rear sight.

I'm thinking with my 3 night sight tubes with green front and two yellow rear tubes it could be very blurry and still work because I'm just looking at relations between the perfectly round blurs.

Do the math. You have two lines: Your desired bullet line of travel, and your line of sight (where the sights are pointing.)

As an example (and for simplicity) lets say a 6" sight radius, and a 25 yd shot on a B-8 target (most common range target, I think.)

If your sights are perfectly aligned when the shot breaks, and your sight picture is off the bull; lets say even with the right edge, but elevation is correct, the shot end up right of center, at the edge of the black. Error of about 2.25"

If you introduce an error in the sights, say the front sight low by 1/8" relative to the rear sight, you end up with an error of:

1/8" multiplied by 2 (the number of sight radii per foot) multiplied by 25 (number of yards to target), multiplied by 3 (feet per yard.)

So that 1/8" error works out to 18.75 inches at the target.

Sight alignment is critical. Alignment of those sights on the target, not so much.

[newStar]

Post your city and ask for recommendations for an optometrist who has as much experience as you can find, fitting shooters. They'll be able to run through your options better than we can based on your specific eye issues.

But with that said, red dots may be a great solution for aging eyes as they allow you to focus on the target instead of the front sight post/dot.

I am living in San Jose 95129 area

[aklon]

If they say you need glasses, get them.

I knew I needed reading glasses, but for a long time I thought my long range vision was just fine thanks - until one day my optometrist said it's time I got the distance glasses.

The first time I wore them at the range my group tightened up by about a third.

[Tarmy]

I have two different prescriptions. One for reading and one for driving/shooting/daily stuff.

I have a quite a few sets and a couple of them are plastic shatterproof lens that are safe/made as safety glasses. I also added FO front sites to a couple handguns that helps a lot when I use glasses.