Old eyes issue

[gregkl]

I tried a set of monocular contacts, but I couldn’t get used to them. That’s where one eye is for distance vision and the other has the reading prescription. I will just keep practicing with the readers. I was just curious what everyone else was doing.

I tried those too. Didn't work for me either.

 

[singlesix]

I tried those too. Didn't work for me either.

My issue was when you moved to the next target it takes micro second for my Brain to bring everything into focus. Good for static shooting not action shooting.

 

[Leadeye]

I have cataracts, but not bad enough for surgery yet, they tell me...

It's one of those things that creeps up on you, I noticed it when I could not read things like street signs from far away in addition to the old age close up stuff. Shooting got tougher even with peep sights and electric ones. Talking to the eye doc about the surgery I opted to get the best lenses I could as I wanted to be able to shoot like I use to. Now I don't need reading glasses except for stuff at very close distances like 6" away.

 

[Gunaddict]

I’m bringing this thread back around. Everything that has to do with age related vision 3 feet and closer to me is a loss without readers. Front sights, receipts, menus, etc. I bought a clip on reader on a regular pair of glasses with the left lens removed, but it actually makes a little double vision with the lens over the glass. There are a bunch of elder statesmen that don’t seem to have a problem so I was hoping to get some tips from them.

 

[Cameramonkey]

I’m bringing this thread back around. Everything that has to do with age related vision 3 feet and closer to me is a loss without readers. Front sights, receipts, menus, etc. I bought a clip on reader on a regular pair of glasses with the left lens removed, but it actually makes a little double vision with the lens over the glass. There are a bunch of elder statesmen that don’t seem to have a problem so I was hoping to get some tips from them.

I hear ya. havent shot IDPA in several years due to life or weather getting in the way on match days. My eyesight has deteriorated since then. Back then I only wore my progressives to read or do computer work. Now I wear them all the time.

So when I went to practice for qualification for my church safety team, I couldnt shoot worth crap wearing my standard ESS shooting glasses. Pistol sights were blurry, but I figured I could see enough to stay on target. 10 shot group was barely inside the round IDPA head zone at 5 yards.

Swapped out to just my progressive readers (not safety lenses ) and the group tightened up to a respectable half dollar or so. (with a flyer)

Guess I get to talk to my eye doc about a script for the inserts for the ESS eyepro.

 

[Gunaddict]

I hear ya. havent shot IDPA in several years due to life or weather getting in the way on match days. My eyesight has deteriorated since then. Back then I only wore my progressives to read or do computer work. Now I wear them all the time.

So when I went to practice for qualification for my church safety team, I couldnt shoot worth crap wearing my standard ESS shooting glasses. Pistol sights were blurry, but I figured I could see enough to stay on target. 10 shot group was barely inside the round IDPA head zone at 5 yards.

Swapped out to just my progressive readers (not safety lenses ) and the group tightened up to a respectable half dollar or so. (with a flyer)

Guess I get to talk to my eye doc about a script for the inserts for the ESS eyepro.

I have progressive lenses in my glasses, but I have to lift my head up to see the sight and down to see the target. Must be comical to watch me shoot nodding my head all the time. Maybe I just need to tell my eye doctor what I need and see if there is any way to get what I need. Or, just start running red dots on everything and move on.

 

[Cameramonkey]

I have progressive lenses in my glasses, but I have to lift my head up to see the sight and down to see the target. Must be comical to watch me shoot nodding my head all the time. Maybe I just need to tell my eye doctor what I need and see if there is any way to get what I need. Or, just start running red dots on everything and move on.

lucky for me the middle zone is perfect for my sights.

 

[Bassat]

I must have a near perfect vision deficiency. I can't see doo-doo up close, but I can see a blurry front sight on top the much clearer target. That is how I would do it IF I COULD see up close, so no harm done. Several of you have mentioned 'seeing where you hit'. I don't pay any attention to that while I am shooting. Once I pull the trigger, that round is downrange and no amount of looking/hoping/wishful thinking will make it hit anywhere but where it hit. If I am still shooting, I don't give a FFA where the last one went. I am too busy concentrating on where I want to put the next one, to worry I where I put the last one. Seems to me that time spent looking for previous hits while continuing to engage the target is 100% wasted. Grade your shooting when you have finished pulling the trigger.

 

[nipprdog]

I also have old eyes and progressive lenses. On
my ruger 22s, I have red dots. On my 2 Glocks I have ghost ring sights.

 

[Singlestack]

Another plus for Pistol Mounted Optics. I teach a couple of pistol optics courses every year with Erick Gelhaus at Gunsite. Learning to acquire the dot reliably takes some time and effort, especially when shooting strong or weak hand only, but being able to use your distance vision is a game changer for aging eyes. If staying with irons, a razor sharp front sight is over rated in my opinion. You can do some pretty good work with a fuzzy front sight. If you get an Rx that gives you a sharp sight everything downrange will probably be extremely blurry. Everything's a tradeoff.

 

[bwframe]

Another plus for Pistol Mounted Optics. I teach a couple of pistol optics courses every year with Erick Gelhaus at Gunsite. Learning to acquire the dot reliably takes some time and effort, especially when shooting strong or weak hand only, but being able to use your distance vision is a game changer for aging eyes. If staying with irons, a razor sharp front sight is over rated in my opinion. You can do some pretty good work with a fuzzy front sight. If you get an Rx that gives you a sharp sight everything downrange will probably be extremely blurry. Everything's a tradeoff.

I notice that it only takes a couple/three weeks of loosing track of my dryfire game to again find my dot not landing where it should. It does come back pretty quick after a few reps, but obviously that's not what you are looking for for self defense. First cold shot is pretty important, eh?

 

[cedartop]

I notice that it only takes a couple/three weeks of loosing track of my dryfire game to again find my dot not landing where it should. It does come back pretty quick after a few reps, but obviously that's not what you are looking for for self defense. First cold shot is pretty important, eh?

Really that is why I don't recommend dots to those who wont practice a lot. As you say, dry fire is fine, but time does have to be spent.

 

[Ziggidy]

I have been told (and I practice) fuzzy front sight on a clear target works best.

 

[bwframe]

Really that is why I don't recommend dots to those who wont practice a lot. As you say, dry fire is fine, but time does have to be spent.

I agree.

On top of that, I run a Holosun SCS. Carries and covers great, BUT THE small WINDOW is not for those that won't practice.

It's easy to test where you are though. Pick out a spot and draw to it, like you are being shot at.
One rep only, no mulligans. The only gun handling prior to testing is to unload or switch to unloaded gun.

I'm good most of the time, as long as I'm not "too busy" to push out a draw every time I holster or un-holster. A bit more hard to keep up with is one hand or weak hand work.

 

[jwamplerusa]

I have been told (and I practice) fuzzy front sight on a clear target works best.

This is what I went to as my eyes aged. Worked well enough for Action Pistol.

I recognized that for longer distance accuracy something had to change. For a carry arm I first tried a Leupold Delta Point Micro. It worked well enough, and was very low profile, but was a VERY perishable skill.

Now it is an EPS Carry on an M&P compact and 365XL. I can make reliable 25 yd hits with both, which is a minimum expectation.

 

[Dewthedru]

Man…I feel you. Got a new AR and was trying to zero the red dot. Couldn’t see sh$t, even with my contacts.

It’s kind of dark in the range so that adds to it but was kind of a bummer not to be able to clearly see the target at 20 yards to help with getting the red dot set up.

 

[Ziggidy]

This is what I went to as my eyes aged. Worked well enough for Action Pistol.

I recognized that for longer distance accuracy something had to change. For a carry arm I first tried a Leupold Delta Point Micro. It worked well enough, and was very low profile, but was a VERY perishable skill.

Now it is an EPS Carry on an M&P compact and 365XL. I can make reliable 25 yd hits with both, which is a minimum expectation.

I have to look into those. Thanks for sharing.

 

[jwamplerusa]

I have to look into those. Thanks for sharing.

For me, I have decided the EPS carry window area is near the minimum window area desired. The Delta point micro was simply too small at 9 mm diameter. Even with the aperture sight like appearance it was very easy to lose the dot on presentation and took a lot of work to consistently have it on target at presentation.

The EPS carry window area for me is in a sweet spot where it is easy to pick up and I rarely lose the DOT two-handed. Even strong or weak handed I generally either can find the dot in the window or quickly reacquire it at presentation.

Larger red dots, like the 509t, provide additional margin for presentation error with a concurrent increase in bulk, weight, and weapon profile change.