Shooting and Glasses

[Sandgroper]

At the beginning of May I discovered that I needed glasses. I need them mainly for reading and for the computer but I also have astigmatism that affects my distance vision. This means I have a single vision pair for reading and a varifocal pair for distance/reading.

After cleaning my rifles and checking the sights I'm at a loss at how I'm going to continue to shoot with some of my rifles?

My best rifle is my G22 with a cheap 2.5x30 IER scope (actually better than before!), followed by my NEF with a Red dot scope and my Winchester with a 4x32 scope. The worst are my milsurps with irons. My 257 and my 223 are ok, but the cross hairs are now slanted and the field of view is oval instead of round. It's worse with my right eye compared to my left - I'm thinking eye relief might be cause/contributor that problem.

My milsurps are my biggest concern as I can either focus on the foresight and loose the target completely (at distance) or I can see the target but cannot focus on the foresight - depending on the glasses I am wearing. At short ranges (25m) I could get by, but it wouldn't be pretty.

I can shoot left or right handed (the G22 is set up LH) as my left eye is my master eye - the image with or without glasses is certainly better from my left eye. Just thinking about it - I have to go back and check my 223 again as it has a variable mag scope and see if the magnification makes a difference.

In the meantime, any suggestions or tips would be appreciated? sign92

Edit: Looks like I'm a LH now! The right eye is the cause of the distortion when looking through scopes. I just needed to adjust my eye relief for the left eye which sorted it - no such luck with the right eye. Still doesn't help with the milsurps. :cool2:

[Blu]

Sandgroper,

After cleaning my rifles and checking the sights I'm at a loss at how I'm going to continue to shoot with some of my rifles?

I have the same problem as you mate. What I did was bought a pair of those non prescription glasses you see at the supermarkets and chemists. While I have two pairs of prescription glasses for reading and distance I found a pair of non prescription that allow me to use a scope and iron sights without the blur. They are like minimum strength jobs but the do allow me to shoot without the distortions. Maybe give them a try and see how they work out, oh and I took a scope with me when I bought them to see how they worked out first.

Blu

[Sandgroper]

Cheers Blu. I'll give them a try.

[waterford103]

get your optician to make you a circular lens with corrects your astigmatism in your right eye ask him to mark the edge upper to stay vertical. get a cheap frame that fits and obscure lens in the left frame .the circular lens should be for reading.Astigmatism can vary daily by a little depending on tiredness -stress etc ,you can rotate the lens aliitle either way to correct the distorted view through the scope.If used with a diopter rear lens it would be beneficial if the foresight was clear through the diopter ,your optician would know how much "reading" adjustment to give the lens.

[Sandgroper]

get your optician to make you a circular lens with corrects your astigmatism in your right eye ask him to mark the edge upper to stay vertical. get a cheap frame that fits and obscure lens in the left frame .the circular lens should be for reading.Astigmatism can vary daily by a little depending on tiredness -stress etc ,you can rotate the lens aliitle either way to correct the distorted view through the scope.If used with a diopter rear lens it would be beneficial if the foresight was clear through the diopter ,your optician would know how much "reading" adjustment to give the lens.

This glasses marlarkey is new to me, so bear with me, but I'm not sure I fully understand your suggestion.

Are you saying have a lens for distance and diopter (and lens) for focusing on the foresight?

[Alpha1]

If you go to your opticians and explain your problem he will be able to advise you.

[JonC]

There are opticians that specialise in shooting, there's one at Bisley and at least another in the area. Might be worth asking around local clubs to see if anybody is recommended near you. The Bisley one was even offering free eye tests over the phoenix weekend, might happen at other times of the year as well.

[johngarnett]

For iron sights, you can use your opticians distance correction and add +0.25dioptre to it to give a compromise prescription which will enable you to see the target 'fairly' well and the foresight very well. You then need to have your lens positioned correctly in the frame with regard the sights. The optical centre of the lens has to be in line with eye, lens, rear sight. This is called decentreing a lens and can be set up by your friendly optician. There is Stewards at Bisley (or Bristol I think) or I could name 2 shooting opticians in the south of UK.

You can also get a 1" lens holder that attaches to the rearsight. This then holds a presciption lens just between you and rear sight.

You can also use a 'shooting spec'. Champion or Olympic. Very versatile. You set up your prescription in the holder and then tweak for optimum sight. You can set the other holder to hold an intermediate or reading lens for score books etc. Bit pricey but only lens needs to be replaced next time.

Contact lenses are not for everyone and for shooting position they can be displaced by lids.

Surgery, can be excellent result but you may still need reading / intermediate prescriptions.

What ever course you go get safety lenses. Polycarbonate is safest but look after them. They are soft even when hard coated.

Hope this helps. It is NOT the end of shooting

JohnG :cornwall:

[Sandgroper]

No, not the end of my shooting - just another phase.

I'm back at the Optician on Thursday, I'll have a word then. Who knows, it might all come right once I've adjusted to wearing glasses all the time?

Just to clarify, my milsurps are all carbines with short sight radii and the rear sight (v-notch) is forward of the chamber like the SMLE.
Thanks for the suggestions.

[ukrifleman]

Before you spend silly money at the opticians, do what I did on the recommendation of a friend in the US and check out Eyepal. Log on to www.eyepalusa.com I purchased their product and it took 30 years off my eyesight! I can see the rear sight, fore sight AND the target for the first time in years.
ukrifleman.