Took my rifle to the optometrist (UPDATE)

[KirkD]

I got an eye exam a week ago. When you get to be an old geezer like me, it's hard to see that front sight. Before I went, I measured the distance from my shooting eye to the front sight of my shortest levergun, a Winchester Model 53. My Winchester 94 carbine is actually shorter, but I use a receiver sight on it, so a fellow can be blind as a bat and still get 2" groups at 100 yards with 5 rounds, so I measured my second shortest rifle instead. During the exam I told the optometrist that I wanted a prescription for the right eye that could make the front sight sharp at the distance I measured, but still leave the target at 100 yards pretty sharp as well. He figured out a prescription (-3) but said what I really should do is bring my rifle in and he'd try a couple different lenses on me while I sighted through my open iron sights. I told him I didn't want to panic his clients when I came in with a rifle, so he booked the follow-up, rifle appointment for the last appointment of the day, which was today.

Well, it looks like I'm finally going to see those front sights again. For this second appointment with a rifle, in addition to my Model 53 44-40, I brought an extra old gun along (Springfield Model 1888) because he was really interested in old guns. I told him that I have an old Colt SAA that dates back to the 1800's and said he could come over and shoot it. He was really excited about that and is going to come over to 'read the book' over a stump I have in the back yard.

All in all, for those of you who just don't want to quit shooting with those open iron sights, this is the way to go. I couldn't believe how much better I could see those sights and the distance target with the new prescription he's going to get me. When I put my normal glasses on, I was amazed I could shoot at all with them, let alone get 5-shot groups of 2" at 100 yards like I done a two weeks ago. I've been shooting blind as a bat for the past couple years. I'm really looking forward to seeing how well I can shoot with the new glasses, which should be ready in a week.

[iceman]

Sounds interesting. Would these glasses be for shooting only or everyday use?

[KirkD]

Sounds interesting. Would these glasses be for shooting only or everyday use?

The right eye is for shooting, but the left eye will be a graduated lens for both distance and reading.

[dr walker]

That sounds great. I am looking forward to hearing how it works for you.

[ceb]

Kirk, is that right glass a single vision or a bifocal so you can read too? I use progressives, but have to tilt my head back to far to be comfortable. Been thinking much the same thing. Let us know how it works out, I hate getting old!

[Lefty Dude]

Yep; It works for me. I have the same type shooting glasses. The strong shooting eye must be a single lens for this to work properly.

Mine are a slight rose tint. This helps the targets to stand out in the Arizona Desert very well.

Once your brain gets the picture, so-to-speak, the adjustment will be automatic when you put them on. At first it's like "Whats going on here".

I am 72 years old and still use my Iron sights, thanks to a fellow shooter who is also my "Eye Guy".

You will like them Kirk.

[El Chivo]

if the progressive is too low for you when shooting, put something under the nosebridge to raise it temporarily and see if it lines up better for you.

[olyinaz]

Thanks for the report Kirk. My eyes are going to heck and it's killing me with standard iron sights so this is something I needed to read.

Best,
Oly

[KirkD]

The glasses will be exactly like Lefty Dude's, with a single focal length for the shooting eye, and a wide field progressive lens for the other eye. That way, I can wear them all the time if I want, or wear them for hunting.

[Ysabel Kid]

I need to find a doctor like that!

Glad to hear you're getting the right "equipment" to continue shooting those wonderful leverguns Kirk!

[Paul105]

Kirk,

How will/does this setup work with a handgun?

Paul

[O.S.O.K.]

I am 48 and my eyes have started the change too... but I have decided that I will simply not get any older. Yep, I'm staying 48. Enough is enough.

No, I want my cake and eat it too, so I'm also staying alive

[COSteve]

Deleted

[KirkD]

How will/does this setup work with a handgun?

It should work fine. The front sight blade on a handgun might be a little closer, so it might be slightly more blurry. My shortest rifle puts the front sight at 30 inches from my eye. A handgun might be a bit closer than that.

COSteve: That is a brilliant idea. Sticking a peep sight on your glasses would greatly increase depth of field. It is a lot cheaper than ordering special glasses. I really like that idea. The only drawback would be if a fellow is hunting in the final 30 minutes of legal hunting time where the peep might make it a little too dark. However, that is a minor disadvantage in comparison to the cheap and excellent job the stick-on peep would normally do.

One problem I had was if the optometrist used a prescription that made the front sight nice and sharp, the 100 yard target was way too blurry. The solution was to compromise and put the focal point a little ways out beyond the 30 inches. This blurred the front sight slightly (but still way sharper than my normal prescription), but made the 100 yard target sharp enough to see a 2" spot on it where I was aiming. With that compromise prescription, the lens is sharp enough from about 35" to infinity to possibly use it all the time on my right eye. We shall see.

Still, COSteve's idea is the best all around idea. I think I'm going to try that one also, in addition to my new glasses when they arrive.

[Lefty Dude]

My shooting lens is also set for the 30" range. This 30" works well for my handguns. 34" is the distance for my 20" lever rifles. For both the Handgun & Rifle both front sights are very clear and in focus. When I shoot my 26" barreled 94/30-30 at targets 200 yards the target is fuzzy, and that is O.K. with me. As long as those sights are nice and sharp.

So Kirk and I have approx. the same depth of field for our shooting glasses.

[Mutt]

Are ya'll using a store bought peep tape , or is it just regular tape with a hole. What size
hole if tape.? ,,,,,,,,,,Mutt

[KirkD]

Mutt, I don't know what COSteve uses, but you can get round stickers, because my daughter has a book of them. They are about 1/4" in diameter. A nice clean hole about 1/16" would be good, judging from my normal peep on my receiver sight of my 30-30. I've also seen a little fold-down thing that some jewelers use. If a fellow took out the magnifier and replaced it with a peep, that would be great. He could just clip it to his glasses and fold down the peep when it was time to shoot.

[Mutt]

Kirk , any idea where to buy the book of peeps like your daughter uses. ?

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Mutt

[KirkD]

Mutt, I think she bought them at a craft store, or maybe a dollar store. Look for a little peel-and-stick sticker book that has round dots about 1/4" in diameter. I don't think any come in black, however, just bright pinks, reds, blues and yellows, so you'll look extra special at the range. You still have to punch a little peep hole in the center.

[AJMD429]

The glasses will be exactly like Lefty Dude's, with a single focal length for the shooting eye, and a wide field progressive lens for the other eye. That way, I can wear them all the time if I want, or wear them for hunting.

I have trifocal 'progressives' (...I hate that word... ) and just had the transition zone made higher up on the lens, so instead of the biggest area being for distance, only the thinnest top band is for distance, and the middle and lower zones are for closer. I used a marker to put a dot on my existing glasses for the part of the lens I actually looked through (a bit higher than CoSteve's 'dot' is) when using a scope, and this is the 'distance' part, then the part below it (maybe just luckily) is the 'medium' part, and is where I wind up looking for iron sights, and the bottom part is what I use to read. None of it was really planned out except the higher transition, but it worked out well.

[Ysabel Kid]

Mutt, I think she bought them at a craft store, or maybe a dollar store. Look for a little peel-and-stick sticker book that has round dots about 1/4" in diameter. I don't think any come in black, however, just bright pinks, reds, blues and yellows, so you'll look extra special at the range. You still have to punch a little peep hole in the center.

You can get black ones at "OfficeMax" and probably at other office supply stores. I purchase these to use as target plasters for paper punching.

[86er]

Great solution to an unpreventable situation!

[COSteve]

Mutt, I don't know what COSteve uses, but you can get round stickers, because my daughter has a book of them. They are about 1/4" in diameter.

I'm way too cheap to buy anything. I use plain old black electrical tape and a hole punch. It makes nice 1/4" dia circles all day for free. (And free is always good!!)

[KirkD]

The more I think about COSteve's idea, I realize that it is even better than special glasses. Here's the reason: that tiny peep hole is going to give a lot more depth of field than any lens could. That means everything will be sharper .... the rear sight, the front sight, and the target. I'm thinking of canceling my special right eye prescription and finding out where jewelers get those fold down things. I'll take out the lens and put in a black disc with a tiny hole in it.

[Old Savage]

You guys are too darn old an AFRAID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! to face it.

[66GTO]

Mutt, I don't know what COSteve uses, but you can get round stickers, because my daughter has a book of them. They are about 1/4" in diameter.

I'm way too cheap to buy anything. I use plain old black electrical tape and a hole punch. It makes nice 1/4" dia circles all day for free. (And free is always good!!)

Or if you want to spend 20 bucks:

http://www.lymanproducts.com/lyman/sights/hawkeye.php

[COSteve]

Merit makes two different adjustable optical attachments for your glasses. The cheaper one is probably the better of the two.

However, one good element of my simple approach is that because it doesn't block much of your lens, you can look around it easily. It sits in the inside corner that is pretty much out of your normal sight line so you can see pretty much normally until you take up a sighting position, especially when using a rifle.

[KirkD]

UPDATE: On my way to the optometrist this morning to take a final measurement for the frames, I stopped off at the range to try out the peel and stick peep method. I raided my daughter's sticker book. All she had in the way of round dots had cartoon characters on them. She also had a bunch of peel and stick flourescent colored stars ... bright pinks, blues and yellows. I chose the stars and hoped no one would be at the range. A fellow walking around with a flourescent blue star stuck up in the corner of the lens of his glasses can raise doubts about just how tough that fellow is. It can also raise questions about his sanity, but I don't worry about that anymore. I took a very fine pointed punch with a flat tip and punched a tiny hole about 1/32" in the middle of several stars and took them with me.

At the range, I peeled a nice floursecent blue star with a tiny hole in the middle and stuck it on the lens of my glasses. Fortunately, there was no one else at the range. That tiny peep hole in the peel and stick sticker gives a much better depth of field than any corrective lens.

Bottom Line: When I got to the optometrist, I canceled the special prescription for my shooting eye and just got a normal graduated lens. I'll be using peel and stick stickers from now on for any serious shooting, except I'm going to the office supply place to get little black peel and stick dots. Forget about seeing me walking around with flourescent stars on my glasses.

[Modoc ED]

I had a pair of glasses made with a lens along those lines a few years back. They worked great unless I had to get in a scrunched up, stretched, odd position where my head was codked at an odd angle and then the eye would shift in the lens so-to-speak at the special grind did little if any good.

[COSteve]

UPDATE: Forget about seeing me walking around with flourescent stars on my glasses.

Aw shucks, they'd look so lovely with your eyes!!!





Seriously, I'm glad that you got a chance to verify that they work for you so you could save a few bucks. You'll notice a significantly clearer sight even with a center hole over 1/16". For hunting, I experimented with different diameters.

I make up a selection of aperture sizes and stick them to an old match book inside cover (the surface finish releases them without pulling up any paper) and slipped them in my pocket so I have different sizes for if the light changes dramatically.

Also, I've noticed that when I peel off a spot that's been there a while, it leaves some goo on the lens so I use a bit of cleaner to remove it before I stick on another one or else the center won't be as clear because you'll be looking through a layer of goo.

[Ben_Rumson]

This is one of Leverguns sponsors...http://www.meritcorporation.com/ Same concept.. but quickly adjustable for changing light conditions...I've been using this device for glasses for years...In fact I started using it before my eyes started going south...it made things even easier for ammo/paper punching ..I and others have recommended it here a few times in the past..Also Midway sells similar and less expensive devices in the optics section...Still not as cheap as an adhesive sticker tho..