Fowler
.401 Bobcat
Posts: 3,565
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Post by Fowler on Oct 23, 2020 20:54:01 GMT -5
So age has caught up with me dang it. I have been denying it for some time, fighting it for longer but I just cant see like I used to.
The last time I was at the optometrist I was 20/20 in my left eye and 20/25 in the right, the dr said he could have called it 20/20 in both but it didn't matter. Honestly the part at that point that bothered me was my eyes had degraded a lot at that point and still were basically 20/20. "Give it 3 or 4 years and you will be in glasses" that was 8 years ago.
Well last season in elk camp I really struggled seeing stuff that normally was clear, not that there were any elk around to see but that wasn't the point. I putzed around and denied that this was catching up with me, I could still see a computer monitor clear and basically I live on the damn things at work of course. But reading got more challenging, reading road signs was worse so in I went to the eye dr and out I came to my first set of glasses ever, progressive bifocals to boot!
Naturally as soon as I got home the first thing I did was draw my CCW piece and to my horror the front sight was fuzzy no matter how I held my head!
Well a few days into it and some fettering around in the gun room and my scoped rifles are clearer than they have been in years, iron sights on my lever guns appear to be no trouble, the front sight focuses perfectly.
My handguns will be a work in progress, I think with my belt guns there might be hope, last night I think I found the point where I can focus on the front sight with a 5 1/2" single action but I need range time to prove it. I don't know if I will pack a handgun on my hip or not this season, I need to be confident I can shoot it like I am capable of to take one on something as honorable as an elk hunt, the game deserves that.
From a defensive stand point the reality is if the bad guy is far enough away I need a clear front sight focus I probably will have a hard time arguing the shooting was justified. So I am not super concerned there.
It will be a transition for sure, I damn sure don't like the damn things but I will say where they focus I can see so much better than I have in a long while. I will get there, just had to vent a bit since I know so many of us on this forum have been wearing glasses for years. My wife thinks I am blubbering about nothing but she has worn glasses since she was a child and doesn't know any different.
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Post by bigbrowndog on Oct 23, 2020 21:09:22 GMT -5
I was lucky enough to find an optometrist that would let me bring guns into the office and set my eyes up to focus on the sights with my dominant eye and for distance with the nondominant one. These have worked great for the last 10 years or so, but now I’m like you and will need bifocals. Hopefully it’s not too much of an issue.
Trapr
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Post by contender on Oct 23, 2020 21:41:59 GMT -5
I fully understand how you feel. I did the same thing. Except that I was shooting USPSA. I went to a big Sectional Match,, & shot the worst score ever,, yet, shot my best classifier up to that point. Why? I never looked at my sights for the Classifier. I shot by instinct,, and decided the match was toast,, & went all out with my speed.
After that,, I begrudgingly,, went to the eye doctor.
Better,, but not as I was 30 years ago. Life happens. Adapt or give up.
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Post by bradshaw on Oct 23, 2020 22:17:06 GMT -5
I fully understand how you feel. I did the same thing. Except that I was shooting USPSA. I went to a big Sectional Match,, & shot the worst score ever,, yet, shot my best classifier up to that point. Why? I never looked at my sights for the Classifier. I shot by instinct,, and decided the match was toast,, & went all out with my speed. After that,, I begrudgingly,, went to the eye doctor. Better,, but not as I was 30 years ago. Life happens. Adapt or give up. ***** Tyrone.... ain’t you learned to squint, too close one eye, too switch eyes, too duck in a shadow, do anything to see your sights. Back off the throttle, do with one shot what the next guy takes three to do. Don’t take the game serious. Take your marksmanship serious. The bullets will follow. David Bradshaw
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edk
.375 Atomic
Posts: 1,114
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Post by edk on Oct 23, 2020 22:17:59 GMT -5
Honestly the part at that point that bothered me was my eyes had degraded a lot at that point and still were basically 20/20. This fact really bothered me. In my early forties I was spotting game at ranges that amazed my experienced guides. Twenty years later I feel that comparatively my eyesight has gone downhill big time and yet my eye doc doesn't even want to give me a prescription as I'm almost 20/20. We in this category really shouldnt whine having better eyesight at 60 than many do at 6!
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JM
.375 Atomic
Posts: 2,426
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Post by JM on Oct 23, 2020 23:16:16 GMT -5
Recently received a new set of progressive lenses. The lenses are shorter top to bottom as compared to my previous set. This has caused a much more narrow band of focus where I need it requiring me to tilt my head back to see out of the bottom of the lens. I'm having another set made up as a bi-focal lens with the bi-focal portion positioned at the top 1/4 of the lens. Hopefully this will provide a much more functional lens.
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Post by buckelliott on Oct 23, 2020 23:40:41 GMT -5
Creeping blindness is a terrible. Curse. I first noticed it about 7 years ago, and my optometrist confirmed the beginning of macular degeneration. I had to start wearing glasses at age 5, but my vision was correctable to 20/15, until about 8 years ago. 6 years ago, I have to give up my custom leather business. My vision gets worse by the week, and there is NOTHING anyone can do for it. Had to give up my vehicle and driver's license. That's almost a death sentence for me.. My freedom is Gone...
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Post by paul105 on Oct 24, 2020 8:17:30 GMT -5
Creeping blindness is a terrible. Curse. I first noticed it about 7 years ago, and my optometrist confirmed the beginning of macular degeneration. I had to start wearing glasses at age 5, but my vision was correctable to 20/15, until about 8 years ago. 6 years ago, I have to give up my custom leather business. My vision gets worse by the week, and there is NOTHING anyone can do for it. Had to give up my vehicle and driver's license. That's almost a death sentence for me.. My freedom is Gone... Makes you appreciate what you have. Hang in there Buck! Paul
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Post by larry44 on Oct 24, 2020 14:39:28 GMT -5
When I had my cataracts replaced about 10 years ago the surgeon implanted new lenses that focused on the distance of my computer screen. That's about the same distance as my handgun(s) front sight. I now wear progressive trifocals when I am outside of the house or, especially, driving.
When I'm shooting, I tend to look _over_ my glasses which allows me to have a clear front sight. Just say'in.
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Post by contender on Oct 24, 2020 22:30:33 GMT -5
Yep David,, I did (and still do,) many of those things. After a wonderful life of excellent vision,, age is catching me. If anything,, it has made me spend more time making sure of shots before the trigger breaks. Well,, at least when I'm not shooting USPSA. In USPSA,, my mind thinks I'm still 30,, and can run hard etc. I get ahead of myself,, and my scores can reflect that. I actually switched to shooting a revolver several years ago,, trying to slow myself down a bit. Still running & gunning is fun,, and I get into my inner child sometimes. But when I'm hunting,, or doing something I consider "serious" I do try hard to make sure I apply all the proper shooting techniques.
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Shakey
.327 Meteor
Central Arkansas
Posts: 543
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Post by Shakey on Oct 25, 2020 0:36:55 GMT -5
First, I must qualify what follows as only based on my experiences with progressive lenses available about 20 years ago. I am sure there have been improvements but the principal remains the same. Anyone having difficulty using progressive eyeglass lenses needs to realize that progressive lenses do NOT provide the sharpest/clearest vision possible. Their strong point is the convenience of a seamless transition from distant to near vision and compromises are necessary to accomplish that. They work well in dealing with most everyday activities but I have found that, for me, the old lined bifocals work better for some things, hunting and shooting in particular. The problem with their distance vision is that perfect correction is only obtained at the optical CENTER of the lens. The peripheral vision is noticeably poorer, requiring you to move your head and look straight ahead for the clearest view. This is somewhat true with any lens but to a lesser extent. Wearing progressives while hunting, I found myself moving my head around much more to see what was going on around me. Not insurmountable but, not great either for some kinds of hunting. Their near/intermediate vision is somewhat of a mixed blessing. Regardless of an object's distance, by adjusting your head, you can find a portion of the lens that brings it into sharp focus. Trouble is, it will only be a small area of the lens and your head must be held just so-so to use it. Again, not insurmountable but, not great either. Lined bifocals provide a much broader area of sharp focus in the upper/distance portion of the lens and the lower provides a large area of sharp focus for a distance you can choose. So, for example, if you measure and find that your front sight is usually 30 in. from your eye, just tell the eye doc that's where you want the lower to focus. Actually, as JM has done, you can have that placed anywhere on the lens you want. If you are feeling kinda' geeky, you can experiment with adding these stick-on lenses to your single vision glasses to make your own bifocals. optx2020.com/HydroTacLanding.aspx. You can mount them anywhere you want, ...on one or both lenses,... trim them to another size/shape, …whatever. Though they seem pretty Rube Goldberg, I have used them a great deal and they actually work very well. When applied correctly, they will not move until you move them. I would probably start off with the 1.25.
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Post by bula on Oct 25, 2020 6:37:07 GMT -5
Yup, to all of the above. Am nearly exactly where the OP, Fowler is vision wise. Trying to get used to new progressive bifocals, and prescription sunglasses. My last eye test for a drivers license forced me to the eye Doc.. Will be 62 in a few weeks, so am not complaining, watching friends and class mates fuss with glasses for many years, am happy to have put them off this long ! I do think I waited a year or so too long before asking for help.
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Post by oddshooter on Oct 25, 2020 11:23:52 GMT -5
I've tried most of the above several times. My progressives work great normally, but when shooting they make me raise my head to get the larger correction; and that doesn't work. I'm going to try to invert where the two corrections are and get the larger at the top. I also am looking at those stick-on lenses to add correction to the top as an alternative. The proofs in the pudding; gotta try them out to find out.
I've wound up with a mix of all the ideas.
My eyes keep changing and new glasses are every couple of years. Ones that used to work, no longer do.
I found the Merit Optical stick-on to really work for me on top of the best glasses I could get. Unfortunately it is no longer for sale; and worst of all, I have misplaced the set I had.
I bought some similar ones several months ago, but have not gotten out to test them. I bought 2 just in case my senior moments get more frequent. Sharp Sight Shooter's Glasses Optic aid
Prescut
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Post by bradshaw on Oct 25, 2020 12:07:28 GMT -5
"I found the Merit Optical stick-on to really work for me on top of the best glasses I could get. Unfortunately it is no longer for sale; and worst of all, I have misplaced the set I had.” ----Prescut
*****
Prescut.... better options than the Merit Disk may be available. Look up biathlon and olympic equipment. Target shoo7ters have used flip-down apertures for decades.
Shakey.... thanks for relaying your experience. Especially the graphic difference between ramped and stepped bifocal or trifocal lenses. David Bradshaw
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Post by AxeHandle on Oct 25, 2020 12:16:01 GMT -5
FWIW when I started shooting bullseye in the late 70s we rarely saw any scoped pistols on the line. The ones we did see were generally in the hands of old farts who couldn't shoot anyway. At the same time you rarely saw a good shooter on the line that was over 40 years old. Joe Pascarella won the national championship at Camp Perry at the turn of the decade and BOOM. The red dots took over. By the mid 90s when I retired you rarely saw iron sighted guns on the line. 18 years later when I returned, everybody was OLD, and red dots on their guns, and could shoot!
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