Glasses for Match Shooting?

[Ky-Flinter]

For everyday life I wear bifocals, with a little bit of distance correction, but mostly needed for near vision correction.  I shoot 25 and 50 yard off-hand matches, and occasionally 100 yards.  I recently had a vision checkup and my prescription had not changed enough to need new glasses made.  Since my insurance will pay for most of the cost I talked with my optometrist about a prescription just for shooting.  He suggested a minor increase in power to the distance Rx and adding a lined-bifocal below.

I'm right eye dominant.  The optometrist told me they could move the focal center of the distance RX over to the left side of the right lens to accommodate my shooting stance, but still center the bifocal for loading, scoring targets, etc.  The optician he handed me off to said they can offset the distance focal center, but the bifocal center will have to be offset the same amount.  She didn't seem to be the sharpest knife in the drawer, so I'm questioning whether she is correct.

Have any of you had lens made this way?  That is, the distance Rx focal center moved to the left (or right), but the bifocal Rx centered?  Any opticians, optometrists out there?  Thanks for any replies.

-Ron

[retired fella]

I can't say that I have BUT I am definitely interested.  I will keep a bifocaled eye on this thread.

[Carney Pace]

I take my rifle into the Optometrist and he sets the prescription for clear sights at about 120 yards. 
He has a set of the old testing lenses that he can take outside and while I sight he can come up with a prescription .
A friend tried this with his Dr. only they did it in thee office, perfect sight picture across the room.
 
Carney

[flinter49]

I ask my optometrist if he could make me a set of shooting glasses. I could see the target fine, the front sight some what, but the rear sight was fuzzy. He said sure, bring your flintlock in and we'll go from there. I do not know how he made my new glasses I just know they work. He measured the distance from my eyes to the rear sight and then to the front sight. Did his magic and I am very pleased.

[Scota4570]

It is impossible to see all three clearly at once.  Forget the rear sight. 

For my bifocals about .25 diopter on the top and 1.5 on the bottom would work perfect.  That would make the rifle fronts light clear.  For pistol about .5 on top . 

I can not get them to make such glasses.  So I lied.  I picked a top correction that was perfect at about 4-feet.  I told them it was computer glasses.  That makes the  front sight look perfect.  I aim center of mass on the fuzzy target.  Fine for targets, not so much trail walks. 

Switching between  perfect distance correction and perfect front sight has given me mixed results.  Some days one is better than the other. 

A peep sight close to the eye with a small hole makes everything come into focus at once. 

[snapper]

I  dont know if this helps or not however I buy stick on biofocals.   you can order them on line for a few bucks and just simply place a drop of water under them and they stick to your glasses.  I use these on my shooting glasses and for sun glasses as well.

You can simply put them anywhere you like.

Fleener

[kudu]

Im very interested in This subject although I dont have a answer to your question.

I would like to get a negative diopter for a little clearer target but also would like to see the sights a little clearer?

[Scota4570]

Im very interested in This subject although I dont have a answer to your question.

I would like to get a negative diopter for a little clearer target but also would like to see the sights a little clearer?

You can not have both, it is optically impossible.  Making the front sight perfect is the preferred way to go. 

You can also install a wider front sight.  Try around 1/8" wide on a rifle and about 0.200" on a pistol. 

Pinhole glasses will bring everything into focus at once, like a peep sight. 

[P.W.Berkuta]

For trap shooting I ordered two pair of shooting glasses frames years back with interchangeable lenses from Post 4 who are no longer in business since senior passed away. Try contacting Decot <https://www.decot.com/> they are in the business of making shooting glasses if glasses are what you want. You might also try this <https://www.eyepalusa.com/faq.php> which does help at a fraction of the cost of buying special shooting glasses. These DO WORK -- I use it for pistol and rifle iron sight shooting more so than the "black tape method". You can find them at a more reasonable cost if you do a web search. Many of the "old eye generation" that I know who shoot iron sights use them and swear by them.

[bgf]

Ron,
I dont think the optician is right.  With the lined bifocal insert, it isnt necessary to have them both centered the same place, though it might require a more complex specification from the optician.  Im "lucky" to be nearsighted ...before i got bifocals, i just took my glasses off for reading, etc.  I do know one optician here (n'ville) that is pretty enthusiastic shooter and might be worth talking to, though.

Now, i have progressive bifocals that exceeded my expectations.  I was going to get a pair of single vision glasses with optical center offset for right eye, but dont feel the urgency right now, as my offhand suffers more from shoulder and knee problems than eyes.  I made a fold down shade and peep for chunk shooting that keeps my sight picture clear and eye-position consistent and prevents my co dominant left eye from causing trouble.  I was thinking id see a lot of distortion off center from my astigmatism, but it isnt that bad.

[Sharpsman]

After reading....or being 'exposed' to these vision problems postings for many years now....I find it no problem whatsoever understanding why some folks can't hit due east with their rifles!!

[Don Steele]

Ron,
I've used Decot for all of my shooting glasses needs since 1980. (www.decot.com) I purchased their  "Hy-Wyd" frames which make changing lenses a snap. When my eyes aged to the point of no longer being able to see pistol sights or irons on rifles...I talked to them about it. They recommended playing with the strength of the prescription in my strong eye to enhance the sight picture, while leaving the weak eye scrip alone to see the target. Then he said...keep both eyes open and let your brain figure it out.
That may very well be all that optician talk you posted..I don't know. What I DO know is that the lenses I've gotten from Decot WORK.
I can shoot handguns again, and shoot iron-sighted rifles quite effectively. Took a deer at a (measured) 100 yds, one shot with an iron sighted Hawken a while back and lots of other critters closer up.
Decot isn't the cheapest option, and most likely not the only game in town to accomplish what you need to get done. I only posted all that to give you a sense of confidence that your vision problems are being dealt with by a lot of us and with a good optician and/or some of the products suggested you can do it too.   

 

[snapper]

I use Decot for shooting glasses as well and love them

Fleener

[Daryl]

I tried Taylor's .75 diopter reading glasses, which made changed both sights to perfect focus but the targets were quite blurry for me.
I then ordered .25 and .50 diopter reading/computer glasses and the .5's were the best at making for decent sight and target clarity.
After shooting the .5's for a while, I ordered a set of .75 diopter glasses like Taylor's and they proved to be the best. Trouble now, is not
being able to see the sights, but to remember to 'take' the glasses with me to a shoot.
I will state right here that the lowest NORMAL reading glasses at 1.0 diopter are too powerful for me to use due to their excessive magnification
distorting the targets at any range.
I had to special order the .25, .5 and .75 diopter glasses.

[Brokennock]

Ron, my optician who makes my glasses is very adept at customizing lenses for shooters. The shop he works for, Your Eyes in Bristol  Connecticut, is not open again until Tuesday. If I can get a chance to call him I will ask him your question. I am starting orientation for a new job Monday and Tuesday so I'm not sure what my free time will be. I will call him when I get a chance.

[alacran]

I've used Decot glasses for over 25 years. I like them so much I use them for everyday wear. They are light weight and their service is superb. If your prescription changes all you have to buy is new lenses.Snap out the old then snap in the new.

[Ky-Flinter]

Thanks for all the input guys.  Really appreciated.

-Ron

[Scota4570]

I just tried the pinhole in electrical tap idea.  I use an old pair of bifocals that were long distance on top and readers under.  I made the pinhole with a hot pin.  I cut out a 1/2" disk of tape with the hole in the middle.  After several attempts I had it located on the lens for pistol shooting.  I tried it with an air pistol.  Indeed, all is in focus at once.  I did notice I was trying to time the shot based on a perfect sight picture.  This is bad technique.  I have shot smaller groups with the front sight in focus and shooting at COM of the black fuzz ball with zero shot anticipation. 

I placed the glasses in a case and put them in my shooting kit to try next range day.  For goofie targets we use in NMLRA seeing the target in focus may be advantageous over textbook technique.  .