Prescription glasses...?

[tiradi]

First of all thanks for the heads-up on the Burkett DVD's. Got them over the weekend and found a bunch of useful tips...One more thing, if you please...

Given the vision that a "mature" fellow such as myself has been cursed with...nearsighted with astigmatism...Ive tried several iterations of optometric conventions...my standard prescription with graduated bifocals; just my reading glasses; and even went as far as having amber lensed shooting glasses made up with my mid-range bifocal placed in the upper/inner portion of each lens so I could have a crisp sight picture without craning my neck backward in order to see my sights. Recently I've even competed without any glasses at all. Nothing seems to work a effeciently as I feel I need especially since I was advised, if given the choice of front sight focus or target focus, in IDPA, I should opt for target. I've always fought to keep the front sight in focus and that worked quite well in PPC and bull's eye type shooting but this is different...have to pick up the sights fast and also have to hit the -0.

Anyone here with a similar dilemma or solution that worked for them?

Thanks for any and all input.

[benos]

For shooting an iron-sighted pistol under most conditions (IPSC, PPC, IDPA), I'd always recommend having your vision corrected for a clear, front sight focus, because your "mind-vision" will naturally center the sights on a blurred target.

Finding the targets is not the hard part.

Knowing you hit the target at the instant the shot fired is paramount.

be

[rmcdave]

I share your vision problem, being nearsighted with astigmatism. At my last checkup with the eye doctor, I took my handgun along with me so that I could get a prescription made up with a front sight focus. After explaining to her what I wanted to accomplish vision-wise, she made up a pair of "test glasses" with corrective lenses that she could quickly swap (much in the same manner as a standard vision exam). Holding the gun at arms length and wearing these glasses I had a prescription giving me a crisp front sight picture within a few minutes.

Rather than go with the just the bifocal insert in the top of the lenses, I decided to have the entire lens (both left and right sides) made to this front sight prescription. Picked out a cheap pair of frames at LensCrafters and had the glasses made up. I had them center the prescription a bit higher on the lens to accomodate for tilting my head forward while shooting. As I understand it, this is very important when dealing with astigmatism.

When wearing these glasses, the front sight is very crisp (I had forgotten what it really looked like) and the targets are just a tiny bit fuzzy. After a few minutes I don't even notice the fuzzy targets. After spending over $3500 this year on guns and gear, there is no question in my mind that the $99 I spent on this pair of glasses has returned the largest improvement in my shooting.

Dave

[kevin c]

If you do a search you should be able to pull up a few threads about vision correction for shooting. There are different techniques, each of which works for some but not others.

[LPatterson]

I'll put in another vote for bifocals with the front sight focus moved to the top and distance on the bottom. I had a pair of DeCot's made with the FT 45 style lens so that I could see the targets clearly during the walkthru but at AYR I change my focal point to the upper part of the lens so that I can pick up the front sight. I have spent hours dryfiring in front of a mirror and I find that I still tend to tilt my head downward as I draw. I can make myself be rock steady but the draw time suffers so I have decided to stop fighting and let my body do what it wants without thinking about it.

Go with the flow.

[tiradi]

B- I have to trust my shooting more. In my last local IDPA match I was down 8 points total. Shooting much better than I have in recent months. I was calling my shots and on one target (the last one in a particular stage) I saw one hole in the -0 and the "-0" so I fired another round thinking I got a Mike but couldn't imagine how. After the shot I got a slightly different angled look at the "-0" and saw backstop thru it. At least 1-1.5 seconds added for not trusting what I "knew" I had delivered. With my "hi-bi's" shooting glasses I CAN'T see the holes so I HAVE to trust my call. Maybe I should go back to using them with my new-found techniques and see how they work for me now...

This is not a trivial problem for me...I feel I'll be able to "break through" a wall, of sorts, if I can eliminate this visual dilemma.

Dave- I like your take on this and it sounds like a practical and cost effective remedy and may crisp up the target a bit more than my "hi-bi's" while still being able to focus on the front sight.

Kevin- Good advice...There seems to be a bunch of 'em (web sites). Feel kind of stupid not thinking of that myself! I spend most of my day in front of a computer! A few look like they may offer some good deals. Anyone have any experience with any of these suppliers?

Gray- Yup...That's what I have to work harder doing. I keep telling new shooters to "let the gun shoot"...maybe I should listen to what I say and "let MYSELF shoot"! Going to revisit the "hi-bi's"...

[bountyhunter]

For shooting an iron-sighted pistol under most conditions (IPSC, PPC, IDPA), I'd always recommend having your vision corrected for a clear, front sight focus,

But for us nearsighted guys, the question is, how much to take off the distance scrip? I have found the best results when they take JUST ENOUGH off the far sight scrip power so that you can just comfortably focus on the front sight at normal sighting distance. In other words, this is NOT your reading glasses prescription because you would not be able to see the text comfortably at reading distance, but you can focus at sighting distance.

You can take a business card to the eye doctor and hold it as if it were the front sight and see if you can see the fine print sharply focused.

YMMV, that's what works best for me.

[benos]

Of course it will take some time and practice to build the necessary confidence and trust that will encourage never needing to look at the targets to confirm hits. But it will be time well spent.

be

[rooster]

You might try this it has worked for me but it takes awhile to get used to. Have your eye doctor make a script so that one lens of your glasses is focused for the front site and the other lenns is scripted for distance. your "brain" will make the necesssary adjustments. This way you don't have to look over or under your bifocals. I beleive it is called monovision, they sometimes do it with contacts. When I go to a match I put the glasses on way ahead of time so I get used to the different vision.

[coyotegary]

ok Brian. i saw your reply about focusing on the crisp front sight picture and a blurred target. i get that for sure. if i no longer shoot action , and just want to get the best grouping i can at the range at 25 yards (open sight pistol) , is that still the best option to look at when i go to the optomitrist for glasses?