Eye protection

[Stevetford]

Good evening, I’m seeking help concerning safety glasses. I shot my first USPSA match Saturday where a  majority of the targets were 12-16 yards out. I was having a hard time seeing my hits on paper targets at the above distances. 
  Im currently wearing ESS safety glasses with clear lenses. This got me thinking that maybe there is something to these high dollar colored lenses such as Hunters Gold. My question is, would say a colored lens such as the yellow help picking up shots on paper at the longer distances? 
  I will add, I’m 42 years old admit my arms are too short and reading glasses will be necessary before long. However, past my arms length my vision is fine. 

[Sarge]

I might as well go ahead and say this before the dogs pile on. If you are looking for hits you are doing it all wrong. Wasted time. If you can see sights clearly just line them up and pull the trigger on your target. Aim at the A zone fire twice and move on.

  Search for “calling shots” “shot calling” etc

[Boomstick303]

My eyes have issues at short distances, I need readers.  I am not looking for holes even though I can see them at medium distances.  My first exposure to shot calling was to “Stop looking for holes”.   As @Sarge mentioned above if you are looking for holes in the targets, it is killing your times.  Learn to work on shot calling early. It's one of the hardest things to do consistently and confidently in USPSA shooting.  

 

As for your question on glasses I use the Yellow Hunter’s Gold and I like them a lot. They make the targets contrast pretty well against the background and the red dot looks crisp using them. The transition component of the lenses is nice and I feel the light is pretty consistent in many environments.  

 

I do not think they are required and if you are buying them to see holes in the targets it's a poor investment. If you are just starting I would think the money is better served on lessons from a competent USPSA (or any dynamic shooting sport) instructor.  Many instructors will touch on shot calling. 

[Stevetford]

1 hour ago, Sarge said:

I might as well go ahead and say this before the dogs pile on. If you are looking for hits you are doing it all wrong. Wasted time. If you can see sights clearly just line them up and pull the trigger on your target. Aim at the A zone fire twice and move on.

  Search for “calling shots” “shot calling” etc

Thank you Sarge, I’ve heard the term

calling shots but never read into it. I have been focused on accuracy and hoping speed will come later. So far that’s not happening. I feel like for the past 3 years I’ve made no improvements. I’ll start studying up on shot calling. 

[Stevetford]

53 minutes ago, Boomstick303 said:

My eyes have issues at short distances, I need readers.  I am not looking for holes even though I can see them at medium distances.  My first exposure to shot calling was to “Stop looking for holes”.   As @Sarge mentioned above if you are looking for holes in the targets, it is killing your times.  Learn to work on shot calling early. It's one of the hardest things to do consistently and confidently in USPSA shooting.  

 

As for your question on glasses I use the Yellow Hunter’s Gold and I like them a lot. They make the targets contrast pretty well against the background and the red dot looks crisp using them. The transition component of the lenses is nice and I feel the light is pretty consistent in many environments.  

 

I do not think they are required and if you are buying them to see holes in the targets it's a poor investment. If you are just starting I would think the money is better served on lessons from a competent USPSA (or any dynamic shooting sport) instructor.  Many instructors will touch on shot calling. 

I failed to mention that I shoot iron sights.Training with an instructor is something I have been wanting to do, but I’ve yet to come across anyone in my area. 

[Boomstick303]

The aiming system of choice does not change the use of shot calling. If you have not improved in three years and you truly want to get better I would spend the money on instruction and not gear to improve. I wish I would would have gotten instruction sooner than I did. I waited about a year. I waited about 9 months too long. 

 

 

[SGT_Schultz]

11 hours ago, Stevetford said:

I have been focused on accuracy and hoping speed will come later. So far that’s not happening. 

 

And speed will never come if you continue to focus in accuracy and hoping to somehow get faster.

 

The old "slow is smooth and smooth is fast" saying is complete horses#!t.

 

If you want to go fast you need to push to go fast.  

 

There's a lot more to it than that and I 100% agree with others who've said that getting competition-focused training sooner than later is very beneficial.  You cannot limit yourself to your local area.  Travel to one if you can't get what you need at home.

 

Lastly, some top level shooters have published books with training and practice systems for self improvement.  Ben Stoeger and Steve Anderson come to mind.  If you want to start progressing spend the money on some of those books and put the time and energy into it.

 

Three years with no measurable improvement means that the path that you're on now is ineffective and wasteful.

[shred]

If you're going to get serious about iron sight shooting, you can get a set of prescription shooting glasses made with a focus on your front sight distance (maybe plus a bit) with the lens for your dominant eye and a regular distance-vision lens in the other.   It takes some getting used to and lets you acquire targets and the front sight as needed.   Hunters HD and others can make them like that.

 

But, at this point, it sounds like glasses aren't the main issue unless you can't see the front sight clearly anymore.

 

[rowdyb]

19 hours ago, Stevetford said:

I have been focused on accuracy and hoping speed will come later.

With this training plan it absolutely will not happen.

 

And as everyone will tell you, the sights tell you where the bullet went. Looking at the holes is focusing on the outcome. Focus on the process/action and you will get the results without having to confirm them.

[obsessiveshooter]

I recommend taking a class.  Figuring it out on your own can make you improve at a Glacial pace.  There are a lot of things that aren't necessarily intuitive about our game, and things that are going to be hard to figure out just by watching better shooters.  You can waste a lot of time and ammo doing things wrong, and it can be discouraging too.  At a minimum, get some books.  

[Bostenelli]

What kind of pistol are you shooting?  Have you considered switching to a red dot?

[OpenshooterMclass4lyfe]

Hunters HD gold are the gold standard for uspsa shooters it seems.