Corrective Lenses

[JB38Super]

Well, 15 years after LASIK surgery (which was the best money ever spent), I now have a different problem. Now being at the magical age of 50, I have lost some of my distance vision but still have great near vision (sights are clear, targets are blurry, bullet holes past 15 yards are invisible). Corrective lenses to make the distance vision sharp make the sights blurry.

Both the local dr and the LASIK doc say the same thing; there is no middle ground. Either correct the far and live with the blurred near (unacceptable) or don't wear anything (works to this point). Of course, neither one of them are shooters.

I can't seem to find a local doctor who shoots.

The question is:

#1--Can I back off the total correction and retain most of the sharp, near vision?

#2--I have read some posts about dual correction; different RXs in the two lenses to bring out the best in both worlds. Anyone with similiar problem had any luck?

Jim

[LadyinBlue]

Hey JB,

That whole "getting old" thing can get depressing. But, to me the vision part of it is the worst. I have pretty good far away vision but my close-up vision is useless without my reading glasses. This becomes a problem if I'm trying to read on the range...like score keeper. Switching between shooting glasses and reading glasses...it gets old. Someone told me about corrective lens/patches that stick on to your sunglasses but I've not found them yet. BTW...since I've switched over to an open gun, my arms are long enough to see the dot.

~Nanci~

[JB38Super]

Yep, the Open gun is no problem. And for most "my age", it is what you describe; the sights are blurry but the distance vision is fine. Mine is the reverse but I have to wonder if the fix would not be similiar.

And, not to open any cans of worms here, but the USPSA/IPSC deal is not a problem (the quicker pace makes the targets a blur anyway). It's the IDPA thing with the accuracy being slightly more important over speed.

JB

[Bryan W]

The question is:

#1--Can I back off the total correction and retain most of the sharp, near vision?

#2--I have read some posts about dual correction; different RXs in the two lenses to bring out the best in both worlds. Anyone with similiar problem had any luck?

Jim

Try your normal correction in your non dominate eye and a clear lense on your dominate side. You might find that workable. I have the same problem you describe and it seems to work okay for me. Basically your #2 question -

[Jim Norman]

I have the opposite problem. I can read just fine, but distance has always been a problem. I have a pair of Rudys that have correction to allow me to see the sights clearly. Can't read the scoresheets unless I hold them at arms length. Never could see the bullet holes without my glasses anyway.

Jim

[Steve Moneypenny]

I am very much near sighted. I generally shoot without corrected lenses in... however I don't believe i will be able to do that in 3 gun competition.... so i really do need to get a set of corrected lenses.. and while my sights aren't blurry... i'll be damned if i even notice them there because my focus is so far away most of the time.

[Gary1911A1]

I guess you could try what's called Monovision where your strong eye is set to focus up close and your weak eye to infinity, but some people can't get use to it with corrective lenses.

[JB38Super]

My wife had LASIK the same time I did and was experiencing the same thing; some loss of far vision. They touched up one eye except it was the non-dominant eye. She hates it! But, that was the non-dominant.

She is going to have the right eye touched up as well.

I think I will try to find an optometrist that will work with me, doing the a partial correction on the left (non dominant) and little to none on the right.

Look out for the cross eyed guy shooting the Open Blaster!

Jim

PS--Jim N mentioned "Rudys". Explain

[Jim Norman]

Rudy Glasses allow you to wear your corrective lenses under the wrap arounds. There are several brands that do this, but my opinion is that Rudy does it best. They, Rudy, put the corrective lense in the "frame" and the wrap around in front which makes them much comfortable to wear.

Jim

[Neomet]

I've been struggling with vision problems for quite some time. Not only am I nearsighted, but for reasons that would bore others to tears my dominant eye even corrected to its best is not as good as my non-dominant. I had been using bifocal contacts as my latest remedy however I ran across some advice that seems to work really well. In my dominant eye I now have a single focus lens with the focal length set exactly at the distance of my front sight. I have the bifocal in my non-dom eye. This seems to work very well, significantly better than even the bifocal contacts in both.

[JB38Super]

This seems to be the best answer; correct the dominant eye to a focal length at the front sight distance. Provide extended focal length and full correction to non-dominant eye.

Now the trick is gonna be to find:

#1--An optometrist that will take the time to do it

and

#2--Doesn't mind me pulling out my piece in his/her office!

I will keep you posted!

Jim

[Jaxshooter]

I shoot in contacts that have my dominate eye focus at the front sight and my non dominate eye for distance for Limited. For Open I wear two distance lenses.

I took both of my guns to my optrometrist and spent time with different combinations until we got it right.

[Eager]

I have a "monovision" set-up (Rudy Projects). Gun eye lens has some magnification so that I can see the front sight. Other lens has correction for distance only. It helps and is no liability. My pal just got a monovision set-up with Post4.

[KentG]

One more thing to consider is for 3 gun using a dot and how that affects you being so much closer to your eye. I have got a meopta with adjustable objective to help,,, a standard Aimpoint looks a tad fuzzy since its closer than the pistol sight. Im not even going to go into the issue of the rear sight on my shotgun!

[Dan Sierpina]

Hey JB,

That whole "getting old" thing can get depressing. But, to me the vision part of it is the worst. I have pretty good far away vision but my close-up vision is useless without my reading glasses. This becomes a problem if I'm trying to read on the range...like score keeper. Switching between shooting glasses and reading glasses...it gets old. Someone told me about corrective lens/patches that stick on to your sunglasses but I've not found them yet. BTW...since I've switched over to an open gun, my arms are long enough to see the dot.

~Nanci~

Nanci, the lenses are Optix 20-20's The stick on the glasss using only water. If there is a Walgreens nearby, they have them under their brand name.

The question is:

#1--Can I back off the total correction and retain most of the sharp, near vision?

Jim

Jim,

I'm using Decot glasses. For iron sights I have what my eye doctor referred to as a compromise. Sights are fairly sharp, distance is slightly blurry. Shooting bullseye, I use plain lenses for the dot. My vision at distance is still good. Arms are too short for reading though. The prescription lenses don't make distance too fuzzy, so I don't trip

I like the Decots because the lenses are easily interchangeable, and they'll grind the lenses with the optical center offset for shooting. No, they don't look Racy, but, they help me see.

[Steve J]

+1 Dominant eye lense optimized for the front sight. Non-dominant eye lense set to infinity.

[LadyinBlue]

Hey JB,

That whole "getting old" thing can get depressing. But, to me the vision part of it is the worst. I have pretty good far away vision but my close-up vision is useless without my reading glasses. This becomes a problem if I'm trying to read on the range...like score keeper. Switching between shooting glasses and reading glasses...it gets old. Someone told me about corrective lens/patches that stick on to your sunglasses but I've not found them yet. BTW...since I've switched over to an open gun, my arms are long enough to see the dot.

~Nanci~

Nanci, the lenses are Optix 20-20's The stick on the glasss using only water. If there is a Walgreens nearby, they have them under their brand name.

The question is:

#1--Can I back off the total correction and retain most of the sharp, near vision?

Jim

Jim,

I'm using Decot glasses. For iron sights I have what my eye doctor referred to as a compromise. Sights are fairly sharp, distance is slightly blurry. Shooting bullseye, I use plain lenses for the dot. My vision at distance is still good. Arms are too short for reading though. The prescription lenses don't make distance too fuzzy, so I don't trip

I like the Decots because the lenses are easily interchangeable, and they'll grind the lenses with the optical center offset for shooting. No, they don't look Racy, but, they help me see.

Hey Dan...Thanks for the info...I'll be checking with Walgreens soon.

~Nanci~

[kevin c]

I too, do the sharp FS correction strong/dominant eye and distance correction in the opposite side. Some folks, though, get nausea or headaches trying to do it. Only trying it will tell.

Warn your eye doc in advance of the appt that you would like to bring your pistol to the office - it's only courteous to do so. I told mine that the gun would be nonfireable (barrel removed so it was obvious), and he was cool with it.

There's been some work using intraocular accomodating lens replacements for those old hardened lenses you and I both have. You can have the vision you had when you were sixteen. Still semiexperimental, though.

You and I could both go to open division - 20/20 distance vision works great with the infinite distance focus of the dot. But I'm fighting it all the way

[Mr Glack]

Hey JB,

That whole "getting old" thing can get depressing. But, to me the vision part of it is the worst. I have pretty good far away vision but my close-up vision is useless without my reading glasses. This becomes a problem if I'm trying to read on the range...like score keeper. Switching between shooting glasses and reading glasses...it gets old. Someone told me about corrective lens/patches that stick on to your sunglasses but I've not found them yet. BTW...since I've switched over to an open gun, my arms are long enough to see the dot.

~Nanci~

If you can't find the stick ons at a local drug store. You can get the stick on reading lenses from http://www.safetyglassesusa.com. Same manufacturer as described earlier.

It's a very large site ... considering they pretty much only do safety glasses.

When you get there search on "stick on prescription" should pull up a selection for you.

This allows you to use your favorite shooting glasses and add the bifocal. You can also locate it to suit your taste and even have on one lense and not the other. Personally I have used prescription progressives and don't get much help and pretty much buy a good pair of bifocal (built in) safety glasses (tinted) from this web site. They have plenty of those too.

Edited April 18, 2007 by Mr Glack

[cking]

Buy a squirt gun with nice front site. Spray paint the sights black, NOT the whole gun.

Go to eye glass store that has rig that lets them dial up the strength you need. Big thing sit on your face and has lots of dials.

Dominant eye focus on front sight. Other eye on Infinity. Buy the cheap plastic lenses like $35.00 put them in old frame.

Bifocal and progressive make you do the head bobbing try to find the sweet spot and you lose time.

This only works for iron sights. For scopes need lenses that are focus at infinity.

Also Decot shooting glasses are best frames and lenses. The ones that let you put a scrip behind the outer have lots of glare and reflection problems.

Trust me I've spends hundreds of dollars only to find the cheap solution was the best. I had my bifocal put at the top and bottom of lenses etc. All a waste of money.

[Gary1911A1]

Yesterday I got my monvision contacts in and tried them at home for dryfiring. I saw the frontsight much better without the distraction of the bifocal line in my Decot. I will try them tomorrow at the range and hope they stay in. I'll let you know of my experience.

[Mick]

I don't put bifocals on my shooting glasses. Like y'all said, it can be confusing to run with them and try to shoot. I didn't like the lineless ones either.

Getting old isn't so bad except for the vision loss.

I have devloped a system of carrying some readers in my pocket so if I need to really look at something close I slip them on OVER my shooting glasses.

It works...