Eye glasses and shooting?

Jester · #1 05-12-2008, 09:30 PM

Hey all..I've been lurking for a while and I think there is a wealth of info to be gained from you guys...So..

Here's the deal...

I have always had 20/20 vision up untill a few years ago.Then old age crept up on me and I now wear bifocals.Yes it sucks..lol.

Anyway I find that my shooting is off now with the eye glasses.I could tell you that I always had a 3 shot group of less than an one inch...lol..but fact is that it was closer to 2-3 inches.

Now with the glasses I'm shooting all over the place.

I need help....What am I doing wrong or is it just a matter of practise?

Jamie · #2 05-12-2008, 09:45 PM

Ok, not sure if this applies to rifles, but Dad had Trifocals and couldnt hit a Clay if his life depended on it. I suggested that he get a pair of shooting glasses made in one strength. That got him shooting great.
If you need a contact for that, please let me know and I will get it for you.

Thanks
Jamie

Jason Balesdent · #3 05-12-2008, 09:51 PM

I've warn glasses since long before I started shooting and as such have never had a problem with them. However I do know a few people who are in your situation and had the same problem. Even talked about it with a few members of the trap & skeet club I used to frequent. The bifocals seem to be the cause of the problem and many of the shooters at the skeet club even went so far as to buy the high quality multi-lens shooting glasses and get the lenses ground for their Rx. Problem solved X2, no more bifocals and a choice of lens colors with one frame. If you go this route, try the Winchester glasses, they used to be Rx compatible and it really shouldn't cost that much to get em cut.

Jester · #4 05-12-2008, 09:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jamie

Ok, not sure if this applies to rifles, but Dad had Trifocals and couldnt hit a Clay if his life depended on it. I suggested that he get a pair of shooting glasses made in one strength. That got him shooting great.
If you need a contact for that, please let me know and I will get it for you.

Thanks
Jamie

Yeah,I'm talking about looking through a scope..

First shot ...bingo..

second shot ..ditto..

thrid shot.....wtf..lol

Could it be the way I look through the glasses?

Position wise I mean..

Jester · #5 05-12-2008, 09:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jason Balesdent

I've warn glasses since long before I started shooting and as such have never had a problem with them. However I do know a few people who are in your situation and had the same problem. Even talked about it with a few members of the trap & skeet club I used to frequent. The bifocals seem to be the cause of the problem and many of the shooters at the skeet club even went so far as to buy the high quality multi-lens shooting glasses and get the lenses ground for their Rx. Problem solved X2, no more bifocals and a choice of lens colors with one frame. If you go this route, try the Winchester glasses, they used to be Rx compatible and it really shouldn't cost that much to get em cut.

Thanks for the info..I'll look into it..

Jason Balesdent · #6 05-12-2008, 10:06 PM

Just remembered about these. I've seen stick on lenses (Lee Valley maybe?) that you stick on inside safety glasses, just can't remember if they were bifocal style or simply magnifier lenses. Worth looking into maybe?

Jamie · #7 05-12-2008, 10:10 PM

Jester.. From your discription that sounds like exactly what is happening.

Do you use saftey glasses on the range or just regular glasses?
Get a pair of one strength glasses. I think your problems will be solved.

Jamie

John Spartan · #8 05-12-2008, 10:13 PM

I agree with getting a set of prescription glasses that you'd use only for shooting. The other thing I'd do is have your optometrist check your bifocal prescription - 30% of ocular prescriptions need further work to be right for their users. I'm lucky as my pre-bifocal prescription glasses interchange with my bifocals and I haven't noticed any difference in my shooting accuracy the last couple years.

Jester · #9 05-12-2008, 10:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Spartan

I agree with getting a set of prescription glasses that you'd use only for shooting. The other thing I'd do is have your optometrist check your bifocal prescription - 30% of ocular prescriptions need further work to be right for their users. I'm lucky as my pre-bifocal prescription glasses interchange with my bifocals and I haven't noticed any difference in my shooting accuracy the last couple years.

I have only been wearing glasses for 18 months so yeah this is still new to me..

btw....rainy days suck..lol

Big Bull · #10 05-12-2008, 10:43 PM

Jester, you may want to consult Dr. Barry Nolt in Edmonton. He is an optometrist and sport shooter that does do work with the specialized shooting glasses. It definitely wouldn't hurt to give him a call. I've added a link to his site in a post below.

Jason Balesdent · #11 05-12-2008, 11:03 PM

How do I find Info on this guy, I'd like to talk to him too.

Big Bull · #12 05-12-2008, 11:38 PM

http://shootersoptometrist.com/templ...urrent=AboutUs
Dr. Barry Nolt
10405 Jasper Ave. Edmt
780-423-2177

nekred · #13 05-13-2008, 11:42 AM

One thing i find very critical while wearing glasses for both archery and rifle is that they have to be the same position on my face all the time.

Part of my archery mental sequence there is a step for placing glasses in position....

Okotokian · #14 05-13-2008, 01:24 PM

get the prescription glasses.... and don't bother with the bifocal part. You don't need the close range part. You can always slip on your regular glasses if you need to fiddle with something close. Just get them done in your far vision prescription. And don't get them TOO tinted, as you will want to use them in low light sometimes. And get the brown/yllow tone rather than grey.

270WIN · #15 05-13-2008, 07:50 PM

Are you really using bifocals or are they progressive lenses which have no line between the long distance and the short distance section of the lens? I use progressive lenses for most every thing except shooting. For shooting, however, I found that, with progressives, unless you are looking through the lens in exactly the same place every time, your shots are going to be all over the place. This applies to rifle, shotgun and bow. It took me a while to figure this out after I started using the progressives. For shooting I now use bifocals and this has solved the problem for me. The correction in the top part of the lens is the same no matter where you look through it. Obviously though, if you are somehow looking through the bottom part of the lens when you shoot ( not sure how you could actually do this without dislocating your neck) or if the line is getting in the way, your going to have problems. If you can get along without correction for close up focusing the best solution is likely shooting glasses with a single prescription for distance. Whatever you do, stay away from the progressives for shooting.

Jester · #16 05-13-2008, 08:04 PM

Thanks for all the advice.I've only been wearing glasses for 18 months and it's a pain but oh well...I'm not getting any younger..

Quote:

One thing i find very critical while wearing glasses for both archery and rifle is that they have to be the same position on my face all the time.

I think this will help me alot...

archdlx · #17 05-13-2008, 10:59 PM

I have proggressive TRI-focals. Have had them since early '05. I shot 10 pigs with 11 shots, and seven rams with seven shots with a borrowed rifle that fall.
I had to make sure they were always set just right. That is why I missed the third pig. See pic below.
[IMG]

[/IMG]
Hope everything turns out o.k. for you Jester,
Archdlx