Presbyopia

[lanedh]

In 1968 my eyesight was good enough to let me win the Tenth Naval Pistol Championship at GTMO ("Pearl of the Antilles"). I haven't shot since then until recently, when I noticed that all my sights have grown fuzzy due to presbyopia (old folks' eyesight).

I could move the rear sight forward to get a sharper sight picture, but that would shorten the sight radius quite a bit. Cabela's catalog offers a couple of devices like a peep sight, except the gizmo clips to glasses frames or sticks to the lens with a suction cup. Does anybody in our merry band use such, and would you recommend one or the other?

With warmest regards and compliments of the season,
Bluejacket

 

[RC]

i've seen them used by a couple guys,,and they swear by them...one won't shoot without it...actually says he can't shoot without it..i won't be afraid to try it......course may have to pretty soon....the ole peepers aren't what they was! hope it helps! RC

 

[silverfox]

They work for those of us who need them. Try this make a fist (loose) put it close to your eye and look though the hole you made. Now look at a distant object and close the hole your looking through some and watch the object get clearer. If this works that clip on the glasses will work wonders.
Fox :thumbsup:

 

[Many Klatch]

Blue Jacket. Some matches or shoots specifically prohibit using sight helpers on your glasses. Then again there are some that don't. I reckon that is up to your local club.

I found that when I use a good pair of no line bifocals that somewhere in the lense I will be able to actually see the target and front site or rear site and front site, but not always all three. That is one reason why I shoot smoothbore the most now, no rear sight to mess with.

Many Klatch

 

[twotoescharlie]

I have been using a homemade one for 4-5 years
made out of a pair of clip on flip up sunglasses.
locate and drill small hole paint flat black, trim to size, remove lens on opposite side. works as good as the high dollar ones and cost about $3.00

TTC

 

[guncobbler]

Some folks take a leather punch and cut a small hole in black electrical tape. Put the tape on your shooting eye stand up to shoot! Get a lotta tape for $3 GC

 

[ldykeman]

I find I can use a tang mounted peep and a fiber optic front sight well. I know the fiber optic front sight isn't PC, but it works for me.
Larry

 

[renovato]

I have recently began using the Merit stick on with my shooting glasses. It really helps increase the depth of field and sharpness of the sights. My eyes had gotten so bad that I had been putting optics on several guns. I was at a loss as to what to do about my muzzleloaders though. This thing is a Godsend!

 

[Wes/Tex]

On a similar track, have an old magazine that shows the contents of an old shooting bag. One of the items is a pair of the old wire frame glasses that has the right lense replaced with blackened tin and a small hole drilled at pupil level. Looked like the thing for us whose arms are too short!! :rotf:

 

I know several guys who use these in metalic cartredge high power rifle cometition. They swear by them. I have recently noticed adds for them in a trap shooting magazine I get. been thinking about getting one.

 

[roundball]

Don't know exactly what kind of shooting or precision you're after, but another alternative for basic improvement in sight clarification that might work for you are just a pair of inexpensive reading glasses.

I have 61 year old eyes and fortunately still don't wear prescription glasses, however I have used progressively stronger drug store reading glasses for years...up to 2.5 dioptors now...rifle sights started getting fuzzier a couple years ago.

Since I always want some sort of eye protection at the range, I decided to try full size 1.25 and 1.50 dioptor reading glasses and found that they work fine and give me some eye protection...they sharpened the sights a lot and still kept 25 & 50yd targets clear enough for good shooting.

 

[bob308]

put tape on your glasses over your shooting eye with a hole in the tape for you to sight through.

moving the rear sight forward does not hurt with the short sight radius. i have shot againest guys with the sight almost to the end of the stock on a half stock and they did right well with that set up.

 

[Bob Riegl]

:hmm: Well a trip to an optometrist ( who isn't afraid of guns" can help set you up for a lens that will work. As a competitive pistol shooter I do not hesitate to use an iris (Merit) to assist in clearing up sights. After cataract surgery my eyes are now 20/20 (l); 20/25 (r), but, I still need an iris to clear things up. :thumbsup:

 

[Birddog6]

I suggest ya try one of the suction cup diaopters before ya buy one,or you may end up wasting the money as I did. All it did for me was reduce the lighting & actually made sighting worse for me rather than helping. I just get by the best I can with perscription glasses.

 

[BillinOregon]

Most of the older silhouette shooters I have shot with use Merits. Lyman now makes a very simple version of the Merit without an adjustable iris, but it goes for about $17. I have one, like it.