Wanted: Perscription Shooting Glasses

[MikeArthur]

currently shoot with a pair of Zeiss but my eyes are weaker now

are progressive or bi-focal lenses recommended for shooting? my current glasses are neither

thanks

Mike Arthur
Hampton Horse Artillery
Charleston, SC
843 412-1992:cool:

[Rich Foster]

Mike, I shoot with progessive lens. To use them for shooting you have to get the point of focal about 2mm lower which allows for more distance and less bifocal so the lower part does not interfere with your shooting part of lens. Progressive lens design is shaped like a hour glass with focal point in the middle and opens up like a hour glass without losing power. So you have more range of focal side to side. Where single vision lens the focal point is about 1mm and weakens as you move from that point. Only draw back is brightness. Single vision lens will gather more light where progressive has less. But I was more concerned to see my sights and target. Talk to your eye doctor or possible a techician that fills perscriptions. You will be amazed how much a well school technician knows about lens and latest clarity makes of lens. I hope this helps you. Rich Foster, Dismal Swamp Rangers

[Mike McDaniel]

Your best bet is a dedicated pair of shooting glasses. Talk to Dr. Toler at www.customsightpicture.com, get his kit, use it. I went to dedicated glasses six years ago, and my only regret is that I didn't do so six years earlier.

[bobanderson]

I spoke to mine about my hobby and what I was experiencing. She said, "How far do you live?" and when I told her it was less than 5 miles, "Go get your guns." She had me hold them up and she used a sample lens so I could focus on the front sight until it was clear. In the end she made me a pair of dedicated iron sight shooting glasses with a 1x prescription in my sighting eye, a plain lens in my left and my normal reading prescription in the lower bifocal lens on both.

That has worked for me for about 5 years now.

[Don Dixon]

Second Mike McDaniel's recommendation of Dr. Toler. He offers the most effective solution I've seen for the vision needs of the aging shooter. I've used his glasses for almost 20 years now, and recommended him to Mike. In that time frame I've qualified for the Distinguished Pistol Shot and President's Hundred Tab for pistol from the Civilian Marksmanship Program, the International Master Badge from the U.S. International Muzzle Loading Team, and the Distinguished Skirmisher Badge and Distinguished Shooter Badges for Revolver, Carbine, and Breech Loading Rifle from the N-SSA. Not too bad for a 65 year old who is legally blind without his glasses in most states, and profoundly astigmatic in his shooting eye. Among other things, Dr. Toler will locate the center of your prescription at the location in the glasses that you look through when you shoot, rather than at the center of the lens. Dr. Tolar holds the Distinguished Rifleman and Distinguished Pistol Shot badges, has shot on several national championship teams at Camp Perry, and is the former captain of the U.S. Army Reserve Pistol Team. So, he speaks "shooter" in additional to being an eye doctor. I only found three eye doctor's who could meet my needs as a shooter. Dr. Tolar is one. The other two are long gone.

I did not find progressive lenses an effective solution for shooting, although I use them for my standard vision needs. It is very difficult to CONSISTENTLY place the same location in the lens in relation to the sights for each shot.

Bob: Your doctor has a clue. But, how many doctors will encourage you to bring a gun into the office?

Regards,
Don Dixon
2881V

[bobanderson]

Bob: Your doctor has a clue. But, how many doctors will encourage you to bring a gun into the office?

Sadly, not many. A true professional will focus (no pun intended) on the customer's needs. This one, Dr. Renee Laliberte in Pinckney, MI, is a young woman who shocked me by making the suggestion. I have referred her to all of my friends in the sport.

PS - She also found the optical center of my sight picture and had the lenses ground for that spot. All this at no extra charge over the standard fees for glasses and frames.

[Kurt Lacko 7862]

I'm getting a "page not found" error message for www.customsightpicture.com (http://www.customsightpicture.com/), Is he still in business?

[Greg Ogdan 110th OVI]

Be careful about using progressives for shooting. Depending on the specific sesign, there can be a lot of optical "garbage" in the top portion, especially the further one goes from optical center and depending on how much astigmatism one may have. Bob Anderson's approach is, by far, the most wise; whether one uses a local optometrist or Dr. Toler.

[Don Dixon]

Dr. Toler is still in business. I saw him in late April in Richmond. Google "custom sight picture" and shooting. The site comes up then.

Regards.
Don Dixon

[Mike McDaniel]

That's the best part. He's reasonably young.

[bobanderson]

Bob Anderson's approach is, by far, the most wise...

"Bob Anderson" and "wise" together in the same sentence.

Whoda thunk it?

[0556V]

[QUOTE=Mike-Harts;23775]currently shoot with a pair of Zeiss but my eyes are weaker now

are progressive or bi-focal lenses recommended for shooting? my current glasses are neither

thanks

Mike Arthur
Hampton Horse Artillery
Charleston, SC
843 412-1992:cool:[/QUOte


http://neergaard.org/shootingsight/testlenses.html Might want to do some research on this first. You can probably use a +.75 diopter or +1.0 diopter shooting glass. Clearsight use to sell these but I do not think so any longer. Try a +1.0 set of reading glasses and see if that clears the front sight up for you. Do you have Russell's Email or his son Chris's email?

[Lou Lou Lou]

Bob

I brought my Smith to the optometrist in Long Island New York, no problem. Not exactly 2nd Amendment counrty. Not a problem, great results

[efritz]

As an added suggestion, if you go the shooting glasses route, get round frames. That way you can get two different lenes. One the next step up from what you currently need. As your shooting eye weakens you can swap out the lenes. This can only be done with round frames. It's also suggested that you only wear them when shooting since the powers will be different.