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Eye Glasses and shooting positions


jlbaugh72

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I've noticed recently that my eyeglasses sometimes move around when I'm shooting long guns. Getting that proper cheek weld and sight alignment in sometimes pushes the things out of alignment. And, with my brothers Kel Tec shotgun I can not see the front post at all through my glasses without serious contortion.

I can only assume I never noticed it with handguns because the focus point is nearly always the same. But, with long guns having the front sights further from the rear sights, I sometimes can't focus on the front sight because I can't see it.

This sounds like a simple repositioning would solve the issue but I'm wondering if any other shooters have encountered this with their eyeglasses and how they have permanently resolved it.

 

Have any of you with poor vision had a similar problem? Do you have special prescription glasses for shooting seperate from your daily lenses or do you just learn to deal with it? Next time I buy glasses I might be able to resolve it with a better fitting pair of eyeglasses but until then... I wonder if you all have any ideas.

Thanks again for all the education and help you all provide.

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I've noticed recently that my eyeglasses sometimes move around when I'm shooting long guns. Getting that proper cheek weld and sight alignment in sometimes pushes the things out of alignment. And, with my brothers Kel Tec shotgun I can not see the front post at all through my glasses without serious contortion.

I can only assume I never noticed it with handguns because the focus point is nearly always the same. But, with long guns having the front sights further from the rear sights, I sometimes can't focus on the front sight because I can't see it.

This sounds like a simple repositioning would solve the issue but I'm wondering if any other shooters have encountered this with their eyeglasses and how they have permanently resolved it.

 

Have any of you with poor vision had a similar problem? Do you have special prescription glasses for shooting seperate from your daily lenses or do you just learn to deal with it? Next time I buy glasses I might be able to resolve it with a better fitting pair of eyeglasses but until then... I wonder if you all have any ideas.

Thanks again for all the education and help you all provide.

 

If your glasses are moving around, it sounds like the frames and/or temple pieces need to be refitted. The prescription is based on the spectacles being in a specific distance directly in front of the pupils. The frames get out of alignment periodically. The staff at your eye doctor should be able to adjust them.

You can also buy the elastic strap, like athletes use, that attaches to the ear pieces. It may help keep the glasses in position.

There is also the option of wearing contact lenses.

 

If you solve the problem of the glasses moving around, you might consider the progressive lenses (no line bifocals) mentioned above. The eye doctor can also give you a prescription for shooting glasses, which will have the correct focusing point for the front sight on long guns.

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I noticed this problem just yesterday. Took my 870 slug gun, my Rock River AR and my 1911 out back for some target shooting. I'm still a dead eye with a shot gun but my POI tends to drift with the rifle. I wanted to think it was due to the elevated site but I know better than that. I also use a red dot that co witnesses. Honestly, I figure I'll just deal with it for now. I'm 53 and can still read up close well enough to fool my wife, so I've avoided glasses for the time being. If anyone asks I'll just tell em my AR is combat accurate.

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My buddy and I have this same problem when shooting with prescription glasses. He actually has it a bit worse than I do though. I just wear contacts when shooting now. I know that not everyone likes contacts, or can't use them, but if you can it's an option.

 

With a shotgun, you shouldn't even be looking at the sights unless you're shooting slugs at 50 yards and out. It's mainly target focused shooting. Whenever I aim down the rib and front sight on my shotgun on targets inside of 50 yards, I always do worse for whatever reason.

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I have to wear glasses, can't do contacts. I have had a pair of Wiley Xs made with the prescription and transition lenses. They are for safety and any shooting condition. With that said I am struggling a bit to understand your situation. Are your frames rubbing on the rifle? How are you not able to see the front sight? Your frames may be a little large for your face, take that into consideration next time you purchase a pair. Also it sounds more like your positioning on the firearm. Maybe its a combination of both. If you are finding yourself searching for the sights than it is 90% positioning. There should be a natural position, where you and the rifle come together comfortably and the sights just happen to be in your line of sight.

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I knew someone would say that. That doesn't help my, train for every situation, reason for posting though. Lol

If you need glasses...doesn't not having your glasses seem like a likely situation you should be prepared for? Having a quality red dot on a quick disconnect mount is valid advice. My eyes at 43 aren't what they were at 23. Having a red dot and being able to shoot both eyes open helps me tremendously. Having a red dot can help you mantain accuracy even in awkward positions since it doesn't require a cheek weld.

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I went through this at Appleseed. This isn't a good fix, but its a quick fix. To keep my glasses from moving around when going from different positions, I take those memory foam earplugs put it on the bridge of the glasses and smash it up against my nose. This also keeps the lenses from getting too close to your eyeball and fogging up. Gum will work too :)

 

I need new glasses, one for driving and one pair for shooting. To get the "shooting" glasses I tell my eye doctor that the distance from my eyes to my work computer is a little more than the length of my out stretched arm. That puts the focal point right about where the front sights of a handgun will be.

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I knew someone would say that. That doesn't help my, train for every situation, reason for posting though. Lol

If you need glasses...doesn't not having your glasses seem like a likely situation you should be prepared for? Having a quality red dot on a quick disconnect mount is valid advice. My eyes at 43 aren't what they were at 23. Having a red dot and being able to shoot both eyes open helps me tremendously. Having a red dot can help you mantain accuracy even in awkward positions since it doesn't require a cheek weld.

I want to train with and without a RDS. Using a Red Dot is easier for me just as you described. I was unclear I guess, the training with the iron sights is as a back up situation and partly why I never noticed the issue before.

 

Morgantron, my problem stems from the check weld. When I'm in my shooting position the frames of my glasses get pressed up on the shooting side ear and stay in place on the opposite side ear. This is probably due to an improper fit that will be resolved next time I go into the eye doctor. The problem with this is it either requires me to delay my shot and reposting my frames or I have to switch shooting positions which could throw off my point of aim.

In a defensive situation or applications in something like hunting where a delay could mean more than just a miss on paper, a delay or missed shot could make or break the day.

At the range it's not really a problem but in a stressful situation it could become a problem.

 

 

Those of you who have suggested possibilities and solutions in regards to the frames themselves have likely solved my problem and I thank you.

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With shotgun the shooter keeps both eyes open focusing on the target. Depth perception is necessary. Stock fit is just as important. Keep the eye ball in the cente of the eye socket.

This... I'm just getting back into shoggunning after maybe 10-15 years away, First time out on the trap range was a good baseline for "most improved." I was fixated on the nice fiberoptic front sight and sighting down the barrel. Fail.

 

I have a mild distance prescription which I don't wear much, but when I shot trap today, I wore them. The fuzzy front sight was much less distracting, and I broke into the double digits twice. Out of two rounds.

 

If you're doing precision rifle shooting, a good optic should get you squared away. they're called "backup" iron sights for a reason.

-dan

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I've got progressives, and they just flat don't work for shooting. The front sight ends out being close enough that I'm between mid- and close-up, which means I have to crane my neck and an incredibly uncomfortable angle to be able to see my front sight post. I ended out getting a set of mono-vision glasses made that focus right around 20-24" out and use them for both shooting and computer work. The target's a little blurry out past about 30 feet or so (my prescription is not that strong), but the front sight is in sharp focus, and that's really what's important.

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Seconding LASIK. I had the same issue with glasses while shooting, so I used contacts. But contacts get uncomfortable after a while, especially in indoor ranges with lots of particulate in the air. After several years of indecisiveness, I finally went through with it. Best money I every spent in my life. I made sure that the doctor was aware of my shooting habit and stressed that I need to be able to see the front sight. I also told him that I didn't want to screw up my ability to see a red dot. After the battery of tests, he reassured me that I would be very pleased with the results. He was completely correct.

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Another vote for LASIK.

 

Earlier this year, I passed the 16 year mark since getting my vision fixed.

 

At thr time of the procedure, I opted for a distance-distance correction, and intially I wound up with 20/15 in one eye and 20/20 in the other. Since I was over 40, I recognized that I would have to carry around a set of cheap readers/cheaters for fine print. Over the years my vision has changed to 20/25 to 20/30, so for almost any activity (except reading fine print), I do not require glasses.

 

One caution - not all people are candidates for LASIK!

 

-Keith

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