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Thread: Old target shooter needs advice

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    Old target shooter needs advice

    As the population ages so does those into the shooting sports. My biggest problem is I can either have the front sight of my target pistol in focus or the target in focus but not both at the same time. Regular bifocals don't work and I've heard tri-focals and progressives don't either. Two companies, Hyskore and Merit make a device the sticks to glasses with suction cups. You can increase depth of field by opening or closing the iris, but have not read any reviews. Anyone here know a better solution? The front sight is arms length and the target anywhere from 25 to 100 feet away. Probably a huge market for something that works for us 50+ shooters.

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    If you must use sights for pistol use, there are scopes for them.
    Very unlikely that you can get glasses that will allow you to see both sights (I am 66, shoot with iron sights on both short guns and long guns and have never personally had a problem, and I do wear trifocal and progressives) and a distant target.

    Always focus on the target, not the sight. The sights tend to take care of themselves. Now if I could just bring myself to allow a surgeon to fix my trigger finger (a condition, where the finger jerks from old tendons).

    Chip

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    I have scopes and red dots, but there are no mounts for my cz75b. Also, hate the look of anything on top of a revolver. You say you have no problem. Does that mean you ignore the sights being totally out of focus and the target sharp?

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    What other eyecare related field are you in?

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    not eye care. optics.

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    Often shoot pistol without bringing to eye. Rifles I don't have any trouble seeing both rear and forward sight. I try to focus on the target, even young people can't have all three in clear focus at the same time. Often think the problem is more of a mental thing than a mechanical one. If I have the target in good clear focus, the sights are fuzzy but in allignment with target. Now if if were foolish enough to concentrate on either sight, the target would be fuzzy and I would probably miss hitting it.

    Chip

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    I'm so used to looking through glass that it's hard for me to get used to having the thing I'm aiming at be blurry. It might well be mental. I know in plate shooting it doesn't matter, but target is a different story and that's what I do mostly.

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    Anyone try the Shamir Office or Nikon Online for this type of problem? I think it should work pretty well.

    I frequently have patients bring in their firearm and measure the distance to the front sight. Trial frame the Rx if you need the pt to understand what you are doing.

    I'm 45 and not yet wearing a bifocal, so I can't speak from personal experience, but I am an NRA certified Rifle and Shotgun Instructor and frequently deal with this problem on the range.

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    Master OptiBoarder rbaker's Avatar
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    Back in my day (wooden ships and iron men) my Marine corps taught me the finer principals of marksmanship. This was back in the late fifties and the M1 Garand was the primary infantry rifle of the military. It's predecessor, the Springfield, Garand and the Carbine were all equipped with rear peep sights (no wimpy glass here.) We were instructed to keep our focus on the target and not on either the front or rear sight. The sight picture thus obtained presented you with a very blurry rear peep image and ,in many cases, a lesser blurred front sight. Guess what? That's the proper sight picture and having the peep and post blurry does not effect marksmanship in any way. Most of us could fire a ten round twelve inch group at 500 yards, prone with the trusty M1.

    This is my rifle. There are many like it, but this one is mine. My rifle is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I master my life. My rifle, without me, is useless.

    Without my rifle, I am useless. I must fire my rifle true. I must shoot straighter than any enemy who is trying to kill me. I must shoot him before he shoots me. I will....

    My rifle and myself know that what counts in this war is not the rounds we fire, the noise of our burst, nor the smoke we make. We know that it is the hits that count. We will hit...

    My rifle is human, even as I, because it is my life. Thus, I will learn it as a brother. I will learn its weakness, its strength, its parts, its accessories, its sights and its barrel. I will keep my rifle clean and ready, even as I am clean and ready. We will become part of each other. We will...

    Before God I swear this creed. My rifle and myself are the defenders of my country. We are the masters of our enemy. We are the saviors of my life. So be it, until victory is America's and there is no enemy, but Peace.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails sight.jpg  

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    One of the best replies I've ever had on any subject on any forum. Thanks rbaker. And thanks to the others also. Guess blurry targets are the norm. But I still would love both front sight and target to be crisp. Guess I'm asking too much.

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    Master OptiBoarder rbaker's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by tvtv View Post
    One of the best replies I've ever had on any subject on any forum. Thanks rbaker. And thanks to the others also. Guess blurry targets are the norm. But I still would love both front sight and target to be crisp. Guess I'm asking too much.
    Actually, they probably were both in focus up to the age of two.

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    Think you misse Mr. Baker's and my point. No blurry target, look at target do whatever you have to do, wear whatever you have to wear to get target in focus. Blurry sights are fine, you will hit the target just fine.

    What I ment by mental thing is one doesn't worry about focus up close (even though you can't see the sights "beyond the age of two" while fixating on the target) one doesn't worry about near vision until it becomes a problem needing bifocals. Then one begins to notice that one can't see up close without help, and worry about the sights.
    Just watch the target and forget the sights. Did you ever see a bow hunter look at the arrow when shooting?

    Did Ad Toperwein ever take time to aim with a sight ?


    Chip

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    One of my patients came in this week looking for this product. I had never heard of it so looked it up. I make no claims about it, but the patient had heard good things about it.

    http://www.eyepalusa.com/main.html

    Lee

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    We have used the following method successfully for a few decades.

    You can place a round seg at the top of a lens instead of the bottom for a great "shooting lens." The seg should be placed right over the top of the pupil when your head is in it's distance aiming position. It allows you to see distance through the lens, but you can lower your head slightly to see the sights. It works pretty well.

    You just need an experienced lab to do it, because you essentially lay the lenses out eye for eye when blocking for your generator. Then you can flip them upside down before edging and the optics will line up properly.

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    Master OptiBoarder rbaker's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by PLStout View Post
    One of my patients came in this week looking for this product. I had never heard of it so looked it up. I make no claims about it, but the patient had heard good things about it.

    http://www.eyepalusa.com/main.html

    Lee
    A pinhole will certainly increase depth of field but will cause a great reduction in field of view and both light amplitude and contrast. Reducing light amplitude and contrast is not a good thing on the range and reducing the field of view doesn't work too well in the field (hunting, self defense or war fighting.)

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    Pinhole sights are fine for target shooting, but as far as moving targets or even still ones where target location in short period of time is important, they just don't make it.
    For hitting a nice little piece of paper that doesn't move and you have located with the naked eye, they are O.K. Might be O.K. for very distant game that can't see you that have been prelocated in a spotting scope or with binoculars. Definitely not for anything that can shoot back.

    Chip

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    Definitely not for anything that can shoot back.
    Target clear
    Nice self defense handgun
    15 + rounds
    For everything else, theres mastercard.:bbg:

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    We teach shooters to concentrate on the front sight. The front sight is what I set the Rx for(actually slightly beyond works best), not the target. This is what works for the target shooters that I work with, many of which compete at Camp Perry.


    http://www.scribd.com/doc/13027534/i...smanship-guide

    Page 17 (scan page 21/135) section 4b may be helpful.

    When you check your target through your spotting scope you can easily compensate for the induced myopia.

    P.S. For pistols,I like fiber optic front sights (different colors at different times, but I'm growing fond of the green and orange is a close second)
    Last edited by Uncle Double; 05-14-2009 at 09:15 AM. Reason: add info

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    Bad address email on file Karlen McLean's Avatar
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    From Ask the Labs column, Eyecare Business

    Q What lenses are recommended for extreme shooting tasks?

    A There are two considerations when evaluating an Rx used for shooting. If the marksman is using a scope, or is not presbyopic, they need their normal distance Rx.
    On the other hand, when shooting a rifle or pistol, the focus is on the front sight of the gun. If they're presbyopic, then their Rx needs additional plus correction. This requires a customized, shorter focal length depending on the distance to the front sight. The lenses must be high-impact resistant material—for example, polycarbonate or Trivex.
    The most commonly utilized lens tints for shooting tasks are shades of yellow, vermillion (red), and copper (orange). Typically, yellow is cited for general shooting, vermillion for hunting and target shooting, and copper for clay target shooting.

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    this is why i was looking for a double seg exec. the gentleman wanting this is using it for shooting. he wants to see the sight on his hand gun while shooting. this is a retired colonel(sp) and provo marshall and he is set in his ways on wanting the double exec.

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    You could: Get a single seg, and do a Franklin for the top.

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    I was quite distracted a few weeks ago when I went target shooting after a 20 year hiatus to find I could not see the front sight to save my life! My progressives were no help. I concentrate on the target when I pull the trigger, but in the past I always focused up a split second to center the target in the sights. Why wouldn't a flat top work? I could set it a little low, so I only have to lift my chin a little to focus sight.

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    Quote Originally Posted by cybersky View Post
    I was quite distracted a few weeks ago when I went target shooting after a 20 year hiatus .
    What were you shooting and in what position? Here's an exercise to try: get your firearm and assume your shooting position. Take a lens marking pen and while you are looking thru your sights. mark the lens where you are looking thru (you might need someone else to mark the lens.) move your head up a little and mark again. When you take your glasses off and look at the marks you may change your mind about what you are willing to do. By the way, I've been playing around with Nikon Online and Shamir Office lenses with pretty good results. However, YMMV.

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