Trouble seeing your sights? Chime in please!

[Hood886]

I'm an eye doctor in northwest GA. I've also done my fair share of shooting competitions from highpower, 3 and 2 gun matches, steel challenge, uspsa, ect. Of course while attending these events there is always someone talking about how they can't focus on their front sight. I've been experimenting around with fixing these issues and think I've gotten it down pretty well. I've done a decent amount of contacts and glasses for cops and 3 gun guys to help them focus on their front sights and have worked with a distinguished highpower shooter to dial in what he needed.

I'd like to hear what other types of vision related issues y'all might be having while shooting? It would help if you could describe the situation in as much detail as possible along with what firearm you are using. Just trying to figure out a solution to any issues that might walk through my door.

Disclosure: Nothing that I say in this thread is or should be taken as medical advice.

Mods, please move if this is in the incorrect section.

 

[Cruisers460]

I'll have to follow along on this. At 60 I find that pistol sights are a problem, muscle memory helps more than anything else I've tried!

 

[BCM1323654788]

In for info. My dad recently complained about having trouble seeing iron sights.

 

[Hood886]

While we wait for others, I'll explain why your near vision starts to go bad. Everyone is born with an adjustable lens inside the eye "unless you are very unlucky". This lens is what allows us to adjust our focus and see things up close. Well it does a pretty good job up till around ~44. At this point the lens inside your eye has started to change. The lens is no longer as flexible as it once was, this lack of flexibility causes you to start loosing the ability to focus. In the early 40's you'll start noticing things have to be pushed out a little for you to see them clearly, in the 50's it's even worse and eventually "typically" mid-late 50's - early 60's you've got no focusing ability left and you are stuck being focused at distance. At this point front sights on most firearms will be out of focus for you. This will happen to everyone as long as you make it this far in life. So this makes my job sort of a balancing act. Trying to sharpen that front sight up without destroying your distance vision.

 

[Mr. Booshie]

@eyeh8cem

 

[Torn]

I’m 56 and I have a cataract in my right eye which is creating blurred distance vision and also triple vision when acquiring target with sights. I am right eye dominate and always shot with both eyes open, but now I have to shoot pistol using my left eye only and adjust my hold to accomodate. For rifle I have started using Vortex red dots which has helped. Hope to get surgery soon to correct it.

 

[Plinker66]

My eyes starting getting stiff the day I turned 40.

 

[palmettomoon]

Pistols no problem. Rear aperture on a military rifle? I get dang "line" in my sight picture. No matter the diameter of the aperture. It slices my sight picture like a prism so I have to "decide" which target I'm going to shoot. I am shooting master scores but I think with a clear sight picture I could do better. I have scratches on both right and left lenses.

 

[rockyfatcat]

While we wait for others, I'll explain why your near vision starts to go bad. Everyone is born with an adjustable lens inside the eye "unless you are very unlucky". This lens is what allows us to adjust our focus and see things up close. Well it does a pretty good job up till around ~44. At this point the lens inside your eye has started to change. The lens is no longer as flexible as it once was, this lack of flexibility causes you to start loosing the ability to focus. In the early 40's you'll start noticing things have to be pushed out a little for you to see them clearly, in the 50's it's even worse and eventually "typically" mid-late 50's - early 60's you've got no focusing ability left and you are stuck being focused at distance. At this point front sights on most firearms will be out of focus for you. This will happen to everyone as long as you make it this far in life. So this makes my job sort of a balancing act. Trying to sharpen that front sight up without destroying your distance vision.

This is exactly what I deal with. I end up with 1.5 reading glasses low on my nose. I can see fine for most things. But if I have to read something or do fine detail work I have to slide the glasses up.

My employer wants me to wear safety glasses. I just can’t find anything that works for me. If I have to I will either swap to a full reader lens glass just for working with a power tool for long enough to do something. Or wear two glasses at the same time. My readers and an oversized pair of safety glasses over them.

I would love to find a better solution

 

[Hood886]

I’m 56 and I have a cataract in my right eye which is creating blurred distance vision and also triple vision when acquiring target with sights. I am right eye dominate and always shot with both eyes open, but now I have to shoot pistol using my left eye only and adjust my hold to accomodate. For rifle I have started using Vortex red dots which has helped. Hope to get surgery soon to correct it.

That's a bummer! Cataract surgery should help a ton, it's not going to get the up close any clearer but should be night and day difference for your distance vision. Luckily cataract surgery is probably one of the most advance and none invasive surgeries to date so I bet you'll do great.