Bifocal wearers what do you do?

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Use progressives, and have for twenty years. However, am getting lined bifocals for my iron sight shooting - the compromises that progressives make too keep you from getting car sick also contribute to a fuzzy target. Or that is what I have concluded. We'll see, going to the eye doc on Tuesday.
 
Progressive bifocals with astigmatism, squint weak eye to shoot handguns. Best thing I did was have prescription added to my Wayfarers because I practice outside.
 
Look into stick-on bifocals. They are flexible, can be cut to whatever size needed and when wet stick on to your normal eye glasses. I stick one on the upper left side of my right lens so that when the rifle is shouldered my sight line for the rifle sights is through it. The front sight is sharp but my normal vision is not affected. They are about $20 at Amazon.
Interesting. I'd never heard of those before.:)
 
I am near-sighted. Rather than the traditional bifocals, which are fuzzy and about useless between about 12" and 4 feet, mine were made to seamlessly cross over at about 16", since I worked as a repair technician. The advantage is that I can focus on a computer screen easily, see my car instruments well, see distances reasonably well for driving, and work with tools at normal distances without going out of focus.
The disadvantage is that I can't read printed matter unless it is 16" away, and distant objects are less distinct while driving than with optimum bifocal distance lenses.
Overall though, they work great. And, they work fairly well with open sights.

I'm in my 60's now and I find that I can still focus on open sights with such lenses as long as the front bead isn't too fine, although the target may be more fuzzy. Something similar with your reading lenses might work well for you.
 
I am in the TRI focal lens group.

First - TRUST yourself.

Second - focus on the front sight and the target. I know...sounds like basics class. Well, now, you REALLY need to master AND believe in the basics to get thru this. Slightly fuzzy front sight and clear target is your goal.

I prefer an orange front sight (finger nail polish works rather well - glow in the dark available as well)
 
Progressive lenses are your best bet for all around use, both shooting and everyday. For specialized types of shooting, there are other solutions. Lined bifocals are of no use to a shooter, as the focal length of bifocals is 40cm., about 16", too short for pistol shooting. That said, if you can get a set made for "intermediate" vision, >16" to 20', which have 1/2 the full reading add power, those would be of use for pistol shooting, though you would have to tilt the head as has been mentioned in other threads. Lined Trifocals or no progressives lenses can be used for pistol or rifle shooting with iron sights simply by tipping the head a little bit.
 
I wear progressives and they work well in most circumstances. Not so much, though, with shooting handguns with open sights.

I just had a set of dedicated monovision shooting glasses built. Both lenses are single focus rather than bifocal or progressive. The right lens is focused about 24 inches from my eye, which gives me clear focus on my sights. The left lens is set for distance, which gives me a sharp view of the target. It takes my eyes a few minutes to adjust to them, but they have really helped me tighten up my handgun shooting.

The downside is that it takes my eyes a lot longer to revert back to my normal glasses after using the monovisions than it does for my eyes to adjust to the shooting glasses. As a consequence, I make sure I shoot my rifles first before switching to the handguns.

I'm going to check out the stick-on bifocals. That might work better.
 
I'm near-sighted in my left eye and seriously far-sighted in my right eye, with a scarred cornea.
Glasses only work when looking straight ahead.
That's OK on the firing range, but stinks in daily life.
Even when driving I often have to close one eye when looking to the side or it gets too disorienting.
Needless to say, I usually don't wear glasses.
It has taught me to shoot ambidextrously, right handed on the range and left handed in self-defense practice.
 
Most of the info here seems to be oriemted toward seeimg pistol sights. What do the rifle guys use? Do progressives work for long guns? I have only bifocals, but I'm due to go back to the eye doc.

I shoot rifle irons, aperture. I have begun to use an occluder for the off eye. I have found that at some level of squint, with the off eye, makes the bullseye sharper in the aiming eye....?.....
 
Most of the info here seems to be oriemted toward seeimg pistol sights. What do the rifle guys use? Do progressives work for long guns? I have only bifocals, but I'm due to go back to the eye doc.

Ive worn progressives for a few years and Rifles really haven't effected me the way Pistol sights have. I'm guessing since the rear aperture is a lot closer to my face than when my arms outstretched for a pistol.


Since I just renewed my script a couple weeks ago I had my optometrist make me a set of "computer" glasses which will change my focal point more in line with where a handgun front site will reside. I am unsure if that will work though. I didn't have the chance to try them out before leaving on a long business trip.
 
I have used the stick-on bifocals for several years while rifle hunting. I have tri-focal glasses with not much correction for distance, more correction for computer use and even more correction for reading. The front sight is not sharp in the upper lens but is OK with the computer section but I lose cheek weld if I lift my head. With a stick-on bifocal on the inside of the right lens in the upper left corner my line of sight is through the stick-on and right down the open sights. I chose the diopter of the stick-on by standing about 2 feet away from the reading glass display at the store and trying different reading glasses while looking through my normal glasses until the display sign was sharp. I then ordered the stick-on set in that diopter from Amazon. About $20. I trimmed the stick-on to fit against the upper frame of the right lens. The final dimension was about 3/8" wide and about 3/4" long. Wet the stick-on and press it into place and let it dry. It can be peeled off and reused again by wetting and putting it in place. It stayed in place for over a month. My wife thinks I look a little dorky with the stick-on but.....
 
My last two pairs of glasses are occupational trifocals. Traditional bifocals on bottom, with distance vision above them, and finally trifocals at the top so I can see the sights sharply with a slight head down stance. They also work nicely for using computers. Mine are made of safety glasses thickness plastic lens with UV protective coating and anti-scratch coating. Very happy with them.
 
What id do is the same as I do for shooting my shotgun for sporting clays - my focus is entirely on the target, NOT the front site. I am nearsighted so my glasses are for distance. The sights are in the peripheral view. I tried without correction using plain glasses and the sights are perfect, but the target is blurry, especially past 5 yards or so. Since my centerfire handguns are mostly for SD/HD; the odds are I will be wearing my distance glasses so I might as well practice that way. I'm not going to win any competitions, but I can put all the shots in the COM at 10 yards good enough to disable/kill/stop any threat - and that is good enough for me.
 
For me progressives don't help when shooting a pistol. I can either focus on the sights or the target but not both. I have tried shooting with one eye open, then the other eye open then both eyes open... I found I shoot best with both eyes closed. YMMV.
Everybody is different. It is just hard for me to believe you can’t find a spot on the progressives continuum that allows you to see both the front sight and a target out to 15 yards reasonably clearly. Jus’ sayn’
 
I've gone from progressives to trifocals and back to progressives.

For me, red dots are the answer. Not possible to use in all situations, but the answer.

Yep! All my favorite range hand guns are slowly getting red dots! I don't compete so I don't know what the competition rules are around red dots.
 
For pistol shooting, I get a pair of generic readers in my bifocal correction...2.75. Stick on bifocals from Wally Mart for sunglasses are another option.
 
Just face it Tom, your going blind and don’t need your guns anymore. Have your FFL ship all your guns to mine and I’ll put them to good use. :D
Funny Gunny, you’re older than me. I was thinking I should come on down with a U
Just face it Tom, your going blind and don’t need your guns anymore. Have your FFL ship all your guns to mine and I’ll put them to good use. :D

Gee Gunny you wish. The peeps are fine other than close distance getting a bit fuzzy. Distance is amazing.

If I’m not mistaken, you’re much closer to kicking the bucket than I am. Maybe I should bring a truck and trailer down and help you with your cleaning project! Lol
 
Funny Gunny, you’re older than me. I was thinking I should come on down with a U


Gee Gunny you wish. The peeps are fine other than close distance getting a bit fuzzy. Distance is amazing.

If I’m not mistaken, you’re much closer to kicking the bucket than I am. Maybe I should bring a truck and trailer down and help you with your cleaning project! Lol
Yes, I am older but still see pretty good. Just need reading glasses. Now I don’t plan to live forever, but don’t plan on checking out any time soon.
The last time I almost died the Devil didn’t want me and the Marine Barracks in Heaven were full.
 
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