"Miracle" Old Fart Shooting Glasses

[Stevie-Ray]

I found the safety glasses with the built-in reader bi-focal worked for me. Got several pair from work when I retired. Eventually though, I started having problem with double-vision, (stacked headlights) and now have my first pair of prescription glasses at 62. They're progressives and seem to work well for my shooting, though scopes can be a bother.

 

[1MoreFord]

I related my current glasses configuration in another thread and will repeat it here.

My last two pairs of glasses are called occupational trifocals. Regular bifocals on bottom with distance vision above them and finally trifocals on top. Work great for me with pistols and working on computers. Nice for working intermediate distances overhead too.

 

[luzyfuerza]

Distance in left lens, intermediate (front sight) in right lens.

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This approach works great for me when shooting handguns. I can see the front sight clearly without having to move my head to find a sweet spot in a progressive, bi-, or tri-focal lens.

The only drawback is that glasses configured this way don't work very well for other shooting situations (e.g. when using a magnified optic on a rifle). When I'm shooting something with magnified optics, I switch to glasses with a distance/distance configuration.

Some women have a different pair of shoes for every outfit. I almost have different glasses for every gun.

 

[doubleh]

I orderer a pair of the glasses in the OP with tint. They are supposed to arrive today and I'll "see" what I can see with them. They should work as well as my current full lens readers and clip on shades with less weight.

 

[Doublehelix]

I orderer a pair of the glasses in the OP with tint. They are supposed to arrive today and I'll "see" what I can see with them. They should work as well as my current full lens readers and clip on shades with less weight.

Ummmmmm... I hate to say this, but the sunglasses are BIFOCALS and not FULL-LENS MAGNIFICATION. I made that same mistake and ordered a pair, and when they showed up they were bifocals. I was ticked, and when I looked into it, it turns out that Elvex does not make the full-lens magnification sunglasses. Dang...

I tried the bifocal sunglasses, and I can't shoot with them since you have to tip your head way back to see the front sight, and there is no way I could shoot an entire stage of USPSA with my head tipped back like that.

I don't understand why they make the full-lens magnified glasses in clear, but not in tinted.

 

[denton]

Best deal around on prescription glasses is zenni.com.

 

[doubleh]

Ummmmmm... I hate to say this, but the sunglasses are BIFOCALS and not FULL-LENS MAGNIFICATION. I made that same mistake and ordered a pair, and when they showed up they were bifocals. I was ticked, and when I looked into it, it turns out that Elvex does not make the full-lens magnification sunglasses. Dang...

I tried the bifocal sunglasses, and I can't shoot with them since you have to tip your head way back to see the front sight, and there is no way I could shoot an entire stage of USPSA with my head tipped back like that.

I don't understand why they make the full-lens magnified glasses in clear, but not in tinted.

Mine arrived today and they are bifocals. I didn't pay close enough attention to what I was ordering I suppose. I don't understand why they make clear but not tinted full lens readers either. Mine sit pretty high on my face and I may be able to use them. If not they will go back in a couple of days.

 

[SharpDog]

Do they fog up when it's hot and humid? Some glasses confine water vapor worse than others.

The Ranger 68's are designed not to fog.

 

[SharpDog]

That would require a new program for the mapping computer, not a cheap proposition, lots of R&D. It would also induce prism, as the OC and the PRP (prism reference point) must be the same to avoid unprescribed prism. Most OD's and MD's will not take the time to prescribe prism for such a lens, and many are not capable of it. (There is a formula used by lab techs to figure prism thinning for plus progressives that could be used, but unless your eye doctor had been a surfacing lab tech back before all the automation, they wouldn't know it.) It would also have tons of distortion throughout the lens, particularly trying to stretch the distance between the intermediate area and the reading area. A more workable solution would be to invert the Zeiss Continuum lens and set the powers so the distance power is on the bottom, and the intermediate on the top.

From what the OPticsRx lab manager said, they design the prescription on a computer and print the digital progressive lenses. She made one up for me to mimic bifocals since they could not do conventional bifocals in the Ranger 68's. That was at no cost to me.

 

[Eagle103]

Got mine today. I ordered a pair of .5 and a pair of 1.0. The .5 are just a bit blurry on the sights but the target stays almost perfectly clear. The 1.0 version gives me clear sights but the target starts to blur just a little. All in all I'd say they're awesome. I tried the SSP top focals as well as regular bifocal safety glasses and didn't care for any of them. For a typical 50 year old such as myself who has never needed glasses until now (just readers) this is a very cheap, workable solution. If your issues are more complex these likely aren't for you.

 

[Doublehelix]

Got mine today. I ordered a pair of .5 and a pair of 1.0. The .5 are just a bit blurry on the sights but the target stays almost perfectly clear. The 1.0 version gives me clear sights but the target starts to blur just a little. All in all I'd say they're awesome. I tried the SSP top focals as well as regular bifocal safety glasses and didn't care for any of them. For a typical 50 year old such as myself who has never needed glasses until now (just readers) this is a very cheap, workable solution. If your issues are more complex these likely aren't for you.

Awesome! I found that if the target is a "little fuzzy", after wearing the glasses for a few minutes, everything is fine. It might be a mental thing, but I don't notice the fuzzyness like I do with the bi-focal shooting glasses that drive me crazy.

As a side note, I ordered a pair of these sunglasses that have the magnified inserts in them (full-lens magnification) since Elvex does not offer theirs in a tinted sunglass format:

https://amazon.com/dp/B005QVO1OY/?c...olid=76D5Q07DJC88&psc=0&re f_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

I tried them on and walked around the house a bit, and then did a couple of minutes of dry fire, and so far, so good. I am planning a trip to the range today, and will see if I can put them to the test for a bit longer in a real-world situation.

 

[Snaktail]

would these work for a rifle? I currently use .5 diopter in my Williams Receiver sight and the front sight is 24" away...when I can see the front sight better I shoot better. Thinking of .75 diopter pair.
M

 

[Doublehelix]

As a side note, I ordered a pair of these sunglasses that have the magnified inserts in them (full-lens magnification) since Elvex does not offer theirs in a tinted sunglass format:

https://amazon.com/dp/B005QVO1OY/?c...olid=76D5Q07DJC88&psc=0&re f_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

I tried them on and walked around the house a bit, and then did a couple of minutes of dry fire, and so far, so good. I am planning a trip to the range today, and will see if I can put them to the test for a bit longer in a real-world situation.

OK, so I tried these out today for a couple of hours at the range... hot, humid and sweaty conditions.

They actually worked pretty well compared to some of the other solutions I have tried, especially the bifocal solutions. They are not as good as the Elvex "miracle glasses" that I referenced in my original post, but they are not bad, and I will definitely be able to use them.

I got the 1.25X magnification version, and while the front sight is pretty clear, my distance and mid-range vision is definitely a bit on the blurry side. These are issues I do NOT have with the Elvex glasses that I posted about originally. They are a good compromise however since Elvex does not make the full-lens magnification glasses in a tinted version.

They may not be a miracle, but they are the best solution for tinted glasses that I have found to date. I might want to try the 1.0X magnification version, but at $30 a pair, they are a bit more pricey than the $10 Elvex miracle glasses.

would these work for a rifle? I currently use .5 diopter in my Williams Receiver sight and the front sight is 24" away...when I can see the front sight better I shoot better. Thinking of .75 diopter pair.
M

No clue honestly, but for $10 a pair, it is a pretty easy experiment. Let us know if you decide to try them.

 

[doubleh]

I tried the bifocals out yesterday and they do work but with the head tilt thing which really annoys me. I found they also work with iron sights on a rifle with a 24" barrel. Of course what works for me me might not work for the next person. My progressive bifocals work just fine with the rifle with no head tilt so I have no need for the bifocals.At least they weren't expensive.

I did order a pair of the clear full lens readers yesterday afternoon and will see how well I do with them in my area's very bright sunlight.

 

[Doublehelix]

I tried the bifocals out yesterday and they do work but with the head tilt thing which really annoys me. I found they also work with iron sights on a rifle with a 24" barrel. Of course what works for me me might not work for the next person. My progressive bifocals work just fine with the rifle with no head tilt so I have no need for the bifocals.At least they weren't expensive.

Yeah, it sucks that Elvex does not make sunglasses in the full-lens magnification series. Did you see my post above (#38) about the Spits sunglasses? They worked pretty well for me, although not as well as the Elvex full-lens models, they are a decent compromise to get something that is tinted for the bright sunny days, although they are $30 compared to the $10 Elvex glasses, they are still relatively inexpensive.

I did order a pair of the clear full lens readers yesterday afternoon and will see how well I do with them in my area's very bright sunlight.

I really love these glasses, and I so wish Elvex would make a tinted version. At the last USPSA match that I wore them at, it was a bright sunny day, and normally I am a freak when it comes to needing sunglasses, but I made it through the day without issues. They do have some UV protection, although not tinted. Here is a quote from their product description:

"Polycarbonate lenses absorbs 99.99% of harmful UV A, B and C, 180-380nm"

I am not sure if that helped me when out in the sun or not, but I did not notice that I was squinting in the bright sun like I normally do. Probably just caught up in the match, but you never know...

 

[doubleh]

I saw your post about the Spits glasses and have it bookmarked in case the clear glasses don't work out.

 

[Doublehelix]

So I have had several long trips to the range this week (hot & humid conditions), and the sun was so bright, I only used the Spits sunglasses.

https://amazon.com/dp/B005QVO1OY/?c...olid=76D5Q07DJC88&psc=0&re f_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

I gotta say that I like them a lot. When I first put them on after wearing my normal everyday glasses, things are a bit fuzzy, but after wearing them for a minute or two, my eyes adjust almost immediately, and they end up working pretty danged well. Best sunglass solution I have found yet.

They are still not as nice as the Elvex full-lens magnification ones that I posted about originally, but on a sunny day, I will take them over anything else I have found so far.

I am in a much better place now than I was a couple of weeks ago when I was wearing my very expensive prescription insert SSP glasses.

 

[hso]

https://www.allaboutvision.com/over40/work_bifocals.htm