Trifocals for shooting open sights?

[PO2Hammer]

Just ordered my dress glasses, lined bifocals, will be replacing my 8 year old safety glasses next.
I am too frustrated with progressives to order them again.
Can’t afford pure shooting glasses.
Thinking of going with lined trifocals. Top distance, mid hopefully just right for shooting open/peep sights, bottom for reading.
These would be impact rated polycarbonate with side shields and anti reflective coating.
Anyone have success shooting open sights with trifocals?
Other ideas?

 

[allisd17]

I have both progressive and trifocal glasses. YMMV, but for me, with either type, it is impossible to get decent focus on both the sights and a 100 yd target. 50 yards is not as bad and 25 yards easier still. I have iron sight rifles that are capable of < 2 MOA accuracy, but my eyes are the weak link.

 

[W.E.G.]

NO.

Get a set of glasses that are dedicated correct for only the front-sight-distance you will be holding the gun.

I use 0.5 correction for front sight shooting 1911 pistol.

I need 1.5 for most reading tasks.

 

[RKRCPA]

I have been wearing progressives for a very long time and have no difficulty with iron sights. You quickly adapt and learn what part of the lens to use, just like learning to see printed matter.

 

[nettlle]

Progressives work well for me also.

 

[trackskippy]

You want the proper correction (for the sights) in the top part of the lens. It puts the magnification you want where you need it, and you don't have to move your head.

I use these guys for my safety/shooting glasses. They can be a tad expensive, but once you figure things out and how you want them set up, they work great. Seem to hold up pretty well with daily use too.

Premium Shooting and Safety Glasses | SSP Eyewear | Tactical Glasses

Find the Perfect Balance of Safety and Style With SSP Eyewear's Top-Quality Shooting and Protection Glasses. Experience Superior Comfort and Protection for Every Adventure.

sspeyewear.com

"top focal" is what you're looking for.

 

[Lefty38-55]

Also try this, see the link below ... as now I can SEE the front sight in SHARP focus! It worked on my progressives for my rifle shooting, but note that my Rx - and experience with all this - could be quite different than what you may experience, but it is cheap enough ($0) to try! However, not bragging, but I just did that for my Winter milsurp offhand shoots (nothing later than an M1A) and of the 13 matches I've entered so far, I have eleven 1st place and two 2nd place finishes.

Can't see the sights clearly any more? ADD an aperture to your shooting glasses!

FYI, Merit Optical makes 'stick on' ones, they were off the market or otherwise unobtainum for a while, but this link says they are allegedly back in business, see www.meritcorporation.com But ... here's a simple, effective, and highly inexpen$ive DIY solution! Like many of us I'm sure, my...

www.thehighroad.org

 

[entropy]

While W.E.G. is right as far as rifle and pistol paper punching is concerned, (1/2 of full reading correction is good from about 20 inches to 20 feet, this is called the intermediate add power) you want to practice defensive shooting, whether rifle, shotgun, or pistol, with your 'street' glasses, that is, the pair you will be wearing when going about your day. I have a special pair of single vision glasses with the optical center set up high for shotgunning, (and yes, I wear them when hunting with a shotgun) but all my defensive shooting practice is done with my everyday progressive lenses, except for when I will practice close (3yd.) low light shooting. (simulating waking up and having to pick up my bedside gun and fire without donning my glasses.)
If you want a pair of glasses for pistol or rifle iron sights, ask your eye doctor to write out a separate 'computer glasses' Rx set for @ 30-35".

 

[chicharrones]

I've had lined tri-focals and progressives. For my near sighted vision, I prefer progressives as the lines mess with my vision too much.

Conversely, I've known far sighted people that preferred lined tri-focals as the lines blurred from view for their vision type.

Regardless, I've all but given up on trying to see iron sights in focus anymore, whether aperture type or not. So, I either use those sights in a somewhat blurry to completely blurry condition. Otherwise, you could say I'm at red dot and magnified optic age now.

 

[Pudge]

Red dots work best for me. Progressives were a huge improvement for me. Had some very aggressive cataracts removed, and the improvement in my distance vision is fantastic. Need readers for iron sights, but again, red dots work best for me.

 

[gwpercle]

Tri-focals sound good but don't work for open sights .
I've been trying it since 1985 .
The best is distance focal length and a Red Dot sight or scope .
A Millet Red Dot SP-1 on handguns let me shoot again and nothing else worked near as well .
Gary

 

[Big_Al]

I do pretty good with progressives. Didn't care for the lined bifocals.

 

[hemiram]

I can't stand bi/trifocals, lined or not. I got monovision lenses in my eyes when I had cataract surgery, and I can see the front sight well enough that way. I wear safety rated glasses for eye protection and just to see the target a little better. If seeing was my problem, I would be thrilled. My main issue at this point is sore hands and my back.

 

[tdbmd]

Just ordered my dress glasses, lined bifocals, will be replacing my 8 year old safety glasses next.
I am too frustrated with progressives to order them again.
Can’t afford pure shooting glasses.
Thinking of going with lined trifocals. Top distance, mid hopefully just right for shooting open/peep sights, bottom for reading.
These would be impact rated polycarbonate with side shields and anti reflective coating.
Anyone have success shooting open sights with trifocals?
Other ideas?

The shooting glasses from SSP work well with a magnifier in the top instead of the bottom of the glasses. And not very expensive.

 

[entropy]

Here's another option; this is how Olympic level shooters do it.

Target Shooting Accessories | Champion Accessories | JHS Eyewear

Target shooting accessories for Champion, Junkers and other prescription shooting glasses. Explore our range of target accessories for pistol, rifle and archery.

jhs-eyewear.com

@Dave DeLaurant can probably explain these options better than I can. I did use the iris attachments for competition rifle shoots as an ROTC cadet, these are much more advanced than what I used.

 

[Chuck R.]

What works for me, is an eyeglass version of "mono-vision" for pistol shooting.

I have my optometrist make a prescription for front sight distance for my right lens, and distance for my left lens. Sort of like they do for contact wearers. My brain can apparently switch back and for depending on what I'm focusing on.

There are still issues like shooting off of left side barricades because I have to get my head further out to see the TGT and front sight, but overall it works pretty well

 

[doubleh]

In my humble experience lined bifocals are annoying and trifocals aren't worth a damn for anything. Progressive were so much better and great strides have been made with them since I started wearing them. They were good then but much better now. The best deal out there IMO is when your cataracts are removed. No glasses at all needed except for reading small print.

 

[Oldschool shooter]

I wear progressives and they work well for me. When I get fitted and a prescription I tell them I am a shooter and the "middle" of the lenses need to be good for seeing the sights on a handgun or rifle. They always usher me to a back office when I go to pick my glasses up. I have a CPL and bring an unloaded handgun to make sure the sights are visible. Of course, I have a loaded magazine in my pocket. For me, if I can see the pustol sights well, it will work for my rifle sights, too.