Any shooters with prescription lenses? I'm looking for advice.
Posted by Redrum_71@reddit | Firearms | View on Reddit | 42 comments
My eyes are getting old. I've enjoyed 20/15 vision my entire life until the past few years. My vision has steadily gone downhill. It's completely wrecked my ability to enjoy my hobby. Seeing an optometrist next week for the first time. Wondering what options might be most effective. Transition lenses? Single magnification lenses?
zombrian666@reddit
I tend to get transitions
HerezahTip@reddit
I got my glasses for cheap from Eyebuydirect, you just type the prescription in which you will get from your eye doctor visit. $80 for what I consider nice and like $40 for the daily abuse pairs. I wear my $40 pair at the range
2Drogdar2Furious@reddit
I've been in glasses since third grade and I'm 36 now... I wear regular muffs 90% of the time and it's fine. If im going to be out in them all day I'll switch to contacts.
I have more issues swimming blind than I do shooting with glasses lol
CigaretteTrees@reddit
I don’t have any vision problems but I’ve seen Hunters HD Gold prescription lenses recommended before.
weredragon357@reddit
Came here to recommend Hunters HDGold. Got them last winter, shoot 2 matches a month, love them so much I’m now wearing them all the time
HerbDaLine@reddit
I drive to the range with my bifocals [w\ the line] then I exchange them with standard safety glasses to shoot most of the time. Sometimes [10% of the time] I shoot with the prescription glasses with some added side protection.
I shoot my CCW with a 6 MOA green dot and can achieve 4 inch groups @ 10 yards with or without glasses. Same results with a 2 MOA red dot. My astigmatism is much less pronounced with the 6 MOA green dot.
I also shoot irons on a TX22 that is far easier to shoot. As the distance gets further the groups get wider than the green dot MC9L at equivalent distances. I attribute this to the green dot.
Stock_Block2130@reddit
I had access to a good optometrist who was also a big NRA booster. He had a pair of inverted progressives made for me. While they worked in that I could easily focus on the front sight, distance vision was so poor without raising my head that I stopped using them. Now I just wear regular progressives and focus on the target, letting the front sight go out of focus. This was at the suggestion of a good firearms instructor who also got me to shoot with both eyes open. If I need to look at something close up, like a notebook or clearing a jam, for example, the regular progressives work fine.
premium_direktsaft@reddit
That heavily depends on the kind of shooting you do. For all bullseye or issf-style shooting special shooting glasses are recommended. For dynamic shooting or if you don’t want to look like a nazi scientist you should go for single focal lenses. Bifocals are generally not recommended for shooting. If you have the budget, look at Champion shooting glasses or Müller Manching. Go to an optometrist who has experience with shooting glasses.
LedyardWS@reddit
I wear my OSHA approved prescription safety glasses or prescription sunglasses when I shoot, but my prescription is pretty mild.
Redrum_71@reddit (OP)
My problems are mostly with close up vision. Can't see the front post on a pistol or a scope reticle clearly.
Deeschuck@reddit
Try out a pair of 1.0 or 1.25 readers for the pistol sights. I have a similar issue, and they let me get the front sight in focus without messing up my distance vision too much.
For the scope reticle, you may need to re-adjust your diopter setting.
Rip1072@reddit
As others have stated, working with your Dr. Is key. As an aside, I added red dots to all my firearms and pleased with the outcome.
Redrum_71@reddit (OP)
I added red dots to all my firearms and pleased with the outcome.
I'm planning to do that with my EDC and home defense pieces, but I want to keep skills sharp with glass.
skunimatrix@reddit
There are companies that make shooting glasses with the bifocal at the top for shooting. I have a pair and it works wonders.
Redrum_71@reddit (OP)
That's pure genius. What brand are yours?
skunimatrix@reddit
I’ll check when I get home. They offer an instructors discount.
ReactionAble7945@reddit
Go to the doctor and figure out what you have going on. Then I can advise, but my best advice is to do the normal FIRST. By normal, I mean just regular glasses. No transitions, no alterations to how they make them.
I am hard on frames. I get the ones that bend and spring.
I have started buying sunglasses which fit over regular glasses. This works for some people, other people say it sucks. (For years I had a pair of prescription sun glasses.)
You need to get used to wearing glasses and figure out what YOUR issues are.
Then you will come up with ideas.
Redbaron-1914@reddit
Im not a fan of transitions (because of my job as a welder) but if you have astigmatism polarized lenses can help with illuminated optics.
If you get your vision corrected with glasses, contacts etc. you will be fine you may have to adjust the focus on your optics a little, and from what I understand bifocals can get in the way sometimes. I have always shot with glasses on and it’s never been a problem.
True-Grapefruit4042@reddit
I’ve worn glasses for the past decade but I’m fortunate that my vision without glasses is good enough to shoot with. I usually run sunglasses at the outdoor range with no issue, however if you need you can get prescription sunglasses. I have transitions but they’re not nearly as good as dedicated sunglasses.
Obviously if I’m at an indoor range I’ll just use my regular glasses.
Spug33@reddit
You can get "occupational" glasses, also called double-d, so you can see the front post. They work well but I ended up just transitioning to red dots.
https://rx-safety.com/product-category/master-safety-glasses/specialty-safety/double-segment/
DiscombobulatedLeg69@reddit
I moved to using a red dot on my handguns. However, because of my astigmatism I have to use a high quality dot and it needs to be about 3moa
Trooper1911@reddit
ESS with RX insert is my go-to
Salvage_Gaming99@reddit
I've always had blurry vision as a kid, so I just wear my regular glasses. (Not near sighted or far sighted, I actually can't see shit without them). I can see sights and everything just fine
Stelios619@reddit
Just get lasik surgery and stop worrying about it.
strangesam1977@reddit
It will depend on what is your vision issue (short sightedness, long sightedness, astigmatism, age related long sightness, etc) and what you are shooting, (scoped rifles, irons, pistol irons, reflex sights, ISSC, IPSC etc)...
Generally as a short sighted person (7 to 8/5 when corrected, which is 28-32/20 I think) with an astigmatism, and age related long sightedness, I use a single distance lens for most shooting, as I find my usual varifocals distort my sight picture. Scopes when properly adjusted are fine, (Most of mine are also AO/SF scopes due to the ranges I shoot at with them normally being 25/50m), red dots bloom due to astigmatism, Irons are becoming more interesting, and I am considering getting an intemediate prescription (between reading and distance) for using pistol irons as this is designed for focus at arms length.
Redrum_71@reddit (OP)
I was wondering about the challenges presented by different optics. Thanks for this. A couple of the brands I'm looking at offer discounts for multiple lense packages. Thanks for the info, it's helping me put together a great list of questions for the optometrist.
Polyphemic_N@reddit
Costco has good prices on frames and lenses. Once your rx is dialed in, that's a perfect place to start.
Emergency_Ad_5935@reddit
I found contacts worked best for me across the board when it comes to shooting/hunting.
kilroy-was-here-2543@reddit
I have single mag lenses. I use my regular glasses shooting indoors, and I have my prescription ANSI sunglasses for shooting outdoors
Gun_Dork@reddit
So, get your Rx and look up Hunters HD Gold. They can put your Rx into their lenses and you pick the frame. Use your HSA and you have some awesome, protective lenses.
Stoneski65@reddit
I had progressive lenses put on my shooting glasses and makes all the difference. No lines like in bifocals and no problem seeing at distance.
BAHGate@reddit
I am the opposite. I got single vision (distance) glasses just for shooting. My progressives were just too annoying to use.
midlife_dadpulse73@reddit
My eyes started to decline a few years ago as well.
I got progressives with no issues. I wasn't a fan of the transition lenses, they aren't fast and are absurdly priced. Better off with script sunglasses, IMO.
It was equally pleasing and crazy how much better I started to shoot, immediately, once I got my glasses.
Redrum_71@reddit (OP)
It was equally pleasing and crazy how much better I started to shoot, immediately, once I got my glasses.
This is inspiring to hear. Thanks for the spark of hope! I haven't really been to the range much since before Covid. Now my grandaughter is interested and it's been a real gut punch having these issues now that I'm trying to get back to the sport.
jbmoore5@reddit
I've worn glasses for distance vision since I was a kid, and was recently sentenced to bifocals as got into my late 40's.
I wear progressive bifocals with Transition tinting. The combo works pretty well for everything but sudden light changes.
The Progressives take a little bit to adjust to since there's no clear shift point from near-to-far, but they're working well for me.
As a bonus, my company provides me with safety glasses with exact same setup, so I have those to use when I shoot.
Redrum_71@reddit (OP)
The Progressives take a little bit to adjust to since there's no clear shift point from near-to-far
I'm hoping that companies specializing in prescription shooting glasses grind the transition with shooters in mind. (The unique head tilt/angle that shooting requires.) Gonna check Oakley and Pilla for this.
BlindMan404@reddit
It entirely depends on what's actually wrong with your vision. Don't be afraid to bring up that you like to target shoot and want advice on what will help for going from focusing short distance to long distance and using optical magnifiers.
BubbaGus2500@reddit
Are contact lenses an option for you? My vision isn’t terrible, but I do need correction, and I find shooting with my contacts in to be perfectly comfortable, but have more trouble when wearing glasses. If you do get glasses to wear while shooting (impact resistant as other mentioned), I’d say get the largest lenses you can find - one of my problems shooting with glasses on is that the edge of the frame often interferes with my line of sight on the sights, scope, or target.
Redrum_71@reddit (OP)
the edge of the frame often interferes with my line of sight on the sights, scope, or target
This was my concern as well. I hadn't considered contacts. I've been getting by with cheap 1.5X glasses from Walmart. I only have problems reading books, phone, pc, etc. So far, distance is fine. Knock on wood.
BarryHalls@reddit
I have had extremely good results going to a GOOD eye doctor and saying to them "I am a pistol shooter. I need clear vision at 30 yards." Last time the doctor sat with me and really dialed in my prescription. He showed me what the chart looked like with my old prescription, and my new one. I was 20/20 with my old one and 20/15 or better with my new one.
Furthermore, don't blow a ton of money on glasses. You won't want to replace them. Go to eye buy direct or zenni and order one good looking indoor pair, one transition or sunglass pair, and 2 of the big aviator or old school pedo-glasses looking ones for the range. You want it yo cover whichever angle you use for BOTH EYES really well.
Keep one of the shooting range glasses MINT while you use the other. When you find yourself straining to see detail, try the other pair, if you see that the MINTY one looks better than the one you have been using, you know the lenses are scratched or the coating is a bit worn or something.
I only ever get two, one to rock, one to stock, and I usually get about 4 years between exams before both pairs aren't good enough to read 0.0001" on a micrometer, then I go back for a new script and one or both eyes change by the smallest increment.
Tballz9@reddit
When I hit 50 my vision went down hill. I have to wear trifocal progressive lenses all the time. Along with the regular glasses I got a set of shooting glasses made. I shoot 50 meter static pistol and 300 meter rifle, so I got two zone lenses that covered up close and far away. I was asked to bring a target pistol to the optometrist so they could measure things and adjust the focal zones on the lenses.
Redrum_71@reddit (OP)
Price is not a consideration. Whatever it takes to get my eyes back.
I plan on checking out a Pilla dealer after I get a prescription.