Total newbie question - Reading Glasses

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scallen2112

scallen2112

Member
Jan 20, 2019
212
64
Georgia, United States
Hi everyone. Time for newbie questions.

I've always been a fisherman. What hunting and shooting I have done is decades behind me. But since retiring, I have been looking for hobbies - especially during the winter when the coastal fishing here just isn't that good. Having squirrel and rabbit hunted with a .22 in my youth, and having earned the Expert Marksman ribbon three times in the Air Force, I thought I might give air gunning a try. So I broke out the trusty 760 (y'all can laugh here) and went to plinking to see if I still had it before spending money on a modern air rifle. I made up a couple of home made splatter targets, and went to work. Conclusion? I can't hit the side of barn. A big barn. A 4-7/8" group at 20 yards (iron sights) means it just isn't looking good for a pot of squirrel and dumplings.

The problem is I just can't see any more. I should have known this from trying to shoot pool. I can either put the reading glasses on and focus on the cue ball, or take them of and focus on the ball down the table, but I can't do both at the same time. Same with the iron sights; I can either focus on them or the target, but not both. But not one to give up, and seeing the accuracy of modern air rifles with a scope, I am wondering if that is the way to go. But honestly, I have never shot with a scope in my 53 years of life and don't know a darn thing about them. So, the question is: will I be able to even use a scope and will I have to wear the glasses or not to shoot?

Thanks for any information.


 
I'm both far-sighted and color-blind, so not only can it be an issue focusing when using scopes, 
if the cross hairs are illuminated red or green [which mine are] I lose them on anything 'green'. haha

Colors aside.. When I'm not being lazy, I do the same thing that RamJet66 mentioned..

I use Dollar-Store "reading-glasses". The lenses offer different magnification levels, 
so you can get like 1x, 1.5x, 2x, etc..

I'm supposed to wear my prescription reading glasses - for doing anything up-close, but I don't..

When doing things like precision soldering, TIG welding, even extended reading, 
these cheap little glasses really do the trick!

The glasses are cheap enough that I used to have a few sets of each - stashed in different places..
Then I just used the ones that worked best depending on what I was doing..

Sam -
 
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Hi Scallen2112,

Your question is kind of a common one for guys and gals past the 40 year old mark. I have had it asked to me many times at my old job.

I'm new to modern air rifles myself. My experience really comes more from the powder burner side of the street. 

Anyways technically a good rifle scope (I mean a good one) will become your glasses. When properly adjusted for your eye the magnification should make up the difference for a pair of glasses. However if your eyes have just gone really bad you may need a little extra help with a light prescription or maybe you can get away with cheaters?

Your other choice and also a very good one is to look into a red dot sight. Many old timers myself included find this to be a great way to hit your target. They can be limiting for distance and size of target, but there are many good red dot sights for rifles on the market today.

Do a little research and see if this helps? If it becomes confusing and it can. Come back with your questions before you buy and the guys around here will steer right and save you some money.

Good Luck,

Eamon


 
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Scallen 2112,

In re: iron sights, you can't focus on your rear sight, front sight, and target at the same time. Physical impossibility...not age.

As in shooting a handgun, when shooting an iron sighted rifle, your focus...and I mean entire focus, should be on your front sight. The front sight is centered and level in a blurry back sight, and crystal clear on a blurry target. There is no other way. You CANNOT cheat your front sight.

Fortunately, the front sight on a rifle is far enough away that us old farts with for poop eyeballs can focus on it. Try that 760 again, but bear down on that front sight...crystal effing' clear front sight...blurry target. If you can't focus on the front sight of a rifle, it's scope time.

I haven't seen the front sight on a handgun in quite sometime, now. Getting old blows...

Justin 


 
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Can't see squat. My arms are not long enough to read anymore. Starting to look like Mr Magoo tilting my head back and reaching forward as far as I can at arm's length. Doc says I am legally blind ... whatever THAT means. Ahhhhhh but give me either a good SFP or FFP scope, adjust the diopter and I can pick up a 1/8th inch center dot at 100 yards … now whether I can hit that 1/8th inch center dot is another matter altogether … but I can get close enough to where I can see the sweat popping up on the dot. Just kidding, I've knocked the snot outta many a 1/8th inch dot. Go to a local gun shop and eyeball a few scopes off the shelves and see what you can see. I am supposed to wear glasses all the time … and I do when I am driving … but seldom do it anytime else.
 
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It's funny to me that you mention a 760 and 4 1/2 " groups at the same time . That is exactly what started me on my airgun addiction/hobby in 1974. I bought one for pesting and my brother and I couldn't get the thing zero'd, it shot so bad... I know some shoot ok( before someone jumps me), but anyway, an alternative to try is commonly used in competition . It's an iris, I believe it's called. Basically you can create one by drilling a very tiny hole in a piece of plastic that you can attach to your glasses in front of your eye. It will limit you to fairly bright scenarios when shooting but extends the depth of field by a large amount, depending on the size of the hole. There are shooting glasses with adjustable ones but are fairly expensive. Rear peeps really help as well . I have them on several of mine that I do not want the balance and handling messed up on.

If you want to get away from irons, many of the previous posts had good suggestions .

Bob 
 
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I had lens replacement surgery in my right eye about 12 years ago due to an injury ( I did learn to shoot left handed); had my left eye done last year due to a cataract, old age I guess. I went with far distance lenses and have 20/20 vision at a distance, but am extremely far sighted and buy reading glasses in various strengths, from+1 to +4 by the hand full at dollar stores. I have no problem with scopes but have trouble with some some iron sights in some lighting conditions. The problem is (I think) that the replacement lens are more reflective than your god given lenses and bright light has a tendency to bounce around inside your eye, any glare on the sights makes it very hard to focus and to see your sights. I especially have trouble with the rear sights, though I focus on the front sight, the rear sight is sometimes such an out of focus blob that I can't tell if I have proper alignment or not. For me I have found that +1 glasses cures most of the problem.

I would suggest if you are having trouble with scopes or iron sight try reading glasses in different strengths. Another option I am considering is bifocal shooting glasses. They are basically upside down bifocals. https://eagleeyeshooting.com/
 
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Thanks everyone for all your responses. To clarify, I see fine from about 5' out - from there in is just ever-increasing fuzz. So I can not see the rear or front sight without the glasses. But as soon as I put them on I can't see anything but blur past six or seven feet. So continuing with iron sights is out.

So what I am getting is that the scope itself becomes my glasses and I will be able to adjust for my eyes while still being able to see what I am shooting at before looking through the scope. That is really good to know. Guess now I need to read up on the components of a scope and how to adjust them. At least there is hope!
 
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Well,if you'd like to keep the rifle light go old school and find a Peep Sight to mount on it. These are quite effective for ageing eyes.If you go with a scope there 3 ways as I see it,to look at and thru it. If you get a scope with an adjustable objective (AO). Like a 3-9 x 40 AO and you focus the eyepiece so the cross-hair is sharply defined WHILE wearing your glasses your AO yardage calibration marks will be a little off when u bring the target into focus,your AO when focused may say 30 yds when the actual distance is 25yds, still good just a few yards off.Once u figure out measured distances,like 25 yds,30 yds,40yds. by how much u simply compensate it on your focusing ring,simple enuff. Or you can adjust the eyepiece and shoot the rifle with your glasses off and the AO should focus to the correct distance as shown on the calibration.lol,I might have that backwards. Or use a scope that does not have an AO,like a 4 power by 32 objective,( 4x32 ) Keeping things light,small and simple and inexpensive does works quite well for many back-yard shooters.good luck
 
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As mentioned the front sight must be in focus to shoot open sights, peeps will help. If you can't make the front sight clear then I'd suggest a scope. Having shot scopes on powder burners all of my life I've never had an issue shooting them. You just need to adjust the ocular bell to focus the reticle. A scope with a adjustable parallax that will focus down to 10 yards is beneficial for airguns.

I'm almost 58 and took up airguns about two years ago, I also wear glasses for distance and reading, the curse of getting older. The first two rifles I bought have scopes on them, I also have three 10M rifles with peep sights and a 10M pistol that I've just started to shoot. I guess I'm lucky because without any glasses my front sights are clear as a bell. It is odd aiming at something that's fuzzy though. lol
 
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Something to think about for those wearing progressive lenses.....I got into shooting a few years ago. I didn't like having to tilt my head back to bring things at arms length into focus, like gun sights, or even my close up vision for looking thru a scope. Glasses fitters mark where your pupil is in relation to the lens in front of your eye, then they center the progressive range on that point.

I have the lens maker shift that range all the way to the top of the lens, without running the lenses distance magnification off the top of the lens. That puts the proper magnification for focusing on things at arms length and close up more centered in the lens with your pupil and I'm not having to tilt my head back so much.

I'd rather slightly dip my head to bring distance vision into focus than tilt my head back for close up. I've been wearing them like this for 3 years. Work great for the shooting sports and all around every day life.
 
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