I am a new shooter, so I have more problems than just my progressive lenses. But, there are a couple things I have narrowed down through research that are related to my progressives.
Using iron sights, I really struggle with being able to get a level sight alignment. If I have any sensitivity to the target, my sights are just too blurry to find level. If I tilt my head back far enough to get a good sight picture, I have absolutely no target picture. When I finish a couple hundred rounds at the range my neck and back are killing me from trying to hold my head in different locations to find a sight picture. I am able to shoot a pretty good group at 5 to 15 yards, unfortunately if I use the sight picture that comes naturally with my vision it is a foot low from where I think I am aiming. If I adjust my aim up a foot, I can pretty consistently put a decent 3" to 6" group on target, but this is not my range gun this is the gun I plan to use for EDC. I donāt feel comfortable adjusting my aim a foot up in a real situation in order hit my target. I have done quite a bit of research to find solutions, but most involve custom eyewear just for shooting. This doesnāt help me if I need use my weapon in an everyday situation. I am looking for ideas from the community on how to adjust my technique.
Using red dot. I am of course better with a red dot. I still do struggle with the starburst effect of the red dot. I have switched to a 6moa and this helped along with switching color. So at the range I can correct these problems, but I still have the problem of having to get it in just the exact spot in my vision in order to make it work. I worry about this need to get it just right in an emergency situation.
Any helpful advice would be appreciated, I am willing to try just about anything. I am going to my optometrist early March to get an annual check and purchase new glasses, maybe 2 pairs if necessary. So any eyewear adjustments that you would suggest I can look into. They do need to be glasses I would wear everyday. I donāt need a range solution that wonāt carry into everyday.
If it helps I am shooting a p365 iron sights, but red dot can be added. I am shooting an Echelon with red dot, and a 5" revolver with iron sights, no red dot will be added to this as it is just a fun range gun.
Chris, while I am unable to offer any advice or suggestions with regard to eyesight limitations, I would like to welcome you to the community. Weāre glad that youāve chosen to join us and I am confident that someone with relatable experience will be along to provide some tips and/or assistance.
I also have progressive lenses due to astigmatism. I use green dots on my firearms because of the starburst effect you speak of on red dots. Irons are just plain difficult for me, especially with rifles.
I am considering that Dale, however I am a computer teacher, and progressives have been a great thing for me when I switched to them. I just hate the idea of going back to bifocals in the classroom. I really need the 3 ranges of sight when going between long sight, looking at my screen, student screens, and close reading. If switching back to bifocals has worked for others, I am possibly willing to get some bifocals to wear outside of the classroom for everywhere else. I am just really used to my progressives after 5 years.
First of all welcome to the community. My advice would be to start looking at your problems as challenges. Nobody is perfect in this world. All we can do is to try to do the best we can. What ever you decide, training is the key. Good luck with your endeavor. The reality is in a lethal self defense situation you donāt have to be the best in the world, you just have to be better than your adversary. G-d bless
Might not be much help for you, but I started wearing progressive very recently. My distance correction is 0.25 diopter and 0.5 diopter, so not much correction. My observation is the progression is not equal from top to bottom, nor eye to eye. Mine are great distance or closeup, but no good mid range.
Where Iām going with this is sight picture works best for me when front sight is focused and target is sort of blurry with iron sights. I use the top/distance portion and squint to bring front sight in focus. I suggest experimenting with figuring out what works best for you to get front sight focus and train, train, train, with dry fire till it becomes natural.
It does help, I have found a technique I want to try my next time at the range using switching your focus from target to sights. Letting one or the other be blurry and seeing which helps you to get closer on. Then yes practice, practice, and more practice.
@Chris_NM Welcome to the clubā¦I am in the same situation with the progressive lenses. A couple things have already been suggested so here it s a couple more
with regards to the glasses you could have your optometrist write the rx so your close distance is in the center . If you are getting two pairs keep in mind if the second is your shooting pair they have just become your everyday pair.
as for using red dots have you tried adjusting the brightness level to where it can be seen at the lowest level and still work for your needs?
I have, I switched size of dots, color, and brightness, and itās much better for me. I just still have to find that sweet spot. Itās been suggested to me it is because I have such a large correction on my close vision, a medium correction on my middle, and almost no correction on my long vision that I am having trouble with the starburst effect. It just happens to be hitting me at just the wrong spot for where I hold my gun. I am going to try to get my optometrist to switch this a bit on my next pair.
I have bright fiber/tritium fronts & shoot with both eyes open. I do lean my head back a bit at the range due to my progressives. One solution is to have the top sliver of your lenses cut like the bottom bifocal. I had that done when I was an electrician before I retired because I was looking up all of the time. It helped soooo much. I concidered doing that to my new glasses but at 7 yards with both eyes open I can hit a 4" group on a good day even with it being a bit blurry. BTW, welcome to the group
I have considered redoing my front site to something easier to see, it is night sight, but still not very bright. I am not quite understanding about the top sliver, do you mean adding another close vision sliver at the top of my lens? I am still working on how to best use my eyes open or closed. I am right eye dominant and for some reason seem to get the best vision by squinting my left eye, keeping my right eye open and keeping sights in front of my right eye.
Exactly. The top quarter inch or so is the same as the bottom quarter inch or so on the lenses. I didnāt even know the offered that until I got my 1st pair of progressives & discovered what a pain n the ass it was looking up at close distances. Iām also right eye dominant & if Im target shooting for accuracy, I close my left eye & shoot right eye. If Iām practicing tactical shooting, I shoot with both eyes open. Itās not something that you can do right away. It takes lots of practice
Thereās a lot you havenāt told us, but you might want to look at the āmonovision option.ā This would be a pair of glasses where one eye is set for distance and the other for reading. Your D.O. can help you decided which gets what. This takes a little getting used to and is likely better suited to shooting with both eyes open. Let us know what you find out, and good luck.
Some people really like the Factory sights on the P365. I do not like the front sight. I replaced it with a night sight with a large bright orange outline. I find this works much better for my eyes. I also wear progressives but my corrections are fairly minor.
What works for me is that I donāt worry about getting either the front sight or the target into perfect focus. I just point my pistol at the target and confirm it is there with a quick/flash sight picture of the front sight.
I highly recommend going through some of the online instruction Mike Ox does. He has vision training drills and red dot drills designed to help people with all sorts of visions issues.
Iām new to progressive lens as well. I found that, like everything else, I had to āget used to themā when I was shooting. I still have pretty good shot placement at most ranges 0-25 yds but I think part of it can be attributed to familiarity with the firearms. Itās almost automatic with my 3 edcās almost point and shoot without aiming.
