Wearing Glasses While Shooting

[signal5delta]

I hope this is the right place to discuss this and if not thats Ok,just send me to where it belongs.
I am going to get prescription glasses for the first time. They will be for distance. I have and AR-15 and I have a Trijicon 31f and I also have an Aimpoint Red Dot Scope.
Do I need to wear my glasses when shooting whenI have either scope on my AR? Wearing glasses while shooting is new to me. I have just used reading glasses in the past. Can you help me out?
Jim

[MistWolf]

I wear my glasses when I shoot, whether it iron sights or optics. Some folks don't. You have to try it for your self and see what works best

[Dienekes]

I have worn glasses for distance most of my life--now I need them for reading too! Rather than fool with bifocals, which I can't stand, I use my distance glasses with 4 and 6 x scopes, ACOGs, and most recently a red dot. NO problems.

Handgun sights are a different situation...

[FromMyColdDeadHand]

If the glasses are just for shooting, you might want to look at getting the optical axis of the lens lined up with the pupil when you look thru the lenses in the actual head position when shooting. It will probably be a bit higher than normal- and pick lenses that allow for that.

[dog guy]

I too have recently started wearing glasses. I have progressives to correct for both far and close vision problems and mild astigmatism. A few things I've noted:
I learned to shoot rifles with a very tight cheek weld. With a TR24 mounted in very low rings on my flattop M4, I find that I'm looking just over the top of my wire rims in the right eye, or with the rim right in my field of vision, but still directly through the lens in my left eye when I shoot both eyes open. This makes for wierd double imagery of the reticle. When I go to a more head up position I am looking squarely through both lenses. Learning to shoot with a taller mount and a more head up position is clearly in my future. With my non prescription Oakley M frames this was never a problem since the top of the lens is much higher and closer to my face. Take this into consideration when choosing glasses. Mine will be different next time.
Handgun sights are a problem for me. At my accustomed head position and grip, the front sight is out of focus. I have to alter my head position to get the sight into the proper part of my lens so that I can focus. I'm arranging a session with an instructor to learn how to best deal with this.
What shooting do you plan on doing? If it's range and target shooting you can decide to wear your glasses or not and adjust the diopter ring on your scope accordingly. If you're practicing for HD or personal protection, then you should probably shoot with your glasses on since that's how you'll be living your life when the time comes for an armed encounter. You won't have time to change to your special shooting glasses, change your scope adjustment, take your corrective lenses off or whatever.
Both the TR24G and Aimpoint R1 look ok with my glasses.

[cspackler]

I guess it depends on your vision, but my Aimpoints are blurry dots when I don't wear contacts.
You will be able to see the targets clearly with the ACOG (not sure if you can focus the reticle on that). The powered scopes I have allow me to adjust the focus on the reticle and I could make it sharp if I needed to.
The Aimpoint would still allow me to shoot better than just irons and would probably be an even bigger help if I were forced to go at it without contacts/glasses. My vision is about 20/30 so I'm not blind, but I'd be shooting at blobs at 200m.

[GTF425]

I always shoot with my clear Oakley M-Frame's and after having an overpressured round explode in my face, I'm glad I do. I recommend some form of eye pro when shooting; always. Regardless if it's a ballistic-rated pair or just "target" glasses you pick up at Wal Mart.

Just my .02. And for what it's worth...I shoot with my contacts in for rec shooting and have prescription eye pro for deployment/training.

[GTF425]

And you'll be okay with your optics so long as you can adjust focus.

You can't with an ACOG or an Aimpoint. So I would recommend wearing your prescription.

[claricSTi]

I just got new glasses recently and have only been shooting pistols due to the sale of AK/Building of AR. Last weekend I went and shot my new build and noticed I was looking directly over the rim of my glasses. I was able to adjust my glasses and cheek weld which kept me shooting. I managed to forget my prescription sun glasses that day but I think they will be better as the are a little taller.

I am seriously contemplating spending some money on prescription eye pro.

[lifebreath]

I am having some RX shooting glasses made after I recently lost my good RX sunglasses. I can't go without RX, since I have a bad astigmatism. ESS (www.esseyepro.com) offers either an RX insert for use behind a wrap-around "shield" or goggles, or you can get their regular protective sunglasses in RX.

I am getting their CDI sunglasses, which have removable/replaceable lenses, so you can get various tints or different RX for different circumstances. For starters, I ordered clear and high-contrast copper, both polarized. I also was able to talk to the lab they use and get the lenses in Trivex rather than polycarbonate. Trivex offers superior optics and the same impact resistance of poly.

I've not received the glasses yet, but have heard only good things about them. If I could wear contacts, I would, but I cant.

[Atchcraft]

I'm in the same boat. I just started wearing, or finally admitted that I need, glasses. I was so glad to see this post (punn intended), because this has been bugging the crap out of me. The Optometrist I went to was no help for advice in this matter, so I think I'm going to find someone that knows what they are talking about to help me get dialed in. I don't have bi-focals yet, but I hear that they can be a pain to shoot with. I just got a pair of cheap reading glasses for pistol and that helps out, for rifle I don't wear anything and just shoot COB (Center of Blob)

Thanks for the ESS link! That looks like a great option.

[lifebreath]

Thanks for the ESS link! That looks like a great option.

If you go the ESS route, you can talk to Terry, the optometrist at the lab ESS uses, and he can customize the order for you beyond what ESS offers "stock." Terry specializes in sporting prescriptions and does SCUBA masks also.

[BAC]

If the glasses are just for shooting, you might want to look at getting the optical axis of the lens lined up with the pupil when you look thru the lenses in the actual head position when shooting. It will probably be a bit higher than normal- and pick lenses that allow for that.

I learned about this recently. I rarely wear glasses when pistol shooting so it never occurred to me that with rifles I'd end up looking over my glasses when shooting.


-B

[FromMyColdDeadHand]

I'm in the same boat. I just started wearing, or finally admitted that I need, glasses. I was so glad to see this post (punn intended), because this has been bugging the crap out of me. The Optometrist I went to was no help for advice in this matter, so I think I'm going to find someone that knows what they are talking about to help me get dialed in. I don't have bi-focals yet, but I hear that they can be a pain to shoot with. I just got a pair of cheap reading glasses for pistol and that helps out, for rifle I don't wear anything and just shoot COB (Center of Blob)

Thanks for the ESS link! That looks like a great option.

Checking state based gun forums might be a good way to ask around and find gun friendly eye docs. I took my T-1 in a QD mount with me last time to the eye doc to try to help get my astigmatism tweaked in. Still not perfect, but looking better.

[Nobody_Special]

I am nearsighted and i have an astigmatism, which causes my Aimpoint dot to look like a blob. I just got a pair of eye pro from Revision Eyewear with the Rx insert. Now the dot looks normal but causes my pistol sights to be blurry. I used to shoot with an old pair of glasses under a pair of safety glasses, which worked both with my handgun and red dots. I have an appointment with my Dr. to figure out what my old Rx was and have that put in my Rx insert.


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[TXBob]

If you do wear decide to wear glasses while shooting, you can get side shields and wear them as safety equipment. Also if you are like me and need to tape an eye for competition, use an older pair of glasses. Some safety glasses also fit over top of your prescriptions as well.

[uwe1]

Just as a general rule, looking off the center axis of a lens will induce spherical aberration. The farther from center your eye is looking the greater the effect is. Also, looking out of your glasses at an angle will cause you to induce astigmatism. The more extreme the angle, the worse it is. However, it isn't as bad if you're looking through the center axis, so ColdDeadHands was giving some good advice about trying to elevate the optical centers of the lens to a more shooting friendly position. This measurement isn't usually taken by the lab, only the inter-pupillary distance is. The height of the centers is usually just the center of the frame. You'll have to ask to change that and the measurement may vary from frame to frame.

Also, polycarbonate plastic, a commonly used impact resistant lens, exhibits a high chromatic aberration, which splits light into its component wavelengths. This can also cause a blurring effect when looking more at an angle with polycarbonate lenses.

There really isn't a great solution to any of this. To put it bluntly, you guys are getting old. Most solutions are going to involve you having to adapt to something. Bifocals/Progressives suck to shoot through because all the add power is at the bottom. Unless you learn to change your head position this isn't easily remedied. You can have the lab custom adjust the height of the bifocal, but this will also place it at an abnormal height and it could interfere with the distance vision when you're not shooting. You'll have to try it to see if it works for you, but imagine having a line running just below the center of your vision. You can have glasses that have a slight under-undercorrection for near in your dominant eye, which will help you see the front sight better, but will also slightly blur the far distance vision out of that eye, especially at night.

I usually suggest contacts as the answer, but even that is imperfect as a solution. Many men have the hardest time getting close to their eyes. The best answer I can give you is to find an eye doctor that knows how to shoot, and is willing to work with you to find a solution that works for YOU. There isn't a template to making things work. Although most people fall into different categories of solutions, it often takes fine tuning to making things work well. However, if you're being really picky about things, it's likely that you can fine a problem with any of the solutions that are presented to you. Think of it as finding the best AR set-up for you. It may not do everything well, but will it get you through your day 80% happy?

To this day, I haven't shot with my glasses yet because of the way I hold my head to my rifle, I'll get a blurred dot with several comet tails. I don't have near focusing issues yet, so I don't have a way to test drive things on myself in order to find a good solution.

[swiss_seth]

I am in the same boat, it sucks getting older