Any of you started seeing RDS double dots?

[ramairthree]

I don't mean after a solid concussion or two or while drinking heavily.
I mean as you got older.

I had 20/10 vision forever.

A couple of years ago on my annual physical I could only get 20/20.

Over the past year I have got to where looking at head stamps, numbers on drill bits, etc. in dim light was no longer possible.

I can read fine in regular light but have noticed I can't hold it up real close like I used to or do it in real dim light like I used to.

Yep, I am in the middle of my 40s and know the old man reading glasses are coming.

Something new in the past few months, I started noticing with an Aimpoint Micro,
out in the bright sun, shooting at distance, magnifier or not, my 4 MOA dot is like a little figure 8 with one end at 7 o'clock and the other at 1 o'clock.

I tried my Eotech indoors, and thought it was not problem with the 1 MOA dot.

Well, out in the bright sun shooting at 50m or more, magnifier or not, same thing!

Anyways, focusing harder on target, etc. nothing really tends to make it better.

For anyone else this is going on, what has made it better?

I know a few guys that always have had this with RDS,
but they needed glasses, contacts, or PRK/LASIK anyway.

I have not bumped into anyone else that went from OK, to this starting to happen.

I have some safety glasses with 2.0 diopters for fine soldering, which are basically reading glasses.
But reading glasses type correction doing me no good.

Thanks for any tips.

[Noodles]

You're getting old You're right. Right around 40 you start to loose the ability to focus up close, the muscles that are responsible for that get lazy. Reading glasses are coming.

I would suggest you test by mounting the optic further away and see if that helps or not. Like really quite a bit further then closer (remove rear sight), see where it happens and doesn't then consult a doctor I suppose.

This doesn't seem like a gear issue you can just toss money at

I did lasik and just tested at 20/10 - 20/15 from an uncorrected 20/70 or so. Worth every penny! So far, so no issues with RDS, but I expect when I get to 40 there could be this potential.

[darr3239]

There are a number of threads about guys not seeing the red dots as "round" due to some loss of focusing, astigmatisms, cataracts, etc. It sucks getting older.

[BTL BRN]

I am only 33 but I will occassionally experience a bloom, typically it is only in low light however; outdoors or with a white light the dot is crisp. Sometimes indoors/low light if I close the non-dominant eye the bloom will fade.

[ramairthree]

There are a number of threads about guys not seeing the red dots as "round" due to some loss of focusing, astigmatisms, cataracts, etc. It sucks getting older.

yes, I found some of those threads on a search, but the guys already had existing vision problems.

And they just needed regular vision correction.

I am still better than 20/20 far, it's my near vision.

I already had the Mirco all the way forward on the upper rail.
I had to add the top rail to the VTAC fore end to put the Eotech on and still clear the Hensholdt when I flip it up.

Trying to see what has worked for people with similar cause (lenses in eyes getting old and stiff and muscles can't pull them into focus like when younger for close stuff)

Reading glasses would make the dot look great but I could not see much past the end of the barrel.

[The_War_Wagon]

Bifocals, + 2moa dot optics (Aimpoint), makes for better shooting, in MY experience.

[GTifosi]

If you've an absolute cowitness rear BUIS sight, flip it up.
The hole plays a trick on the eye by the way it lets light through and makes the dot clearer/sharper.
Big bore CQB sight works fine and you can still do both eyes open.

[duglasfur]

Yup. I am 42 and have never worn glasses for anything. 20/20 last month at eye doctor. 1st thing I noticed was that I was checking out hot chics, that got uglier the closer they got to me! My friends call it the "40 yard fake out."

Same thing....even with my 2 MOA Aimpoint, it has the same 1 O'clock/7 O'clock "bloom".

This is better than with the 4MOA and it helps to turn it down to the lowest setting needed, but then you have a very small, very faint RDS; Not the best in bright light.

[ramairthree]

If you've an absolute cowitness rear BUIS sight, flip it up.
The hole plays a trick on the eye by the way it lets light through and makes the dot clearer/sharper.
Big bore CQB sight works fine and you can still do both eyes open.

that does help some, but can't flip it up when flip the magnifier in line.

Also really aggravates me that this not an issue 6 months ago,
my lightweight with micro and no full front rail AR that was awesomely sighted and and co-witnessed now has a full front top rail, heavier Eotech, and not as perfectly sighted in and co-witnessed to me as it was.

Plus I still need to sight in and cowitness the Mirco on the 7.62 AR that also had been sighted in perfectly.

And all I gained was that I went from a 4 MOA figure 8,
(I guess that would be 8MOA)
to a 1MOA figure 8 that I can see the space in the middle of the eight instead of connected like the micro.



Plus the micro was cool cause i could put the magnifier closer (I have the older rear button Eotech, have to leave more space.

I guess it's payback for all the busting I did on my buddies when thy got bald, gray, out of shape, reading glasses, etc. Two years ago I hurt my main hand, am 15 pounds heavier with two more inches on the waist from not able to do the same workouts, and past year the eye thing and started getting some gray hair.

I remember being around buddies my age I had known back in the day like three years ago, knocking out muscle ups, no grays, great vision, etc. convinced I was actually not going to start aging like everyone else. Sure, I did not run near as fast as 20 plus years ago, but I was even stronger and still durable. So much for that.

Now that I guess I am going to be stuck aging I better start eating healthy food and working on my flexibility and take my cholesterol meds.

Dang it.

[Caduceus]

Random thought, but have you gotten a physical recently (sorry if I missed if you did, I just woke up)? Or been to an optometrist?

Other conditions besides cataracts and astigmatism can affect eyesight. One of them is diabetes - the high sugar level can really jack up your vision.

Just a thought.