Rifle Scopes Over 40yrs old + Lasik + Scope shooting

[jetmd]

1) If you are reading this Thank-you for your interest. And Thanks to Frank for bringing the old SH back!!

2) If you are under 40 please limit your replies too first hand knowledge of my question.

I am considering Lasik and I am over 50. I have my CDL and I am a licensed Pilot therefore Mono or Blended Lasik is not an option.
During my initial consult the Doctor was very upfront and honest in regards to the most likely outcome of the procedure, that being my
close up vision would most likely be worse than it currently is (2.0) for reading and short distance.

My question to those that have had Lasik at or after the age of 40-50: Are you happy? Can you still properly view the crosshairs
while sighting on the target? Since your distance vision is fine due you shoot with glasses with no correction and have a cheater bifocal
to allow you to easily read dope charts, scope turrets etc. ?

Thanks in advance for response and understanding, as the Doctor was very adamant "once this is done you can not go back"

I consider this a decision which is VERY important to thoroughly research.

 

[khdudley13]

we just had my wife's done a couple months ago.. now she was almost legally blind.. vision has been off the chats ever sense we met.. 40 yrs ago... she has had several retinal detachments in each eye
and had developed cataracts.. they give her 3 options.. (1) was remove the cataracts & keep using glasses or contacts (2) was $1500 per eye.. and she should be able to see far off but would most likely need glasses for close up.. (3) was $3000 per eye and they would do an implant while doing the surgery, she should not need any type of glasses or contacts.. she was afraid to do either with all the surgeries she had already had.. but after a lot debate I finally talked her into it (told her if she didn't do it I'd use the money to by another gun) & it turned out great.. day after her surgery she had 20/20 in one eye & 20/25 in the other... totally changed her life...no hunting for glasses in the middle night or any other time, no contacts to put in & take out...

 

[Rerun7]

Excuse me for my ignorance but is being past 40 going to cause you to have results that you wouldn't otherwise see if you were under 40?

i only ask because I've had lasek and can give you my experience but I'm not 40. However, not sure if that's a big factor?

 

[jetmd]

No problem Rerun7,

First issue is Presbyopia, a quick search will give you lotssss of reading. I am not a doctor, therefore I will not try to even remotely answer this.

Second is thinning of the cornea which also happens more to the 40+ crowd.

These are only a couple of factors you can not change, just a fact of getting old that effect the outcome of Lasik for us seniors.

 

[CharlieNC]

I was in my 50's when I had lasik; had to wait a number of years to allow the procedure to advance due to a bit of astigmatism. Try reading through the distance part of your bifocal lens, and that is about how your reading vision will become following lasik. Yes I wear cheater glasses if the shooting course requires "frequent" changes in dope and dialing, but not for something like Fclass. No issues adjusting the sharpness of the reticle. No problems in over 10 years and wish I could have done it sooner.

 

[Sheldon N]

I'm 40 and have had Lasik, so I guess I'm allowed to comment.... though I don't need reading glasses just yet.

Most obvious thing to me about scope/reticle focus is that when you are looking through the scope your eye is focused out at your distant subject. The reticle focus adjusted so that it's also sharp and in focus when the target is in focus. This means that looking through the scope is like looking at a distant object... Lasik will improve vision and make things clearer. It's not like looking at a close object where you lose some of your ability to focus your eye near enough.

Can't help you with dope cards.... maybe just get a bigger wrist coach lol.

 

[davere]

45 w/ LASIK. No problems shooting a scope. Don't quite need reading glasses, yet, but it'll happen in the next 5 or so years, I'm sure. People w/ myopia have a natural bias against presbyopia, and as soon as you correct the myopia, that bias is gone. My close up vision got worse the day of the surgery. I can still read a book, etc, no problem, and I can also still see the front sight on my handguns without issue. But the distance I have to hold an object at in order to see it is slowly getting further away from my face. I would totally do LASIK again, either way.

Like Sheldon says - this is exactly what the ocular adjustment on the scope is all about - tuning the focus of the reticle for your eye!

 

[Threadcutter308]

I'm 60, no Lasik, but have had cataract surgery in both eyes, detached retina surgery in left eye, right handed/right eye dominant. Via cataract lens replacement, I am corrected to nearsightedness, I wear glasses for distance vision.

I was having problems with groups until I tried an experiment. I had been wearing my (prescription) glasses when I was getting less than satisfactory groups. I decided to replace my prescription glasses with non prescription safety glasses. This meant I had to readjust the ocular focus and parallax on my scope, which I did. My groups tightened up and I think it was because my prescription glasses were multiplying the parallax error. I also shoot with both eyes open. It takes some training, particularly for your sighting eye, but in the long run, both eyes are less tired and I think it has helped improve my groups.

 

[Rerun7]

No problem Rerun7,

First issue is Presbyopia, a quick search will give you lotssss of reading. I am not a doctor, therefore I will not try to even remotely answer this.

Second is thinning of the cornea which also happens more to the 40+ crowd.

These are only a couple of factors you can not change, just a fact of getting old that effect the outcome of Lasik for us seniors.

Got it. Learn something new everyday. I was younger when I had mine done so you may have different results than me. I'm sure you are already researching this but when I had mine done there was an option of lasik or lasek. Different procedures with different trade offs. Lasek was a winner for me.

 

[BravoSierra]

I have presbyopia. Didnt know it until 6 weeks ago when i couldnt get the diopter to adjust enough and paralax adjusted enough to get an in focus picture. Thought my scope was broken. So before sending it in, i had the bright idea to see the dr. Bam. She gave me contacts optomized for shooting. Problen gone for shooting anyway. Now i also discovered they now have contacts that are bifocal. That may be the cats meow the next time i go in or have an issue shooting. Not sure how the flight doc would view those, but surely it would be better than eye surgery to them.

 

[6gunner]

I had PRK 13 years ago an started needing reading glasses about 6 years ago at age 46. I have no issues with distance at all. If I'm outside and it's bright, I don't need my reading glasses. If indoors I can read without my glasses for a while before my eyes start to hurt.

 

[EnXCess]

I had Lasik about 10 years ago when I was in my 50's. Best thing I ever did. Had 20/15 vision at distance after the surgery and could see through a scope great. In the last couple of years my eyes have changed shape a bit to about 20/25, so I have some driving/shooting glasses which get me back to 20/20 or better, and they are what I look through the scope with now. Everything is great. Like you I had to give up my close vision to get that great vision at distance, but that was what I wanted. Would do it again in a heartbeat if they'd let me, but my vision is still "too good" for the surgery.

 

[ZiaHunter]

Same story as EXCess and have no regrets whatsoever. Still have better than 20/20 in my dominant eye with my left eye being 20/25. Don't notice it unless I close my right eye.

 

[jetmd]

Thanks for all of the replies and PM's. I appreciate your input. I have an exam now scheduled for next week.
If everything goes well I will move forward with the procedure.
Thanks again!