Rifle Scopes Eyes get fatiged and blur after being on the scope

R

Rory S Sallee

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Minuteman
Dec 2, 2007
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Idaho Falls ID
#1
When on my scope for a string of shots after a while the target dot will blur and split into a double image. Happens with all my scopes. I have taken out the paralax and set the cross hairs to my eyes. I do need a prescription for reading and have tried shooting with and without the glasses and seems to make little difference. If I stay off the scope for a little bit it improves, and after time does it again. Im 20/20 at distance. Anyone have any idea whats going on.
Any input is greatly appreciated. Thank you.
 
#2
Re: Eyes get fatiged and blur after being on the scope

Your probably not using your dominant eye an closing it when glassing. If you have flip caps on your eye piece, set it up to flip open and block your none scope eye, and keep both eyes open.

This is something you can practice getting use to while dry firing. Keeping both eyes open, is a big plus if you work alone.
 
#4
Re: Eyes get fatiged and blur after being on the scope

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Gunfighter14e2</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Your probably not using your dominant eye an closing it when glassing. If you have flip caps on your eye piece, set it up to flip open and block your none scope eye, and keep both eyes open.

This is something you can practice getting use to while dry firing. Keeping both eyes open, is a big plus if you work alone.</div></div>

If you wear glasses what I do is put some magic tape on my lens so the image is obscured on my dominate eye, so that my non dominate eye can work. I have been pulliing the tape away slowly to build up my non-dom eye.

good Luck...
 
#7
Re: Eyes get fatiged and blur after being on the scope

That happens with most guys who are trying to shoot groups at 100 yards as best they can. You are focusing so hard that you're fatiguing your eye. If this is the case, you'll notice it goes away when you get to shoot farther and stop trying to mentally imprint the reticle on the piece of paper that is 100 yards away.

Other than that, you may need prescriptions.
 
#9
Re: Eyes get fatiged and blur after being on the scope

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: KeithR41</div><div class="ubbcode-body">What kind of scope. My MK4 did that but I don't have the same issue with my Premier or S&B.

41 </div></div>

x2 One of, if not the biggest benefits of High End glass.
 
#10
Re: Eyes get fatiged and blur after being on the scope

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: NTRP-CKA</div><div class="ubbcode-body">That happens with most guys who are trying to shoot groups at 100 yards as best they can. You are focusing so hard that you're fatiguing your eye. If this is the case, you'll notice it goes away when you get to shoot farther and stop trying to mentally imprint the reticle on the piece of paper that is 100 yards away.

Other than that, you may need prescriptions. </div></div>

I believe you are experiencing eye muscle fatigue/eye strain. That also happens to me after prolonged target shooting. If I rest my eyes for a while it goes away.
 
#11
Re: Eyes get fatiged and blur after being on the scope

Mine do it too. Did it yesterday at the range sighting in my new NF scope. As noted above it was during the 100 yd group. I also had a mirage and I don't think that helps at all. I did notice that fine tuning the focus will help.

I also shoot right handed and am left eye dominate.
I also shot my pistol about 100 rounds and shoot both eyes open with that and had no noticable fatigue. If I make it out today I will try both eyes open with the scopes.
 
#12
Re: Eyes get fatiged and blur after being on the scope

Its like any other muscle, needs to be used and strengthen. Seems every year as I start serious practise the first few times are painful, both eyes and shoulders. As the season wears on not so much.

You want real eye strain be a coach or spotter on a 30-40X scope for a day. Now that will have you looking like a one eyed dope smoker! Oh if you do spot for others and shoot yourself use the 'off' eye for spotting, saving your shooting eye some pain.

Seems the older I get the longer the practise curve gets to be. One helpful hint for us older guys- aleve, take before going to the range and once you get done. Wont help the blur, will help the strain.

Good Luck
 
#13
Re: Eyes get fatiged and blur after being on the scope

A little flight physiology...most flyers are aware that there is a doughnut hole dead center on your retina that prevents you from seeing dimly lit objects at night when you look directly at them. This is due to a lack of rods and cones in this area. You get a similar effect in the daytime particularly if you stare straight at a single point (sight picture sound familiar?). This hole can't be eliminated but if you look slightly left or right every few seconds your brain will take a mental image and superimpose it over the dead zone. Its not so much that your eyes are tired (although tired eyes can exacerbate the condition)...its that you're asking them to do something that very few eyeballs are even capable of doing.
 
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#14
Re: Eyes get fatiged and blur after being on the scope

Dont know much about flight stuff, do know a bit about night vision without the high tech goggles.

Cones are for day vision and concentrated in the center and rods surround. For night vision soldiers are taught to look just offset from the object under observation, this uses the rods.

Simple enough, cones are in the center and for daysight, rods surround and are for nightsight.
 
#15
Re: Eyes get fatiged and blur after being on the scope

How old are you? I noticed the same problem after I turned 40. I talked to my eye doc. As you get older, your eyes don't focus as fast (or as well) as they do when you are younger. That's my problem anyway.

I try to not fatigue my eyes, give them a rest. That helps me.
 
#17
Re: Eyes get fatiged and blur after being on the scope

Uncorrected eyesight has little to do with the blurry vision. Light is being funneled into your eye at a level far above normal. In a way its the opposite of high altitude climbing. Sealevel folks are not used to the thinner air and suffer while people living at altitude dont.

We simply dont expose our eyes to the concentrated light alot.

Now if you want to really have blurry vision, sit behind a 80mm obj spotting scope for a day and see how your eye feels.

Taking frequent breaks to stretch, hydrate and relax a bit is very important if you want to spend the day at any outdoor, LR range.
 
#18
Re: Eyes get fatiged and blur after being on the scope

I have similar problem (left eye dominant shooting from right) but i've managed to alleviate it with exercising right eye (some say dominance is genetic and cannot be averted however in my case thats a load of BS) and do few minutes per day "shooting" i.e. looking through scope or irons and trying (not forcing) to "switch" to right picture (my brain sees two images with one being "in front" and i practice to keep my right eye image more time "in front") and after a while (months
smile.gif
) i was able to have my right picture stand out more and for longer (still have problems especially with handgun or in poor conditions).
Shooting favors the 20/20 vision and correct eye dominance but with a lot of effort one can overcome and be competitive....
 
#19
Re: Eyes get fatiged and blur after being on the scope

At almost 50, my vision has been going downhill fast. Just got a new prescription, and went shooting with a new USO last weekend. With my glasses on, I could focus the ocular to see the reticle and the target was a blur. If I focused on the target, the reticle almost vanished. So I ended up without my glasses, with a focused reticle and a target that was less of a blur than with my glasses on. The only way to see the target well was to squint with my eyelid almost closed.

Can't use an Aimpoint without glasses, as I see 3 or 4 red dots in a little cluster.

Wouldn't do it for vanity, but am half tempted to check out that Lasik eye surgery and see if it could help me.
 
#20
Re: Eyes get fatiged and blur after being on the scope

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The only way to see the target well was to squint with my eyelid almost closed.</div></div>

Astigmatism ?
 
#21
Re: Eyes get fatiged and blur after being on the scope

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Sharac</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The only way to see the target well was to squint with my eyelid almost closed.</div></div>

Astigmatism ?

</div></div>

You got it.
 
#22
Re: Eyes get fatiged and blur after being on the scope

Same here, sucks to be a mole in a hawks game
smile.gif
... Still a lot can be improved with regular practice and good glasses or preferably contacts...
 
#24
Re: Eyes get fatiged and blur after being on the scope

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BattleAxe</div><div class="ubbcode-body">A little flight physiology...most flyers are aware that there is a doughnut hole dead center on your retina that prevents you from seeing dimly lit objects at night when you look directly at them. This is due to a lack of rods and cones in this area. You get a similar effect in the daytime particularly if you stare straight at a single point (sight picture sound familiar?). This hole can't be eliminated but if you look slightly left or right every few seconds your brain will take a mental image and superimpose it over the dead zone. Its not so much that your eyes are tired (although tired eyes can exacerbate the condition)...its that you're asking them to do something that very few eyeballs are even capable of doing.</div></div>

I have known of this phenomenon and use it to see faint objects in the night sky.
 
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