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Rifle Scopes prescription glasses with scopes?

super jim

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Full Member
Minuteman
Jan 19, 2011
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For those than normally wear prescription eye glasses, do you wear them when sighting through a scope or let the scope do all the work?
 
Re: prescription glasses with scopes?

I wear progressive lenses. When I shoot I let the scope do the work. It's too difficult to find the correct spot in the lens and maintain a proper cheek weld.
 
Re: prescription glasses with scopes?

I used to wear glasses (needed them badly) and I always let the scope do the work. However, for those that are considering Lasik and eliminating the need for glasses....DO IT!

The results are phenomenal and shooting skills definitely improved.
 
Re: prescription glasses with scopes?

My vision is so poor that a scope can not correct it. I wear a pair of Wiley-X PT-3 with the prescription insert.
 
Re: prescription glasses with scopes?

I shoot glasses/scope all the time. Progressive bifocals-indoors, single vision sunglasses-outdoors.

Glasses are correcting astigmatism and distance vision.

I've been doing it so long I don't even think about it, It is not a problem at all.
 
Re: prescription glasses with scopes?

I wear glasses most of the time and contacts some time when I shoot. I've never used the scope to compensate, although I sometimes will refocus binoculars so I don't have to wear glasses. Others are often shooting with me, so having to switch focus would be a chore, and I like to be able to see things besides what's in front of the scope. I'm not a tremendous marksmen, but I've shot both good 100-yard groups and hit steel out to 1,370, and plenty in between, so it seems to work.
 
Re: prescription glasses with scopes?

I always wear my prescription glasses. Looking at other things than just through a scope so they are needed.

You should be wearing eye pro anyways so why not have them help you see as well
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Re: prescription glasses with scopes?

Yep wearing glasses solved two problems, eye protection and being able to see. I also have a progressive pair that has the bifocal on top, another solution for glasses that might help.
 
Re: prescription glasses with scopes?

The modern rifle scope normally has a range of +/- 3 diopters of spherical correction and no ability to accommodate cylinder correction.

Depending on your prescription, the scope's adjustment may or may not allow you to focus on the reticle. Binos with reticles tend to be afocal for the reticle but then adjustable for focus on the target image. Range finders generally have a fixed focus for the target but an adjustable ocular for reticle/readout focus, but too are generally limited to +/- 3 diopters of sphere with no ability to accommodate cylinder.

You also have the issue of being able to see the markings on the scope knobs to dial wind and elevation. Presbyopia can make this difficult, regardless of what your distance prescription is.

Lastly, some venues for practice or competition require the wearing of eye protection.

So, what guys normally do has no bearing really on your individual situation(s).
 
Re: prescription glasses with scopes?

If I had to put my glasses down, the gun would be the very next to go.
 
Re: prescription glasses with scopes?

I've shot wearing either contact lenses or glasses. I need them for astigmatism and to see long distances. I can shoot fine either way. The only thing I don't like about my glasses is that they have transition lenses that get dark in the sun. I don't like looking through a scope with dark lenses.

My vision has finaly remained steady for the last three years so I think its time to consider Lasik. Oh, and what are progressive lenses if you don't mind me asking?
 
Re: prescription glasses with scopes?

Monchichi,

Progressive lenses are simply bi-focals but instead of having the very distinctive line in the glasses, the lenses simply transition from the distance lens to the reading lens in the way they are ground.

Most reading parts of the lenses are at the bottom of the eyepiece but for some shooters, since you tend to look through your scope via the upper part of your glasses, they have a pair made with the reading part of the lens at the top of the glasses.

I personally don't wear my glasses when shooting but rather wear my contacts. I do however, keep a pair of cheaters (reading glasses) in my pocket for reading detailed dialup charts.

Hope this helps.
 
Re: prescription glasses with scopes?

I always wear my Rx glasses, but I try to keep my head positioned to where I look thru the center portion of my glasses. Funny I asked my eye doctor that the last time I had an exam, and she said to try and look thru the center. The answer was very long and detailed and I do not not remmember exactly why, just sight thru the middle of lense instead of top left corner. I have astigmatism and need glasses to drive, I am between 20/40 and 20/35, maybe I'm worse than some of the other posters.
 
Re: prescription glasses with scopes?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Rob01</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I always wear my prescription glasses. Looking at other things than just through a scope so they are needed.

You should be wearing eye pro anyways so why not have them help you see as well
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Yes, to this.

My vision is much too poor, regardless.
I need my eye glasses no matter what. There's no scope magnification that could assist me see any better than my glasses can...
 
Re: prescription glasses with scopes?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 338ken</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> she said to try and look thru the center. The answer was very long and detailed and I do not not remmember exactly why, just sight thru the middle of lense instead of top left corner. </div></div>

That is because the lens is only correct at one place - the optical center. As you move away from the center, you introduce spherical distortion to the image. A plus power lens is two prisms base to base; a minus, two prisms tip to tip. Where they meet is where you want the light coming in to be correctly bent to reach the back of your eyeball. Now imagine what would happen to that light path as you move away from center, turn the prism pair on both their X and Y axes, then do all of this in an unpredictable fashion.

The only thing worse that not looking through the center is looking through different places randomly, which is normally what happens.

Not only are you not looking through the optical center, you usually have the lens tilted on both the X and Y axes, further compounding the problem, when using daily wear glasses for shooting. While with optics (as compared to irons) the effects are greatly minimized, anything you do that changes what your eye perceives of the transmitted image and changes it randomly will not help your shooting.

There's a reason why the international shooters use these contraptions:

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Re: prescription glasses with scopes?

I weare my glasses. I shoot with both eyes open and I can't see squat wihtout them. So if I shot without them my non dominate eye would be a big fuzzy mess.
 
Re: prescription glasses with scopes?

My glasses would always slip down my nose (especially after I got sweaty) causing me to lose the center of my glasses. After a year or two of that, I went and got LASIK.