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Rifle Scopes Random Blurred Sight Picture?

H

HellsCanyonArmory

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Mar 15, 2010
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Hey guys, been having a little bit of an 'issue' with shooting. Intermittently, when I'm behind the scope I'll notice my entire site picture will go blurry. Not just the reticle but the entire picture. I can pull my head off the scope and my vision is fine and contacts are not blurred. I ensure my parallax is adjusted properly and it still happens (even messing with other settings it doesn't help). I do have an astigmatism in one of my eyes I think (pretty sure thats what the doc told me a few years back) and I'm a contact wearer. The scope is a FFP PST but I don't think its an optics problem.

This is a very random event as far as I can tell and doesn't occur with any pattern. I'm thinking its something physiological instead of a problem with the scope. I've had it happen with another scope and have had a shooting partner get behind the same scope when the problem arises and he doesn't notice a thing.

Thoughts???
 
Re: Random Blurred Sight Picture?

Yes one , Heat mirage from the barrel or others shooting around you is one explanation . Have had this happen to me when shooting at higher magnifications at an indoor range .
 
Re: Random Blurred Sight Picture?

Do You have toxic lenses in the eye with the astigmatism ? If so they rotate some on your eye and the focus / clarity can shift . Been dealing with it for years now , usually blink a couple times and it clears up and is worse when the lenses dry out . Sucks being blind .
 
Re: Random Blurred Sight Picture?

i have had same problem and tried explain to my eye doc and he looked at me like i was dumb. though i useally only loose focus on either target dot or reticle normally not both.

glad to see i am not the only one that has same issue, and i dont feel crazy
 
Re: Random Blurred Sight Picture?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: C Ward</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Do You have toxic lenses in the eye with the astigmatism ? If so they rotate some on your eye and the focus / clarity can shift . Been dealing with it for years now , usually blink a couple times and it clears up and is worse when the lenses dry out . Sucks being blind . </div></div>

What do you mean toxic lenses? It could be that I need to change to a fresh pair of contacts... I'm bad about making them last as long as possible!

Relieved to hear I'm not the only one. I don't think it's mirage off the barrel I thought about that before while shooting and the barrel isn't hot to the touch. It'll happen at the beginning of the shooting as well as the end.

Bout time to start saving for Lasik I think!
 
Re: Random Blurred Sight Picture?

Just went thru this a couple of days ago. My astigmatism had changed just a little but it was enough to cause me to focus harder and the eye muscles would tighten up and not let my vision go back and forth from near to far distance while behind a scope. I would get the blurriness or my eye was start having spasms.
 
Re: Random Blurred Sight Picture?

Stupid autospell on the phone , toric lenses . There made to correct the astigmatism .
 
Re: Random Blurred Sight Picture?

i had to go to a higher than normal magnifacation (over normal shooters) at my 1-200yrd range i have to use 15x at 200 to feel comfortable on focusing on 1" dot
 
Re: Random Blurred Sight Picture?

No I don't have toric lenses... might be something I'm doing thats not allowing my eyes to focus.

Its tough because sometimes it goes from perfectly clear and crisp to blurred... I don't have THAT bad of eyesight. My contacts are "-2.50" but I haven't had my perscription updated for a few years. Might be time to schedule another appointment!

Mike
 
Re: Random Blurred Sight Picture?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BigJohnson</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: C Ward</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Do You have toxic lenses in the eye with the astigmatism ? If so they rotate some on your eye and the focus / clarity can shift . Been dealing with it for years now , usually blink a couple times and it clears up and is worse when the lenses dry out . Sucks being blind . </div></div>

What do you mean toxic lenses?</div></div>

The only "toxic" lenses I know are ones coated in Betrillium-Xantitium...

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BigJohnson</div><div class="ubbcode-body">No I don't have toric lenses... might be something I'm doing thats not allowing my eyes to focus.
</div></div>

If you find the 'blur' is more pronounced when you shoot in the evening and after a few successive shots then I would still suspect mirage.

Since you suspect it isn't, I might recommend the 2 following methods to rule it out:

1) Bring a 2nd rig and shoot with it next to you -- when you start to see blur, do a side-by-side to see if the blur is in both or just one
2) If you happen to have a sunshade, install it the moment you start to see blur and see if it the blur goes away or lessens. One side benefit of the shade is it extends the scope farther away from the action where it's hottest
 
Re: Random Blurred Sight Picture?

Thanks for the advice Hamstur.
I'll have a buddy bring his rifle when I go out the next time. Waiting on a shipment of bullets to arrive so it'll probably be after SHOT.

I always shoot with a sunshade. I hate having to deal with glare so its on the rifle pretty much 24/7.

I also haven't had my prescription updated in a few years so I'm scheduling an eye appointment soon with a new doctor (don't really like the old one and he seems pretty outdated with his equipment). I'll report back here after that happens as well!

Mike
 
Re: Random Blurred Sight Picture?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BigJohnson</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> Might be time to schedule another appointment!

Mike </div></div>

Do this. I had the same problem. I had an astigmatism in my left eye since forever, and after going to the eye doc 3 weeks ago I now have them in both eyes. New contacts with toric adjustment all is fine now.
 
Re: Random Blurred Sight Picture?

I would guess your astigmatism combined with the onset of presbyopia
( needing readers starting at age 40 ish) is causing your eyes to attempt to accommodate / focus. When it fails to do so, it stops in a worse focused position and your vision is blurred. If your not forty plus years of age, your astigmatism may be worsening. Same result. Good luck.

Like said before, try Torics
 
Re: Random Blurred Sight Picture?

I have this exact same issue. I have 20/20 vision. The problem is the WORST for me when I look through Nikon scopes. Never with binos. It's not mirage for me - it can happen when I haven't even fired a shot. Sometimes I have to come off the scope for a couple seconds, sometimes it just goes away. It's not the diopter setting, and its not parallax.

Why is the sky blue? How is a rainbow made? How does a positrac in a plymouth work? It just DOES!

I'd love to know what's up with this.
 
Re: Random Blurred Sight Picture?

I'll be sure and ask the doc about the astigmatism and torics! BTW I'm only 22 so I sure hope I don't need reading glasses yet!
wink.gif
Thanks for all the help fellas!

Mike
 
Re: Random Blurred Sight Picture?

Another thought is concerning oxygen supply to the eye - it is very sensitive to restriction of its supply of oxygen. Theoretically if you were to be breath holding for extended periods of time you could get some blurry vision looking through a scope. Just something else to consider.
 
Re: Random Blurred Sight Picture?

I had this same problem and was contacted by a member her with a suggestion. He mentioned that your eyes ability to propery focus is very dependent on being hydrated. He said that your focusing ability may be one of the first process' to become impaired if you are not properly hydrated and may happen long before you would realize that you aren't sufficiently hydrated.

I cannot say this is true or not, just passing it along.
 
Re: Random Blurred Sight Picture?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: turbo54</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I have this exact same issue. I have 20/20 vision. The problem is the WORST for me when I look through Nikon scopes. Never with binos. It's not mirage for me - it can happen when I haven't even fired a shot. Sometimes I have to come off the scope for a couple seconds, sometimes it just goes away. It's not the diopter setting, and its not parallax.

Why is the sky blue? How is a rainbow made? How does a positrac in a plymouth work? It just DOES!

I'd love to know what's up with this. </div></div>

Exactly!

I've heard it may be related to oxygen deprivation but I don't think that would be the problem. Usually a pretty good 'breather' and as stated above it can happen even before the first shot happens.

The de-hydration may be a contributing factor... I know sometimes when shooting I've had a rough previous night and may not of gotten my body back to its healthy hydrated state but I cannot tell you if this has been the case every time. I'll keep it in mind definitely though! Makes perfect sense actually!

Great thread guys.

Mike
 
Re: Random Blurred Sight Picture?

Sounds like the 40 something need bifocals issue. Pretty common to look at something at distance then close or close then at distance and have some focal lag time.
 
Re: Random Blurred Sight Picture?

I have a new prescription and new glasses and have had the same thing happen to me on a few occasions with both old and new pairs of glasses.
I know its me and definitely not the scope because I'm able to clear it by blinking a few times to get back in focus.
I have noticed that it seems to help if I close my non scope eye.
Would love to know the cause too.
 
Re: Random Blurred Sight Picture?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: nfoley</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Have you tried with glasses instead of your contac lenses? </div></div>

Don't have a pair of prescription glasses... well I do but they haven't been updated from when I first got them about 8 years ago lol
 
Re: Random Blurred Sight Picture?

I have perfect eye sight and when i first started shooting i would have this same problem a lot.. I would pull away from the scope and everything looked fine. Upon talking to a buddy he ask if i just sit there for extended times looking into my scope which in fact i did.. He told me to keep both open while scanning instead of one or pull my face away more often.. This workes well for me & i have not had the issue again.
 
Re: Random Blurred Sight Picture?

Went out shooting today, popped in a fresh pair of contacts yesterday and I didn't experience my problem today. I'm guessing it has something to do with hydration and the eye having a hard time focusing...??? Thats the hunch anyways!

Mike
 
Re: Random Blurred Sight Picture?

You need to learn to shoot with both eyes open.

It is an eye strain issue. That is why the above poster said it happens to him with a scope, but not with binos.
 
Re: Random Blurred Sight Picture?

i was having this problem at one place that i shoot and finally determined that it was a bush in the edge of my field of view about halfway between me and my target. i think maybe it was only a problem when the breeze made it shake. i was using a nikon monarch scope.
 
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