# How do you handle bifocals?



## chip2 (Apr 8, 2015)

It seems like I have seen this question before, but I can't remember where so I will ask again. I wear no-line bifocals. Instead of leaning forward as most people recommend, I have to stand straight with my head tipped back to see the front sight clearly through the bifocal. It is working okay for me (yesterday I shot 97/100 from 10 yards), and recoil is not a problem (I'm a big guy and the recoil doesn't knock me back on my heels or anything), but I am wondering how other people deal with bifocals?


----------



## gorgo331 (Jul 1, 2015)

Get an occupational bifocal. This gives you clear vision to the distances you normally view a computer monitor. It's also about the right distance for viewing a pistol front sight. My eye doctor said that a number of his patients are shooters and they bring dummy guns to determine the correct focal length for the lens. My computer bifocals work pretty good though. Just be aware that your sights will be clear, but the target will be a bit fuzzy.

Mick Jagger was right. It is a drag getting old.


----------



## Smitty79 (Oct 19, 2012)

I am 58 and wear no line bifocals. I shoot USPSA Production. That is one of the iron sight division. I use shooting glasses that have a focal length to get sharp focus on my front site in my right (Dominant) eye and distance focus on my left. This lets me get a good hard front sight focus and still have good distance peripheral vision. Most of us old guys use a set up like this with iron sights.


----------



## BigHead (Jul 5, 2015)

chip2 said:


> It seems like I have seen this question before, but I can't remember where so I will ask again. I wear no-line bifocals. Instead of leaning forward as most people recommend, I have to stand straight with my head tipped back to see the front sight clearly through the bifocal. It is working okay for me (yesterday I shot 97/100 from 10 yards), and recoil is not a problem (I'm a big guy and the recoil doesn't knock me back on my heels or anything), but I am wondering how other people deal with bifocals?


I have both types of bifocals and I won't get any more no-line, the bloody things have a tiny window of opportunity. There is a speck of glass area where they work and that's it.
Have you tried shooting without your glasses? Or just by-passing the bottom part of the lens. Can you get by, with using the top part?
It might seem like a stupid response, but I just do without glasses sometimes.


----------



## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

I shoot with my head down on my shoulder. It's a matter of Modified-Weaver technique, not germane to this conversation.
Through my bifocals, using the upper area, my pistol's front sight is not in perfect focus. Still, my hits land where they're supposed to.
It's just a matter of adaptation and practice.

Your optometrist or oculist can affix a focus-specific spot to your lens, anywhere you need it. In my own case, it would be in the upper-left corner of my right-eye lens.
Arrange in advance to bring your pistol in, so the fitter can see exactly where the spot should go. (The spot is movable, and can be repositioned.)

Or, you can get "reversed" bifocals, with the close-up-vision section at the top, at least for your master eye.
Or you can get shooting-specific glasses, with lenses ground to front-sight focus.
Or do what *Smitty* suggests.


----------



## slayer61 (Aug 4, 2014)

I used to work with a guy who wore "trifocals". Up close on top and bottom of the lenses and distance in the middle. I'm considering it now.


----------



## OldManMontgomery (Nov 2, 2013)

Geometry of face makes bi-focals problematic. So I have two sets of glasses, distance and reading/computer/shooting.


----------



## chip2 (Apr 8, 2015)

My son suggested over-the-counter reading glasses. I decided to try it, since at $5.00 a pair I'm not out much if they don't work. Long story short, it's so far, so good!


----------



## Bisley (Aug 24, 2008)

I've been to the range once since getting tri-focals, and I think they may be the right solution for me. I'm much more comfortable at the range using over the counter reading glasses, but since I will not be wearing them if I ever have to defend myself, it is obviously not practical to do self-defense practice with them. The tri-focals are awkward at first, but not hard to get used to. At least I know I can hit where I aim when wearing the glasses that I use for everything else.


----------



## Stengun (Jun 27, 2013)

Howdy,

I'm 51yo and when I was 49 I developed a cataract on my right eye so I had it removed. 

No biggie, right? 

Wrong! The eye doc tore my retina so I had to have it repaired which was very, very painful. 

Anywho, a year and a half later I with prescription eyeglasses ( 20/20 left eye, 20/30 right eye uncorrected ) I can clearly see the front sight and bull's eye @ 25 yards just like I could at age 30. Not as clearly as I could at 19 but a darn sight better than at 45. ( no pun intended! ). 

Yeah, it sucks getting old. 

Paul


----------



## Quahog22mag (Jan 21, 2016)

Having to use reading glasses for anything up close, including sights, but being able to see perfectly beyond an arms length, I found these to be the answer for me:
Optx 20/20 MagnOptx Large Stick-On Bifocal Lenses
These stick on, actually wet and cling plastic lenses in varying strengths, are very easy to adhere to your shooting glasses anywhere you want. I actually only use one on my shooting eye, which makes it nice to look downrange with my other eye.


----------



## pic (Nov 14, 2009)

I also put my head down to my shoulder, more of a lower ear n jawbone connection , similarly to above post #5.

Not sure how important a high def clear vision of my sights are needed. I do wear glasses, but have no problem putting one blurr into the center of another,lol.


----------



## shootbrownelk (May 18, 2014)

OldManMontgomery said:


> Geometry of face makes bi-focals problematic. So I have two sets of glasses, distance and reading/computer/shooting.


 Same here OMM. I pack around 2 sets as well. I hate bi-focals, never could get used to them.


----------



## wirenut (Dec 16, 2015)

Yeah, it sucks getting old. 


Could not agree more!!!

Bob


----------



## Bisley (Aug 24, 2008)

I shoot handguns best with single vision lenses that focus at the distance I need for using a desktop computer, but everything else is slightly out of focus. That means that I will not be wearing them while I'm out and about, and carrying a weapon.

So, I had to adjust to tri-focals. I hated them, at first, and I _still_ have to take them off to walk down stairs. But, within the first couple of weeks, I automatically look through the appropriate lens, and since the middle lens is perfect for shooting, I don't have to cock my head back and look down my nose. I tried the 'stick-on' magnifiers, and they aren't too bad. But, now that I've stuck it out with the tri-focals, they are the best solution for me, for shooting and computer, and for quite a few work projects.


----------



## pic (Nov 14, 2009)

The first thing I would do as an aggressor or potential bad guy is take all y'alls glasses away. Lol. You guys can't see diddly without em. 
:smt033
(Teasor)


----------



## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

pic said:


> The first thing I would do as an aggressor or potential bad guy is take all y'alls glasses away. Lol. You guys can't see diddly without em.
> :smt033
> (Teasor)


I have already learned to shoot with my eyes blindfolded, so you can't pull the wool over my eyes! :smt083

Truth: As long as I'm already "lined up" on the target, I can still present and hit with my eyes disabled. It's an exercise I've practiced.
You can do it too. It's easier than it sounds. (It's just like shooting in the dark.)


----------



## Bisley (Aug 24, 2008)

pic said:


> The first thing I would do as an aggressor or potential bad guy is take all y'alls glasses away. Lol. You guys can't see diddly without em.
> :smt033
> (Teasor)


Good plan. But, I practice on small targets, with small guns, and I can still hit center of mass on blurry silhouettes at 15 yards. And, I have CT laser grips on some of my SD handguns.

Besides, if a BG gets close enough to take my glasses off, he has probably already gutted me, anyway.


----------



## nrd515525 (Feb 12, 2007)

I gave up on bifocals. I tried them twice (The doctor talked me into it both times), and they bugged the hell out of me. I bought some expensive "Computer glasses", and they sat in the drawer, so I finally had some regular single vision lenses made for the frames, so I can have a spare pair. I do a lot of work on electronics and other small items and most of the time I just look over the top of my glasses at "point blank range".


----------



## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

nrd515525 said:


> ...I do a lot of work on electronics and other small items and most of the time I just look over the top of my glasses at "point blank range".


Until I had my replacement parts installed, I did something similar.
I had bifocals, because I needed a separate prescription for reading. But for up-close, fine and finicky work, I just looked over the tops or under the bottoms of my glasses. My uncorrected eyes were just fine for very-close-up vision.
Nowadays, however, my built-in plastic lenses are set for infinite focus, which begins somewhere around three feet from the end of my nose. I now use half-height reading lenses, so I can look over the top of them to see my wife or the TV. But my close-up focus is gone. I would need a separate set of half-height lenses, or even a jeweler's loupe, to do close-up work.

The good part is that my front sight is now in perfect focus. Watch out, bad guys!


----------



## nrd515525 (Feb 12, 2007)

I'm still ok with the front sights, and I actually shot pretty decently recently, even though my back was killing me. My main issues are when I read a book/magazine and I end up doing the look over the top thing and hold them about 6" or so away. It gets old due to shoulder pain, both shoulders have problems from injuries, etc. I figure I have a while before the cataracts come into play as the eye doctor said I had no signs of them yet.


----------

