doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com advice: bi-focals in perscription shooting glasses

I have essentially the same set-up as tudurgs and Craig Larter---rx shooting glasses with a small (line) bifocal at the bottom of the lens. The bifocal lets me read the clubhouse bulletin board but is out of the way when I shoot.

I have worn standard "line" bifocals for 35 years +, use them for everyday wear as well as upland hunting and clays shooting. No problems. It's what I am used to, so why change? They work very well for me. I agree with Ted just above my post.

I purchased a pair of Randolph Aviator II with Autumn Gold Transition lenses with progressives from Morgan Optical this past fall. My Lasix lasted me almost 10 years but I found I needed to have a correction again so I opted for glasses again which I had before the Lasix. I really got tired of having to use readers all the time and having to put them on and take them off all the time.

I need the progressives for hunting to see my dog GPS and my cell phone. The transitions help not having to switch between regular glasses and sun glasses and I can used them for driving at night which is really nice. The only gripe I have is the progressives are a little off as far as location on the lense. Maybe I will get used to that. $550

Morgan Optical sport glasses
716) 379-8773
wayne@morganoptical.net
http://www.morganoptical.net/

I've worn bifocals full time for over 15 years, with solid line, wear for everything, including hunting and shooting and I do a lot of both. No issues, walking or otherwise. Did a field test on progressives and found they are not for me.

Wouldn't have it any other way (though I expect to have cataract surgery in about 5 or 6 years, and really look forward to a return of perfect vision afterward).

I am not clear, just what is the problem(s) presented by using progressive no line bi-focals for upland [quail] hunting? Just wondering?
TIA

Jerry

I use progressive bifocals for everyday and hunting and don't have any problems with them EXCEPT for handgun shooting.

To get a clear focus on the handgun sights I need to tilt my head back a little too much for comfort when shooting long strings (gives me a crick in my neck after a while and if I don't watch it, I start to get lazy and have a hazy sight picture). My optometrist, who is also a shooter, tells me the cure for this is to get "upside down" bifocals with the magnification on the top part of the lense. I've tried his and they work OK (of course allowing for the different prescription). But my insurance won't pay for them....

My insurance (Davis Vision) DOES pay for my regular bifocals to be made to high ANSI safety specs, which works OK for me for shooting glasses.

For me, the problem is in the woods where vines, trees and other obstructions all blend together in the progressives. I get dizzy and disoriented. Falling in the woods is real problem for me....Geo

For shooting glasses, I lean toward having the close-up Rx being straight line, but small and low enough to not be remotely in the way of your sight picture when shooting.

Allan Lehman [Optical] in Dewey, AZ is one of those guys who is older than dirt [he has a year on me], a shooter and that can & will do it right the first time. 1-800-255-0205, if you are interested.

FWIW, he re-did a pair of 'High Shooters' for me this past year. They require hand drilling to not break the lenses and tedium of some significant order. He said they belong in the shooting glasses museum as they had not been made in at least 45 years! Ha! I'd simply had them rat-holed a long while, but they are as good as new again now & w/my current correct Rx in a shade that I wanted.

He does not mince his words, but his advice is always sound, the workmanship solid and pricing fair. He meets his stated delivery time as well.

I'll heartily second the above about Allen Lehman.
I've used his Post 4 Optics Ti frames and line bifocals for over 15 years.
I have two pair, one with a normal line bifocul in DriveWear a changeable polarized tint. Another pair with line bifocals with max magnification for trout fishing.
Progressive bifocals have a differnt focus depending where in the lens you look and are designed for you to move your head to obtain a clear picture at different distances. That's whats causing your dizziness in the woods, normal line bifocals have none of that and are just fine in the woods hunting for me.
For hand gun target shooting or hunting, I have a blank Transistion tint in my right eye so I can focus on the sights, works great! The newest Transition tint get almost as dark as the DriveWear but are not polarized.
There is a whole range of Transition tints now available, so choose carefully.
The only difference I have with Allen, is that I do not want any false tints while hunting. I like to enjoy the beauty and the tints bother me.-Dick

My question...I've been told you can't change between line [for hunting] and no line bifocals [business] with regularity without causing causing focus problems in your eyes? True False Maybe Also I notice the line bifocals, cause an aberration in scope crosshairs the no lines do not seem to affect as much.
TIA
Jerry