Training with an astigmatism, looking for insight

kraven251

Newbie
I searched a bit and found discussion on lasik/PRK and RDS usage, but nothing about training around it/through it

I also am aware that everyone is different etc. However, I was doing various drills and I would get an occasional flier and attribute it to some failure of fundamentals, or have a group open up on me at a range that it should have been staying tight.

A few days back I had made the mistake of not bringing my prescription shooting glasses to the range, so I ended up with a fairly generic set of $5 glasses from the range. I was no longer correcting my vision or my astigmatism, and my precision improved dramatically. One problem, while I was now able to focus on the front sight much better everything beyond 10 yards was problem from a "would you take the shot" perspective.

All of this to say I realized when correcting for the mechanical issue with my vision, I'm not focusing properly on the front sight and thus negatively impacting my potential for better shooting.

I am looking for help on drills or techniques that may assist me in training my eyes to focus differently. I am hopeful that I am not the only person to encounter this and that someone has some useful advice on working through this.
 

PatMcG

Member
My issue may be a little different but due to injury my left pupil doesn't regulate light so my focus was all fucked up. RDS was a game changer. Threat focused and just putting the dot on it just made everything my eyes had to do so much easier. As far as drills I've searched and never found anything specifically that helped but if someone has something I'd love to hear it too since I do still have non rds pistols (for now)


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Chris Taylor

Random Factor of the K Power
I've known folks that had gun friendly eye docs, and took their blasters (discreetly) to their appointment, and had the doc make a prescription for shooting. It limits you, but maybe an option to consider.
 

leozinho

Member
I'm not there yet, but will be eventually. I can't directly help you.

But there has been lots of discussion about eyesight and corrected vision on brianenos.com. I suggest searching there. One trick is a pair of glasses where the lens on your dominant eye is set at a focal distance of where your front sight is, and the non-dominant eye lens is set to correct for near sightedness (so you can see the target clearly).

You'll have to judge how workable some of the techniques are for every day use.

Declining vision is one reason you see so many older shooters in Open (using red dot sights.)
 

Freedom Forged

Regular Member
I'm right with you on this. It's a real problem for me as well and I am desperate for a solution. I don't have astigmatism but my vision is worsening as I get older. My prescription glasses won't allow me to bring my front sight into focus. I invested in a pair of shooting glasses that brings the front sight clearly into focus but this presented a new problem. I shoot targets that have 2" circles and with these shooting glasses while the front sight is clear as a bell, I can't see the 2" circles at all, they are completely obliterated. I'm at a loss as to what to do and could really use some help.
FF
 

MojoNixon

Established
My astigmatism and developing cataracts are causing issues. I can be corrected to 20/25 supposedly. Corrected I can see my front sight but not real sharp and still see targets clearly out to 25 yards. My front sight is very crisp w/o my glasses but I can't see crap at any distance beyond 15/20 yards. I measured the distance from my eyeball to the front sight and took my old plastic Glock front sight and glued it onto a dowel cut to the proper length to represent my standard shooting position with the idea of telling the docs, make it so I can see this sight clearly and can still easily identify things that need shooting. This is the only thing of value I've ever gotten from a plastic Glock sight. We'll see how it works out.
 

Freedom Forged

Regular Member
I hope it works for you.

The way I see it after reading http://www.modernsamuraiproject.com/why-i-have-a-red-dot-on-my-pistol---part-1.html the RMR will help a lot of my problems but it's not affordable to me right now. I wish, at this point I had the 350.00 I spent on the shooting glasses back to put towards the RMR and the other shit that has to go with it. I thought the glasses would solve my problem but they didn't. As usual I seem to do things ass backwards. It's very expensive to do RMR right IMO. 600.00-625.00 for Trijicon RMR, 200.00 for the Balor mount or more to get slide work, 100.00-125-00 for silencer height sights, 75.00-150.00 new holster. Totaling 975.00- 1100.00 to complete the RMR project! I would love to be able to talk to @AsianJedi to see if he had any other suggestion because it looks like I'm following the same path he did on trying to find a solution.
FF
 

Fatboy

Established
I have the slight astigmatism issue as well as getting old enough now that I wear glasses part time. When I was at my last check up, I told the eye doc my issues with needing to see the front sight at a set distance as well as swing targets, etc. He said it isn't an issue, measured the rough focal distance for where a front sight would be, and set my glasses up to be "transition style". Basically, the lower part of the lens is set for closer stuff, a d the upper part is for further away.

As far as the astigmatism, I guess I'm a lucky one in that the dot is a smear, but it doesn't seem to affect my speed or accuracy with or without glasses. For the way I see the dot, brighter= quicker and dimmer =better accuracy.
 
Great thread. I'm under 30 and have bad eyesight and astigmatism. I wear contacts and I've noticed recently I have a difficult time focusing on the front sight. It's never perfectly clear so I end up using more of a target focus inside 25 yards.

I thought a rds on a pistol would be great but after purchasing a red dot for my ar I realized the dot looks like a starburst.

I'm curious if this will be present on a mrds like it is on an aimpoint pro?
 

Fatboy

Established
Great thread. I'm under 30 and have bad eyesight and astigmatism. I wear contacts and I've noticed recently I have a difficult time focusing on the front sight. It's never perfectly clear so I end up using more of a target focus inside 25 yards.

I thought a rds on a pistol would be great but after purchasing a red dot for my ar I realized the dot looks like a starburst.

I'm curious if this will be present on a mrds like it is on an aimpoint pro?


Just because the dot looks like a starburst doesn't mean it won't work as needed. Just place the starburst on the target where you want your rounds to go for CQB distances. For longer stuff, dial the brightness down and use the top of the starburst (or bottom, side, what ever shows up as a defined point you can repeatedly aim with.)

As an added bonus, if the starburst is big enough, you can use it like a hold off indicator.:p
 
Just because the dot looks like a starburst doesn't mean it won't work as needed. Just place the starburst on the target where you want your rounds to go for CQB distances. For longer stuff, dial the brightness down and use the top of the starburst (or bottom, side, what ever shows up as a defined point you can repeatedly aim with.)

As an added bonus, if the starburst is big enough, you can use it like a hold off indicator.:p

Interesting points that I hadn't thought about. I haven't had a chance to live fire and zero my optic yet. I suppose I need to figure out which part of the dot is the center.
 

Fatboy

Established
How big is the dot on your optic?

Instead of trying to find the center of the dot, why not use the top edge as your precise aiming point? That way you have a solid, repeatable point to "find" for high precision shots.

As long as you keep in mind your mechanical offset of the sight, you can make hits at most distances if the fundamentals are there.
 
How big is the dot on your optic?

Instead of trying to find the center of the dot, why not use the top edge as your precise aiming point? That way you have a solid, repeatable point to "find" for high precision shots.

As long as you keep in mind your mechanical offset of the sight, you can make hits at most distances if the fundamentals are there.

It's a 2 moa aimpoint pro. I'm completely new to red dots. Thanks for the tips!
 

Fatboy

Established
My red dot is a starburst, but I had never thought about using it like that! Thanks for the idea, I know what I'm going to be doing tonight...

I figured that one out using a red dot on a rifle. It might not be Olympic gold medal accurate, but for minute of man it works just fine.
 
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