Vision Question

[Recurveman]

Hey guys, I find my new prescripton lenses have such a curve to them that they distort my target shooting instinctive to a good degree and with a compound and fiber optic pins its an optical illusion, the pins are not in a row and they are distorted.  Anyone ever have such a thing happen and if what did you do for it.  Please don't say LASIK, its not in the budget this year.  Did you get a flatter set of glasses than these stylish little curved ones everyone is wearing or what?  I want to just to traditional all the way but even then I need the vision improved thru the glasses.  Thanks in advance.

[Orion]

Might help to turn your head a little more to the left if you're a right handed shooter.  You may be looking more across the lenses than straight through them.

[Recurveman]

Orion, that much I know, but its hard to get your head much straight forward for me anyway and keep a good anchor with either bow.  With the compound I am almost needing to not anchor on the face and the recruve almost the same unless I want to use some kind of olympic draw...not too good for instinctive.

[BlkDog]

Recurveman, I have been fortunate to not require glasses, but I might be able to help.  I have never thought about how lenses apply to archery, but I have shot service rifles competitively for many years.  All lenses have an "optic center" where the images are the clearest.  Typically this center is ground into the glass directly in front of your pupil, but as your head position changes you are looking different parts of the lens. For instance, when shooting prone I always found I was looking through shooting glasses in the high center near the bridge.  Lens can be ground with the optic center at a different location so the answer may be a different set of glasses just for shooting.  Contacts may be a possible solution as well as they will track with your pupil. For glasses, it might be helpful to draw and have someone mark a lense directly in front of your pupil to see where exactly you are looking through the lens. Then see if you can have your lens ground with this location as the optic center.  You may be able to discuss this with your eye doc and maybe even take your bow into his office and have him evaluate the situation.  It was not uncommon for the people I shoot with to all go to the same eye doctor who was a competitive shooter himself and understood the conditions we face.  You may even luck into a bowhunting eye doctor in your area (maybe inquire with some archery clubs for memebers that are eye doctors).  I hate to say it, but I wonder if you got a bad set of lenses if they are distorting the images that much when you are not looking though centers.  Just a few thoughts, hope it helps some.  Best of luck.

One more thought, could one of the lens be off causing the distortion you see.  ..both eyes are not in sync?  Maybe try a blinder over the left eye and see how things look?

[Recurveman]

BldDog, some good points only problem is I have two pair of glasses with the same problem one single vision and one progressives.  I think its the curvature of the corrective lenses and you are right..the optical center its clear but trying to shoot instinctive with looking straight ahead thru the optical center is a PITA.

Maybe I have a vision handicap and should just get a crossbow.  

Just kidding....just need to find the how to solve the vision distortion caused by not looking thru the center.

[draco]

You may be touching your frames slightly. It does`nt take much. Also contorting your face with your anchor can make a differrance. I used small lens glasses and anchored with my index knuckle under my cheek bone for over 25 years before getting contacts. The under the cheek bone anchor keeps it away from your frames and helps keep your head straighter. I still anchor the same way after 44 years, even after lasic.

[BlkDog]

If you know where the location the optic center needs to be when you are shooting, they may be able to grind your lens with the optic center in that location.  This would be at the expense of a second set of glasses but it may be worthwhile if your perscription does not change. It may be feasible to have a set of shooting glasses with the optic center ground "off center"

[Seeking Trad Deer]

Fedora's style of shooting the bow straight up and down in front of you might help.  I have glasses and it works for me.

[Deadbolt]

what about investing on contacts?

[Shooty1]

Two factors that will clear things up (if you haven't tried):

Always opt for the high index plastic lenses--not polycarbonate, which presently is the default lens material in most places. After years of comparing, I can tell you with certainty that polycarbonate lenses distort more as you look away from the center (as in turning your head while aiming). High index plastic is clearer, like glass. It's a couple bucks more (not much), and places like Lenscrafters will take a couple extra days ordering them, but once you see the difference, you'll probably never switch back.

Beyond that, go for smaller, rounded lenses. The wide rectangle lenses, even though "short" in profile, have all the extra lens material on the outside edge, like full-size 'nerd' glasses with the top and bottom portion cut off. When they're rounded, you rid yourself of a lot of that extra lens. Less depth/less material, I am convinced, equals less distortion, especially if the lenses are the right material.

I'm no doctor--just a lifelong shooter who's gone through the same frustration with glasses not being clear when you don't look through the center. High index plastic and small round lenses are the solution.

BlkDog: So you're no stranger to Camp Perry, I presume? 14s, Carbines, and Garands?

[BlkDog]

Shooty1, You are correct.  12+ years at Camp Perry with a 10 year break in the middle.  Started with M1's as a junior back in 1984, moved to M14's (M1A's) and now AR's dominate everything 600 yards and under.  Taking a year off again to have some fun and get back to the basics with trad and maybe a few hunting trips.  Never fired a carbine believe it or not, but I have been to Bridgeville once or twice. Lots of good memories and lots of great people and many more to come.  Shooting sports are the best!

[panhandleokie]

I also spent quite a deal of time shooting Smallbore and Highpower(30yrs+) with the Army Reserve MTU. One of the things which helped my rifle shooting as well as my traditional shooting was switching to contact lens. Not only did I not have to worry about the "Optical Center" of the lense but it improved my perifrial vision. I can see to my side without turning my head much better and helps in not giving my position away while still hunting or spoting/stalking. Just a thought.

[Orion]

Lots of optical solutions already offered that you may try.  One other thing you can do with your shooting style to get your face pointed a little more toward the target is to open your stance a little.  That is move your left foot to the left if you're a right handed shooter.  This will change the dynamics of the draw as well though and initially will probably feel less comfortable.

[Artur]

There is one important factor that seems to have not been considered:

Recurveman, how long have you had your current prescription and eyeglass style? it takes TIME to acclimate to a different eyeglass style/prescription, and this could be a large part of your problem. I had to get bifocals ("progressives") earlier this year, and I am finally beginning to acclimate to them; I did keep the frames I have had for the past ten years, though....