Old eyes advice?

[TIM B]

You guessed it.  Wearing glasses more than not anymore.  Haven’t figured out a way to shoot with them on but still shoot fine w them off….but think just maybe I’d shoot better with contacts?  Thinking about trying them.  What do you boys do?
Thanks

[Wudstix]

All the ranges I shoot with Stickbow I leave my glasses off.  Need cheaters to read up close, but don't wear my glasses much.
 

[Terry Green]

I don't see an issue if you shoot well without either...

 If you have to do either contacts are better than glasses three hundred sixty five days a year.

[Burnsie]

Lasik
Best move I ever made.

[Honest Jon]

Same problem here. Started to get bad a few years ago at about age 65. Your results will vary. Yes, I shot better without glasses but maybe it’s just me, but I really like to see my target clearly. Especially just before dark. Got a prescription for contacts and they really work well but I didn’t want to wear them on a regular basis and did not enjoy the excersize of putting them in before every hunt. Finally I got some hippy frames. You know, the small frameless lenses some of us wore in the 60’s and 70’s. They work perfect for shooting with no string contact and I like them so well I ditched my normal old guy glasses and wear ‘em all the time.
Worked for me but perhaps not for everyone.
Jon

[Michpatriot]

I wear glasses every day all day. I wanted to know what I'd do if the weather caused fog or if the lenses had snow or water on them..I found that I shoot fine without glasses as long as I can still pick a spot. I have also worked my shooting in pretty much pitch black darkness shooting at an imagined spot on a barely visible bale and it is amazing what we can do if we think outside of the norm.

[socalmonster09]

I wore glasses for years, I was having issues with them fogging up when hunting/hiking,
two of my older friends had Lasik surgery, that changed my life, about ten years ago I
had it done and I haven't look back, best decision I made. I had Lasik/PRK surgery, I'm
68 and seeing 20/20 in right eye an 20/30 in left. best 5K I every spent. I don't have to
buy glasses very two years any more. now all I have to worry able is glaucoma and cataracts.

[Terry Green]

I wore glasses for years, I was having issues with them fogging up when hunting/hiking,
two of my older friends had Lasik surgery, that changed my life, about ten years ago I
had it done and I haven't look back, best decision I made. I had Lasik/PRK surgery, I'm
68 and seeing 20/20 in right eye an 20/30 in left. best 5K I every spent. I don't have to
buy glasses very two years any more. now all I have to worry able is glaucoma and cataracts.

Just asking for my own psych I would love to have lasik But I heard that you lose your depth perception. I shoot instinctive so I can't handle that. Tell me if that is so.

[Michpatriot]

OK I just went out and retested it ..first shot with my glasses on second 2 went in with no glasses 18yds.Very happy camper!

[STICKBENDER98]

I've been wearing glasses since my early 40's just for reading which slowly progressed into bifocal for up close and a little help with distance. I was always able to shoot just fine without my glasses up until 3-4 years ago when my targets were becoming fuzzy and I had a hard time picking a spot, so I made the switch to contacts and haven't had any issues since.  My prescription is such that I use 1.5 magnifiers when they are in to read, and have gone from having to have prescription safety glasses at work to regular safety glasses with magnifiers.  As far as putting contacts in and taking out before and after hunts, I have had no issues with either, I spent three weeks camped out on a mountain in Colorado last September and had no problems.  I have a small travel mirror I take with me so I can see what I'm doing, and used my head lamp shining up towards my face so it lit my face up.


Jason

[Jim Wright]

Tim, strictly out of curiosity but what's the problem that you haven't found a way to shoot with them on?

[TIM B]

Good info boys - appreciate it! 

Jim - I anchor in real tight to my face and seems to hit my glasses and they move. 

[dnovo]

I wore glasses since I was in 4th grade. I never had any problems shooting with them on. I guess I just adapted without thinking about it as I had no choice cause my eyes were so bad.
10 years ago I had cataract surgery in both eyes and now I can see better than ever. 20/20 in left eye and I had a special lens for distance put in my right eye and it is better than 20/20.
I do have to use readers but I feel that is a very minor inconvenience to be able to see good.

[Zeebob]

Terry, I don’t understand how lasik would affect your depth perception. Depth perception comes from using 2 eyes..  Can’t imagine that it would hurt your depth perception. Only have one close friend that had lasik…never affected his depth perception. 

Having only one eye my depth perception sucks!   Gives me a good excuse fer missing though!

Z

[smokin joe]

Here is what I know about lasik and depth perception:

Some doctors used to offer lasik surgery that results in one eye set for distance and the other set for seeing close up. The point to that is that your brain would compensate automatically and switch from one eye to the other subconsciously. Thus, you would not need reading glasses. Because you can see close with one eye and far with the other.

The problem lies in the fact that whether you are looking at something near or far, you are only seeing clearly with one eye at a time -- one eye for near but the other eye for far. You do not have depth perception because you are only using one eye at a time while the other eye is out of focus.

This was only an option, and I would not recommend it. You do not have to have it done this way. You would be better off getting perfect distance vision and carrying a pair of drugstore reading glasses for close up work.

I played baseball years ago with a guy who had the one-eye-close-and-one-eye-distance lasik procedure. He didn't need reading glasses or contacts any longer. But he could no longer play baseball. He was an outfielder, and judging fly balls was impossible for him. His hitting was messed up too.

If you opt for lasik, get the standard procedure and then use reading glasses for close up work like reading.

My 2 cents on the topic.

[Fredjake1]

I was having the same problem when I started wearing glasses for shooting. I found the smallest frame I could get and it works good. Any larger frame seem to get almost knocked off. It seemed once a got accustomed to the glasses I was fine. Good luck.

[McDave]

You said you were old, but not how old.

You might ask an eye doctor how likely it is that you might have to have cataract surgery at some point in the future.  As with some of the responses above, my own experience, and everyone else who I know who has had cataract surgery, it was the best thing that ever happened to their eyes.  I know that they can do a better job with cataract surgery if you have never had lasik.  They do everything internally, by building a new lens that corrects your vision better than lasik can.  Some people who don't have cataracts choose to have what amounts to cataract surgery anyway just to get it done in one and not have to worry about it anymore.

So if you can shoot with glasses, I would go that route for now.  Personally, I wore contacts for years before I got the cataract surgery, and never really liked them because I have sensitive eyes and they always felt like they had grit in them.  The only time I really appreciated contacts is when I went duck hunting in the rain; eyelids make great built-in windshield wipers!

[Terry Green]

Thanks for the responses even for mine. This is great. Obviously I don't have a problem yet. But I foresee one and I want to jump on it as soon as I can.

[TIM B]

Thanks again boys!  Good info!

McDave- I’m 55, been wearing cheaters for 10 years and now upgraded to progressives.

[Burnsie]

Here is what I know about lasik and depth perception:

Some doctors used to offer lasik surgery that results in one eye set for distance and the other set for seeing close up. The point to that is that your brain would compensate automatically and switch from one eye to the other subconsciously. Thus, you would not need reading glasses. Because you can see close with one eye and far with the other.

The problem lies in the fact that whether you are looking at something near or far, you are only seeing clearly with one eye at a time -- one eye for near but the other eye for far. You do not have depth perception because you are only using one eye at a time while the other eye is out of focus.

This was only an option, and I would not recommend it. You do not have to have it done this way. You would be better off getting perfect distance vision and carrying a pair of drugstore reading glasses for close up work.

I played baseball years ago with a guy who had the one-eye-close-and-one-eye-distance lasik procedure. He didn't need reading glasses or contacts any longer. But he could no longer play baseball. He was an outfielder, and judging fly balls was impossible for him. His hitting was messed up too.

If you opt for lasik, get the standard procedure and then use reading glasses for close up work like reading.

My 2 cents on the topic.

This is accurate - it is called monovision.  The place I got my Lasik at, presented it as an option but I opted for the regular procedure.  The monovision is a compromise, it allows you to both see at distance and be able to read "pretty good", but not perfect.  MY doctor was able to have me look through lenses that would simulate the monovision and standard procedures.  The standard procedure allowed me to see at distance super clear and crisp.  The monovision still allowed me to see at distance pretty well, but it just wasn't clean and crisp. Same with the up close reading in the other eye - it was plenty functional, just not super crisp.  For the average person who isn't a hunter or into sports requiring good depth perception, it would probably be just fine. I know a couple people who got monovision, and they have no issues. But they are not outdoorzy type people - mowing the lawn or taking a beach vacation is probably the extent of their outdoor activity. Since I was doing Lasik mostly to get rid of foggy, wet, smeared glasses out in the field, I wanted my distance vision to be clear and crisp, so I stayed with the standard procedure. I love it, no more glasses and my distance vision is great.  This is coming from someone who couldn't read a clock face if I was more than 5-6 ft away. I still need readers for up close work, but it is a good trade off. My wife is always amazed at how far ahead I can pick up and read road signs when we are driving - I tell her I have laser vision.