Question regarding aging vision and shooting handguns

a reply to: schuyler

So, you brought up cataract surgery, is there another one as well? My Dad had vision issues supposedly from the measels in the 30s, in his 80s he has received some kind of corneal surgery and doesnt wear glasses anymore. after 70 some years.
My eye doc, is all doom and gloom. Theres no fizx for anything in his world

3rd Flagg.....now dad gummit


that's the first rule of the prime directive is to never admit it....man


never admit we're old........but it's true......we are I swear better off learnin now that we're old,....learnin to hip shoot......marshall dillon does it in between chasin Miss Kitty

OK....maybe just typing here at ATS...I guess

You may need Lasik, and I've seen people have tremendous success with it.

I also recommend buying single plane sights. Pistol red dots or illuminated tritium/fiber optic sights.

Ive had to live with it. Fonally got glasses when i kept making mistakes at work.

The glasses do help though. But for scoped shooting it doesnt matter under 200 yds for me

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexanthe remedy....what you said


get red dot or better......makes ya whole different ball game....i got braggin rights....my red dot on my 6 inch S W .44 mag at 130 yds with the handle butt on the tail of the truck.......1 and 3/4 inches from center.......lucky hit...huh?....oh, they were 305 grain heavy

Age does play into it at some point. I have always had very good vision and kept it longer than most of my friends. But eventually we all have to face the facts and deal with it. I was a professional pool player and I had my "Fast Eddie" moment, which I totally failed to accept. Denial doesn't help you when the pockets keep getting smaller. It started with reading, then with pretty much everything. I have glasses now and I can live with them. Not crazy about them mind you, but I can live with them. My shooting skills went the same as the pool playing. I don't use the glasses with a scope but I do with open sites. I am happy with the results so I guess it comes down to what you are comfortable with. Good luck.

Buy a 12 gauge shotgun and give fair warning you don't have your glasses on....lol.

a reply to: one4all

hah, yeah I have a couple, good ol turkey guns. Just not as fun.

originally posted by: BlueJacket
So, I have a 50 yard closed range behind my barn. Its my fun / initial sighting in spot. So Im turning 51 this Spring and I have gone from 20/10 or so to fairly farsighted, wearing lineless bifocals now...BLAH.

When Im shooting handguns, my groups are vastly tighter as I move from 25 feet to 75 feet...with glasses on. Again handguns, open sights. Rifles are a different story depending on sight configuration, frankly my deer, hog and turkey guns are all dotted or glass and meticulously zeroed...no problem there really.

I dont know, I just want to know if any other aging shooters have the same experience and whether or not they have advice...pissing me off not having the ol eagle eyes.

I'm older than you, have QUAD lineless glasses, left eye issues.

Awhile back I studied a bit on not visually aiming by physical sights, and then the Zen practice of "being the bullet" or your targeting quickly and firing.

Watch todays action flicks.. the good guy/girls whip around and rapid fires off 10 rounds into the bad guy.

No stopping to aim or sight. That got to me. Of course to hunt at distances.. We need to sight down them...

But for close self defense firing 10-30 yrds.. It may not for some be necessary to "take aim" first.

Sightless, rapid and at closer range.. I do well, and my groupings are tight. This should be encouraging for those with vision issues... Age related or not

MS

a reply to: mysterioustranger

Thanks, I have toyed with quick firing without sighting and when my 6 plate target arrives this week I intend to really get after it.

4 lineless! yikes! Did those take a while to get used to or what?!

originally posted by: BlueJacket
a reply to: mysterioustranger

Thanks, I have toyed with quick firing without sighting and when my 6 plate target arrives this week I intend to really get after it.

4 lineless! yikes! Did those take a while to get used to or what?!

4 different scripts in Quad lenses. Had a small stroke in 2005 affected my eyes a tiny bit.

Got a lot of headaches in the beg. getting used to them. Far as I know I've not heard of anyone else having quad-focals.

Still.. I drive Emergency vehicles and shoot straight.. So, I'm good.

Shooting wise? I go right for center mass.. or head shot.. Don't aim too much. Draw and fire...

originally posted by: BlueJacket
a reply to: schuyler

well listen Im certainly not making crap up, albeit, I may jave poor recall. I have had stellar vision all my life, lets say that...

I'm not accusing you of "making it up," but the fact is your figures are backwards. 20/15 is far sighted. 20/10 is EXTREMELY far sighted. In fact, I have never heard of anyone with 20/10 vision. 20/15 means that you can see things at 20 feet that a person with 20/20 vision would need to be at 15 feet to see. 20/10 means you can see at 20 feet what a person with 20/20 vision would need to be at 10 feet to see. Your claim to getting more far sighted than THAT is highly unlikely and opposite the normal way people's vision changes as they age. 20/30, on the other hand, means you need to be at 20 feet to see what a person with 20/20 vision can see at 30 feet. As you age dead cells build up on your cornea because, unlike skin, they don't have a way out. That eventually turns into a cataract that can be removed. Cataracts are also yellow in color, which is why you see women with blue hair. They are trying to make it white, and that's what they see through the now-yellow lens.

OF COURSE you have had stellar vision "all your life," but now you don't. That's how life works. It's one of the first obvious things that happens to you as your body begins to deteriorate with age. Old age sucks, but it's not so bad when you consider the alternative. Fortunately, your vision can usually be corrected.

Donate your handguns to "Moms Demand Action" and buy a good camera.

At some point we will all need prescription shooting glasses. I used to be young and invincible and could see, not so much anymore.