# Prescription shooting glasses - suggestions please



## mike45 (Sep 13, 2003)

*Shooting glasses*

I have shooting glasses made by "Champion" with a lens for long distance only,
I am also shortsighted and use multifocals for everyday use.I use a lens in my peep (green) for all distances, I only shoot target - indoors and F.I.T.A. - 30,50,70,90, meters. - these glasses work well for me.
You might look for an unti glare coated lens that gets dark in the sun and light indoors, it costs more but it will serve you well in all conditions.
These shooting glasses are used by indoor air-pistol and air-rifle shooters, so you might be able to find a second hand pair in one of their forums.

good luck and good shooting.

Mike.


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## Giuliano (Oct 30, 2005)

Since I turn 40 I started to have problem with shortsight view, basically I noticed my arms to be too short for newspaper reading, the best solution was the use of multifocus glasses, unfortunately these glasses allow sharp view only on the central part of the glass that is not the one you use when shooting arrows therefore I was forced to abandon the multifocus glasses for shooting (I have to say the my scores were not affected) I recently got a new pair of glasses just for shooting and by talking to the optician I decided to have the lens colored in yellow, the results is higher contrast and more relaxed view in very sunshine days, this was for me a suprise.
My suggestion is glasses for far sight colred in yellow.
Enjoy your shooting
Giuliano


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## marty (Jun 4, 2002)

How serious are you and what's your form like?

I've got a short nose and if I anchor with the string touching my nose, then I can just barely see past the frame of my classes. This is probably the worst area to be looking through.

Most glasses are ground so that the best vision is right in the center of the lens. Opticians even measure the distance between your eyes to properly locate this spot. You really want the area of best vision to be in the center of where you are viewing, for most archers that's off to the side.

You have a bunch of choices. If your correction is mild then a bit of distortion or fuzziness can probably be tolerated. You can get get glasses specially ground to put the best vision in the center of your sight while aiming. You can get a set of shooting glasses which consist of a horizontal bar with a nose piece and ear loops where the lens can be slid into the proper position and rotated for the best orientation. These are expensive.

You can try contact lenses. When I was wearing glasses (pretty severe astigmatism) I saw the best with contact lenses. I had catarac surgery and now don't need corrective lenses to shoot.


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## FITAman (Apr 5, 2007)

*Shooting Glasses*

I have had my eye doctor move the optical center of the lens to the far left side. In fact he had me place a dot on the lens where I wanted it. I am on my second set of glasses now. My optical center on my right lens is about 1/4" from the left side. This has been working very well for me for about 4 years now. The target is very clear.


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## Not Sure (May 25, 2007)

thanks FITAman! That sounds like a purpose built pair of glasses! That's what I'm looking for. Nothing unfair, just something that cuts unecessary glare and lets me see like regular folk with eyeballs that aren't poking out oblong.


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## RunsUpRiver (Jul 22, 2009)

Marty- do you have a link to the shooting glasses you were talking about?


I'm getting ready to get another pair of glasses specifically for shooting, and the doctor told me to look for two things- one was a very short "between lenses" distance frame, more like a child's frame size, and the other thing was to put a dot on my current lenses where I would like the prescription centered so he can prescribe the location into my new frames.

My prescription is so light that Doc says contacts probably wouldnt help much. I've shot pretty well without glasses, but this year... I did have to up my presription by one of those lens flippy things in his office chair. I can still pass the DMV vision test without lenses though. By the end of the day (when I do most of my shooting) my eyes are pretty tired, and the glasses are needed.

He said it might help to bend the frames closer to my face, but I'm having a hard time understanding how that would help. Seems opposite of what would help. Might try it on my old frames.

My current frames dont work well for iron sights on my rifle, so hopefully I can solve both problems at the same time.

It's been hard looking for new frames that will work, but should be worth it. 

Others have told me to shoot with my face squared up better with the bow, but 20 years of shooting out of the corner of my eye is hard to change.

I also found these two threads concerning this same topic today-

http://www.archerytalk.com/vb/showthread.php?t=817677&highlight=glasses

and 

http://www.archerytalk.com/vb/newreply.php?do=newreply&noquote=1&p=1055492327

and this one concerning switching to contacts from glasses-

http://www.archerytalk.com/vb/showthread.php?t=1035274

Challenging stuff....

Dean


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## bownarra (Aug 31, 2008)

I shoot with glasses (near sighted) and I shot my first FITA competition last weekend. It was the first time I have shot at full-colour FITA faces (I practice on white paper plates against a black butt) and I was amazed at how much the coloured rings shift as I turned my head, more so at longer distances. 

I put together a quick simulation in photoshop to approximate what the target looks like to me when viewed through the corner of my glasses, I'm a lefty so colours would move to the opposite side for right handed folks. Anyone else seeing a similar effect?









As the light passes through the lens at an angle it gets refracted and different colours are 'bent' different amounts. I'm guessing this isn't such an issue on black/white field faces, but on the coloured faces what my eye is seeing as the middle of the gold blob is probably quite a ways off the middle of the paper.

Someone suggested pushing your glasses sideways so that both nose pads are on the target side of your nose, it feels a bit odd but it gets the optical center of the lens quite a bit closer to where you're looking and cuts down the chromatic aberration a bit.

I think I'm going to investigate contact lenses, and work on trying to turn my head more.


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## newyorkarcher (May 26, 2008)

i am 54 and been wearing glasses since i wa 12. i HAVE BEEN SHOTING SINCE I WAS 18 AND HAVE ALL THE PROBLEMS you all have talked about.the glasses i found a company that develeped for the german rifle time and the lens can be turned so you are looking directly in the center i dont rember where i got them from but they are made by a company called Knoboloch Schiessbrillen i dont know if any carries them any more in this country but there is a web page but i cant read german there were the best glasses i ever had and i shot some of my high fita scores check them out
Phil


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## jhinaz (Mar 1, 2003)

newyorkarcher said:


> <snipit>they are made by a company called Knoboloch Schiessbrillen i dont know if any carries them any more in this country


I bought my Knobloch's from I.S.S. (International Shooters Service) in Ft. Worth, Texas. Neal Stepp provides fast, friendly service. - John


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## Duss (May 23, 2006)

*Color separation*

Concerning your situation, I might add some information.
I have had that problem last year. I was using glasses with an anti-reflection coating.
I also had another pair of identical lenses WITHOUT the anti-reflection coating and they did not have that problem.
I now am using the lenses WITHOUT the anti-reflection coating.
:wink:



bownarra said:


> I shoot with glasses (near sighted) and I shot my first FITA competition last weekend. It was the first time I have shot at full-colour FITA faces (I practice on white paper plates against a black butt) and I was amazed at how much the coloured rings shift as I turned my head, more so at longer distances.
> 
> I put together a quick simulation in photoshop to approximate what the target looks like to me when viewed through the corner of my glasses, I'm a lefty so colours would move to the opposite side for right handed folks. Anyone else seeing a similar effect?
> 
> ...


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## MJAnderson68 (Nov 15, 2013)

If you want to really go crazy.... basically a monocle on a wire extension.

http://www.knobloch-schiessbrillen.de/wp/en/shooting-glasses/k3/

edit: posted the even dorkier looking kind


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## Dacer (Jun 10, 2013)

thread necromancy at its finest.


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## Kristjon (Feb 19, 2013)

For me, I'm thinking of contacts as shoot dates are usually 2 weeks apart and I can fiddle with poking my eye for those times. After which this is what I'm looking at buying. http://www.bolle.com/products/search#57,5; I saw on the World archery page about that guy from Denmark (?) who left and it showed him wearing a pair of blue Pilla's. Funny but when I returned my pair as I could not get the RX clips on to work (same pblm as everyone here) I mentioned to him that they should look at blue and he said that they were working on something like that.


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## MJAnderson68 (Nov 15, 2013)

Oops...that was supposed to go here http://www.archerytalk.com/vb/showthread.php?t=2262373


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## ksarcher (May 22, 2002)

I went with duel vision contacts. Took about 2 months to adjust to. Doctor recommended UV glasses for both indoor and outdoor. Has made a huge difference. For the first time in at least three years I can finally see both the aperture and target. I use the Randolph Ranger Falcon. They cost less than the latest fad Pilla but are just as good!


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## ksarcher (May 22, 2002)

I also have the Bolle with the Tennis (Blue) lens for about 4 years. They are very nice. You can a different pair for each day for the price of the Pilla.


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## DWAA Archer (Oct 14, 2011)

I wear prescription glasses I went for Oakley's because apparently they are optically correct. I use their tinted lenses in bright conditions and clear in dull light. As for colour separation does it matter it's only the circle in the middle you need to hit anything else means you need to do a correction. 

It all depends on the state of your eyes and what needs adjusting. just to let you know I'm short sighted with astigmatism which changes over time and that changes my sight picture which is a pain.


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## Sosius (Feb 5, 2014)

When I shoot with my glasses, the arrows all seem to go to the left due to lens distortion. When I shoot with my disposable contacts (Accuvue) there is no distortion. The contacts are just 50 cents each at Costco and well worth it. (They were about $1 at my optician, and still worth it.)

I have also noticed optical distortion with my Ray Ban Wayfarer sunglasses, so I take them off when shooting. :shade:


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## Beastmaster (Jan 20, 2009)

My son in his prescription Oakley Flak Jacket. Asian Fit option too. Works great and has transition lenses to be sunglasses as well.


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## fingerman (May 23, 2006)

My wife had the same issue, instead of spending way to much to so called specialty shops for of center focal points in her glasses. We went to WalMart and bought one of their cheapest frames and had them grind the lens so she would be looking through the center when aiming. Total cost to solve the problem 41.00.


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