Correcting pistol sight picture

[Discocom]

I wear 2 diopter glasses for reading. When I took up 10m air pistol after a very long break I really struggled to focus on the foresight.

No glasses meant that the sights felt like they were miles away down range! Wearing my 2 diopter glasses gave me a fantastic view of the rear sight! I then bought a cheap pair of 1.5 diopter glasses. This helped a bit, then I tried 1.25 diopter which made the foresight come into focus more. I still found my eyes getting tired, Robin Carter gave me some very good advice and suggested opening up the rear sight width to put more 'air' between the sides of the foresight, I did this at the same time as trying a pair of 1 diopter glasses.... wow what a difference the foresight was now in focus with a nice 'fussy' rear sight. I still struggle with sometimes losing the foresight which is just lack of concentration and have to remind myself to focus on it from time to time.

Lesson of the story... do experiment a bit, for now I'm still wearing the cheapo 1 diopter glasses with a blind on my right eye (before anyone makes any funny remarks, I'm left handed/eye'd!)

Also tried a clip on diopter, didn't work for me, so for sale if anyone wants it

[andrew375]

I find it helps to focus on something at roughly the same distance away as the front sight for 2 or 3 minutes before starting to shoot, This allows the muscles time to pull the lens into focus. I just place a manual or target on the table slightly to the side. Between shots I don't look anywhere else except though the spotting scope. But I know the real solution will be proper glasses.

[hwtyger]

What eye deviation do you have? + or -? And how much?
I have considerable eye deviation of about +2.50, though I can focus fine on front sight my eyes only tire relative quickly.
Allthough eyesight can get worse over time, I doubt focuspoint can shift about 10 meters. Cause thats what yr talking about.(from front sight clear to target clear).
Rear sight should be blurred. You cant focus on 3 things at a time.
Focus should be at front sight.
An often made mistake is switching focus between sight to target and back.
Allthough you may get away with it when young, you cant when older because eyes are less flexible and cant focus that quickly anymore.

[thisisdonald]

Discover, email me about the clip on diopter. My dad has an excellent left eye, but his right has a cataract. We recently shot 38 gallery rifles with peep sights and he found the view excellent. It may be something he could use.
Thisisdonald@Gmail.com
P.s. your inbox is full

[RobinC]

1. If you do not have the correct prescription you will of course struggle, go to a good optician, ask if you can take your pistol, and get him to test on hold, and have a lens made that gives sharp clear focus at foresight distance. it will be your long vision plus some, different depending on your arm length and barrel length, and the lens should include any astigmatism if you have one. Plus 0.5 dioptre is incorrect, that is for RIFLE, and gives a focal length of 2 metres which compensates for the peephole of a rear sight.

Beware the cheap options, the exact lens you will need must be correct to tenths of a dioptre, the cheapies are not, so you will be on a compromise.The best Optician we use, and always advise is Stephen Hing at Shefford, near Bedford, and ask to book for Stephen, you will not need to take your pistol as he understands shooting and will test correctly, and he makes his own lens's. Its a hike, but if you want to enjoy your sport go to the best.

2. Get as wide a fore sight as you can, and then open the rear sight width or make a new one if its limited, so you have a big gap at the the rear.

3. Don't waste time with an iris, you want more light not less, all an iris does as well is draw your focus out, and that is the opposite to what you want.

Have Fun
Robin

[Turnup]

There is a specialist shooting optician at Bisley next to Fulton's - only about an hour from Southampton. Worth checking before you go as I don't think they are open every day.

[Bjacobs571]

I got my lens from specsavers but the one where I live said they could not and would not make them for me. The one in Worthing was marvelous and did a 1st class job.
I use an Iris on my glasses and they increase the depth of field (Focus) enough to make both sights sharp and make the target almost in focus. Most serious shooters use an iris for this reason.

[majex45]

I took my pistol to Specsavers and had them do the "with or without" test while I held the pistol in the correct shooting position.
Result: an extra 2 or 3 points on the average.
Just tell them what you are going to do so they don't panic