presbyopia

COBUK · Aug 8, 2015

How do older hunters still shoot bows or open sights accurately? Do progressive prescription lenses help? Do contact lenses help? Does anything help?
I just turned 53. I still have good distance vision without any correction. However, I HAVE to wear reading glasses to see anything less than 3 feet from my eyes. If I try to sight down a muzzleloader without glasses, the front bead is too blurry to shoot, even though the distant target is clear. If I put on readers the sights are clear but the target is unrecognizable. Please post up what is working for you guys, the thought of not being able to shoot open sights or pins is just flat out depressing.

mmwb · Aug 8, 2015

I pretty much have to use a rifle with a scope or rear peep. I can still focus the front sight and target okay together. I'm okay with the bow as the sight is far enough out.

Probably the easiest solution would be a scope, if your state allows it and it is acceptable to you.

Tomichi · Aug 9, 2015

I'm watching this thread also. 20-15 at distance.. 2.25 readers.
tried some "optimizers" in my string peep hated them...Out side I can see my pins pretty good shooting 3-D..In door winter league. The green pin disappears in the yellow ring.

Can barely qualify with a carbine AR. I got a full size Bush Master and out shoot every one but the Marine...

What I miss the most though is being able to HEAR !!! I cant hear elk bugle unless I'm CLOSE. Haven't heard one walking in years Just got a pair of Walker 360 range muffs. First time I have heard a bee fly by in 10 years.
The eye site thing really sucks. I have to have readers to use a map or GPS.

Founder · Aug 9, 2015

I'm not sure it's an option for you, but I recently had PRK eye surgery and it's amazing. Prior to that I was in contacts. Hate those.
I'm 43, so I have no clue what you're experiencing. I just know that having bad eyes isn't no fun.

Brian Latturner
MonsterMuleys.com
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mmwb · Aug 9, 2015

The PRK and Lasik surgeries are the bomb. I had PRK about 5 years ago. Still seems like a miracle. However, they do warn you that you can still expect have an increase in farsightedness and will likely need corrective lenses for reading, as you get older. Brian is still a young guy, so probably won't see that for a couple of years yet.

kilowatt · Aug 9, 2015

Hearing, eyesight etc. it all gets worse the older you get. I am not a candidate for either the PRK or Lasik surgeries and just hanging in till my Dr. says that I need cateract surgery.
I have to wear bi-focals all the time and sighting in the rifle is a pain in the arse, either to close or far away to get a good clear picture.
So I sight in wairing NO GLASSES thru my rifle scope and in the field I leave them hanging around my neck or in pocket. Not sure if progressive lenses would help but that is a costly price to "try out".
Hearing, I do not wear my hearing aides while hunting as the blast would sure as hell "rattle my brains".

I am 73+ now and each year it is something else to deal with, but we still push ourselves all we can.

Good luck on what ever you decide to do.

Brian
http://i44.tinypic.com/es7x8z.jpg[/IMG]

Runnoft · Aug 9, 2015

I feel your pain! After hunting with a peep sight on my muzzleloader for several decades I've had to change. Progressive lenses didn't help me. I now use a red dot. Get one with a 2moa dot. The 1x scope wasn't for me. I hope you're in a state that allows non-magnifying sights.

deerslayer88 · Aug 9, 2015

I have issues with objects far away. Contacts get dirty in the field, I hate those. I have found wearing my glasses keeps everything where it should be, however everyone is different. I know without glasses I am limited to scopes or peep sights or I can't hit a thing.

?If men were angels, no government would be
necessary.? John Adams

WapitiBob · Aug 9, 2015

I have the same problem, but don't do anything special for my hunting bow. I use a single fiber and just put all 3 dots on him. When my eyesight gets to where there are 4 or 5 I might have to take action.

ICMDEER · Aug 9, 2015

Tomichi and I are long lost cousins. I can't hear thunder and even tried hearing aids. Sounded like my wife was in a 200 foot long tunnel with a bad echo and static. Sent them back. The audiologist laughed and said I am the prototype for too many gunshots over too many years. I wear hearing protection now, but the cattle are already out of the corral so to speak.

I also use peeps on my muzzy rifles. I do OK with my bow, but it gets a little tougher in a progressive way.

And I sure can't hike like I used to. I train as hard as I feel I can but I was up at 11,000 feet over the weekend. I was pretty slow.

I've had LASIK and it really helped.

Best thing to do is figure you are older and try to go slow and be a better hunter. Take more time and use your wisdom. (At least that's what I pretend to do.)

txhunter58 · Aug 9, 2015

LAST EDITED ON Aug-09-15 AT 07:19PM (MST)[p]I am 57 and pretty much have the same problem as the original poster. Good long range vision, but can't see the front sight clearly. For me the solution was 0.25 power reading glasses. That is not a misprint, these are very weak, but they sharpen the front sight for me. The target is slightly blurry, but not bad enough to cause a problem. I tried 0.5 and 0.75 but they were too strong. I suspect I will need them as time passes.

They don't sell these low powers anywhere local so had to order them online. I suggest you order some 0.25 and 0.5 glasses and see if they help

txhunter58

venor, ergo sum (I hunt, therefore I am)

eyeguy · Aug 9, 2015

The last post gives some good advice. As my username suggests I am an eye dr. If you are exactly no prescription for distance then +.25 will help slightly at near and make the distance slightly off. +.50 better for near but worse yet for distance and so on. If you are a little farsighted then it will help near and not blur your distance. Could get a low powered contact but likely the distance blur would be to bad and not be a good trade off. I am 48 and am really starting to suffer up close also. Bummer. Dean

12point · Aug 9, 2015

When I hunted Colo. muzzle elk 2 years ago I was 59. Had a fiber optic sight and I just had to put the blurry green front sight between the more blurry orange back sight and pull the trigger. Hit right where I was aiming - I think. He was only 40 yards so it wasn't a big issue.