Knobloch Glasses...Some Questions.

[arjuna70]

So I finally bought a pair of shooting glasses as I was tired of fumbling around with normal shooting glasses. I also recently had an eye exam with my firearms and discovered that a +0.50 made that front sight crystal clear.

I had a few questions with regard to the glasses. After adjusting the the center of the lens with the centering device, I find that the lens seems to shift position when I am shooting. I then end up adjusting it while shooting and this gets distracting. It seems to me that if my stance or head is shifted slightly, the lens position is off. This may be a good thing as it forces me to keep my head and stance consistent in order to shoot with the glasses properly. Is this the same thing other shooters deal with when adjusting the shooting glasses?

I am also trying to use the iris shutter and this problem is worse with the iris. I was wondering if there was certain technique for adjustment and more information on using an iris correctly. Also, does the shutter go on the front of the lens or behind the lens closer to your eye.

I also have a small logistical problem. I can't fit the case for the glasses in my 4 gun Gun-Ho shooting box. I really don't want to carry another separate box to the range. I already carry a brass catcher and sometimes an ammo can. Are there any large eyeglass cases that fit the Knobloch glasses that I can fit in the box?

And finally another shooter yesterday told me I should have spent the extra money on the Champion Choice Shooting glasses instead. All the accessories are slightly more and the frames are $130 more. I could still return this set for the Champions but it would be an additional $150-180. Any opinions?

Thanks for the help.

[Fred Mannis]

I had a few questions with regard to the glasses. After adjusting the the center of the lens with the centering device, I find that the lens seems to shift position when I am shooting. I then end up adjusting it while shooting and this gets distracting. It seems to me that if my stance or head is shifted slightly, the lens position is off. This may be a good thing as it forces me to keep my head and stance consistent in order to shoot with the glasses properly. Is this the same thing other shooters deal with when adjusting the shooting glasses?
Yes, the lens must be adjusted when you are in shooting position and if you change shooting position the lens will no longer be exactly centered. The frame & lens should not move once adjusted. If they do, then the frames do not fit you correctly. How do you know that the frame and lens have shifted position? You say 'seems to shift...'

I am also trying to use the iris shutter and this problem is worse with the iris. I was wondering if there was certain technique for adjustment and more information on using an iris correctly. Also, does the shutter go on the front of the lens or behind the lens closer to your eye.
The shutter clips onto the rear. The iris can not be mounted on the front because of the convex shape of the lens. Do a search on iris in the Olympic Pistol section - there has been much discussion on the use of an iris. I sometimes use the iris set at 5-10 mm diam to help me keep my head from shifting. I do not use the iris to increase my depth of field as this sharpens up the bull and makes it more of a distraction. A properly fitted lens will make the front sight very sharp while providing just enough depth of field to allow proper alignment in the rear sight notch. Many shooters do not recommend use of an iris.

I also have a small logistical problem. I can't fit the case for the glasses in my 4 gun Gun-Ho shooting box. I really don't want to carry another separate box to the range. I already carry a brass catcher and sometimes an ammo can. Are there any large eyeglass cases that fit the Knobloch glasses that I can fit in the box?
I have never found a good solution to this problem. I could just squeeze my Varga case into the box, but I now use MEC frames and have collected a variety of colored lenses to boot..

And finally another shooter yesterday told me I should have spent the extra money on the Champion Choice Shooting glasses instead. All the accessories are slightly more and the frames are $130 more. I could still return this set for the Champions but it would be an additional $150-180. Any opinions?
I recently switched to MEC frames because I could continue to use my 37mm lenses (the Champions use 42 mm lenses), because it has a greater variety of adjustments, and because I wanted to :-). I think only the rifle shooters really need the range of adjustments provided by Champion or MEC frames. Better to spend the money on colored lenses, or slightly different lens strengths. I have found that changing to a lens 0.25 diopter higher or lower can make a big difference, especially when my eyes are tired

[arjuna70]

Fred, thanks a lot for the detailed answer. It was very helpful and I will take your suggestions. I definitely need to find a case that will fit the glasses. I'll tell you if I do.

[R.M.]

Knobloch makes a filter wheel that will mount on you glasses that allow the use of various "Add-on" lenses. You can get colored lenses and a set of 3 "Diopter" lenses. From 1/4 to 3/4 diopter. My eyes change slightly from day to day, so you can put all 3 lenses in the wheel, and rotate them around to find the one that works. During a match, as your eyes get tired, you might find that you need to switch to a different one. Easy, just rotate to the next one and try that. I have all the colored lenses too, but stick with the diopter lenses. I'm not sure if they have the diopter lenses in colored or not. They might be a nice addition.

R.M.

[arjuna70]

Do you have any suggestions about a case that would fit in the Gun Box for the glasses? I'l look into the 3 lens filter, thanks for the suggestion.

[R.M.]

I bought a newer (I guess) case from Knobloch a few years ago that is like a mini-pistol case as opposed to the classic plastic box that most Knoblochs came with. I tore out the liner, added some foam, and it'll hold 2 pair plus the filter case. It might work better for you, don't know. It all depends on how you have your box set-up.

R.M.

[MG2inAus]

You mentioned that you had focus issues when you moved your head. This could be due to your lens having astigmatism correction. This will invariably result in a sweet spot. My optician ground a small mark in the rim of the lens which is aligned with the joint in the lens carrier to amke sure that I always look through the corrected area of the lens and I too have to keep my head aligned.

[arjuna70]

Thanks for all the help everyone. One of the members of the Bullseye-L List gave me the best solution. The Varga Shooting Glasses box is compact and fits the Knobloch glasses with the side blinders attached. I picked one up on eBay and it fits nice and snug in the 4-Gun Gun Ho box.

In terms of my head, the glasses are forcing me to be consistent with my stance and head movement. My shooting is improving with the glasses. I'm glad I made the purchase. Now I just need to master the trigger control and sight alignment and I'll be all set..........