TargetTalk

With all the different adjustments that a Varga 3000 pistol has, is/are there a general starting point for set up?

I have seen in ISSFvideo glasses worn high, low, lenses angled, straight, nose piece high, low. so I an just looking for a starting point.

In the shooting position, the lens should be square to the target, ie not at an angle. You should be looking through the centre of the lens. You have adjustment to make this posible without moving your head position. The blinder also needs to be central, so get the lens right first then adjust the blinder so you have that central blocking the target.

Lens distance from the eye adjusts the prescription, be aware of this as most opticians don't realise the lense distance is variable. You only have about half an inch or so to play with, but try adjusting that to optimise fore sight clarity. If you can't tell the difference, then set it half way.

Basically, it´s all about the center focal point of your shooting lens standing perpendicular (in both horizontal and vertical senses) to the line formed by your eye, your sights and the target.

So you´ll find that a right-handed pistol shooter which uses a very lateral position will need his lens to be angled in such way as to cross at 90º in either sense his line of sight, while one shooting in a frontal position will have his crystal more like a "normal" everyday lens.

A prone rifle shooter (up to the latest regulation chamges allowing lenses on the diopter) usually had to have a high nosepiece, because shooting prone puts the head in a position in relation to the sights completeley different than it does for a standing or kneeling rifle shooter or, for that matter, a pistol shooter. all of which take aim with the head and torso in an erect position.

The most practical way to set your lens is to take your PROVEN NPA, then putting your frames on and with the help of a shooter friend looking from the side, move the shooting lens up and down until it comes to rest with its center just crossing your line sight, and making sure that it is perfectly perpendicular to it (not angled). That is, with you in your optimal shooting position your friend at your side should only be able to see the rim of the lens, and he will also check that it´s not tilted inwards or outwards at it´s base, given that the pivot point is located on the upper transversal guide of the frame.

Knobloch used to make a useful perforated cup that you could fix on the rim of the shooting lens, and once in place the only way you could see the sights and the target correctly through the center hole it had was if you had it perfectly set.

Of course, if you change your NPA, you may have to change your lens setting. This is most obvious if you use an adjustable diopter closed near to the maximum, and almost negligible if you use only the lens.

Anyway, you´ll have to try it personally, and you´ll do yourself a great service if you recruit an experienced lens-using shooter to help you setting it up.

Most important is that the lens is perpendicular to your line of sight. Next is that the optical center of the lens is centered.

For pistol, using iron sights, you want your lens power to be your distance vision correction with an extra +0.75 added to it.

Really general- I set the nose piece height tall enough so I cannot see the side arms with my peripheral vision; with a pistol that is not very high, in some rifle positions it gets pretty tall. For pistol use the larger of the two sizes of lens available, I prefer a straight shaft for the lens. The centered nose bridge set up is fine, if you are shooting a rifle with the same frames the offset type would be the way to go. The blinder usually comes with two leafs a dark one and a clear one. For most shooting I like the clear-ish one as I feel my balance is better with it.