I'm looking for some opinions about shooting glasses before diving in and parting with what looks like a sizable amount of cash for glasses plus accesories.
Champions? Vargas? Knoblocks? Others?
Is it a case of getting what you pay for?
Thanks ...
Adrian
Glasses for air pistol
Moderators: pilkguns, m1963, David Levene, Spencer, Richard H
Glasses
Hi Adrian. Since you haven't yet bought glasses I assume you are either relatively young or new to the sport. Either way you should consider whether you even need fancy glasses. Here's why-they're crutches.
I wear Champions because my eyes have been around a total of 110 years (55 each). Once you reach a certain age your eyes, your aiming eye anyway, become a very limiting factor in your ability to score tens.
What I mean is that they become a weak link for most of us. For example, my hand is still steady and my trigger finger knows what to do. I just can't "see" the target and sight like I once did.
I have been amazed to see Olympic quality athletes on the line NOT wearing any brand of glasses which you mention! Instead they wear 'street' type glasses with blinds and occluder, or no lenses at all!
So unless you physically need the high tech jobbies, spend your money on good pellets and targets. They'll do more for your scores, especially if you spend the same amount of money as you would have on the glasses.
I wear Champions because my eyes have been around a total of 110 years (55 each). Once you reach a certain age your eyes, your aiming eye anyway, become a very limiting factor in your ability to score tens.
What I mean is that they become a weak link for most of us. For example, my hand is still steady and my trigger finger knows what to do. I just can't "see" the target and sight like I once did.
I have been amazed to see Olympic quality athletes on the line NOT wearing any brand of glasses which you mention! Instead they wear 'street' type glasses with blinds and occluder, or no lenses at all!
So unless you physically need the high tech jobbies, spend your money on good pellets and targets. They'll do more for your scores, especially if you spend the same amount of money as you would have on the glasses.
Just my opinion
The shooting glasses give you a lot of adjustment to make it fit you.
When I discussed this w my eye doc, she did not see the reason for special glasses, as she could fit the same in one of my older frames. So you can do very similar by getting a pair of regular glasses and have them PROPERLY fitted to you by your eye doc. I recommend cable temples, which are the side piece that goes around your ears, to keep the glasses from sliding down your nose.
Now the thing that I don't think can be done on a regular glasses, is what I heard can be done w Champions. Have a lense made for your prescription then onto that clips the +0.25 or +0.50 or +0.75 lens to suit the range and lighting condition.
BTW have you looked at the prices they charge for regular glasses frames. geeez Some of the designer stuff that they are pushing makes the Champions look cheap by comparison.
Gary
The shooting glasses give you a lot of adjustment to make it fit you.
When I discussed this w my eye doc, she did not see the reason for special glasses, as she could fit the same in one of my older frames. So you can do very similar by getting a pair of regular glasses and have them PROPERLY fitted to you by your eye doc. I recommend cable temples, which are the side piece that goes around your ears, to keep the glasses from sliding down your nose.
Now the thing that I don't think can be done on a regular glasses, is what I heard can be done w Champions. Have a lense made for your prescription then onto that clips the +0.25 or +0.50 or +0.75 lens to suit the range and lighting condition.
BTW have you looked at the prices they charge for regular glasses frames. geeez Some of the designer stuff that they are pushing makes the Champions look cheap by comparison.
Gary
"BTW have you looked at the prices they charge for regular glasses frames. geeez Some of the designer stuff that they are pushing makes the Champions look cheap by comparison."
LOL, absolutely right! And they don't have half the panache of the Champions. I had a lens made for BOTH eyes of my Champions and where them daily. Although people tend to stare it cuts down on the stuff I have to carry around.
;^)
LOL, absolutely right! And they don't have half the panache of the Champions. I had a lens made for BOTH eyes of my Champions and where them daily. Although people tend to stare it cuts down on the stuff I have to carry around.
;^)
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Adrian
Glasses
Thanks for the input.
I'm not new to the hobby but didn't pick up an air pistol for about 15 years. The fundementals are coming back but while I can still focus on the front sight OK, the bull is a lot "fuzzier" than before. I use a reduced size target for indoor shooting and the thing about disappears on me! It'd be great to be able to sharpen things up some.
It ain't going to be easy. I've seen some websites with pages of parts for shooting glasses. I made the pilgramage to Pilkguns for the air pistol and may need to make another for glasses. Would hate to buy a lot of parts I don't need.
Adrian
I'm not new to the hobby but didn't pick up an air pistol for about 15 years. The fundementals are coming back but while I can still focus on the front sight OK, the bull is a lot "fuzzier" than before. I use a reduced size target for indoor shooting and the thing about disappears on me! It'd be great to be able to sharpen things up some.
It ain't going to be easy. I've seen some websites with pages of parts for shooting glasses. I made the pilgramage to Pilkguns for the air pistol and may need to make another for glasses. Would hate to buy a lot of parts I don't need.
Adrian
I suggest that before getting anything fancy you buy a diopter device which will clip right onto either regular glasses or tinted shooting glasses. By stepping down the iris you'll be able to sharpen the target right up. Of course, as many before me have stated, you might find your scores higher if you leave the target a little fuzzy on the edges. It helps you to concentrate on the front sites.
There are several sizes and manufacturers but they all work on the same principle. Mine is made by Gehmann. I still use it for NRA Bullseye, but not on my Champions. They're for AP only.
There are several sizes and manufacturers but they all work on the same principle. Mine is made by Gehmann. I still use it for NRA Bullseye, but not on my Champions. They're for AP only.
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Steve
Glasses for air pistol
I'm 42 years old, and have always had difficulty indoors with iron sights. After a lot of fooling around with taped on cardboard apertures and home made close up lenses, I bought a set of Varga glasses with a +0.75 lens and an adjustable aperature. The adjustable aperature is a tremendous help in finding a clear sight picture, and the adjustable nature of the glasses allow me to set them up quickly. I could probably do the same thing with regular glasses and an aperature, but the dedicated shooting glasses are far easier to setup. If I was an olympic shooter I'd probably get a pair of Champions, but for me the Varga's are just as good.
Steve.
Steve.
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Bob LeDoux
- Posts: 113
- Joined: Wed Mar 03, 2004 6:08 pm
- Location: Jefferson, OR (near Salem)
I am using Knobloch's
I like Knobloch pistol frames. They are lower in cost. I have an iris.
With my 57 year old eyes, I have to really close down the iris to sharpen up the target. Instead, I leave it quite open, and use the iris to ensure my head position is centered and unmoving during my shot process.
Even with a blury target, I can still shoot 10's. I think I focus more on the target card shape than the target center.
With my 57 year old eyes, I have to really close down the iris to sharpen up the target. Instead, I leave it quite open, and use the iris to ensure my head position is centered and unmoving during my shot process.
Even with a blury target, I can still shoot 10's. I think I focus more on the target card shape than the target center.
Adrian,
Last year, I found myself in the same boat you're in - didnt pick up a gun for 22 years and when I did, realized how much visual acuity I had lost by age 51.
I went with the Champions because of the amount of adjustment flexibility they have. I am a right handed shooter BUT am left eye dominant so I really had to have a set of specs that let me move things around quite a bit. I am verrrry happy with the setup which also includes an adjustable iris.
If you do decide to go with an adjustable iris, follow Roly's advice and avoid the temptation of constricting pinhole to the point where the edge of the bull is very clear. That's the way I used to do it and I found after many lousy scores that while I was in fact concentrating on the front sight, I was also being distracted by trying to get those well aligned sights too perfectly aligned on the the bull as well.
With good sight alignment, you can get off a great shot without positioning those aligned sights precisely on the bull. I believe the concept is referred to as "area aiming" which tells us that it is FAR more important to keep the sights aligned with each other then it is to position them perfectly over the target.
Keeping the bull intentionally fuzzy is extremely counter intuitive and you will find it very tempting to make everything you can control as clear as possible. Dont give in - Give Roly's sound advice a try - leave the bull a bit fuzzy
One more thing - if you can, find an optometrist who will let you bring your gun(s) to your eye exam if you are thinking of scheduling one before having your glasses made.
I was very fortunate to find an optometrist who was fascinated with finding solutions to new types of problems. He had never fitted a shooter with lenses before but when I told him what I was trying to accomplish, he was very eager to have me come in with my guns so that he could take precise focal length measurements and so that he could understand completely what it is I was trying to accomplish.
Once the prescription lenses were made for my Champions, I returned to his office to help me fit and adjust them. My shooting eye will never be better adapted because of his efforts.
I have since referred many of my colleagues to him.
Good luck and lots of tens and X's to you.
Paul
Last year, I found myself in the same boat you're in - didnt pick up a gun for 22 years and when I did, realized how much visual acuity I had lost by age 51.
I went with the Champions because of the amount of adjustment flexibility they have. I am a right handed shooter BUT am left eye dominant so I really had to have a set of specs that let me move things around quite a bit. I am verrrry happy with the setup which also includes an adjustable iris.
If you do decide to go with an adjustable iris, follow Roly's advice and avoid the temptation of constricting pinhole to the point where the edge of the bull is very clear. That's the way I used to do it and I found after many lousy scores that while I was in fact concentrating on the front sight, I was also being distracted by trying to get those well aligned sights too perfectly aligned on the the bull as well.
With good sight alignment, you can get off a great shot without positioning those aligned sights precisely on the bull. I believe the concept is referred to as "area aiming" which tells us that it is FAR more important to keep the sights aligned with each other then it is to position them perfectly over the target.
Keeping the bull intentionally fuzzy is extremely counter intuitive and you will find it very tempting to make everything you can control as clear as possible. Dont give in - Give Roly's sound advice a try - leave the bull a bit fuzzy
One more thing - if you can, find an optometrist who will let you bring your gun(s) to your eye exam if you are thinking of scheduling one before having your glasses made.
I was very fortunate to find an optometrist who was fascinated with finding solutions to new types of problems. He had never fitted a shooter with lenses before but when I told him what I was trying to accomplish, he was very eager to have me come in with my guns so that he could take precise focal length measurements and so that he could understand completely what it is I was trying to accomplish.
Once the prescription lenses were made for my Champions, I returned to his office to help me fit and adjust them. My shooting eye will never be better adapted because of his efforts.
I have since referred many of my colleagues to him.
Good luck and lots of tens and X's to you.
Paul