My mind recently wandered back to the mid-range precision rifle course I took in late fall. It was an incredible opportunity, but I was concerned about my physical readiness, specifically regarding my eyes. Time waits for no man, and my aging eyes were making shooting more difficult. However, I couldn’t let it stop me, so I found a solution.

My Aging Eyes Weren’t Going to Stop Me from Shooting

I have always been interested in long-range shooting but lacked the equipment to do so. However, when I was made an offer, I could not refuse, “Just show up. We will provide everything you need, including ammunition and a rifle.” I jumped at the chance.

The rifle I was loaned was completely set up to include a variable Leupold tactical scope. However, even with glasses, I struggled to focus the crosshairs and the intended target. Not to mention the little hash marks on the scope turrets.

Did I need three sets of glasses to shoot this course? Surely, I am not the only one.

I started asking some of my cohorts about their vision struggles and what they do to combat them.

A Rifle Shooting Struggle

Ben Voss serves as the primary instructor for the precision rifle classes at the Bench Rest Rifle Club of St. Louis in Wright City, Missouri.

When I inquired about vision and shooting, Voss replied, “One of the annoyances with glasses is that in the prone position, while aiming a scope, I am looking through the very top inside corner of the lens or over the lens.”

To account for this, Voss wears a pair of glasses that sit higher on his face with larger lenses.

“The glasses help, and I only use them for shooting,” says Voss. “I also had the eye doctor bring the near vision correction higher in the lens than typical. It helped some, but it still needs to be higher.”

Most near-vision prescriptions put the correction in the bottom of the lens to provide focus while reading—looking slightly down.

“While I am in the prone position and looking at the turret housing, I am actually looking up, through the top of the lens where the far vision correction is located,” says Voss. “This leads to craning of my neck and absolute frustration.”

Voss and I share another vision problem which is the struggle with open sights. Not being able to clearly see the front sight post is detrimental to precision accuracy. A blurry target is fine, but not a front sight.

“When shooting my M1 Garand, I really struggle to see the front sight. It is about 36 inches from my eye, and my glasses are not set up for that distance,” says Voss.

Most glasses are designed to focus at 12 to 18 inches, not 36. The struggle is real.

What’s an Aging Shooter to Do?

According to Dr. Mark Kahrhoff, an optometrist in St. Louis, Missouri, “This is a common issue. The eye’s mechanism for focusing up close declines with age.”

Though not cast in stone, once you hit 50, you are likely to have this problem. The older you get, the worse it gets. Some shooters notice this sooner, and some much later. Lucky me, I began struggling with this at 40.

“Traditional glasses often do not help because the ‘near’ correction is lower in the lens than is optimal for shooting,” says Kahrhoff.

A full lens that focuses on the front sight would make the target at a distance a total blur. If you’re shooting a discipline that requires a front and a back sight, even more problems will arise with this focusing dilemma.

A Possible Solution

Voss’ next course of action is specialty glasses. These lenses are called double-segment prescription bifocals, commonly referred to as Double D bifocals within the optical industry.

The unique lenses feature two distinct segments resembling the capital letter ‘D’—one positioned at the upper and another at the lower part of the lens. Many have nicknamed these glasses ‘electrician’s glasses’ since electricians typically look up when doing their jobs. Likewise, most of their work is done at a reading distance.

Corrective Lenses That Behave as They Should

Veteran writer and all-around good guy Bill Bell, a retired law enforcement officer, echoes similar woes. However, Bell’s astigmatism is fixed by his glasses, which matches his shooting discipline of handguns and cowboy action shooting.

When pressed, Bell states, “Most of the time, my everyday trifocals act as my shooting glasses, and they have high-impact lenses. For rifle shooting with iron sights, I sometimes look over the top of my glasses. For precision handgun shooting during an accuracy test, I have prescription shooting glasses. The right lens has a focal point that allows me to see even pollen grains on the front sight.”

Fix for a Handgun

When I received my Glock a few months back, I struggled to line up the sights and focus on the target. Things got too blurry. I decided to mount a red dot on my pistol. The red dot helps tremendously. However, I did go through several brands and models before finding the one that worked best.

Many of the dots bloomed (distorting and not being a distinct round dot). Even on low power, I found a 3 MOA is just about perfect for the shooting I engage in. The Burris Fastfire 3 got the nod for my model 20.

Getting Older Doesn’t Mean You Have to Stop Shooting

I also struggle with the shotgun as well. I have a pair of prescription sunglasses for shooting, as most target shooting takes place in the summer months. However, like Voss, I can’t seem to get everything lined up.

My next step is to see Dr. Kahrhoff. If you need shooting glasses, ask around at the gun club to see if any members had good luck with an optometrist near you. Maybe there is one who shoots and is a member of your club.

Getting older doesn’t mean you have to stop shooting. However, it may mean you find a few workarounds, especially when it comes to your vision.