APOD Firearms

Scope for Astigmatism

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  • Byrd666

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    A friend of mine with the beginnings of astigmatism brought up that he was looking for a scope for ranges out to about 500 yards he could mount on his AR that would work for him. The Vortex Crossfire II with the Vbrite reticle he has is giving him a hard time. Besides astigmatism specific glasses or contacts, which I just learned existed last night and will bring up when I see him again, what scope options are available?
    Texas SOT
     

    rman

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    pretty much anything that isn't holographic. standard and illuminated recticles, prismatic, etc

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    F350-6

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    FYI. My first pair of glasses were to deal with an astigmatism. Got them at Lenscrafters. They screwed up the lenses and made them for a vision correction instead of astigmatism correction. (they both use the same + & - numbers for correction, just in a different box. Glasses drove me crazy when trying to read with them. Everyone told me I was just getting used to reading glasses is all. It took 2 eye doctors to figure out what the problem was.

    Now I buy my glasses online for much cheaper than any local store. Hasn't happened again since, but something to keep in mind if your friend is new to glasses. If they don't seem right, they're probably not. Weaker corrections your eyes can refocus through and deal with, but you notice something isn't right.
     

    rman

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    FYI. My first pair of glasses were to deal with an astigmatism. Got them at Lenscrafters. They screwed up the lenses and made them for a vision correction instead of astigmatism correction. (they both use the same + & - numbers for correction, just in a different box. Glasses drove me crazy when trying to read with them. Everyone told me I was just getting used to reading glasses is all. It took 2 eye doctors to figure out what the problem was.

    Now I buy my glasses online for much cheaper than any local store. Hasn't happened again since, but something to keep in mind if your friend is new to glasses. If they don't seem right, they're probably not. Weaker corrections your eyes can refocus through and deal with, but you notice something isn't right.
    where online?

    i have seen coastal.com but haven't ordered from them yet. Been 2 years and I feel my astigmatism is worse, driving at night feels like everyone has their brights on

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    F350-6

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    where online?

    i have seen coastal.com but haven't ordered from them yet. Been 2 years and I feel my astigmatism is worse, driving at night feels like everyone has their brights on

    Sent from my SIG Sauer

    I've bought from Coastal, Zenni optical, and Eyebuy direct. Had a problem with the first Zenni order which they were quick to correct and get exchanged, so great customer service. Eyebuy direct is out of Austin. They sent an update email it seems like daily telling me where my glasses where in the process, and they also shipped the finished glasses to me the quickest. Nothing positive or negative to say about Coastal. Product was as expected. Shipping time wasn't great or awful.
     

    ed308

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    I've have good luck with Costco. They seem to get my glasses right every rx. Price is good too. And I don't do red dots for same reasons stated.
     

    rman

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    I've only ever gone to Lenscrafters because my wife used to work at one, so when my vision started shitting the bed, one of her old. coworkers would always give me crazy deals.

    Might check out Costco, or just go online. I do like to try the frames on though. I have a fat head and glasses look weird on me.

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    F350-6

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    I did have a set of existing glasses that I was able to measure before ordering online. That helped my with the shape and size of the lenses. I wouldn't have been brave enough to do it otherwise.
     

    Byrd666

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    Just out of curiosity, when the astigmatism is in play, does it only effect one eye? Meaning, if the affected eye is closed, are there any ill effects to the other eye? And if the Unaffected is closed does it help the bad eye? Or is it like looking through a pair of binoculars with cracked lenses in both. So to speak.

    Forgot to ask this too. When I started looking into this a bit yesterday, the guy from 'Twang-n-Bang' had said something about one of the lines in the crosshair turning "shady" and kind of blending in with the background but not really, and sorta disappearing but kind of bending too. And that the dot of the red dot he was using was more like a meat hook shape than a dot. Sorta. Is that about right?
     
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    dee

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    I have astigmatism and am near sighted. I found it's better for myself to remove my glasses when shooting with optics. The lenses of my glasses add more parallax issue's. Also with an astigmatism it makes focusing the ocular a bit more finicky it seems.
     

    rman

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    I did have a set of existing glasses that I was able to measure before ordering online. That helped my with the shape and size of the lenses. I wouldn't have been brave enough to do it otherwise.
    oh I'm way more self-conscious /vain than that. the "pupilary distance" is one thing, but I need to try on 48 pairs to make sure I don't look lame.

    37 years old and 4 kids, and my strict upbringing still has lasting damaging effects. As mentioned in the OC thread, I still dress like a dipshit. a childhood of being made fun of...
    Just out of curiosity, when the astigmatism is in play, does it only effect one eye? Meaning, if the affected eye is closed, are there any ill effects to the other eye? And if the Unaffected is closed does it help the bad eye? Or is it like looking through a pair of binoculars with cracked lenses in both. So to speak.

    Forgot to ask this too. When I started looking into this a bit yesterday, the guy from 'Twang-n-Bang' had said something about one of the lines in the crosshair turning "shady" and kind of blending in with the background but not really, and sorta disappearing but kind of bending too. And that the dot of the red dot he was using was more like a meat hook shape than a dot. Sorta. Is that about right?
    I'm not 100% sure, but I think it's independent eye to eye. It's basically the round shape of something that is instead oblong/football shaped.

    Yes, red dots turn into whatever. For me, 4 MOA red dot turns into a 20 MOA triangle (3 dots in triangle shape).

    I have never had any issues with crosshairs or recticles. Astigmatism affects the way your eyes see light... An illuminated recticle (ACOG style) works just fine. It's the weird holographic stuff that gets distorted.

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    F350-6

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    Just out of curiosity, when the astigmatism is in play, does it only effect one eye? Meaning, if the affected eye is closed, are there any ill effects to the other eye? And if the Unaffected is closed does it help the bad eye? Or is it like looking through a pair of binoculars with cracked lenses in both. So to speak.

    I don't use glasses when shooting either. For me, it's not one or both eyes. The astigmatism affects me in two ways. A moving object coming towards me, like a ping pong ball, jumps to one side when it gets to a certain point, so it's hard to track. Over longer distances, it makes a straight line look curved. Before I knew I had an astigmatism, I built a pipe fence. I set each corner first, then closed one eye and just eyeballed a straight line when setting the rest of the poles (around 500' or so). The end result was a very slight, very consistent arch in the fence line. After it was pointed out to me, I ran a string line on the rest of the fence.

    oh I'm way more self-conscious /vain than that. the "pupilary distance" is one thing, but I need to try on 48 pairs to make sure I don't look lame.

    PD is a measurement you get from the eye doctor. I was talking about the size of my glasses. Since most glasses online are advertised in mm dimensions, I took a set of calipers to the glasses I already had (after trying on 48 pairs in front of the wife for her approval) and then just matched the online lenses and frames to the size of my existing ones to keep the same look.
     

    ed308

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    I wear my glasses when shooting. Illuminated and/or plain reticles work fine for me. Only the red dots are a problem. But as I get older, I need more powerful (and expensive) scopes.
     

    Byrd666

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    Thanks for the info. so far. When I see him (hopefully) sometime next week I'll pass on what I've learned so far. I'm thinking, as with a lot of gun related stuff, it'll be a bit of trial and error with some patience thrown in.
     

    dmancornell

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    Just out of curiosity, when the astigmatism is in play, does it only effect one eye? Meaning, if the affected eye is closed, are there any ill effects to the other eye? And if the Unaffected is closed does it help the bad eye? Or is it like looking through a pair of binoculars with cracked lenses in both. So to speak.

    It is specific to each eye. Eccentricity in the eyeball leading to different focal lengths in your viewing image.

    My two cents is to go to a proper optometrist, get a proper exam and a good pair of glasses, and wear them while shooting. If you get good quality plastic lenses they double as eye protection. I have severe myopia and astigmatism concurrently, but with proper correction I have no issue finding the crosshair on fine duplex scopes, and no starburst effect on Aimpoints.
     

    dmancornell

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    Yeah but there is really no avoiding the impact on shooting that loss of resolution will have. Better to bite the bullet and get used to it.
     

    Byrd666

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    You know that. I know that. HE Knows it, just trying not too. As far as I'm concerned, you are preaching to the choir with the glasses thing.
     
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