Geezer Call! Shooting in a Post-Cataract Life

[NETim]

I will be 60 in a few short weeks. Just got the cataracts yanked out of both eyes, the left one done just this past Monday, 11/14. I am obviously still dealing with the new eyes.

Other than a spike in the intraocular pressure in both eyes after the surgery (corrected with liberal amounts Napalm fortified Betadine and a pair of forceps wielded by the Doc's steady hands) the surgeries were a resounding success! With 1.5 readers, the bumpy thing on muzzle end of the slide is now sharp and clear!! (and colors are so much more vivid now!) Only have 20/30 in the right and 20/40 in the left currently but those numbers are absolutely magnificent compared to what my uncorrected vision was before the surgeries.

I'm considering going with the Hydrotac sticky lenses inside my ESS shootin' glasses to see how that goes. I've noticed some "top focal" shooting glasses offered by SSP https://sspeyewear.com/collections/bifocals/products/top-focal-assorted-interchangeable-kits.

What other options have my fellow shootin' geezers tested?

[nycnoob]

What other options have my fellow shootin' geezers tested?

I get my glasses prescribed and ground by: Frank Rively: Optometrist for Shooting Sports
Highly recommended.

https://pistol-forum.com/showthread.php?13565-Frank-Rively-Optometrist-for-Shooting-Sports

[Hideeho]

Not hijacking thread. PM'd Tim for his OK for this post. Is there any interest in discussing the big picture of "old man" or "old geezer" firearms? Like Tim, I turn 60 in a few short weeks. Have been shooting since '78. What are the ideal "guns for geezers"? For example, I built a Beretta 1301 that is the best urban/home defense gun I have ever owned. But. . . works great now, how about when I'm 70 or 80? Will recoil be an issue? I think it will, thats why I am selling now. Or how about the fact that rear sight, front sight, and target are all blurred? So the big discussion would include Tim's original question, along with all the other issues us "geezers" might be confronting in the next decade. Thoughts?

[Glenn E. Meyer]

I had mine done (68 years old) and I wear progressives that give me the best everyday utility. I don't have specialized shooting glasses. I compete with what I wear everyday. Of course, I'm not in it to win but keep up skills. My thought process was that if I ever have to use the firearm in a critical incident, that's what I will be wearing. YMMV.

The operation was a godsend. The cataracts came on rather quickly and driving at night became horrific due to glare. Funny story, my mom had hers done when she was 80. She told me that before that she thought she looked pretty good. Then she looked in the mirror and said: Damn, I look like the Mummy!

[NETim]

I had mine done (68 years old) and I wear progressives that give me the best everyday utility. I don't have specialized shooting glasses. I compete with what I wear everyday. Of course, I'm not in it to win but keep up skills. My thought process was that if I ever have to use the firearm in a critical incident, that's what I will be wearing. YMMV.

The operation was a godsend. The cataracts came on rather quickly and driving at night became horrific due to glare. Funny story, my mom had hers done when she was 80. She told me that before that she thought she looked pretty good. Then she looked in the mirror and said: Damn, I look like the Mummy!

Something to be said for that.

However, when it comes to range time, I've seen enough lead splash back with resultant cut cheeks etc. to make me want to wear glasses with more impact resistance/coverage than your typical street glasses offer.

[Slalom.45]

I'm not quite in geezer territory at 47, but I'm having issues. Have been using cheaters for reading and computer for a couple of years now. As you say, the bump on the front of the gun is a blur. At distance I'm still close to 20/20.

The question is what to do about it. I really don't want of need glasses for anything but reading and shooting. I am right eye dominate, so if I have shooting glasses made do I get the right eye done for up close and have no magnification done for the non-dominate/left? If that is what you guys are doing how does your brain switch gears when putting on the shooting glasses?

Hope I am not off topic here, but I think the questions would be the same...

[Glenn E. Meyer]

When I get new lens replacements - I get the highest impact resistance that my frames will take. I do wear old guy big old lenses. There are open sides, I grant you.

I had my chin split by a lead fragment in class - didn't know till someone said my beard was turning red. A SWAT guy was teaching and wanted to go all first-aid on it but I chose some direct pressure and it stopped.

I'm not big on different lens types in each eye. Differences in magnification can cause a false 3D perception of tilt. You can adapt to it but like I said, If you have to switch eyes for whatever reason and each eye doesn't have a useful real world correction, that isn't for me.

Your brain is wired to take the images from each eye and fuse them into a correct 3D perception. Why screw with that? I guess this is a competition will make you visually handicapped on the street debate?

[Leroy Suggs]

Like Glenn I use my everyday glasses shooting and I am an official *Geezer* at 72.

Mine are lined tri-focals (do not like progressives) with Transition lens that are safety rated.

I use wide notch rears with a hi-vis front such as Trijicon HD and CT lasers on the J. And I can shoot pretty good.

Had my cataracts done 7 years ago.

My geezer guns are Shield 9mm, Glock 17 gen4, and J frames.

[Duelist]

On the shotgun or carbine, an RDS or low powered scope would seem more logical when the eyes won't focus up close.

[NETim]

On the shotgun or carbine, an RDS or low powered scope would seem more logical when the eyes won't focus up close.

My Aimpoints are so much nicer now. The dot is a dot. Not a red blob. Maybe now I'll be a threat to targets waaaayyy out there, like 40 yards. :)

[NETim]

Update. I received my SSP top focal kit today. Smoke, clear and yellow lenses. (That's it for color selection.)

Never has my front sight been in such sharp focus. I am tickled to say the least.

Still going to play with the Hydrotec inserts in my ESS glasses though. Lots more colors to choose from and I believe the ESS frames are much more solid.