Update - after discussion with my optometrist at my last appointment, I decided to experiment with contact lenses. She shoots, and she's almost my age, so she gets it ...
Her recommendation was to use multifocal contacts, with the necessary astigmatism correction in the dominant eye. After a 2.5 hour fitting, I walked out with samples of three lenses for the right eye, four for the left eye with another one on order, and instructions to experiment for a few days and report back.
(Coincidentally, it worked out that I picked up a spare PX4CC on my way to the appointment, so I disassembled it in the gun shop and brought the slide in to the doctor's office. A "C" on the eye chart was a pretty fair simulation of a Dot Torture-type target.)
The concept of the fitting was to find a prescription that would let me see the sights well with my dominant eye, and the target with my non-dominant eye. I'll chronicle the results here.
Day 1: Both lenses with high correction for near vision, no correction for astigmatism (the multifocal with my necessary correction for distance plus an astigmatism correction is a special order item). Not a success; poor distance vision and a lot of glare at night. Couldn't read license plates, etc. Didn't get to the range.
Day 2: Non-dominant eye with medium correction. Much better for driving but hard to read up close (especially on a phone and/or in dim light.) Made it to the range and, holy moly, I can see a 25-yard B-8 ... at 25 yards.
- Failed the Rangemaster Advanced Bullseye -- but due to a yanked shot from the draw at 5, not because I couldn't see.
- Narrowly passed a Vickers 300.
- Made it to 10 yards on Pat Mac's 5-second standards. Threw four shots low at 15, but I think that was a trigger or grip issue.
- Shot about the same as usual on other drills.
The sight picture is a little weird. Basically I'm seeing the target with my non-dominant eye, and sights with my dominant eye. The front sight looks sort of translucent, almost like shooting a red dot. But there's definitely some improvement. I had trigger control problems throughout the session, but I don't know if that's a result of trying to "grab the shot," or of going back to the G19 after several sessions with the PX4CC. (I have an IDPA match coming up, and don't yet have a strong side holster for the Beretta.)
More to come ...