Ugghhh...Astigmatism

[HammerStriker]

So I ordered a Trijicon RMR type II and a Holosun 407K. I turned the optics on and looked thru them...both dots were distorted to my eyes. After some research I came across the take a picture with ur cell phone trick. Yup, it's my eyes, the optics are fine. About 7 years back I had LASIK and my vision was corrected to 20/20, still see like a hawk. I guess (for whatever reason) the doc did not correct my astigmatism...or at least not all of it. Bummed out, really wanted to transition to red dots... Ordered the Holosun 407CO (8 moa ring) and the Holosun 407 with AACS reticle (chevron) to see if those might appear clearer for me. I know...first world problems.

[ccmdfd]

Maybe someday they will invent an RMR style RDS with a diopter adjustment like on a riflescope.

[gato naranja]

So I ordered a Trijicon RMR type II and a Holosun 407K. I turned the optics on and looked thru them...both dots were distorted to my eyes. After some research I came across the take a picture with ur cell phone trick. Yup, it's my eyes, the optics are fine. About 7 years back I had LASIK and my vision was corrected to 20/20, still see like a hawk. I guess (for whatever reason) the doc did not correct my astigmatism...or at least not all of it. Bummed out, really wanted to transition to red dots... Ordered the Holosun 407CO (8 moa ring) and the Holosun 407 with AACS reticle (chevron) to see if those might appear clearer for me. I know...first world problems.

I have gotten to where I just put that @#$%^&! red blob on the target and pull, but it took a while for me to accept that it is what it is.

[WobblyPossum]

Based on posts on this forum, I’m guessing a third of us here have some level of astigmatism. It hasn’t stopped many people from transitioning to red dots on their pistols. Unless you have an incredibly high level of astigmatism and the distorted reticle takes up a ton of the window, you should be able to make good hits.

[JCN]

Buy prescription shooting glasses to correct the astigmatism.

[PNWTO]

Buy prescription shooting glasses to correct the astigmatism.

If OP is anything like myself then glasses won’t do anything to correct the visual distortion.

For myself, all the dots I have tried look like windshield bug smears but I did find a 509T where the “smear” is at least horizontal. I wound moving that whole combo down the road, fwiw. I’d just be prepared to purchase/return a few examples while searching for “good enough”.

[JCN]

If OP is anything like myself then glasses won’t do anything to correct the visual distortion.

For myself, all the dots I have tried look like windshield bug smears but I did find a 509T where the “smear” is at least horizontal. I wound moving that whole combo down the road, fwiw. I’d just be prepared to purchase/return a few examples while searching for “good enough”.

Get a better optometrist? Tell them what you need?

I have a pretty bad astigmatism and glasses work very well for me.

[PNWTO]

Get a better optometrist?

While that is definitely an option, life has me on doc #3 in about ten years. I’ve even taken RDS options to exams.

Each instance is unique enough, I suppose but experimentation and understanding return policies is a good start.

[HammerStriker]

So today I received 2 new optics: Holosun 407CO (8 MOA ring), and the Holosun 507c Vulcan (chevron reticle). I see the 8 MOA ring better than a standard dot. The chevron is WAY better than the standard dot. Both of these are usable with the Chevron being crisper than the 8 MOA ring.

The 8 MOA ring is at least circular to my eyes and not a blob... but its not exactly crisp. Kind of like looking down the end of a spring or at a coil, if that makes sense. Its not bad.

The Chevron... I kind of see two of them... one chevron stacked on top of another, but just barely. At the reticle is much crisper to than the ring. With the Chevron if I'm focusing on the target instead of the reticle I don't relay notice any distortion.

I'm going take some time to decide, but am leaning towards returning the 8MOA ring and keeping the vulcan. The Vulcan is pretty dang clear for me.

[Wayne Dobbs]

So I ordered a Trijicon RMR type II and a Holosun 407K. I turned the optics on and looked thru them...both dots were distorted to my eyes. After some research I came across the take a picture with ur cell phone trick. Yup, it's my eyes, the optics are fine. About 7 years back I had LASIK and my vision was corrected to 20/20, still see like a hawk. I guess (for whatever reason) the doc did not correct my astigmatism...or at least not all of it. Bummed out, really wanted to transition to red dots... Ordered the Holosun 407CO (8 moa ring) and the Holosun 407 with AACS reticle (chevron) to see if those might appear clearer for me. I know...first world problems.

I'd advise you to quit worrying about dot distortion very much. If you're noticing it, you're focusing in the wrong spot. The beauty of dot sights is the ability to do what our brain is hardwired to do and that's to target/threat focus. It's best to simply be aware of the dot as we deliver the shot. About the only time to pay closer attention to the dot is when zeroing and then stop looking at it. I also have LASIK corrected vision with astigmatism still present. If I focus hard on any red dot, I see a comma shape. So...I just do what my ancient brain wants and see the threat. Try it.