Shooting Glasses for Aging Eyes + How to Choose the Correct Magnification
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Shooting Glasses for Aging Eyes + How to Choose the Correct Magnification

by Ali Juten on Nov 04, 2019

Can't See your Front Sights? We have a solution. SSP Eyewear Top Focal Shooting Glasses.

Originally, our Top Focal Lenses were designed for Law Enforcement pistol instructors. They allow the instructor who wears reading glasses to tilt their head down in the standard Weaver, or Isosceles stance and pick up their front sights on his or her pistol. No more blurry front sights!

How to Choose the Correct Top Focal® Magnification

The first thing to note is that the magnification that you use for reading may not be the same for shooting. The reason for this is because, when you shoot, you hold your firearm out at arms length. Now think about how you would typically read a book...you hold it much closer. An arms length, when it comes readers, makes all the difference. 

  1. Go to your local drug store and locate their reading glasses section. Bring a pencil along for testing purposes. 
  2. If you already know what your reading glass magnification is, try on a pair of reading glasses at a magnification that is slightly weaker than your reading glasses.
  3. Now, hold your pencil out at arms length. With the glasses on, focus on the tip of the pencil like you would your sights. If the tip of the pencil is clear, this would be the correct magnification. If it is not clear, try different strengths until you can see the tip of the pencil clearly.

BONUS TIP: Ways to customize your Top Focal® glasses to improve accuracy

  • Using the Top Focal Assorted Kit, wear both right and left Top Focal® lenses. This will make your sights clear but target softly blurred. 
  • Using the Top Focal Premiere Kit, wear a Top Focal® lens on your dominant eye and a Chelan lens (no magnification) on your non-dominant eye. This will make the sights clear and the target unobstructed with both eyes open.
  • Using the Top Focal Ultra Kit, wear a Top Focal® lens on your dominant eye and a Denial lens (bottom bifocal) on your non-dominant eye. This will make the sights clear, the target clear, and reading clear when using both eyes
The SSP Top Focals are offered in: 1.00, 1.25, 1.50, 1.75, 2.00, 2.25, 2.50 & 3.00 magnification. So, whether you are shooting recreationally or relying on a firearm for your everyday job, the Top Focal® shooting glasses from SSP Eyewear can improve your accuracy by providing a clear sight picture.

20 comments

  • SSP Eyewear
    Jan 26, 2021 at 11:56

    In response to Larry Michel’s comment about the Top focal Premier Kit. You are the correct, our top focal kits have a magnified portion only in the top part of the lens. The whole lens is not magnified. Hope this helps! – Ali

    Reply

  • Larry Michel
    Jan 26, 2021 at 11:54

    I am just a little confused. I want a 1.0 lens in my right (dominant)eye. I want the whole lens at 1.0 not a bifocal. Left eye I want no correction. I thought from description that this was the Top Focal Premiere Kit. However, when I go to order the Top Focal Premiere Kit, it says:

    “a full set of lenses with bifocal magnification at the top of the lens”

    This makes me think the whole lens is NOT the same and the magnification is just at the top of the lens.Am I missing something? Please help. Love the concept.

    Larry

    Reply

  • David Kopf
    Oct 15, 2020 at 13:13

    I have prescription lenses for a 20/400 farsighted vision. Focus on my front iron sights through the upper left corner of my right lens is difficult because as I put my cheek on the rifle stock and look through my right lens, it is angled and I end up looking through the upper left corner of the lens. It doesn’t have a very good quality of image that far from the center of the lens. Is there a standard way shooters solve this problem? Do I just need to wear contacts and then use the solution of magnification on the top of my shooting (non-prescription) glassses? Thanks for your thoughts!

    Reply

  • Jacob L Wears
    Oct 15, 2020 at 13:12

    How much are your shooting glasses.

    Reply

  • Bob Burnitt
    Oct 15, 2020 at 13:11

    The other day, I was practicing with a 22 target pistol and as always at this stage of my life, I was having trouble seeing the REAR sight. I went and got a pair of readers I had laying around they were those really CHEAP readers for $8 bucks at Wally World you get 3 or 4 pair. They were a 1.0 magnification. I could see the REAR and Front sight SHARPLY. Then squeezed off a few rounds. Let me tell you, even though the Target was pretty blurry I was HITTING and shooting BETTER than I have in YEARS. Not that I was a world champion to start with. But it made an ASTONISHING difference. I do welding TOO, have been doing that off and on all of my life. I run a magnifier in my welding hood, had one in it for over 20 YEARS. I am 68 years old. After cataract surgery I had to go to a MUCH more POWERFUL Magnifier in my hood, but welding is CLOSE WORK. I am going to try your product, it has got to work if my old readers were any indicator. Needs some in the YELLOW and in Dark sunshade. The Crystal Lens leaves you with TWO kinds of LIGHT, NOT ENOUGH, and TOO MUCH!!! Glare is a bad thing. The Crystal Lens SUCKS, If I had to to it over I wouldn’t, BB

    Reply

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