Astigmatism and scopes

Reknilp

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I've not really ever shot many rifles with scopes and the few I have were friends of mine. I'm hoping there's hope for me but for people that have astigmatism, what scopes are you running?

Primarily I want a scope for my AR. I've been looking at the nikon 1-4x24 and i believe bushnell makes one too.

I've heard the term eye relief by searching online and I've gathered it's how far the scope can be from your eye for a clear sight picture. Would a scope with a stronger eye relief(if that's even a thing) be better for astigmatism?
 
I'm the complete opposite, I see red dots fine and cross hairs in a scope are extremely fuzzy

I strongly suspect that you’ve just never “setup” a scope properly.

any scope of decent quality will have an adjustable ocular (closer to your eye) lens that just needs a twist to focus. Use that adjust to make the cross hairs focus and you’re good to go.
 
My astigmatism breaks a fine reticle into small overlapping segments. I can barely use the nicest scope I own. I would look at quality glass with a heavier lined reticle and watch this:

 
Red dots are normally the problem with astigmatism. Anything with an etched reticle (from a 1x prism sight to any long range scope) shouldn't be a problem so something odd is going on. If you can see clearly (with lenses), you should be able to see through a scope with those same lenses.
 
The trick with a stigmatism is to use a ghost ring or peep sight in FRONT of your red dot sight. That will make the red dot circle become sharp and clear.
Excellent idea. The pinhole camera effect.. BTW for those of us with 4 eyes, if you ever lose your glasses in a pinch make a small hole in a piece of paper and put it up to your eye. Voila, it's not perfect but you can read things, etc.
 
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BTW for those of us with 4 eyes, if you ever lose your glasses in a pinch make a small hole in a piece of paper and put it up to your eye. Voila, it's not perfect but you can read things, etc.

And if you are really desperate you can simply make the "OK" sign with your thumb and pointer finger and close the hole down until it becomes clear. I wore coke bottle glasses for the longest time growing up.
 
I have astigmatism and have had no issue with any of the scopes I've owned. They should have an ocular adjustment on the eye piece at a minimum. Sometimes it's the whole eye piece that rotates clockwise/counter-clockwise. Spin it back and forth in each direction until the desired clarity of the crosshair is obtained.

You'll also have a parallax adjustment on the objective end of things to allow you to focus the picture behind the crosshairs. Shouldn't be any issues if you have appropriate levels of adjustment.
 
I'm currently running the following scopes, Schmidt & Bender PMII 12-50x56, Nightforce NXS 8-32x56, and Sig Whiskey 5 3-15x52.
 
I've got astigmatism and regular scopes are not an issue.

However with any red-dot all I see is a red blob.
Without glasses I see 3 dots. Same with street lights or traffic lights.
Pretty trippy.
So I wear my glasses when shooting.
It is the astigmatism that triggered the CL code on my license. Makes simultaneous focus a challenge without glasses.


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I'm the complete opposite, I see red dots fine and cross hairs in a scope are extremely fuzzy
I have the dreaded astigmatism. My red dot is slightly more than a single fine red dot.
My son has an inexpensive 1-4X for his AR. I can see anything clearly at all. My son wears glasses, though his prescription is got better after laser eye surgery for a lot of retinal holes. And he can shoot without his prescription specs.
 
I wear progressive lens for my astigmatism and presbyopia, no problem with red dots or scopes, I mount them a bit further down the rails.
 
I strongly suspect that you’ve just never “setup” a scope properly.

any scope of decent quality will have an adjustable ocular (closer to your eye) lens that just needs a twist to focus. Use that adjust to make the cross hairs focus and you’re good to go.
What he said. I've got an astigmatism even after having an astigmatism lens inplant. I see two red dots or two front sight. I just pick one and use it. Bushmell scopes have an excellent ocular for focusing the cross hair.
 
I wear progressive lens for my astigmatism and presbyopia, no problem with red dots or scopes, I mount them a bit further down the rails.
I shoot with progressive lenses too, sometimes I think they mess with the parallax, but most likely its me. I wind up sighting through the top of my lenses at quite an angle when my head is on a rifle stock, that does some strange things even without being progressive.
 
I use single vision (distance vision) for serious rifle work including short range benchrest matches and long range steel shooting. I have astigmatism. I dont know if its my vision or lack thereof but I mount scopes as far back on the gun as I can to minimize or eliminate tunnel vision. I dont have any issue with red dots but I only have a couple, one being an ACOG which is not really a red dot. I have heard that if you see a blob or multiple red dots, try moving the red dot scope forwards or backwards on the rail.
 
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If dots smear out on you, don’t use them. Seriously, try an illuminated 1x etched reticle like a Vortex Spitfire, or a 1-4 on 1x.

Or use the dot smeared but bright for fast close stuff and turn it down dimmer (much less smear) for long range.

Your eye doesn’t usually change much or fast. The smear should be consistent. You can also pick one end of it or the brightest part or something else and just practice and make it a habit to use that as you aiming point.

But seriously, don’t use a dot at all.
 
Polarized shooting glasses can help with the red dots and astigmatism.
 
Any red dot or horseshoe battle reticle by Vortex is pitiful if you have an astigmatism. Great life time warranty with Chinese glass. Only their high end stuff has Japanese glass.
 
I always wondered why red dots were a little “pixilated” fuzzy. I have according to my doctor a slight astigmatism.
 
I heard EoTechs are better for astigmatisms than regular red dots. I cannot confirm though. I have a .5 astigmatism (within the range of normal) in my shooting eye and they all look perfectly fine to me. It depends on your eye and the optic. It's always better to try before you buy.
 
I heard EoTechs are better for astigmatisms than regular red dots. I cannot confirm though. I have a .5 astigmatism (within the range of normal) in my shooting eye and they all look perfectly fine to me. It depends on your eye and the optic. It's always better to try before you buy.
They are. Image is reflected multiple times as opposed to just shined on the glass. I have to hand pick red dots but eotech sights never give me an issue. Corrective lenses also help
 
Any red dot or horseshoe battle reticle by Vortex is pitiful if you have an astigmatism. Great life time warranty with Chinese glass. Only their high end stuff has Japanese glass.

Which Vortex scopes have the "horseshoe battle reticle"?

And which cheap scopes can I buy that have Japanese glass?
 
Etched reticles are fine with astigmatism. So generally scopes are fine. If you want a dot, try a Vortex Spitfire.
 
Which Vortex scopes have the "horseshoe battle reticle"?

And which cheap scopes can I buy that have Japanese glass?
Its been a long time since I bought Vortex. It could be a circle. I did a lot of research on my first purchase. And more when I began buying red dots. Only luck I had was with Aimpoint on dots. I looked at Vortex Saturday on a pistol at the Hickory Gun Show. It was bad with my eyes.
 
I echo @BlackGun on red dots. I either run aimpoint or Sig romeos, when I get a Romeo I’ll look through 2-3 before nabbing one. It’s frustrating having this issue.

Also, food for thought. If you wear corrective lenses otherwise make sure they are for astigmatism. I have been back and forth between contacts and glasses and was having an issue that I was seeing double for fine print with my contacts on and had to squint to see leaves on trees. When I talked to my doctor he said that it was because I didn’t have astigmatism contacts because they didn’t think I’d want to spend the extra money on them. Mf I wanna be able to see 👀 But I looked through my romeos when I got home and damn if I can’t see better.
 
I have astigmatism. I have no problems with scopes, but you do have to set up your eye relief and adjust the scope a little for the clearest picture.

Regular red dots, I can use, but they're a pain.

I've found I can use the prism type optics, like the vortex prism scopes perfectly well though.
 
I echo @BlackGun on red dots. I either run aimpoint or Sig romeos, when I get a Romeo I’ll look through 2-3 before nabbing one. It’s frustrating having this issue.

Also, food for thought. If you wear corrective lenses otherwise make sure they are for astigmatism. I have been back and forth between contacts and glasses and was having an issue that I was seeing double for fine print with my contacts on and had to squint to see leaves on trees. When I talked to my doctor he said that it was because I didn’t have astigmatism contacts because they didn’t think I’d want to spend the extra money on them. Mf I wanna be able to see 👀 But I looked through my romeos when I got home and damn if I can’t see better.
Astigmatism contacts are very expensive. I choice a few years ago to forego correcting it due to cost but man it’s tough. Another thing I did since I was correcting distance and didn’t want readers is get contacts with less power in one eye for reading. It was suggested by my doctor. I’ll add the Sig handgun sight is the better than any of the others I’ve looked thru. But I don’t use one on a pistol because I can’t acquire the dot fast enough to feel comfortable.
 
The Strike Eagle does I think. It does not effect mine at all.

Ahh yes, it indeed has a donut/Xmas tree thing.

Funnily, I actually owned one haha!

Its been a long time since I bought Vortex. It could be a circle. I did a lot of research on my first purchase. And more when I began buying red dots. Only luck I had was with Aimpoint on dots. I looked at Vortex Saturday on a pistol at the Hickory Gun Show. It was bad with my eyes.

Must have been the strike eagle. None of their red dots are circle dots. Their prism scope has a circle dot reticle, though, as well as adjustable diopter.

Honestly: the Strike Eagle is a very cheap scope. You are not getting Japanese glass for anything near that price.
You need to step up to at least the PST to start seeing good glass, imo. Or for over a grand the Razor, which is awesome glass.

I have an astigmatism, and really don't like any donut/xmas tree type reticles on any LPVO. It just bleeds tons of red light all over and I have never been able to figure out any positives or what it is trying to accomplish or why a donut is needed. This is my complaint with a lot of cheap scopes. To me, it is just gimmicky and pointless.
IMO, you want basic BDC etched reticle (or mildot) with only the center dot being illuminated, and it need to be daylight bright. Like the Steiner, Razor or PST, Swarovski, Cmore, etc. for second focal plane scopes.

When I first got into LPVO's, I didn't really understand the diopter or how to adjust it. So a lot of scopes I looked through seemed hazy or disappointing. Once I got a handle on it, it made them nicer to use. Just my opinions.
 
I have the dreaded splotchy dot too.

We have a fiber laser marker at work that has a pair of aiming laser dots on it for focusing. I can’t use them and have to break out the trusty focusing chopstick. I want to try out one of the smaller prism scopes to see how my eyes like them.

On a side note...my latest prescription went up a little in power and works great but I’m now in the cheater lens territory for some stuff up close. On my FLIR thermal scope I have to either take out my contacts or wear my trusty dollar store readers to be able to focus on the display. It friggin sucks!:D Night hunting is down to me strapping a set of glasses of some sort around my neck so I can see.

CHRIS
 
It just bleeds tons of red light all over and I have never been able to figure out any positives or what it is trying to accomplish or why a donut is needed. This is my complaint with a lot of cheap scopes. To me, it is just gimmicky and pointless.

Don’t quote me, but I seem to recall that helping aide as a reference point, or that you could use it to drop on a target.


I’ll be honest, I didn’t know mine had a damn light on it for a while. I turned it on while I was trying to adjust for distance and couldn’t figure out why it wasn’t adjusting. You can’t see the red during the day anyway. Reminds me of those cheap NCStar scopes that are red and green.
 
Ahh yes, it indeed has a donut/Xmas tree thing.

Funnily, I actually owned one haha!



Must have been the strike eagle. None of their red dots are circle dots. Their prism scope has a circle dot reticle, though, as well as adjustable diopter.

Honestly: the Strike Eagle is a very cheap scope. You are not getting Japanese glass for anything near that price.
You need to step up to at least the PST to start seeing good glass, imo. Or for over a grand the Razor, which is awesome glass.

I have an astigmatism, and really don't like any donut/xmas tree type reticles on any LPVO. It just bleeds tons of red light all over and I have never been able to figure out any positives or what it is trying to accomplish or why a donut is needed. This is my complaint with a lot of cheap scopes. To me, it is just gimmicky and pointless.
IMO, you want basic BDC etched reticle (or mildot) with only the center dot being illuminated, and it need to be daylight bright. Like the Steiner, Razor or PST, Swarovski, Cmore, etc. for second focal plane scopes.

When I first got into LPVO's, I didn't really understand the diopter or how to adjust it. So a lot of scopes I looked through seemed hazy or disappointing. Once I got a handle on it, it made them nicer to use. Just my opinions.
I absolutely agree with you on the gimmicky circles, donuts, etc.. Also bdc etched reticle as the best for second focal plane. I will also add Vortex is not bad stuff just not great glass in the low and mid price but more than adequate for 95% of the market. Having worked in glass manufacturing (fiber optics for data) and touring night vision optics for our sister plant, high quality glass is very expensive to produce with complex recipes. The Germans, French, and Americans are the leaders in glass technologies. Japan is closing fast.
 
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