I'm in my 50s and my eyesight is now to the point that I'll need glasses or contacts. What do you guys prefer - glasses or contacts? Thanks for your thoughts!

I,ll be 52 next week and i'm at the point where I need readers, Never thought of contacts for part time use. Interested to see what you guys have to say.

d -

It's your call.

Glasses present special problems when shooting, and if you've never worn contacts, getting used to them may or may not be a problem.

Neither are insurmountable and if they work for you, contacts are usually easier to deal with, especially with newer materials and prescriptions.

I don't do contacts well, and have special glasses made for shooting.

Viper out.

I suggest contacts. When I first got glasses I tried hunting in them and they would always fog up on me. I also had issues shooting a bow with my glasses. So, I switched to contacts and have been wearing them with no problems for over 20 years. Early on the soft contacts tended to dry out and I had to carry a small bottle of rewetting drops. They've made quite a few advancements in contact technology and they don't dry out like they used to and I don't have to carry the drops anymore. There is a "getting used to" period with contacts but once you overcome that you should be fine. I take mine out each night and use my glasses to read before I go to sleep. If I am camping or go on any kind of overnight trip, I take two sets of contacts and a small bottle of cleaning/storage solution. The weigh next to nothing and take up very little space. The best thing is they don't fog up when you see a deer and get that adrenaline rush.

[[[ "I don't do contacts well, and have special glasses made for shooting." ]]]

Same for me. I just can't wear them, but darn sure would if I could. Glasses are a pain in the butt.

Rick

Yep contacts don't like me either. Mine is mostly astigmatism so for me anytime I blink they move drives me crazy, btw I tried several types. Your personal experience may vary.

Contacts and I don't get along well. I can wear them, but I'm just not crazy about them.

I can shoot fine with my glasses on, but every now and then you have those cold mornings when a breeze hits just wrong. Exhale and my breath fogs up my glasses. They make stuff for that. I've even heard that wiping glasses lenses with shaving cream prevents them from fogging up. I'll probably give that a try.

Contacts for me. had trouble getting used to shooting glasses. Bring extra too. Had a bug get in my eye at a shoot last week, and ended up loosing my contact getting it out. Fortunately I had daily's with me since we were camping.

I've been wearing contacts for 57 years. Wouldn't have it any other way for outdoors activities. Wear glasses at night in the house.

If you opt for glasses, do not purchase progressives. You won't be able to see corectly out the edge of the lens. I also recommend you get real glass, and not plastic. Tell your doc you are an archer. Good luck.

I wore contacts for 20 years and then went back to glasses about 5 years ago.. Contacts are a pain to put in-and-out, especially on an extended camping trip. I tried the extended wear but after a few days especially in windy and/or dusty conditions, they tended to get a little cloudy. The only problem with glasses is that they will fog up when I'm wearing a headnet. If you need bi-focals, I found that it was easier to shoot with the lined rather than the progressive.

Been wearing glasses since 1960 (astigmatism & plain bad eyesight). I have tried to use contacts several times over the decades, just never could get accustomed to them. I prefer spectacles.

Contacts for me but I practice in my glasses I'm only 27 but my sight is piss poor I were -7.5s I can o ly see clearly 12 inches in front of my face with out

Both

Contacts for hunting golfing etc.

Forget the glasses and go with contacts. I tried glasses and they are a BIG problem when shooting.

At 69, can't see anything up close and use glasses for detailed work, like the computer to submit this reply. My wife says I can't see anything far away either and my hearing is bad, ... and she may be right. I know I got that "Selective Hearing", so I might have "Selective Seeing", as I see everything I want to on the beach.

I do know that my progressive lens glasses don't work for me when outdoors with any activity; especially shooting. They distort my side vision, distance, and seem like blinders, because I have to focus hard when looking out them, so I miss the relationship of objects around me. If this is your type of sight problem, might try shooting without glasses or contacts. Some of my friends of the past who I shot with were the same way and even though they needed glasses for everyday living, they shot without them.

I could reverse Jim's comment as it applies to me, but I think contacts are great. With astigmatism they can be a pain in the arse though, so try them first. Now that I kinda agreed with him, I'll say that I wear my glasses more than contacts, and I have progressive lenses. Whatever you wear you will get used to them, even progressive lenses like mine.

Wear what corrects your sight best. I've had lenses since I was six. I started wearing daily contacts at 25.

Contacts were great until the last three years or so. Now I'm corrected OK with contacts, but glasses work better to actually see well.

I can see better to shoot with glasses, but I've zipped them off my head with the bowstring twice.

If glasses turn out to be better, wear 'em, but you may have to alter your form a little.

I say stay away from the chain optical outfits ,i cant believe how much different my vision is since i started seeing a dedicated eye doctor .i pay more but the quality of my vision is so much better. He sets my no line bi focals low so they dont bother me shooting and do buy no glare coating.

Lasik if ya can ,, awesome !!

I pull into my face from the front, so glasses are not an issue. I've been shooting with them on for over forty years now and have never had them interfere. I've seen guys pull back past their ear and then settle in, and I suppose that could flip them off your face. I may try contacts again, but the older ones dried my eyes so bad it wasn't worth the effort.

Thankfully I can still shoot without corrective eyewear. It's the reading thing at the moment, my arms are getting shorter and shorter.

I have used both glasses and contacts. When at work I use glasses so my vision can transition quickly from computer screen to bandsaw etc.

But for ALL outdoor activities I wear contacts. There has been drastic improvements in daily wear contacts. The adaption period is very quick - they don't dry out or move around when you blink like older contacts. I can see like an eagle with distance vision contacts in both eyes.!

Daily wear means you use a brand new contacts every day so you don't have to mess with cleaning, eye drops, etc. just put 'em in and go. I carry a couple of spares in my day pack in case I have a problem but have never had to use even one.

Another advantage of contacts is they are always clean - when I wore glasses in the field they would get dusty or worse yet fog over on cold mornings.

Been wearing glasses for years and to me they present no problems whatsoever when hunting,now grant it when shooting my guns with scopes,they do come off but bow hunting no problems,you get used to them after awhile.

I can't wear contacts. when I started shooting a bow, I was already wearing glasses so I dealt with the issue from the beginning. when I started wearing glasses, I was using the one where the eye pads where part of the frame, no air space between them. the glasses would fog up quickly. then one year I bought a better pair of frames where the lens are not close to the nose or cheek. that helped greatly on the fogging problem. yes, they still fog but not as bad and clear up quicker.

Consider corrective surgery if you are a candidate for that. I wore glasses and contact lenses prior to having surgery. Significant disadvantages to those two options. Since having surgery over 5 years ago, my vision is 20/15. I do need reading glasses to focus on objects close to me ...the only downside to the surgery.

Contacts.

I got dirt under a contact once, bored a hole in my eye. Never wore them again, still got the mark.

Doing what we do will be hard to keep hands clean, dust, dirt, tree bark, get in your eye with contacts. plus I can not tolerate contacts. Glasses have saved my vision from branches as well.

Contacts hands down they have never fogged up!

I have glasses with smaller frame and sunglasses (prescription). I haven't had problems with them but I long for the days when I didn't need them. Sunglasses are interesting because they shield the whites of your eyes from wary prey(so I have heard) Any truth to that?

Contacts are ok but I keep seeing people who constantly lose them in midst of activities. Its comical to see the groping around on the ground looking for them. I feel for them but it is funny.

BEFORE you make your decision on what is the BEST eye correction method for YOU, you might want to consider Lasik surgery. I know that it may be more expensive than either of the other options, however I think it is the best method in the long run considering your young age.

P/S - I had glasses and then contacts before I had the Lasik surgery. IT WAS THE BEST DECISION I HAVE EVER MADE!!

There is another option that few have heard of and that is Corneal Refractive Therapy. It corrects nearsightedness by sleeping in a gas permeable contact and then you have great vision all day without wearing anything. Best thing since sliced bread! You can even do monovision and forget the readers.

Laser surgery. Best money I ever spent. I do have to now wear reading glasses for up close, computer screens, etc. especially in low light.

I thought I wanted contacts for hunting, but after watching my wife struggle with them and never get used to them I opted to stay with glasses. Contacts are not made to your exact prescription. They only make certain ones and they pick the closest ones. If you need bifocals they make one eye for close and one eye for distance vision. I would say though, if you get glasses and they have bifocals make sure they have a wide bifocal area. If you look out the side of the bifocal it shifts the image or blurs it. You have to ask the eye people, they won't volunteer it and may even tell you that they do not make wide bifocal lenses, but I've seen them. They just cost more and you might have to go to a different store to get them.

Been wearing contacts for ca.30 years. Ones I have now are regulated for reading in one eye and one for distance. I could not tell witch is witch if I did not close one eye. Right is long range since I told doc I was a shooter. Leave them in 24/7. 1 drop in am and I'm good for the day. Change them out every 30-60 days.

Don, if your problem is seeing at long distance, have a pair of lenses made just for that....no bifocals. I got mine at wallyworld and they work just fine for shooting (and cheap too).

I try to alway's use my contacts. I've had 2 particular issues on occasion with my glasses. Glare and fogging up.

I have an astigmatism in one eye, and luckily, the contacts I wear for it are great!...

I mentioned that I shoot bow to my doc, he mentioned getting contacts for distance, and using readers for up close. So far, I'm impressed with the results.

Although I still have my bifocals for the evening time after I take my contacts out, or if I have a problem with my contacts, and have to take them out for whatever reason.

Glasses are a pain, but they offer me al lot of eye protection in thick woods plus, they do not fall out or create problems when stuff gets in my eyes.. Even if I had contacts, I would hunt with glasses. In Florida, fogging is a problem due to heat and humidity. I just have to remember to treat the lenses with an anti-fog and then try to keep them dry. Generally, once the sun comes up, fogging is no longer a problem plus I have never had a problem in the evening.

I got contacts because glasses would fog up while hunting and mess up my shooting since they were trifocals. Took me months to get my contacts in my eye in a short period of time. A Lot of cussing went on.

Thanks everyone - as always, your opinions are very helpful!

If you are speaking of a low prescription, and I imagine you are, I'd opt for glasses. And I say this having worn contacts for 40 years.

I have an article from the New York Times, dated 7/29/12, titled "Blurry Target Is No Trouble For Ace Archer." It is about the South Korean bronze medal winner of that year's Olympics, Im Dong-hyun, who has bad eyesight.

"If the archer sees a blurry picture - and for Im it is blobs of color - that's perfect," said Teresa Iaconi, a national-level American coach. "In this sport, it's not 'the poor guy can't see.' There's one obstacle he doesn't have to overcome that almost every other archer does. Im is a trememndous archer, but instead of a disadvantage, his blurred vision might be an advantage."

Juan Rene Serrano of Mexico, who finished fourth in Beijung, said archery was "90 percent mental, 9 percent physical and 1 percent measuring the wind. Vision is maybe one-tenth of a percent," Serrano said. But he added, Im was not great because of his poor vision. "He is great because he has really good form and he is always focused," Serrano said. "His timing, his form, his movement are always the same, even when there is pressure."

I won't quibble about the details and I know that most guys here are just interested in bowhunting, but I've learned from this article that barebow archery is a very good shooting sport for us older guys with failing eyesight. My days of shooting competition with the M1 or M14 rifle with iron sights are over because I cannot see well enough to focus on the front sight and place it in the target at 200/300 and 600yds. Shooting a handgun is now basically instinctive. But my lighter weight longbows are still enjoyable.

At 67, I have glasses for reading, glasses for watching TV and glasses for driving. I've stopped using glasses for shooting my bow most of the time, finding that it helps me concentrate more on my form.

If you ever shoot at dusk, you might find that you are surprisingly accurate.

The only time I wear contacts is hunting.

Clean your glasses with shaving cream before going hunting and they won't fog.

Never tried contacts, so no advice there. I wear trifocals and don't hunt or shoot with them on. So far I do not need them for shooting and sometimes not sure which "focal" I'm looking through. I carry a pair of cheaters in my back pack for filling out my tag in case I get lucky!

Glasses or Contacts does not matter. The real question is: Does getting old suck or what? LOL

George, How about hemorrhoid cream?

Clydebow - Please try the cream and get back to us with the results.

I prefer glasses they're a tad easier to find in the grass if they are dropped or fall off

I wear contacts. I use the extend-a-wear kind because they breathe better and you can sleep in them. I have near vision so when I put them in it corrects my vision far away. But as I got older I had to use readers up close, except for when I took my contacts out to give eyes a break from contacts for a few days. Then I could see up close again using my glasses for distance. Now however I am doing a "mono vision" technique in which I wear my extend a wear contact on my dominant eye and no contact on the other. Now I see both distance and close up clearly. Wish I had known about this earlier. It is great.

I wore glasses starting at 4 years old.When I turned 40 I went to contacts.About 14 years ago I had Lasik eye surgery.Don't even think about glasses or contacts until you have checked out Lasik with a reputable eye surgeon. It is magnificent. I would have Lasik every year if necessary.I needed bifocals when I had the Lasik so the surgeon made one eye see clear for distance and the other eye see clear for close up. My brain did the adjusting and it is priceless !!! Just sharing my experience.Good luck whatever you choose.

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