New "Shooting" glasses

Improvise, adapt, and overcome.  Words I have heard often, repeated often, and have lived by for many years.  So, it was while one day shooting that these words once again floated through my mind.

A little background: I have through my life abused my eyes more than I should looking at small parts and detailed lines while in a previous life acting as a mechanical draftsman; late night (dim light) studying as a professional college student; and reading way more than I should.  These things and others (o.k., I’m getting older) have caused me to be in need of trifocal glasses, which allow me to see up close, mid-range, and distance.  They work great and save me from severe headaches when I don’t wear them.

The downside is that they don’t really work that well for shooting, so I usually just wear some yellow tinted non-prescription shooting glasses that place everything slightly out of focus.  Not a big deal, as I usually have no problem hitting the target.

This is an o.k. solution unless you are an anal retentive perfectionist (ARP).  Then it just plain eats on you after a while.

So it was for me at the shooting range several weeks back; plugging .45 holes into a paper target.  Front sight blurry, target blurry, everything blurry.  I looked at my groupings and at 15 yards everything was within the 7 ring and under, which is  O.K., unless of course you are one of those aforementioned ARP’s.

So, in disgust, I put my tri-focals back on in an attempt to improvise, adapt and overcome.

Using the distance portion of the glasses my front sights were blurry, but the target was sharp.  Using the reading portion the target was blurry; the front sight blurry, but the rear sight was useable.  So, tipping my head back so I could look through the mid lens, I could clearly see my front sight with the target being blurry.  Sweet.  Except that shooting while looking down my nose was not only uncomfortable, it was also downright unfashionable (not a very manly shooting stance).

But this little experiment did get me thinking.  Surely, I thought, other people have experienced this exact same thing, probably reaching the same conclusion.  What if I had a pair of glasses made with a mid-range lens for my dominant eye, and a distance lens for my non-dominant eye?  That way I could keep both eyes open and still have a good clear view of my front sight.

Off to visit the eye doctor.  I explained to him what I was trying to accomplish and after reviewing my recent eye exam he scratched out a prescription for me to try.  The best part was that he didn’t even charge me for doing this.

I then visited a discount eyeglass shop, found some frames and ordered some glasses.  These set me back $50 and some change (I didn’t order any anti glare coating or scratch resistant lenses – no frills with these).

The next opportunity I had I was back on the range punching .45 holes in paper again, only this time with my new “shooting” glasses.  The difference was absolutely amazing.  At 15 yards my groups were much tighter using the same bullets and same gun as before.  Now all my shots were in the 9 ring or under and I was tearing a ragged hole into the paper.  30 shots later at the same target all in a diameter of 3”.  Dang! I am anxious to try these out during the next IDPA shoot to see how they work shooting and moving.

So if you would like to improve your groups, and you have already worked on your grip and trigger squeeze, these types of glasses just might be a cheap and easy solution.

Sweet!!

Fresh New Year

With the holidays almost over and my waist line expanded, it is time to get back to a healthy regimen and become a more regular blogger.

The healthy regimen started two days ago with interval training on the treadmill.  After having taken a holiday break from exercise, I am now paying for this with the excess lactic acid in my legs.  I'll be glad when this burns out so I can stop walking like a duck.

Christmas this year was rather subdued.  Visited my folks and celebrated Christmas with them, but noticeable absent were my two daughters; one visiting my son-in-laws family out of state, and the other stayed home as she had to work.

Christmas didn't seem the same without them, and I realized that I am getting of the age where I will face many Christmas's without all of my children being at home.  This did however allow me to meditate on what Christmas is really all about.  For all that God has blessed me with I am truly thankful.  He has given me the best present anyone could.

Not having the girls home for Christmas just capped what was otherwise a mixed year.  The good was that I challenged myself by joining IDPA and making several new friends.  I also got more involved with my Church.  The very good is that my family and I all seem to have our health (despite the fact that my oldest daughter and myself both passed kidney stones this year).

The bad was that several friends and acquaintances passed on.  In fact given the rate of change and the poor state of our economy and politics in general I decided to visit the one place on this planet that hasn't changed for as long as I can remember.

That oasis of constant sameness would be the  Penny Wise Drug Store in Caldwell, Idaho.  I'm not joking.  This place has not changed in the last 45 years.  The store and the products sold simply have not changed.  Everything is in the same place it has always been.  The druggist (a neighbor for years) recently retired, but the lady at the checkout counter told me that this would be her 35th year working there.  I didn't have the heart to tell her that she used to ring up my magazine purchases when I would ride my bike to the store......when I was 13.  Walking back out to the parking lot adjacent to the store I was reminded of the time when I was 4 and had been so excited to go to Penny Wise that I ran out of Dad's car right into the path of a moving car.  The car missed me, but Dad's hand generously applied to my butt did not.

Why did I find this all reassuring?  I have no idea.  It was just nice to know that some things just don't change.  Something to hold on to as I face the oncoming fresh new year.

The Best Candidate

Sad.  Seems as though the best candidate for president is someone most of us have never heard of.  If you are familiar with Bill Still, you know he is someone with uncommon common sense.

Give it a look.  It is worth the time.

Thanksgiving

Today we can all be thankful for the freedoms we still have.  How many more thanksgivings will we still be free?

A warning to gun owners of the world:  Its not about guns, its about freedom.

Islamophobia

The recently arrested New York terrorist was a Muslim?  Funny, I didn't hear that from the mainstream media....

New York Terrorist is a Muslim.

Strange.  Seems that all terrorists are Muslims.  If all the terrorists are Muslims, how does this fact make me Islamaphobic?

Whose freedom?

First, let me say that I appreciate, respect and honor all of our veterans and those currently serving in our Armed Forces.  The simple question that I ask is, how is the government currently protecting our freedom?

What does our freedom have to do with Libya, Afghanistan, Iraq, Egypt, etc?  These are political wars - they have very little if anything to do with protecting our freedom.

Where it counts - protecting our freedom by protecting our borders; protecting our freedoms by upholding the Bill of Rights, the government response and actions have been shameful.

It makes you wonder whose freedom is being protected?  Ours?  Or is our government simply protecting its own power at the cost of our liberty?

Sleeping with the Enemy

Here is an excellent article by John Guandolo on how our own government is suppressing fact based training for our military and police to appease radical muslims.

Is it any wonder why Islamic jihadist's have been so successful in their takeover of the middle east?  Could it be we've been helping......naw, that would be treasonous.

How the Muslim Brotherhood Censors Federal Counter Terrorism Training