TRUGLO TFX sights - Bifocals

[dominic135]

I'm retired, which means, "I don't see very well and my hands shake a bit!" I also wear bifocals which mean I can only focus on the front sight or the target but never both.
I bought a set of TFX sights for my CZ75b to help in the acquisition of target. In no light circumstances, the Tritium is a great help. In bright light, the fiber optics make sighting even better but I'm still having a few problems. Trembling hands cannot be helped.
However, at the indoor range there is another problem. The shooters box is not illuminated and FO is not much of a help and it is still too bright for Tritium to kick in.
Being new to target shooting, I wonder if all ranges have dark shooters boxes. The targets of course have spotlights. I've mentioned the darkness to one of the range officers and his reply was that they're still new and that was one of the changes they were considering but, I haven't seen anything done about it.
Is this a problem at most indoor ranges or am I being na?ve for expecting adequate lighting?

Another problem is with my bifocals. I understand that contact lenses for bifocal users assign one eye lens for distance and the other for reading. Has anyone shooting found  these dedicated lenses to be helpful in target shooting or not? I can see where it would take some getting used to focusing near and the other far at the same time or would it just blur everything with both eyes open?
Any bifocal shooters out there have any helpful points? 

[s0nspark]

Both of the ranges indoor ranges I shoot at now have lighting at the shooters box. One has it on all the time, the other provides controls the shooter to switch it on or off.

I used to shoot at an indoor range that had very little lighting at the shooters box and I hated it so much I switched venues

[MontanaCZ]

I have shot very little on indoor ranges.  Some were lighted, some not so much.  Can you take a headlamp or similar, set it on the bench pointing up so the light bounces around??

You could get a good thread going on just the whole "lens" thing on it's own. I know I have seen quite a few over the years.  I shoot competition, so I had a special pair of glasses made. Dominate eye has the front sight distance lens, the other eye has the long distance one. It took a bit to get used to, however it works great! I have seen others get glasses with the bi-focals on top reading distance.  I do practice without my glasses on as well, as you never know when I won't have those fancy ones on and need to use my pistol.

[dominic135]

I have shot very little on indoor ranges.  Some were lighted, some not so much.  Can you take a headlamp or similar, set it on the bench pointing up so the light bounces around??

You could get a good thread going on just the whole "lens" thing on it's own. I know I have seen quite a few over the years.  I shoot competition, so I had a special pair of glasses made. Dominate eye has the front sight distance lens, the other eye has the long distance one. It took a bit to get used to, however it works great! I have seen others get glasses with the bi-focals on top reading distance.  I do practice without my glasses on as well, as you never know when I won't have those fancy ones on and need to use my pistol.

Someone referred me to "theshootersbox.com" and I found an interesting ad for the Merit Optical Attachment. Believe it or not, they say the solution goes back to the early first days of box cameras. The old box cameras were just that...wooden boxes. The aperture was a small hole drilled in the one side. All they did was uncover the hole for a certain period of time and pictures were made! The interesting point is that the pictures these box cameras made, appeared focused on both near and far objects. The range was determined by the size of the hole.
Merit makes an aperture that fits onto your shooting glasses with a suction cup. The aperture is small, but adjustable. They claim that both near and far distance are equally focused so you can see both the sights and the target with the same eye. This would be much better than having to shoot with both eyes open with when each eye sees a different focal plane. (going with the special set up where the dominant eye is focused for near and the other for far vision)
I'm going to spend the 60 bucks for a try at this and will let everyone know the outcome. 

[MontanaCZ]

Similar idea to the adjustable diopiter(?) that one could use in High Power.  You can see how it works by making a small pin hole in a piece of paper (or you can close up a small hole in your fingers), and then try it for reading. It does work, however not so much for action shooting   One can also find stick on lenses that you put on your glasses.  One could use that on your shooting glasses if you wish.

[olfarhors]

I had  mepro night sights added to my P-01 to match the sights on my SP-01 Tac and my 97 BD, also the exact same POA=POI and sight picture.
they work very well for me personally.
 I guess its my head position but I have no problem with the bi-focals and sighting.
 perhaps you are leaning your head reward when shooting, I see a lot of folks that do this.

[dominic135]

Yea, that was a problem for me. I would have to lean my head back to use the reading lens and it kept throwing my balance off. It makes it impossible to keep a solid stance.
I bought a pair of drug store magnifying glasses which bring the sights in perfect clarity but I'm just guessing at the blur of the target. It has helped in accuracy up to 7 yds. but anything farther is a crap shoot.

[dominic135]

Gotta tell ya! That little Merit Optic Sight works better than anything I've tried or heard about.

Try it out for yourself. Poke a hole in a piece of paper (loose hole) and place it in front of your eye. Extend your power hand all the way while holding pencil at arms length. Now find a target 30 or 40 feet away and hold the pencil between you and the target. You should be able to see the sight (pencil) and the target with equal clarity, perfectly focused... even if you're not wearing your glasses!
See theshootersbox.com and look for the Merit Optic Sight. $59 + $10 freight.
Tested out to 25 yds. on our indoor range. Didn't used to be able to see the bullseye past 10 yds. with glasses!

[dominic135]

OK! I've used the Merit Optic Sight twice at the range. It's the first time I've been able to see passed the 10yd target! With Bifocals I can actually see both the target and sights... but, not at the same time! My shooting stance was horrible because I had to tilt my head way back to see through the reading lenses!
Now I can wear reading lenses, distance lenses or simple plastic shooters glasses! It's Amazing that such a simple solution can solve my vision problem.
There's not much adjustment range but so far I've had no problem at 25 yds., the max at our club.
Remember as a kid you loved cardboard tubes? Everyone in the neighborhood knew if my mom bought a new girdle because the tube one of my favorite toys! I even made a periscope out of one of those heavy duty tubes. Think back for a moment. When you looked through a tube, it seemed to make distant objects closer! It wasn't just imagination... it does change the view! It makes it more clear and with the absence of a panoramic view, all light recepticles are focused on one object.
Honestly, I never shot well past 7 yds. but I was nailing the bulls eye at ten yds, and distance shoot quality doubled... if not tripled with the Merit Sight!
I've never shot this well!

[dominic135]

I found the booth lighting was ordered but they are waiting on a circuit board for the target computer. I guess to be able to automatically control the lighting it must be interfaced with the target computer. It's been 6 or 7 months already!