Looking for Opthalmologist/Optometrist in Galveston Area

[Jeff Barriault]

Can anyone recommend a good ophthalmologist/optometrist in the Galveston area who isn't going to look at me crazy when I want to bring my handgun in so I can optimize my prescription for my sights? I'd like to get some prescription safety glasses with the bifocal on the top of the lens on the right eye only. My current optometrist just gave me a weird look when I asked about it and said absolutely no on bringing my gun in. Good thing she never asked if I was wearing it . . .

[Keith B]

Can anyone recommend a good ophthalmologist/optometrist in the Galveston area who isn't going to look at me crazy when I want to bring my handgun in so I can optimize my prescription for my sights? I'd like to get some prescription safety glasses with the bifocal on the top of the lens on the right eye only. My current optometrist just gave me a weird look when I asked about it and said absolutely no on bringing my gun in. Good thing she never asked if I was wearing it . . .

I can't recommend an eye doctor in that area, but you shouldn't need to actually take your gun in, and I wouldn't want to do that anyway. Just determine the distance you need to see your front sight, and make sure that when they hold a small 1/8 diameter object up at that distance your eyes can focus on it and it is sharp and clear.

And, as a side note, you can get the 'stick-on' bifocals at Wal-Mart cheaply and apply them to your upper right lens of a pair of shooting glasses. Works great for me.

[fulano]

I am in mid-stream on getting a pair of these glasses made. You could go to http://www.hansenseagleeye.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; and get a pair 'mail order'. I chose to get mine made local (DFW area).

I made a mock-up of a pair with a 3M stickon bifocal and used them at the range a few times to make sure of the location and the functionality . I used 1.5 strength stick-on. Works great. I just wanted a custom pair to get the rest of my prescription included.

I took them to my optometrist so there would be no mistaking what I wanted. He found a lab to make the special lens.

As for the bifocal specifications, I simply held my hands in the stance I use and he measured with at tape measure from the right eye to my extended index finger (matches the length of my CW).

Since the sight radius/length is different depending on the other pistols I have, I asked for a depth of field of 6 inches. The finished product should be here in a couple of weeks. I'll make a photo and post it when I get them.

They will have my distance prescription on both lens, a bifocal in the upper left corner of my dominate eye (right), and a bifocal in the lower bottom of the left eye. I chose not to get any tinting as I'm using an old pair of frames that have an attachable green sunglass accessory.

[Jeff Barriault]

I can't recommend an eye doctor in that area, but you shouldn't need to actually take your gun in, and I wouldn't want to do that anyway. Just determine the distance you need to see your front sight, and make sure that when they hold a small 1/8 diameter object up at that distance your eyes can focus on it and it is sharp and clear.

And, as a side note, you can get the 'stick-on' bifocals at Wal-Mart cheaply and apply them to your upper right lens of a pair of shooting glasses. Works great for me.

Actually, I do need to bring the gun. They need to take a picture of the frames on my face with me looking at my sights in my natural shooting position so that they can get the proper position for the top bifocal placement.

I hadn't thought of the Wal-Mart stick-on solution. Maybe I'll give it a try in the short term.

I'm at the point where I need new glasses anyway so I was hoping to find a decent doc who understands the needs of a shooter that I could start building a relationship with.