I have a Vortex Venom mounted on an FNX 45 tactical. Since then I have self diagnosed my self as having an astigmatism. I have above average vision otherwise. The power is on the lowest setting. When looking through it, the dot is blurry. When looking through it with my phone, the dot is crisp and other people have verified that it is crisp and clear as well. Are there any known brands, or models that you know of that are better for this?
Red Dot And Astigmatism
- Thread starter Pynghunter
- Start date
- Replies 25
- Views 1,266
Gear Head
Happy to be here
I have the same issue with my viper. I have looked through a rmr and saw a perfect circle but I don't want to spend that much. I have no accuracy issues with my viper.
What does this mean?
What it means is I have the same issue with RDS sights. Focus on the target and look through the dot. Adjust as needed till poa/poi is attaned .
The idea of a rds is to be fast and you should not focus visual needs on the dot, just "see" the dot on target and pop it off
The idea of a rds is to be fast and you should not focus visual needs on the dot, just "see" the dot on target and pop it off
gaberelli
Well-Known Member
Primary arms is releasing a new prism optic that is 1x. Not ideal but for those with astigmatism it’s a good thing. Not small enough for a pistol but good for everything else.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
JustKeepSwimming
AKA dingleberry
2A Bourbon Hound 2024
2A Bourbon Hound OG
Charter Life Member
Benefactor
Supporting Member
Multi-Factor Enabled
Another good thread on the same topic last fall if your interested @Pynghunter :
https://www.carolinafirearmsforum.com/index.php?threads/red-dot-astigmatism.2135/
https://www.carolinafirearmsforum.com/index.php?threads/red-dot-astigmatism.2135/
Last edited:
Astigmatism doesn’t cause “blurry” for everyone. It can cause a peanut. So two dots.
Which is fine for up close with a pistol and not at all ideal for rifle shots that are not close.
It can make red dots unusable for some applications.
Kindof true...
With EO Techs i see a 8 with aimpoints i see a * with MRO i see °
With each i focus on one aspect and roll with it .case in point a EO Tech i woild would zero at center mass of the 8 where the two dots come together.
300yd+ shots not hard to do with any of them.
I agree that a RDS for me has never looked like a google image but if people work out the data given to them they can make it work, even when center mass of a sideways peanut is what you have to work with
Last edited:
Fwiw i solved this issue by switching to a prism sight ( vortex spitfire). I dont know if there is a prism available for pistols, but thats the directon to head...
This is what I prefer to use. I find it better in every way to a red dot.
Those really work better for folks with astigmatisms?? I almost bought one when I got my other RMR. Ended up selling it due to bad astigmatism.
Those really work better for folks with astigmatisms?? I almost bought one when I got my other RMR. Ended up selling it due to bad astigmatism.
I have an MRO I bought and have never mounted because of an astigmatism. I have an Aimpoint PRO that isn’t quite as bad as most if it is on a mid setting, but it still looks like a cluster of grapes.
I won't gainsay your self-diagnosis, but I do recommend you see an eye doc. Just a regular eye check up, not as something that needs immediate attention. Address your concerns with him...though astigmatism is something they look for anyway. Find out for sure.
As for the blurriness...your optic uses a laser. Your eyes view laser light kinda funky, if you've never noticed before. Some blurring or fuzziness is not unusual, especially with blue light. I notice it a lot, especially with LED lights. Look at LED Christmas Tree lights, some time, and you'll see what I'm talking about. Compare them to regular incandescent Christmas Tree lights. Blue lights are most pronounced at this effect, because the lens in your eyes don't focus on blue as easily.
Remember...though a camera works kind of like an eye, it's NOT a human eye. It "sees" light in a different way and processes it through materials that are not organic in nature.
LED lights (including LED lasers) powered from AC/DC power supples do flicker. I haven't done any research into battery powered LED's, though, like flashlights and lasers, to see if this is also the case. But for those that do flicker, the effect on the eyes can be profound. It has to do with the way your eyes work and the way the lasers work. (Most commercially available lasers available to the public are actually LED lasers.) Your eyes move very fast...we just don't realize it. In fact, if the muscles of your eyes were numbed to the point where they won't move and you held your head still...your vision would fade. These movements are called "saccades". Tiny movements of your eye act to constantly "refresh" the light exposure to the rods and cones on your retina. LED lasers aren't constantly "on", like an incandescent light bulb is. They actually flicker...and even more so than fluorescent lights, and with a greater flickering intensity (they actually go from full on to full off 100% dimming), at rates in the thousands of flickers per second, whereas fluorescent lights flicker at 60 Hz with a varying intensity of about 35%.
As for the blurriness...your optic uses a laser. Your eyes view laser light kinda funky, if you've never noticed before. Some blurring or fuzziness is not unusual, especially with blue light. I notice it a lot, especially with LED lights. Look at LED Christmas Tree lights, some time, and you'll see what I'm talking about. Compare them to regular incandescent Christmas Tree lights. Blue lights are most pronounced at this effect, because the lens in your eyes don't focus on blue as easily.
Remember...though a camera works kind of like an eye, it's NOT a human eye. It "sees" light in a different way and processes it through materials that are not organic in nature.
LED lights (including LED lasers) powered from AC/DC power supples do flicker. I haven't done any research into battery powered LED's, though, like flashlights and lasers, to see if this is also the case. But for those that do flicker, the effect on the eyes can be profound. It has to do with the way your eyes work and the way the lasers work. (Most commercially available lasers available to the public are actually LED lasers.) Your eyes move very fast...we just don't realize it. In fact, if the muscles of your eyes were numbed to the point where they won't move and you held your head still...your vision would fade. These movements are called "saccades". Tiny movements of your eye act to constantly "refresh" the light exposure to the rods and cones on your retina. LED lasers aren't constantly "on", like an incandescent light bulb is. They actually flicker...and even more so than fluorescent lights, and with a greater flickering intensity (they actually go from full on to full off 100% dimming), at rates in the thousands of flickers per second, whereas fluorescent lights flicker at 60 Hz with a varying intensity of about 35%.
RedneckFur
Smith & Wesson is a religion of peace.
I have astigmatism, and I've never had good luck with traditional red dots mounted on carbines. I've had decent results using them on pistols in the past, but I've since gone back to iron sights on handguns.
I have found that prismatic illuminated sights work very well for me though. The Vortex Spitfire 1X is my favorite illuminated optic, and I've currently got 3 mounted on various AR's. Since it has an etched recticle like a traditional scope, It can be used with illumination on or off, and even when the dot is illuminated, it doesn't seem to bother my astigmatism. If you get a chance to try one out, see if it works for you too.
I have found that prismatic illuminated sights work very well for me though. The Vortex Spitfire 1X is my favorite illuminated optic, and I've currently got 3 mounted on various AR's. Since it has an etched recticle like a traditional scope, It can be used with illumination on or off, and even when the dot is illuminated, it doesn't seem to bother my astigmatism. If you get a chance to try one out, see if it works for you too.
RR
....glutton for punishment.....
Staff member
Charter Life Member
Benefactor
Sponsor
Multi-Factor Enabled
Those really work better for folks with astigmatisms?? I almost bought one when I got my other RMR. Ended up selling it due to bad astigmatism.
They work for me and I have a horrible astigmatism. You're welcome to test drive mine if you are anywhere near me.
Thanks! If I'm every passing through that way, I'll see if you are around.
Another vote for the Vortex Spitfires or similar prism sights. If you are in the very narrow "precision shooting with a red dot" range between blasting and needing magnification, they are perfect (or the 3x if you need a little magnification).
I also use C-More's on some competition pistols, but they are large dots so the distortion isn't as noticeable, and I am shooting very fast looking at the plates not the dot. The distortion is really bad with a 1-2 MOA dot which has to be pretty bright in order to pick it up fast. When you get to 8 or more MOA the distortion is much less noticeable, plus a larger dot shouldn't be nearly as bright as a small dot has to be and dimmer doesn't smear nearly as bad. So depending on what you are doing with them, try a large dot, with the brightness down and it might be just fine. It's OK for the dot to be 1/4 the size of the plate in Steel Challenge type shooting for instance.
I do have a couple of standard Primary Arms 2 MOA dots on AR pistols. They do look like a smeared cluster of grapes, but if I ever need to use one of them for the reason I have them, I think the adrenaline and stress will keep me from noticing the shape of the dot
I also use C-More's on some competition pistols, but they are large dots so the distortion isn't as noticeable, and I am shooting very fast looking at the plates not the dot. The distortion is really bad with a 1-2 MOA dot which has to be pretty bright in order to pick it up fast. When you get to 8 or more MOA the distortion is much less noticeable, plus a larger dot shouldn't be nearly as bright as a small dot has to be and dimmer doesn't smear nearly as bad. So depending on what you are doing with them, try a large dot, with the brightness down and it might be just fine. It's OK for the dot to be 1/4 the size of the plate in Steel Challenge type shooting for instance.
I do have a couple of standard Primary Arms 2 MOA dots on AR pistols. They do look like a smeared cluster of grapes, but if I ever need to use one of them for the reason I have them, I think the adrenaline and stress will keep me from noticing the shape of the dot
I got a Vortex Spitfire 3x in a bundle and man, is it crisp, even with illumination on. Don’t know if it’s the technology or the focus ring. I do know with red dots I require my glasses (nearsightedness) and with this I don’t. I think the red dots “projectl” their dot in the distance.
CLTSlicer
New Member
I have a primary arms micro. I have looked at MROs in the story. If I focus on the dot it looks like a star. If I look through the site at the target, it is a dot. Don't treat the dot in your sight like the hard front sight focus you have been taught to do with sights.