Red Dot & Astigmatism
- Thread starter J.R.
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MacEntyre;n47281 said:
The red dot is literally the only time in my life something like this has happened. I looked through the sight and it's a big blob, I look through the rear back up sight, still a blob. I tried to take a photo and it was a normal dot how it should be.
im 27, no corrective lenses or blurriness in day to day life
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We have a few rifles with dots, but MY rifle has a SWFA SS1-4HD scope and I laugh at dots....
My astigmatism is such that dots don't work well for me. I love my 1-4. Would like to try an ACOG for a while someday.
My astigmatism is such that dots don't work well for me. I love my 1-4. Would like to try an ACOG for a while someday.
fishgutzy
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Another clue to astigmatism is that road signs at night are less in focus than they are by daylight.J.R. said:
I had 20/20 by day but just couldn't read the road signs at night until I was very close.
Do not laugh but I put a Sight Mark on a couple ARs and they really work. They have a choice of red and green with 5 different reticles. My eyes are not bad but I do have to wear glasses. I find the power option helps focus on the dot and I do like the green better than the red. You also can change to size of the dot.
Last (hopefully) question(s) about the Vortex Spitfire:
1. Does it have an eye relief measurement like scopes, or does it work like a holographic red dot?
2. Is it basically an illuminated reticle 1x scope, or an entirely different animal?
3. Does it have a focus ring?
1. Does it have an eye relief measurement like scopes, or does it work like a holographic red dot?
2. Is it basically an illuminated reticle 1x scope, or an entirely different animal?
3. Does it have a focus ring?
1. Vortex says eye relief is 3.7" for the 1x version
2. yes it is
3. no it doesn't
As far as clarity of the reticle it looks crisp like a scope when off and at low settings, then it tends to look smudgy like a red dot when you turn up the illumination to higher settings.
2. yes it is
3. no it doesn't
As far as clarity of the reticle it looks crisp like a scope when off and at low settings, then it tends to look smudgy like a red dot when you turn up the illumination to higher settings.
Ok I misunderstood - it has a reticle focus but not an image focus.
http://www.vortexoptics.com/uploads/web_manual_spitfire_1x_prism-scope_13a.pdf
http://www.vortexoptics.com/uploads/web_manual_spitfire_1x_prism-scope_13a.pdf
JBoyette;n55564 said:
I'm gonna try to find a storefront with a few of these so I can try them out.
I was chatting w tr gunsmith at my local range and he told me that it might just be because it's a cheaper optic & that sometimes with the less expensive optics they're just not as crisp as some of the higher end ones??
Im gonna try to actually touch and look through a couple before going through the process of returning/rebuying etc etc. maybe cabelas or academy will have them in store
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So does anyone have a problem focusing with standard glass and not red dots? I have problems with both. I only an astigmatism in my right eye. I haven't shot a lot of rifles in the past few years unless it is iron sights for that very reason. Kind of the reason I have stuck to handguns as well. I was thinking of teaching myself to shoot rifles left handed. Is that going to be the easiest way since I am not too set on my way of shooting rifles? I bat left handed when I play baseball so it can't be that hard to change, right?
I'm beginning to think this is a problem w the red dot vs my vision.
Went w my friend to the range and he saw the red dot just the way I did, he doesn't wear glasses either.
Im gonna try to find a nicer red dot in stores to see if the problem persists.
Went w my friend to the range and he saw the red dot just the way I did, he doesn't wear glasses either.
Im gonna try to find a nicer red dot in stores to see if the problem persists.
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After reading some of the responses in here, I picked up a Vortex Spitfire AR.
I don't know if the AR version is much different, but I did not like it all. I swear the optic makes targets look smaller than they do with the naked eye. And the dot in the center is so small I can not really see it whether illuminated or not.
Maybe I got a bad one, or maybe it's my eyes. I haven't been to the eye Dr. yet so I am not sure exactly what's going on, but I know my eyesight is changing. I am 42 now and have noticed changes over the past 4 or 5 years.
I have never needed glasses or anything in the past. Now I need reading glasses to read the dates on Dimes. And my night driving is a chore, night-time in the rain is downright scary.
Red dots are splashing a little for me now.
I have a PA Microdot type that has been on an AR-15 for probably 5 years now. I have killed several deer with it. In 5 years it has gone from being a perfect dot to looking like a comet streaking through my optic.
The two optics I have that are still good for me are a Vortex Strikefire II when set on green, and an ACOG that BurnedOutGeek has let me borrow. The reticle in the ACOG is green as well. I do well with both those optics. I'm not exactly sure what all this says about the current state of my vision. I have a hernia repair surgery redux to get past at the end of this month. Once I get done healing from that, I'm sure an eye exam will be in order.
I don't know if the AR version is much different, but I did not like it all. I swear the optic makes targets look smaller than they do with the naked eye. And the dot in the center is so small I can not really see it whether illuminated or not.
Maybe I got a bad one, or maybe it's my eyes. I haven't been to the eye Dr. yet so I am not sure exactly what's going on, but I know my eyesight is changing. I am 42 now and have noticed changes over the past 4 or 5 years.
I have never needed glasses or anything in the past. Now I need reading glasses to read the dates on Dimes. And my night driving is a chore, night-time in the rain is downright scary.
Red dots are splashing a little for me now.
I have a PA Microdot type that has been on an AR-15 for probably 5 years now. I have killed several deer with it. In 5 years it has gone from being a perfect dot to looking like a comet streaking through my optic.
The two optics I have that are still good for me are a Vortex Strikefire II when set on green, and an ACOG that BurnedOutGeek has let me borrow. The reticle in the ACOG is green as well. I do well with both those optics. I'm not exactly sure what all this says about the current state of my vision. I have a hernia repair surgery redux to get past at the end of this month. Once I get done healing from that, I'm sure an eye exam will be in order.
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I will say though, BurnedOutGeek really liked the Spitfire, so maybe it is just my vision in particular that makes me not like it.
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thrillhill;n63300 said:
This is true.
I did like it much better than just a "red dot" dots for me have been a love hate relationship for quite a while now. Red really splashes on me thanks to the astigmatism in both eyes, the green does too but not nearly as much.
I haven't put it on anything yet, but I may get to that today and I need to go hit the range as soon as I can to make money into noise and report back with daytime opinions on it.
thrillhill;n63298 said:
The center red dot does appear to be very small in the videos I've watched. Ive researched it and the small dot seems to be the only issue people have with it. I was hesitant about this as well, I won't be using it for long range so I would rather a larger dot
i just got a camera so I'm hoping to have this cleared up whether it's my eyes or the red dot. I have a similar PA microdot but what I see is I guess what people would call a "starburst?"
BurnedOutGeek;n63310 said:
I'm interested to hear your thoughts on the center dot. In the videos it looks almost nonexistent, and when the guy would move his rifle (in a backyard) the dot would almost disappear in well lit areas.
i took my microdot to the indoor range and if I turn the brightness all the way down the dot is so small it looks almost like a dot. Other than that, as the brightness goes up the size and distortion follows.
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J.R.;n63483 said:
That center dot is TINY
Haven't played with it in the daytime yet, but I'll get out of here shortly and take a look and see what we see.
Edit to add:
I'll be in Charlotte next week if you'd like to come up and take a look at it. I should be done with work by 5ish each day.
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BurnedOutGeek;n63485 said:
I wonder why they made it so small, it's not even magnified.
if I van get up there I'll definitely let you know, that would be awesome. I'm hoping to get into competitions soon to get up there more often
The small dot is what I like most about the SF !
It has a diopter focus so one, even with failing eye sight (I wear readers and cannot see the front sight crisply on my pistols, it's fuzz) one should be able to focus the reticle.
It's the small dot that makes this so effective beyond 100 yards, imo. But I have seen reviews were people didn't like it. I personally love it. YMMV.
It has a diopter focus so one, even with failing eye sight (I wear readers and cannot see the front sight crisply on my pistols, it's fuzz) one should be able to focus the reticle.
It's the small dot that makes this so effective beyond 100 yards, imo. But I have seen reviews were people didn't like it. I personally love it. YMMV.
thrillhill;n63298 said:
I, too, am needing an eye exam........after I set up hernia surgery! If you happen to remember, I'd sure like to hear how your doctor does with it.
Getting old sucks bro!
bigfutz;n64636 said:
Yeah when I was taking it I wasn't sure that I'd be able to tell since it was zoomed in much. But looking at it now, it looks like a dot. For that photo I turned the brightness all the way up too.
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thrillhill;n63300 said:
I have the AR version and the "regular" version both. They are essentially the same in practice.
So, here's my input.
I HATED the Spitfire when I put it on. I found a good deal on Black Friday, it had good reviews, so I just went ahead and ordered it. When I put it on, I thought, this thing is clunky, this reticle is goofy, I don't like it...
Then, I shot with it. I am now a complete fan boy. My groups tightened up and my times went down. I don't know what it is about that circle/dot reticle but it really draws the eye to the target and just plain works.
Vortex Spitfire 1x20 $199 at Cabela's.
http://www.cabelas.com/product/VORTEX-SPITFIRE-RED-DOT/1783390.uts
http://www.cabelas.com/product/VORTEX-SPITFIRE-RED-DOT/1783390.uts
And $20 off with this coupon:
Coupon Code: 176YF20
$20 off $150
Expiration date: 2017-04-02 23:59:59