People always ask me “what ammunition/ shooting accessory should I buy to improve my shooting?” By improve I am guessing they refer to rounds on target, which is my preferred metric of success in all shooting disciplines. Well, my answer was usually “training sessions,” but a recent experience has taught me there may be an even more important factor.
I shoot a fair bit for work on all sorts of systems from long-range rifles to shotguns and everything in between. I have to stay proficient as I am expected to produce the goods in front of some of the world’s most competent end users. When I am not working I enjoy a busman’s holiday hitting as many clays as possible. But I was beginning to have some problems which at first I put down to hay fever or general tiredness. My vision was becoming blurred, but it wasn’t a constant thing. I also found my eyes would water to the point I could have been an actor in Hollyoaks during a break-up scene. Not ideal when you are in the middle of a shooting competition.
I am a prescription glasses wearer and have always had a pair of prescription ballistic glasses made for shooting. I did what most people do: go to Specsavers, get a prescription, then send that to an online shooting glasses company. Minimal expense, minimal thought involved, and results that I frankly had no comparison to, so I deemed them “OK.”
I mentioned my eye problems to a few shooters I know and they all recommended I pay a visit to a professional optician specific to shooting sports. I must admit I was dubious. Having paid around £30 for my previous prescriptions, this one would cost considerably more. It also involved a two-hour car journey to the destination. Having spent many thousands of pounds on firearms, scopes, ammunition components and range hire, I figured it was probably worth a try.
So I made the trip to see Ed Lyons in Wolverhampton. The appointment was incredibly detailed. Ed took me through any major health issues that might be apparent (there were none). We tried a number of lenses until I was able to read letters smaller than I ever thought possible. From a scan of my eyes he was able to deduce that I had blocked ducts. These were preventing oil being released which would normally mix with the fluid from other ducts to create a lubricating effect. In short, my eyes were drying out and overcompensating with fluid – minus the oily ingredient. This was causing the random blurring I had experienced. I was then assessed with my gun so that Ed could ascertain exactly how the lenses should be produced in context with my head and eye position.
The second part of the test was the part that really blew my mind. This focused on a series of exercises which would demonstrate my brain and eyes’ ability to track targets in a variety of ways. My strength appeared to be judging depth of field, while my ability to track multiple targets at once needed work. After three productive hours I left with glasses on order, a bundle of homework to improve my neurological ability and a heatable bag to unblock my tear ducts.
A couple of weeks later my ducts were fully functional and my glasses had arrived. I had opted for a purple tint, my preference for most light conditions and good contrast. I felt like I could see in 3D! The depth of field and focus to greater distance was completely different to what I had used before. This was particularly useful for clay shooting and engaging drones with a Benelli M4 at work.
I continue to work on the neurological side which I find very interesting. We are all different, and it appears some of the world’s best shooters do indeed have biological aspects that help them. The good news is that these can be improved. In terms of value for money, this was probably the soundest investment I had made regarding improving hits on target. Certainly a better idea than fancy scrollwork! My shooting has improved because of it, specifically my sporting clays due to the wide variety of distances one needs to hit targets at. I am now a thorough convert to a sport-specific prescription. I get more enjoyment from my shooting days, no more tension headaches afterward, and no streaming tears down my cheeks!
My conclusion – Before you purchase anything, ensure you can see your targets properly. If you can’t, there is no gun or ammunition type that can make up for it, except maybe a punt gun on the skeet range.
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