"Colorblind" Glasses

[StoneHendge]

8% of us guys out there are "colorblind" in some form. I've known it since I was a kid.Some of you might not even know it if it's mild (if your significant other is always telling you that your clothes don't go together, take a test). This is a question for anyone who knows they are!

I'm moderate to severe protan which means my deficiency is in the red spectrum. I have an extremely hard time finding orange targets in a natural setting with greens and browns. It doesn't help that when they use orange, they always seem to use darker oranges with high red content instead of bright hunter orange. But the orange gets completely washed out for me and I pretty much need to find the outline before I see the target color. Needless to say, it slows me down on the clock!

Wondering if anyone has tried any of the colorblind glasses out there - even if your deutan (that's more green deficient for those just perusing). I haven't had an interest in them because I'm ok with the world I see, but it seems like they could be helpful for target acquisition - even finding and seeing bare steel targets that get reddish from being weathered. I'm a little hesitant about the Pilestones since their (very short) test says I'm moderate deutan while every other test tells me I'm moderate to severe protan and they have different glasses for each. The EnChromes are returnable which is nice, but the Vinos are used by the medical community (to help protans find veins) and electricians (or so they claim). I do understand that I'll never see a spectrum that my eyes can't detect and that these types of glasses work by filtering the light they can detect. Just wondering if they've helped anyone.

[Sinclair]

StoneHendge, I feel your pain. When I took the vision test for enlistment into the Air Force, they made me take it three times. Later, a Doctor told me that I had an 'amorous color defect'?? Not a true colorblindness, just the inability to see "shades" of the basics colors. And yes, I too have trouble seeing the orange targets. Dang, why can't they just use black on white?

Anyway, I was told that the colorblind glasses only work for those with only moderate colorblindness. So, I Never tried them as I would still see colors in my special world, just shifted a bit. What I am saying, if you try some, make certain that they are returnable.

By the way, how is your night vision? Mine is well above normal. I guess being a freak isn't so bad after all!

[StoneHendge]

Thx Sinclair - My night vision used to be exceptional and would always amaze people. It's faded though as my eyes have aged and when I started having to use reading glasses. I also read that the Army figured out that we are able to detect camouflaged objects much easier. So we're actually beneficial to have around! Maybe I'll see if they'll let me be a Match Director one day and then make all the targets camo. "Stage 1 is the Woodland Camo, Stage 2 is the Digital Desert Camo......... what do you mean that you can't see them?"

[FRB6.5]

No experience with color corrective lenses but do have poor vision. What I've taken to doing is using Marine binoculars with a built in compass. I'll note the heading on my stage card along with a "descriptive" arrow as to what direction it is from the firing point and the previous target; long arrow, short, up, down, angle etc.

I had gone so far as to build a scope mounted digital tilt compensated compass but found under match pressure the arrows on my card worked faster. I can look at 2 things at once, bouncing between 3 was a bit much.

[StoneHendge]

Thanks Tim and great meeting you Saturday! That's great advice for anyone to be honest and I'll definately look into it. Would actually be great if there was a rangefinder with a built in compass - I might look into that. But to give you an idea, I couldn't see the orange plates on the Know Your Limits Rack at all. I found the 2 other targets in that stage easily enough - partly due to the white outlines, but all I saw on the rack was the straps painted white. Problem was it was right in front of creosote (I believe) which looks to me like the leaves are turning reddish green this time of the year. I just ended up shooting at points below the straps! It actually worked for the first three.....

[FRB6.5]

Nice to meet you as well. The KYL rack is my nemesis most times as well. Do let the match director know about the issues with that color. They also stopped using one shade of green for that reason as well as a light yellow that may as well have been beige for how hard it was to see.

[FRB6.5]

Regarding rangefinders, I believe the Leica 2800.com and newer series do have a built in compass but it doesn't display the heading in the device, it sends that info to a Kestrel with Link or to their phone app.

[StoneHendge]

Regarding rangefinders, I believe the Leica 2800.com and newer series do have a built in compass but it doesn't display the heading in the device, it sends that info to a Kestrel with Link or to their phone app.

That's good - I have a hard time seeing Lecla's red display against a natural field! Lol. I've always viewed that as a positive since it's saved me the temptation of buying one.. But that's cool - you can confirm distance and jot down the angle when jotting down the holds.

[another caliber]

I fail all the color blind tests, always have. I can't see any numbers in those dots. But I don't feel like I'm missing anything. Some friends at work talked me into buying some magical color blindness correcting glasses and I sent them back the next day. Whatever they fix I don't have.

[Sinclair]

I fail all the color blind tests, always have. I can't see any numbers in those dots. But I don't feel like I'm missing anything. Some friends at work talked me into buying some magical color blindness correcting glasses and I sent them back the next day. Whatever they fix I don't have.

I think that most of these types of products fall under the heading of "State Fair Midway Scams". Been a sucker more than once! Look at it this way, another caliber, you are not weird, just an eight percenter!

[StoneHendge]

But I don't feel like I'm missing anything.

I don't feel like I'm missing anything either. Except I missed a 4" target at under 300 yards in a negligible wind around 8 times because I couldn't see it!

I'm holding off for now - I've always worn blue lense sunglasses given how good they are with glare, and it turns out that they filter out red light. The desert has a lot more definition when I take them off on a hike - especially when I look at an area with creosote. The blue trail markers on my local trail even turn purple when I take them off. I'm guessing they're really purple! It's clear shooting glasses for the next match....

[D.Davis]

Another Caliber, My son is the same. Red/Green & Blue/yellow. We have not found anything that works and have talked to a lot of eye doctors. he plays baseball in college and does ok. Dave.

[StoneHendge]

Just circling back to this since some might find it useful. Since I learned that my blue sunglasses actually filter reds and my main problem has turned out to be about half of the red spectrum. I decided to try clear shooting glasses first after taking my sunglasses off on hikes and realizing I was seeing more detail in brush. I haven't had a single problem in 2 matches finding targets with clear glasses. Funny thing is that I and everyone who knows me has always thought my problem was with greens because I can often mix up greens and browns. But that's actually because I don't pick up the some of the red spectrum in the green and red mix. So for me, the grass actually is greener!

[Sinclair]

StoneHendge, I am glad to hear that you have found a work-around for your match shooting. Funny how sometimes the best solution turns out to be the simplest, or did I say that backwards?

[Growler]