Red Dots & Astigmatism: How to Test & Fix - Is it You or the Sight?
Do you see more than one dot, a smear or star bursting? It might not be the red dot sight, it could be you!
If it is, is there anything you can do about it? Get answers in this video!
Here is the written version of this guide including recommended red dots for astigmatism: www.targettamers.com/guides/a...
For our recommended LPVO's, check out this article: www.targettamers.com/best-lpv...
Content
0:00 - Intro
0:30 - What is Astigmatism?
1:53 - Why Does Dot Distortion Occur?
2:40 - Is it the Red Dot or You?
2:47 - Test 1: Take a Photo
3:12 - Test 2: The Friend Test
3:25 - Test 3: Use BUIS
3:52 - Test 4: Give it a Spin
4:39 - Fixing Red Dot Astigmatism
10:17 - What to do Now
10:25 - Thing to Look for in Your Next Purchase
10:55 - Alternative to a Red Dot
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Best thing to do about an Astigmatism is to get a Prism Optic... AKA an etched reticle.
Couldn't agree more!
Had a prism red dot and thought the same thing, it didn’t help me.
As a US Army Marksmanship Master Trainer, this video was phenomenal, and would 100% help teach people.
Wow! Thanks for the nice feedback. - Simon
I've heard from others that get better results by using green dots. I'm going to try my polarized sunglasses! Thanks for your explanations.
Using polarized sunglasses did the trick! Thanks for sharing that!
Hey Tina! Interesting you would talk about astigmatism right now. I was experiencing a blurred red dot for some time on my Romeo V (even worse with the Juliet 4x magnifier) and could not shake it. I tried everything including changing the battery thinking that would help. Finally decided to get my eyes checked and glad I did. Long story short my astigmatism had changed since my last checkup (three years ago) and when I put in the new astigmatism corrected contact lens, it made ALL the difference in the world! I was THRILLED with the clarity and sharpness I saw with the new correction contact lens. If anyone of your readers is having probs with acute image through their scopes, red dots, RMRs, etc., they may want to consider a checkup with their optometrist to ensure they have appropriate optical correction for the best possible outcome. A simple checkup made a HUGE difference for this puppy. Just wanted to share this for the good of the cause. :)
Thanks for sharing your experience Bob and happy to hear you got such a great result from the corrected lenses! - Simon
Something that I just came here to clarify that I did not see any of the videos when I watched when I was very concerned about this and getting into red dots. If you wear corrective lenses, this one will not be an issue for you. Assuming your prescription is correct. This is specifically for people who have an astigmatism that is mild enough they do not wear glasses.
Great video, thanks!
This video was really helpful and informing. Thank you!
Thank you! Subscribed after watching this video and another one that started on auto-play. You are now my 2nd favorite content host on KZhead - detailed facts with real use experience and advice, concise, quick & clear (no one is quicker with facts & results than my fav reviewer on KZhead - ProjectFarm! 😁). This was the most informative video I watched on this topic, especially the troubleshooting. Less than 2 mins to determine that my Burris red dot issue is “my” issue via the camera test and rotation test. Unfortunately for me, this is a fairly new issue, even after wearing reading glasses for 8+ hrs/day for last 5 years and I just got daily contacts 😢. I’ll definitely give the magnifier recommendation a try. I look forward to watching more of your current and future videos. Thanks again!
Thanks for the great feedback! Tina sure is quick with a fact! I hope the magnifier worked out for you! - Simon
Great video. The polarized glasses really worked well for me.
Great video!
I found this video incredibly helpful. Especially the multiple suggestions on how to improve the situation. Thank you!
I had two red dots that came that I thought were defective. These were my 1st and 2nd optics. I returned the 1st one thinking it must have been the red dot. When the 2nd one came, I had my doubts. This video showed me that it was because of my astigmatism.
Thanks for sharing your experience. I hope you can find one that works for you! - Simon
What a way to find out I need to make an eye appointment 😅
😅
Thanks, Tina! You greatly helped me out, I had cataract surgery a while back and still have an astigmatism. Your information helped a lot, thanks again, JD (Michigan)
Great, all rounder explanatory video. Huge thanks!
Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for commenting! - Simon
Excellent review! You are an excellent presenter in this video is so concise and well put together. Would look forward to more content from you.
Oh man just got a holosun green dot with the chevron and I did not expect that I might be the issue because my vision has always been so good 😭 great advice. Subbed
This video singlehandedly taught me i have astigmatism in my left eye. Im a lefty shooter, and i have a reflex with several retical settings, and they were super blurry. I l was watching this and switched to my right eye, and i could see it perfectly.
After reading your comment, I tested and realized I have astigmatism in my right eye!
Thank you !!
Very good episode, too bad I didn't know about it before buying the red dot, today I'm more familiar with the topic but this video gave me even more useful knowledge. In short, this video is a great summary of knowledge about red dot sights and astigmatism, for which I thank you very much.
Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for commenting. - Simon
Thank you for taking the time to make this video. You are a very smart person ❤
You are so welcome! Thanks for commenting! - Simon
Thank you very much. Very helpful!!!
This is an excellent video! Great info and well explained. Turning down the brightness helps a lot. Time for some new glasses. Good job Tina! Thank you.
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for commenting!
Great video have to be well informed with the wonderful tech we have , my situation cleared up with polarized glasses also actually going outside n putting some distance thru the sight n adjusting brightness your wonderful as instructor
This was super helpful! Thanks
Glad it was helpful!
Really informative and helpful.
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for commenting. - Simon
Tina and Simon, thank you so much for all your great videos and web-site-articles. I have rectangular eyes from reading them all, and I'm only half-way. I learned so much ... that I got more confused as well because of all the options and variables :) . It all works like a guide, and it is obvious every shooter should allow him- or herself all the time needed to sort things out. Buy the way, I live in Western-Europe, and guns and RDS's etc are a lot more expensive over here. Thanks to you, I know I have to address one eye for astigmatism, which, by the way, gets half as bad when I shoot with both eyes open! And oh, I envy you so much for the shooting-ranges you are using. Enjoy it all guys, thanks again.
Hi Onno, thanks for the comment. We love hearing feedback like yours and are glad you have found our videos and articles so helpful in your learning process. Sounds like you are learning new things about yourself in the process too! All the best! - Simon
Great practical advice and we'll thought out video. I have astigmatism but it has been manageable for the most part with all my red dots. One exception is the Primary arms SLx MD-20 (suffers from dot reflection pretty bad- usually see two dots) but my Sigs Udo and Meprolight optics have all been working well with me. Thanks again Simon and Tina.
Thanks for sharing your experience with astigmatism and the red dots you have used. And thanks for commenting! - Simon
Great video.
Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for commenting. - Simon
Oh wow! Youve just saved me from returning my red dot sight...its my eyes! I put on sunglasses and the dots were perfect. Your video was so informative and really helped me to discover and understand whats going on with my eyes! Thankyou so much
I bought and returned three different red dots before I figured this out!!!
The red dot often gets the blame! Glad you figured it out in the end! - Simon
Can you be more specific? And give me a brand or model? Thanks
I thought red dots were supposed to be blurry until i took a video of it to my friend.
Thank you for sharing👍👍
No problem 👍
thanks was a bit frustrated till watched this, i tried my old glasses that have polarizing and transitions and it sharpened the dot nicely. they are now my new range/hunting glasses
Great to hear! - Simon
Great video awesome advice
Glad you liked it! - Simon
Awesome, thanks!👍
Our pleasure! Thanks for commenting. - Simon
Good job well put many ideas thank you
I just get an old fashion glass crosshair sight for my pistol! Cost alot now, but worth it! No batteries to change.😊
Thanks for sharing! Simon
I found out the picture test by accident. I had bought a used red dot years ago, and was like, what the heck. This thing is broken. Went to take a picture to send to the seller, and was shocked to see a perfect red dot. I was floored. A magnifier screwed on the end of it, made it a perfect dot for my eye condition. Strange, that my eye classes didn't fix it, but the factory magnifier fixed it.
That is certainly an interesting way to find out you have an eye condition! Glad the magnifier did the trick for you. Thanks for commenting! - Simon
Thanks, you explained astigmatism to me better than any eye doctor bothered to.
Wow! Thanks for the kind feedback. - Simon
This Lady knows her stuff. Nice job young lady..
Thanks for commenting! Simon
Lowering the brightness helps me and sticking with red over green. I have a red eps carry and boughtba green one as well. The green on starbursted more than the red one. Also, if you have an astigmatism, STAY AWAY FROM AUTO ADJUSTING DOT SIGHTS. I bought the holosun glock mos scs. Only comes in green. You only have 2 brightness setting that you can control and neither allow you to dim the brightness enough to mitigate the starbursting effect. So stay away from that one. I also noticed 3 MOA crisper to my eye and offer less starbursting than a 2 moa dot. So a 6 MOA might work better for some.
Awesome videos I have an astigmatism in one eye and cannot wear polarized sunglasses. They make me dizzy and give me headaches.
Sorry to hear that! Thanks for your feedback on the video. - Simon
My doctor told me I have an astigmatism which explains the starburst I see on my green dot sight. However, when it becomes distracting I flip up my rear backup sight and the dot becomes small and crisp. I don't understand the optic science behind why but it's a nice solution for now without having to go out and spend money on another optic.
Nice! Thanks for sharing what works for you. - Simon
Good video. I see a comet with red dot sights (different in my left and right, but a comet in both). It's hard to make out the dot as it is just a streak and not a dot with a red tail. I'm going to find my sight again and try all the things you talked about. I really like a scout mounted optical sight, but overall I want it to be as small as possible. Something that was flat then pops up, use it and then drops flat again like it doesn't exist would be perfect. Put my thumb on a button, clear sights appear, fire, raise thumb. Years ago I used to shoot target, I used an adjustable aperture rear sight with a front doughnut, and I loved it. Of course, I didn't need 3 pairs of reading glasses then either and women appeared smaller.
Glad you liked it and thanks for commenting! Hopefully some of Tina's suggestions help you out. - Simon
Squinting my eyes also helps me also if I see a double dot. Btw I also have issues with rifle reticles when getting tired and see a double vertical line. Not very helpful at shooting consistently. I have prescription glasses but these don’t help much
My astigmatism is so bad even my EOtech is blurry. My Holosuns aren't too blurry and starburst
My eps carry green still starbursts with glasses on.
From my experience, green dot does not make it better. Turning down the brightness makes it a lot better. A bright background would help you see the dot better as well. Red dot sight is not ideal for old eyes with astigmatism but it's still better than seeing a blurry sight picture on iron sights. If any optics manufacturer can make a pistol scope the size of a red dot, that would be ideal for the older shooters. Do you think it's possible to make a reflective pistol scope that small ?
Thank you. This was extremely helpful. Now I know it’s not the dot
Glad it helped!
I had to get green because im red green color blind. Its hard to see red on objects like grass.
I just wear my prescription glasses and solved the issue 😂🤣
Nice!
mine switches from a decent dot to a diagonal-ish line on 1-moa rmr. star bursts at higher brightness
Great video. Helped confirm my suspicions. I found trying an optic that has a few reticles is a good plan too. Question for ya - with my iron sights (no optic in this scenario), I have an immensely difficult time to get rid of the blurry focus with my eyes when trying to focus on a 3 dot iron sight. However, if I’m looking at my target down range and when I go to the iron sights to get precise I found that if I do a quick blink when I’m looking closer at the sights I am able to quickly pick up the iron sights dots clearly and quickly align them. But if I’m looking down range and then back At the sight it seems to take 2+ seconds to get rid of that slow re focus if you will. Does this have anything to do with astigmatism, or is this something else, and if so, what? I noticed on sights that are blacked out in the rear and a bright glow front I do better with this, but still have the same issue. Is this bizarre about the quick blink bandaid solution? Btw this is all on a pistol. Thanks for any tips.
Probably the first item to do is get an eye exam from an eye Dr. Either an M.D. OR O.D.
Wondering if you have looked at or tested the Cyelee Wolf 2 for Astigmatism Red Dot Optic? I am hearing good things about the Astigmatism correcting in the Optic.
I am trying an Atibal 1x micro prism, only oroblem is I cant magnify it as Atibal says it's not made to magnify. I need to updated my prescription as my glasses are 2 years old
Why not make a focusable reticle like regular scopes ? Older folks are being left out. I can adjust the scopes on my rifles and see great.
When looking through my Bushnell TRS-25 Pro, I see two targets instead of one.
I just got new glasses for my old eyes (77), but they didn't help take the asymmetrical Star Bust out of my green or red RDSs. Got it both eyes. I checked out polarized sunglasses w/o luck. Besides, phone screens blackout with a 90deg rotation. Seems phone screen light is polarized. Anyways, in the "Cross-Hatch Eye Chart", horizonal lines are fuzzy-gray on my left eye and Double lines on my right (master) eye. (the bottom line is lighter) It's the quick and easy way to diagnose Astigmatism. I've been wondering why my asymmetrical Star Bust goes away sometimes and I see a nice round dot. (Not perfectly round, but very close). I got the idea that "Depth of Field", might be a factor. So, to close my iris a little, I could use a light blub, or a flashlight. Inside a slightly darken room, I aimed a RDS (TRS-25) at the base of a light fixture with two 60W LED blubs. Turned the sight up to 3 LED-power and got a Star Bust. Then, I turned the lights ON! I was amazed, I had a tiny Round red-dot! Turned the lights OFF and within about 1 second, Star Bust was back. Lights back ON, and it seemed to take about 1 second for the tiny round red-dot to come back.. Somehow, the light from the LED blubs are just washing-out the star burst spikes, or maybe something in the LED blubs light spectrum is killing the Astigmatism effects from the RDS LED? Or maybe "Depth of Field", is a factor. Right now, with Readers glasses, using the right eye, I see two dots for each "." period on my display. One above the other. However, if I squint my right eye, it's 20:20 clear. I think my eyelid is acting like a closing iris.
Interesting. Thanks for sharing! - Simon
I haven’t had this issue with rifle dots. Just got a holosun pistol optic and I see a cluster of dots. When I took a photo, it looked perfect. Must be my eyes. Time for a checkup I guess. This video is the only information I could find anywhere about seeing a cluster of dots. Tina’s infographic illustrated what I am experiencing perfectly.
Glad it was helpful! - Simon
Would a Green Dot Optic be an option that might help with this condition?? Romeo5XDR and Holosun 510 have Green Dot options, along with Viridian as they only make Green Dots.
It sure could! Tina discusses using a green dot for astigmatism at 5:53.
I just got my red dot sight.... held it a bit far from eye and it looked like a big smudge that took up like half the lens when extended out. I am going to have to give it a go once I get my pistol but I have a feeling that it's going to be a no bueno for me.
That is a shame! I hope if proves otherwise once you start using it! - Simon
👍
My OPTOMETRIST told me I have an astigmatism in my left eye. So if you need confirmation then just see an eye doctor. For me, the green dot is much cleaner looking.
Thanks for sharing what works for you! - Simon
why wouldnt I just put a polarized filter behind the red dot?
Dingo - I suppose you could. I've never tried this before. Things to maybe consider would be the right size, attachment, and movement during recoil. I'd think it would be easier to wear polarized sunglasses and you can use it with any and all red dots, but I may just try the filter one day! Thanks for asking. Tina
Wanna hear something crazy. Im 30 n just realized i have an astigmatism lol i thought everybody saw it
Lol, at least you know now! Thanks for commenting. - Simon
But it only happens with one of my red dots. I absolutely have astigmatism tho
I love the sound of this lady's voice. I know that might be a weird comment on such a video, but I just had to say it.
I just assumed my Vortex was a shitty red dot. I took a picture of it and it’s perfectly clear. It looks slightly fuzzy when I see it. Definitely sucks.
Only problem I have is red dots for handguns. I can’t find a video for handguns…
One for us to do in the future! Thanks for commenting. - Simon
In the meantime, this resource Tina created might help - www.targettamers.com/best-pistol-red-dot-sights/
Does green make it better? Then you said it lol
Eotechs look like a mess and red dots look like a huge line of Christmas lights. 😂 as much as i hate my glasses i gotta use them
🫡
Shit.. TIL My eyes are fucked... I shot a friends hellcat which has a red 407k and it looked perfectly sharp and clear.. so much so that I immediately bought in Green dot.. it looks so damn blurry to me... I'm fooked. Thanks for the info, great video.
That's so disappointing. I wonder why it looks bad versus when you looked through your friend's one? That's the worst. Sorry to hear that, and thanks for the comment - Tina.
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My solution to this is not buy a red dot
Whatever works for you! - Simon
No Sig, Holosun all the way 💯