How has laser surgery affected your shooting?

[Meister-jaeger]

Hello all,

I have an opportunity to have the Army foot the bill for laser eye surgery before I retire. I have read the posts here on the surgery but before I make the leap I want to know from those that have had it how it has affected their shooting. Were there any problems or improvements in shotgun or rifle shooting?

Thanks in advance for the info.

[M.T. Pockets]

I had the surgery in June of 2002. The surgery went well for me, I needed to have an enhancement (second surgery) a few months later on my right eye, which is also my dominant eye.

I much prefer shooting without glasses or contacts. I'm not saying it made me a better shot with rifle or shotgun, but it didn't hurt it any either.

What I like now is my glasses don't fog up, & rain doesn't bother. What I like the best about seeing without glasses & contacts isn't so much shooting, as it is using binoculars. Big improvement there over glasses.

I do carry artificial tears so I can rewet my eyes occasionally, but that's a small price to pay for going from 20/400 vision to 20/20.

A couple other things that may or may not be related to the laser surgery, but I've noticed I can see better if I keep myself well hydrated. I can also see better if I stay away from a computer screen for a day or two. This maybe has to do with my eyes being 41 than having had lasik surgery.

Good luck, go ahead and get it done as soon as you can. Don't be disappointed if you need an enhancement, they'd rather put short than go too far.

[BILLY D.]

Well my case is a little bit different than yours. Without laser surgery I'd be blind by now or at best would have holes in my vision. I had glaucoma. The pressure in my eyes was in the upper 30's range. Normal folks pressure readings are in the teens.

Thanks to a really sharp optician my glaucoma was detected in time. I would not hesitate to tell everyone to get an eye check once a year after you hit forty. I don't recieve any gratuities for this recommendation either. It's just common sense. Eyes can go to heck in a handbasket real quick. I or you can live with out some body functions but to live blind I find impossible.

Now to your question. I know two ol' guys that had the corrective laser eye surgery done and were very happy with it. The shooting part of the question I don't know how to answer. From watching them fire I can't say they have improved or that they are not as good anymore. Doesn't seem they are any better or have gotten worse so I would say there is no difference. They don't see any difference either.

Personally I like my glasses. I've been wearing glasses for almost 50 years now and have grown use to them. They also protect my eyes when I'm outside and I don't have to to make a big deal out of finding goggles or putting them on. Just personal.

Sorry so loooooong winded, just some things you might want to think about.