Best Rifle Scopes for Old Eyes: Optics for Poor Vision

An rifle scope clip-on that lets you see your scope's crosshairs on a rail mounted display in real time.
An rifle scope clip-on that lets you see your scope’s crosshairs on a rail mounted display in real time. Mounts on any rifle or crossbow scope and you do not even have to re-focus it.

“I have taken the system out a couple times hunting and it seems to be working as advertised. We are able to use it in much lower light conditions than previous devices that we’ve been using. Have not had a chance to be successful at hunting yet however when we do get some video I will share it with you. Thank you”

John Fritz,
North American Squirrel Association
Outdoor Fun For Seniors and the Physically Challenged

“The best way I can describe this thing is by simply saying IT IS ABSOLUTELY AWESOME!!! I killed 3 Coyotes with it the first night I used it. They never even new I was there and the vision on the Digital Crosshairs 1000 were crystal clear. My average shot was right at 200 Yards and at 11 p.m. the view was almost like daylight through my screen. I only wish now that I had gotten the recorder for it because I could send you some awesome footage of this thing in action. Best product on the market for the money, hands down. Great product Henry and keep up the good work.”

JMACK– https://bit.ly/ODTreview

The optics work beautifully. We took a lot of film using them on our Texas Life Hunts. Off to Sedgefield for the Buckmasters David Sullivan Life Hunts Jan. 9-11 and we will use them there as well. Can not thank you enough for your kindness.

Larry F. Hart
Buckmasters American Deer Foundation
BADF National Director, BADF Disabled Hunters

“This is an amazing product and the customer service is amazing. My son has a genetic eye disease and has just Peripheral vision now he is able to shot his rifle and crossbow again. This is the first time in ten years he will be able to hunt again. Thanks Digital FOV.”
Tommy Godeaux – Google Review

The elderly population in the United States is increasing rapidly. By the year 2030, approximately 70 million Americans will be over 65 years of age.

Loss of vision among the elderly is a major health care problem: approximately one in three elderly persons has some form of vision-reducing eye disease by the age of 65.

With Digital Crosshairs 1000, vision impairment associated with a decreased ability to target with a scope will no longer will make you put down your guns.  The four most common causes of vision impairment in the elderly are age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, cataract and diabetic retinopathy. Digital Crosshairs 1000A displays your rifle scope’s field of view (crosshairs) on a rail mounted targeting display so you no longer have to struggle to look into a scope tube. Welcome back to hunting!

Best Scope Options for Shooters with Poor Vision or Old Eyes – Hi-Lux Optics

New rifle scope adapters for hunters with macular degeneration?

Blind hunter Colt Weber with Digital Crosshairs 1000A
Blind hunter Colt Weber with Digital Crosshairs 1000A

Age-related macular degeneration

There are two types of age-related macular degeneration:

  • Dry (atrophic) macular degeneration is by far the most common, occurring in 80-90% of cases.1,2
  • Wet (exudative) macular degeneration strikes in only 10-20% of cases. It is less common but much more serious. 1,2

Within these two main types, the severity can vary greatly depending on various factors such as genetics, environment, and age.

Adaptive rifle scope adapter for disabled hunters
Adaptive rifle scope adapter for visually disabled and blind hunters

Stargardt disease

Stargardt disease, also called Stargardt macular dystrophy or juvenile macular degeneration, is the most common inherited macular dystrophy for both adults and children and affects one in 8,000-10,000 individuals.3 Often times, vision loss slowly occurs during childhood or adolescence, but for some individuals, it may not occur until adulthood, such as in patients with fundus flavimaculatus.

Myopic macular degeneration

Digital Crosshairs 1000A adaptive rifle scope clip-on makes shooting easier for visually handicapped shooters
Adaptive rifle scope clip-on makes shooting easier for visually handicapped shooters

Myopic macular degeneration (MMD), also known as pathological myopia or degenerative myopia, is closely associated with choroidal neovascularization (CNV), which is the leading cause of visual impairment in those younger than 50 in the US.4 In highly myopic, very nearsighted, eyes, the ocular tissues (retina and choroid) are gradually stretched as the eye elongates. In some individuals, this stretching may lead to structural damage.

Dry AMD is a slow deterioration of the cells of the macula, often over many years, as the retinal cells die off and are not renewed. The term ‘dry’ does not mean the person has dry eyes, just that the condition is not wet AMD. The progression of dry AMD varies, but people often carry on as normal for some time.

Blind Hunters? – My Macular Degeneration Journey/Journal

Believe it or not, people with all sorts of handicaps hunt. This includes the visually impaired. I remember years ago we had a special education student who was blind and his father wanted him to take the hunters’ safety class.

We thought he was crazy but apparently the man was not as crazy as we thought! Some states will license the visually impaired to hunt.

I was not able to find information for Pennsylvania but Iowa, Michigan and Texas all allow the visually impaired to hunt. Other states don’t have statutes against it.

How does this work? I mean really? I would not want to be down range of a blind person with a gun.

Source: Blind Hunters? – My Macular Degeneration Journey/Journal

 

New rifle scope adapters for hunters with macular degeneration?

Blind hunter Colt Weber with Digital Crosshairs 1000A
Blind hunter Colt Weber with Digital Crosshairs 1000A

Age-related macular degeneration

There are two types of age-related macular degeneration:

  • Dry (atrophic) macular degeneration is by far the most common, occurring in 80-90% of cases.1,2
  • Wet (exudative) macular degeneration strikes in only 10-20% of cases. It is less common but much more serious. 1,2

Within these two main types, the severity can vary greatly depending on various factors such as genetics, environment, and age.

Adaptive rifle scope adapter for disabled hunters
Adaptive rifle scope adapter for visually disabled and blind hunters

Stargardt disease

Stargardt disease, also called Stargardt macular dystrophy or juvenile macular degeneration, is the most common inherited macular dystrophy for both adults and children and affects one in 8,000-10,000 individuals.3 Often times, vision loss slowly occurs during childhood or adolescence, but for some individuals, it may not occur until adulthood, such as in patients with fundus flavimaculatus.

Myopic macular degeneration

Digital Crosshairs 1000A adaptive rifle scope clip-on makes shooting easier for visually handicapped shooters
Adaptive rifle scope clip-on makes shooting easier for visually handicapped shooters

Myopic macular degeneration (MMD), also known as pathological myopia or degenerative myopia, is closely associated with choroidal neovascularization (CNV), which is the leading cause of visual impairment in those younger than 50 in the US.4 In highly myopic, very nearsighted, eyes, the ocular tissues (retina and choroid) are gradually stretched as the eye elongates. In some individuals, this stretching may lead to structural damage.

Dry AMD is a slow deterioration of the cells of the macula, often over many years, as the retinal cells die off and are not renewed. The term ‘dry’ does not mean the person has dry eyes, just that the condition is not wet AMD. The progression of dry AMD varies, but people often carry on as normal for some time.

Hunting? For the Visually Impaired?

New rifle scope adapters for hunters with macular degeneration?

Blind hunter Colt Weber with Digital Crosshairs 1000A
Blind hunter Colt Weber with Digital Crosshairs 1000A

Age-related macular degeneration

There are two types of age-related macular degeneration:

  • Dry (atrophic) macular degeneration is by far the most common, occurring in 80-90% of cases.1,2
  • Wet (exudative) macular degeneration strikes in only 10-20% of cases. It is less common but much more serious. 1,2

Within these two main types, the severity can vary greatly depending on various factors such as genetics, environment, and age.

Adaptive rifle scope adapter for disabled hunters
Adaptive rifle scope adapter for visually disabled and blind hunters

Stargardt disease

Stargardt disease, also called Stargardt macular dystrophy or juvenile macular degeneration, is the most common inherited macular dystrophy for both adults and children and affects one in 8,000-10,000 individuals.3 Often times, vision loss slowly occurs during childhood or adolescence, but for some individuals, it may not occur until adulthood, such as in patients with fundus flavimaculatus.

Myopic macular degeneration

Digital Crosshairs 1000A adaptive rifle scope clip-on makes shooting easier for visually handicapped shooters
Adaptive rifle scope clip-on makes shooting easier for visually handicapped shooters

Myopic macular degeneration (MMD), also known as pathological myopia or degenerative myopia, is closely associated with choroidal neovascularization (CNV), which is the leading cause of visual impairment in those younger than 50 in the US.4 In highly myopic, very nearsighted, eyes, the ocular tissues (retina and choroid) are gradually stretched as the eye elongates. In some individuals, this stretching may lead to structural damage.

Dry AMD is a slow deterioration of the cells of the macula, often over many years, as the retinal cells die off and are not renewed. The term ‘dry’ does not mean the person has dry eyes, just that the condition is not wet AMD. The progression of dry AMD varies, but people often carry on as normal for some time.