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Can you become a sniper if you wear glases for short-sightedness?

I'm hardly blind, in fact I rarely wear my glasses as I can go about my life perfectly fine with out them, things are just very slightly blurred.

Ghost

dunno

was that an attempt to enhance your post count? if you dont know why bother replying?

No it wasn't an attempt to enhance my post count. Andyour second question. Well, i dunno. I never thought it much.

Ever so sorry

Ahh yes I see, that makes a lot of sense

I am not sniper trained, but a very experienced rifle shot using Schmidt und Bender scopes - the same as fitted to the L96/L115 series of rifles. These have full eye adjustment as do all binoculars, so in theory this shouldn't affect your ability.

How this is viewed in reality is a different question altogether. I wear disposable contact lenses - that's one solution.

HighlandSniper58 wrote:I am not sniper trained, but a very experienced rifle shot using Schmidt und Bender scopes - the same as fitted to the L96/L115 series of rifles. These have full eye adjustment as do all binoculars, so in theory this shouldn't affect your ability.

How this is viewed in reality is a different question altogether. I wear disposable contact lenses - that's one solution.

I was once short sighted, From what i remember Scopes seem to magnify the blur you already have

Have laser surgery

Tunny wrote: Have laser surgery

I thought you weren't allowed LS in the army/navy/air force.

Ghost

Just purely theoretical, but glasses would create probs with reflection, misting, and rain collecting on them.
Lenses are probably the way to go, but may blur your distance vision. I tried them, and they were ace with binos, the compensation was a lot less and other people were able to use the binos without adjustment.

El Prez wrote:Just purely theoretical, but glasses would create probs with reflection, misting, and rain collecting on them.

Well I imagine you'd have those problems whether you were a sniper or not, yet you can join the RM with glasses can't you?

Ghost

Yes, I agree with what El Prez and other say here - using a telescopic sight with specs is certainly not ideal - especially in inclement weather.

I have been involved with deer stalking in the highlands and long range target shooting amongst other things for donkeys years - thus, when my own eyesight deteriorated about ten years ago (I'm short sighted) I first tried glasses, but they were a pain in the ass.........since then i've used disposable contact lenses which give me perfect vision, and allow me to shoot my scoped rifles as well and anyone else (slightly better if I'm on form ).

As for rain etc. on scopes and binos, this sort of thing can ve alleviated by various means - protective hods/covers, rainproof coatings (i.e. so the rain runs off, a bit like Rain-X for car windows) etc.

Another thing with binos is that most people do not know how to set them up for their own eye-sight.

Adjust them to you own eye first using the +/- adjustment on one eyepice, and only then focus the entire pair using the central adjustment.

Laser surgery in the military isn't a total bar, but a bit of a touchy subject. The Army's policy on it has been revised so you are allowed to have it done. You just have to follow their procedure (which takes a long time) But personally, it's worked out great for me, i'd recommend it to anybody with dodgy vision.

Hold on, hold on - I was under the impression that laser surgery was an instant refusal for RM... someone correct me if I'm wrong. But I'm fairly positive.

I wear glasses. When use night vision equipment on rifles glasses can't be worn. I have to wear contact lenses because the rubber cup has to be compressed to view through the scope.

Gore.

Laser treatment is allowed in the armed forces (eyes that is) and penile enlargement for paras apparantly oh dear i probably started something there.
Only snag is that certain trades dont let you in if the old eyes have been rayed. Hereford and Poole springs to mind as I did meds on lads off to selection to see them binned at the main gate if not before for having their eyes sorted.
I also agree with El Prez's comments as in practice wearing of goggles may impeed the actually practice of sniping.
Best bet is to ring up CTC and ask the question its the place where most snipers learn their trade.
Its a bit like asking "can I be a scaley with a hearing aid?" ermm no...!
Or a homosexual proctologist? (then again may be a prejoining requirment)