Cataract surgery coming up and my distance vision should be pretty good if everything works out okay. Have been using bifocals all these years and wondering when I get my new glasses if progressive lenses would be better. Seems like I'm always seeing the top of the bifocal in the scope when I'm trying to shoot. Has anybody switched from bifocals to progressives and had good results? Any problems using progressives while shooting with the scope?

I have had progressives for 30 yrs or so. I find that the clear "target focus window" is very small and hard to maintain through tang sights as the sight aperture goes up and down, and of course shifting your head alignment position. I am thinking about getting shooting glasses for distance only where I hope the image stays more focused. My shooting game is long range 6-1200 yds so a lot of sight travel and head adjustment.

Years back I had a friend who got bifocal glasses and ruined his scores at handgun silhouette. The change was just about where he saw his sights and perpetually had difficulty. I eventually needed glasses and when bifocals were brought up, I declined. Now, some thirty years later I still have my vision glasses and carry a pair of cheaters. As a footnote, I can still actually read most print in decent light. So, the cheaters only see much use when I sit to read a novel for a longer time, or where the light is dim- like at the fancy restaurant you go to on your wife's birthday.
Anyhow, I'm suggesting that you consider a pair of 'regular' glasses without the bifocal for shooting, driving and sightseeing. Maybe you'd like that- and cheaters are inexpensive to loose and replace if needed. Just a thought

I have had progressives for many years and never noticed a problem with them but perhaps I simply got used to them. 
Your mileage may vary but I think the progressives can work. I do need to tilt my head back a little when shooting handgun , which I hope to address the next time I need new glasses. I believe if you tell your eye doctor that you want to focus on the front sight of your rifle or pistol, he or she can take measurements and grind the lens to allow you to get the proper focus where you need it, with progressives or whatever. I think I even brought my rifle in once, years ago. Let us know what you decide and how you like it. 
Good luck, 
Joe S

The problem with progressive lenses is  that there is a narrow band with correction vertical in the lenses wider at the top where your eyeball is normally centered kinda like a Y with no correction on either side of the tail.
If you read print the size in this forum you will have to turn your head to follow every word or you will run out of correction very quickly, plus there is no correction in the lower corners of the lenses.
My eye Dr. Garented I would love them or he would replace with trifocals, I tried them for two weeks,  took them back and told him that he could stick them where the sun didn't shine
LD1

I am a lined bifocal or tri focal fan
Couldnt get used to Progressives. The line permits rapid focus for me

Many years ago I had a pair of glasses made that had the intermediate power ground in the top of the lense. At that time I was a flight engineer on the 727

Because all of the engineers gauges were above "level" on the engineers panel, regular bifocals forced me to crane my head up in a uncomfortable position.

Coincidentally, these glasses worked great for focusing on the front rifle sight, to this day when I get my eye glass prescription renewed I have the eye doc give me a separate script to have not only my intermediate focal plane adjusted to 33" (same distance as my computer screen) but also a note for the upper left corner of my right lense to be at the 33" 
as well for the front sight on my rifle.    

Old-Win wrote on May 23^rd, 2025 at 1:33pm:

Well I'm 12 days post-surgery now and things have not been going smoothly. At first I was seeing nothing but looking through frosted glass but it has slowly been getting better. Only lately have I been able to read this forum but then again yesterday afternoon I couldn't read it as things were cloudy. Going in this morning for special check to see what's going on. They think something's irritating the cornea and keeping the swelling up instead of coming down.

Not all progressive lens are the same and there are differences in quality of different manufacturers.
I found the Essilor Varilux progressive lens to be the best after my cataract surgery for shooting.

Sharp vision - right to the edge of the lens or whether viewing long distance or close.

Seamless transitions - no break like bifocals or abrupt transitions

Wide fields of vision - better able to detect wind peripherally

Stability of vision in motion - stable perception of what you are viewing despite continuous eye movements, head movements, or even body movement. 

Most of the time you are sighting your rifle by looking through the top right of your lens.
The majority of lens have edge deviations in the quality of focus but the Essilor Varilux are extremely shrarp providing much mor accurate ability to focus as you use the edges of your lens.

(You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)

My optometrist switched to supplying Hoya lens which are sharp in the center for mid range and they are certainly not as sharp on the edges or for long range.

I plan to go back to the Essilor Varilux lens.