The importance of using Shooting glasses
Eye protection is essential for anyone using a firearm, whether at a shooting range or in a forest or field.
All firearms have a certain amount of recoil, and many shooting activities take place outdoors where wind, sun and dust also can lead to eye and vision problems.
Shotguns and rifles are held on the shoulder, while handguns are no more than an arm's length away. These different shooting activities occur in close proximity to the face, which means you should take every precaution to shield your eyes from harm.
Good eye protection makes sense and often is required during organized matches or while shooting on a range. Some range masters allow shooters to wear any kind of eye wear they like, but sometimes certain safety standards are required.
Generic, contoured nonprescription sports goggles are acceptable if you don't require vision correction or if you wear contact lenses. These goggles have a slight wrap around the face and keep out wind and dust.
If you need prescription lenses in order to see clearly, or if you simply want to use the best shooting eye wear available, shooting glasses in styles similar to aviator sunglasses tend to be popular.
Eye wear designed for shooters, however, has a few more features to make you more comfortable while using a firearm:
The frame styles generally have a "sweat bar" that runs the width of the frame above the lenses to add stability to the frame for a secure fit.
The frames also are made in a rounded shape, to avoid sharp corners that could jab your face.
Some brands have special padding on the frame around the eyes. The padding cushions the frame against your face in case the gun recoils too far. This also helps to keep out wind and dust.
Additional Frame Features in Shooting Glasses
The temples of shooting glasses often are designed with spring hinges that allow the frame to flex without breaking when recoil occurs. Temples also wrap around the ear in the "cable" style to help keep the frame in place, and the tips of the temples may feature rounded ends to enhance comfort.
Nose pads are adjustable so that the frame rests in the optimum position, and soft silicone pads often are used for additional comfort.
Some shooting glasses feature bridges that adjust to one of several locking positions so that the glasses are positioned just right for any shot.
The frames are constructed of any number of ophthalmic materials, including titanium and other metals, regular plastic and tough poly carbonate.
How To Choose the Right Lenses for Shooting Glasses
Poly carbonate lenses with a scratch-resistant hard coat and built-in ultraviolet protection have been the lenses of choice for shooting glasses for many years. This lens material is highly impact-resistant to provide you with maximum "blow-back" and "bounce-back" protection.
Lens tints also can be a factor in the performance of shooting glasses. Many shooters are comfortable in lenses that are yellow or orange. Lenses in these hues block haze and blue light and enhance the orange color of the target. The brighter yellow the lens color is, the better it is for use in low contrast and near-dark conditions.
