Eye safety

[oneeye]

I lost my left eye in a bowhunting accident. Another hunter mistook me for a deer in 1983 and shot me in the eye. Two years later, I got shot in the other eye while bird hunting. I was lucky to live through the first accident, and I am even luckier to still be able to see.

Do you have to guess my recommendation on eye protection?

 

[oneeye]

The brain is an amazing thing. I lost my left eye in 1983 and suffered serious retinal damage in my good eye in 1985. I recovered and have 20/15 corrected vision in one eye with the d of strong glasses. In theory, I do not have true doth perception, but I can judge distance as well as most people ith two good eyes.

 

[buzz]

Yeah i wear a hat always after guys showered me in brass at the range
I blame my poor shooten on my gun as my one eye gets enouf blame for everything else

 

[rfdr]

shouldering and firing a flintlock rifle without eye protection is not being ignorant - it's being STUPID.

really Really REALLY STUPID.

flame away, i can take it ...

 

[Stonevievneilson]

I am appreciative of all your input. Not having anyone around who shoots a flintlock to learn off I pick up nearly all my info from here. There seems to pretty clear direction here, you can't hunt what you can't see!

 

[Billnpatti]

If you think wearing safety glasses is a pain in the butt, try wearing an eye patch. I never shoot a flintlock, or a caplock for that matter, without safety glasses. It is seldom that a fragment of flint or a cap will strike a shooter in the eye but the consequences are so dire that even that slight chance is too much of a risk for me. There are a lot of different styles of safety glasses so you ought to be able to find one style that will feel comfortable and provide you with the means to keep your eyesight or avoid a very painful visit to an eye surgeon.

I can personally attest to the pain of having a metal fragment stuck in your eye. I was using a Dremmel tool on a gun building project. I stopped grinding and moved my safety glasses up on my head to look at my progress. I noticed that I needed to do a bit more grinding and started to work forgetting that my glasses were up on my forehead. That was the exact moment that a fragment of steel flew off the grinding wheel and struck me in the eye. It was the most severe pain and every eyeblink sent off another extremely painful stabbing pain in my eye. My wife rushed me to the ER and a doctor had to anesthetize my eye so that he could get a look at it. He managed to get the steel fragment out and my eyesight was not compromised but I never forgot to use my safety glasses after that. I highly recommend that you avoid a similar experience by buying and using safety glasses when you shoot a muzzleloader.

 

[lonehorseman]

Always wear eye protection, even with a Red Ryder, 200 shot range model air rifle, with a compass and a thing in the stock, that tells time.

You'll shoot your eye out kid!

 

[pargent]

BACK IN THE DAY eye protection wasn't worn but the fences on the original locks were a bit better, the flash goes out to the side, there is not a large number of documented eye injuries from flint lock use in the time frame of their common usage , but it did happen so wear eye protection. Check out my post in PHOTOS titled Muzzle Flash that's a normal shot you won't see that when you fire but the trick camera gear picked it up .

 

[bpd303]

There is also a photo of the flash & muzzle blast in photos of my new to me flintlock smooth bore. As you can see I'm wearing polycarbonate glasses which are hardly visible. Wouldn't shoot anything without them.

 

[rfdr]

quite typically, THIS is what occurs only inches away from your eyes ... how could anyone in their right mind not at least be wearing eye protection?

[youtube]GzgVnH6uEP0[/youtube]

 

[Rat Trapper]

If ya live long enough, you will need glasses just to see the front sight and then going without will not be an option. I love being retired, but I wish I had my 20-10 vison of my youth! Even into my 30's it was still 20-15. Ya know the old saying: smells like a dog turd, feels like one, but need my glasses just to be sure! :grin:

 

[boombyspark]

From past experience I always shutter when I see grown ups teaching or allowing their kids to shoot without glasses. I wish everyone would wear eye and ear protection. Back in the early 80's I built a T/C Renegade from a kit. I couldn't go to the range and shoot it for the first time, until another day, so I took it out in the back yard, put a flint in pulled the hammer back and pulled the trigger (unloaded and unprimed). My very first experience with a flintlock became my most memorable. A little piece of flint came off and STUCK in my cheek barely below my eye. By the way I didn't have eye protection either....... For some time I worked the shooting range at Boy Scout Camp. We were not allowed to shoot flint locks due to not being able to use black powder since it is classified as an explosive. So we made smoke with cap locks. Needles to say the kids kept getting" stung " when they were shooting from the bench.
I found out that little pieces of caps were coming off and stinging them in the arm. I solved this problem with having them bring a towel to put over their arms or wear long sleeves. If it can hurt an arm, it would for sure hurt an eye. My experiences and this topic seems to be like the motorcycle helmet argument.

 

[Roguedog]

I understand the need to wear safety glasses when shooting, but...how many of you who don't wear prescription glasses wear safety glasses when hunting? I'm just curious. I typically don't wear safety glasses while I'm hunting, but, perhaps I should.

Jeff

 

[Baxter]

No "perhaps". You "should". Any superficial corneal injury will leave you with defective vision for 24+ hours, if not permanently and corneal injuries are VERY painful, producing a huge amount of tears that blind vision immediately, usually require examination ($$) and may require patching, antibiotic ointment and a ($$) recheck in 24 - 48 hours. Poly-carbonate shooting glasses, at a minimum are cheap. baxter

 

[Stonevievneilson]

G'day Jeff,
It would be worth reading all of the previous posts on this thread. I never used to wear safety glasses while hunting either. That is why I posted the original question. But I have been sinse getting the replies that are here. I like being able to see my kids, it's as simple as that.
Thank you all again for your replies.
Cheers
Jonno

 

[Roguedog]

I agree. Trust me when I say I very much value my eyesight. My Dad is legally blind and I appreciate being able to see. Honestly, wearing eyeglasses while hunting had never occured to me. Now it has. I hold the members of this forum and their suggestions in pretty high regard.

Jeff

 

[don hepler]

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but in about 5 more years, you'll probably need glasses to at least read small print. It will hit you without much warning.

A flintlock drops a sharp jagged rock, and shaves off hot molten metal into a pile of highly explosive black powder, that throws burning powder into the air, with all the flying debris, of flint and metal, and oh well, I think you get it.

 

[Alden]

For oldie-time shooting I have a pair of round old-looking eye glasses that I had lensed with more expensive poly-carbonate lenses to act as eye protection. "Period" and safe.

 

[hawkeye2]

"'Period' and safe." Yes to the first part and a definite no to the second! I know 2 people who have experienced shooting related eye injuries because of wearing authentic glasses. I spent a lot of my life in the steel fabrication business and I've "been there and done that" when it comes to eye injuries. I wish I could show you my T shirt but it's too much trouble to post a photo. The only true safety glasses have a strong frame, impact resistant lenses and side shields and even then you wouldn't believe how much junk can find its way over, under and around the glasses. I have had to go to the emergency room two times to have steel drilled from my eye after getting an object in my eye while grinding and I was wearing a full face shield in addition to an excellent pair of safety glasses both times.

 

[Alden]

"Safer" then -- during reenactments and do-n-pony-shows this is my concession. I'm more likely to be injured by "you" than my gun...

And I'll whisper a secret -- I don't wear earplugs then either.