High Quality Shooting Glasses

[Spikebuck]

I'm tired of the el-cheapo shooting glasses that don't last very long.

Suggestions for high-quality (non-prescription) shooting safety glasses? Off-the-shelf, I mean, not "custom" from an optometrist.

 

[Capt. Jas.]

Post 4, Randolph USA,

 

[Carl Fowler III]

Bad day at the range? I am going to talk to my optometrist on my next visit and see if there is an option that will help me see my sights clearly, both front and rear...I'll let all the old folks know if there is! :shocked2:

 

[FishDFly]

Suggestions for high-quality (non-prescription) shooting safety glasses? Off-the-shelf, I mean, not "custom" from an optometrist.

You need to define your requirements?

 

[Ranch 13]

http://www.buffaloarms.com/Products.aspx?CAT=4426

 

[bpd303]

You didn't mention cost. All of the glasses sold at Galls are pretty good. I like the Under Armour. http://www.galls.com/CGBCSRCH?PAMENU=CATEGORY&PMSRCH=shooting glasses

 

[Spikebuck]

Bad day at the range?

Nope. Just find that the el-cheapo's get pitted easily and scratched. Definitely some distortion as well.

Good luck on that search for "all-range" glasses!

 

[BrownBear]

I haven't a clue if they're still available, but I'm still using the Bausch and Lomb glasses I bought about 25 years ago. Look brand new without a scratch, and zero distortion.

 

[George T.]

I think that Ray-Ban has tempered glass in yellow and polaroid in the $150 range. They will out last several pairs with plastic lenses. It would be great to be able to try them at the range.

Geo. T.

 

[BrownBear]

...Ray-Ban....

Yup. At the time I got mine Ray-Ban were Bausch and Lomb. Dunno about today, but if so, I can highly recommend them. I googled them and saw some SCARY prices for used versions like mine from the 70's. :shocked2: Great stuff, but not at those prices.

 

[Joel/Calgary]

I am going to talk to my optometrist on my next visit and see if there is an option that will help me see my sights clearly, both front and rear...I'll let all the old folks know if there is! :shocked2:

Quick experiment - go to a store and try putting the weakest reading glasses you can find (likely +1.0 or +1.25 diopters, but +.75 might be better but hard to find) over your prescription glasses and use your fingers and/or objects in the store at the appropriate distances as stand-ins for your sights and target (far wall). This should bring your front sight into decent focus and the rear into better-than-it-was focus while leaving the target only slightly blurry. You can explore this more precisely with your optometrist, especially if you bring something that will give approximations of your sights at the proper distances from your eyes (measure these at home for reference in any case). Many of us have found that adjusting the distance (sphere) Rx by +0.50 - +1.50 diopters to make the difference (most often +0.75 or +1.0), with variations based in part on rifle or handgun, distance to sights and/or target, etc. The reading addition is naturally adjusted accordingly if getting bi- or tri-focals. Since I can't afford special glasses with an offset optical center for my shooting eye, I have found that conventional, not progressive, lenses work much better as shooting glasses for me, as progressives favor looking straight through the middle of the lens. Also, with an adjustment of +0.75, I can still use my shooting glasses as a backup in case my regular ones are damaged or lost (legal and safe to drive, etc.) - not perfect but usable if needed.

I normally wear trifocals nowadays, but I got an inexpensive pair of mail-order bifocals with the appropriate adjustment for distance and reading, and find that they work fine for shooting and also make a dandy pair of television/reading glasses, too, with the the adjusted distance Rx and larger reading areas.

Regards,
Joel

 

[BrownBear]

...go to a store and try putting the weakest reading glasses you can find (likely +1.0 or +1.25 diopters, but +.75 might be better but hard to find)....

Might not have been you that posted this long ago, but I'll thank you in any case. It really works for old eyes!!!!!! :thumbsup:

 

[RedFeather]

Yep. I have $6 1.0 from Walmart. Hard to find .75 off the shelf. And my eye doctor (opthamologist doctor) said generic readers are just as good as custom made. As to shooting glasses, I wouldn't mind some with a reader built in like a bifocal. Understand you can get shop glasses like that but none of the hardware stores carry them, big box or mom n pop. Hate having to keep reaching for the readers at the work bench. You would think with all of us old farts they would be a natural.

 

[Snakebite]

A lot depends on the quality and/or price you want. I shoot with Decot Hy-Wyd glasses. I've been using them for over 15 years. They aren't the most expensive, but they aren't exactly cheap. But if I ever need some more, I'll buy them.

 

[BrownBear]

Yep. I have $6 1.0 from Walmart.

Ha! They're $18.95 + 7% sales tax at our local Walmart.

Welcome to Alaska!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :rotf:

 

[RedFeather]

These the ones on the revolving stand? Ah, but you can probably shoot out of the window without getting two-to-eight with good behavior. Such is the trade off.

 

[M. De Land]

I still use the cheap ones I get free but as of yet still can see clearly and really need only the protection.
I'm reminded of what David Tubbs said about long range shooting. He said long range shooting really becomes a seeing contest rather than a shooting contest. I thought that a rather keen observation, so to speak! :grin: MD

 

[Mad Professor]

Ray-Ban shooters. Make sure you get the wrap around earpieces.

I have the old USA made ones.

 

[David W.]

Ray-Ban shooters. Make sure you get the wrap around earpieces.

I have the old USA made ones.

So do I, called by either shooters, or aviation. I have the Ray Ban wrap around (USA made) in both green and amber. The amber is the best in most conditions, IMO, but at times, I prefer the green.

 

[Joel/Calgary]

As to shooting glasses, I wouldn't mind some with a reader built in like a bifocal. Understand you can get shop glasses like that but none of the hardware stores carry them, big box or mom n pop. Hate having to keep reaching for the readers at the work bench. You would think with all of us old farts they would be a natural.

Consider getting inexpensive mail-order bifocals with with the distance Rx adjusted to shooting or to workbench distances. They'll be plastic lenses and reasonably protective, and can be combined with over-your-glasses safety glasses if you need heavier protection and/or side-guards. I've dealt with Zenni Optical on recommendation by an someone at work and been completely satisfied, and you can get bifocals for less than $30, total including shipping within the U.S. I normally have a +2.25 Add for reading and I use an adjustment of +0.75 to the distance sphere Rx for my shooting glasses - I want decent distance vision remaining, as I mentioned above - with the reading Add reduced accordingly to +1.50. I tried a pair of bifocals with the distance Rx adjusted by +1.50 to approximate the intermediate lens in my trifocals for computer/workbench glasses, and I got a working focus of 18"-4'± for the main area. This reduced the reading Add to +0.75, but their minimum was +1.0, so I went with that, giving a focus at 10"-18"±, and the bifocal reading area comes up kind of high, so if I do it again, I'll try a single vision adjusted by +1.75. By the way, Zenni has a variety of safety glasses, but only in single vision, not bifocal. It's possible that other suppliers may have safety bifocals at reasonably prices, but I never looked.

Regards,
Joel