Eye safety

[Spikebuck]

Thanks for the post and for all those reaffirming that we should always wear safety glasses when shooting.

I have to admit to wearing them in the past, but I've gotten "lazy" about it recently and this post kind of reminded me that it's good practice to always wear eye protection. Although I won't wear them hunting because glasses fog up and are a PITA in hunting conditions. Might not be smart, but for that one shot, I'll take my chances.

I do always wear hearing protection and one of the best investments I made was a pair of Walker's with microphones so I can actually hear other people when I'm wearing them. In addition, they are lightweight and comfortable.

 

[Captjoel]

It seems that the modern styles in eye glasses have gone to very small lenses for the most part. I would not consider these to be very protective for shooting. I am near sighted and have worn glasses since the 3rd grade. My favorite style for glasses goes back to the early 70's aviator lens which are oversized and offer more protection. Not considered saftey glasses but better than none.

 

[Shooey]

I always wear glasses when shooting a flintlock, even while hunting. I don't want to take the risk, and wearing glasses is no big deal.

 

[Geraldo]

Now I have to wear glasses to see the target clearly, but I have always worn safety glasses when shooting any firearm. I also wear them during any work that can put steel chips, filings, rust, stuff thrown by the weed whacker, etc in my eyes.

 

[Dean2]

I have worn glasses all my life and they have always been the large aviator style with hardened, shatterproof lenses.

They have saved stuff getting in my eyes countless times, and at least three times they have saved the eye for sure because the hit was hard enough to need to replace the lens. Two lefts and one right lens, if I recall correctly, and I am left handed.

 

[MSW]

started wearing glasses to shoot when my eyes started to go bad, back in the late 1970s... now i wear them all the time ... the mill where i work gives us a pair of safety glasses in whatever correction we use (and the exam is free: this sounds expensive, but i'm sure the workers comp. insurance carrier insists on the safety goggles, and if it saved just one run of paper from being cut to the wrong size because the operator couldn't properly read the tape measure, it's money well spent) ... i've never had one hit hard enough to break the lens, but i have had both lenses hit, so i'm sure they've saved me a boatload of pain, even if they haven't saved my eyesight ...

always wear hearing protection, or you'll end up like me (old, and cranky, and foul mouthed)

:rotf:

really no reason not to, as far as i can see...

(forgive the pun - i'm going to punHell anyway...)

 

[hanshi]

Ah, Ha! Punography! :stir:

 

[dcriner]

My regular glasses (bifocals) are shatter resistant. Bifocals help me sight downrange and to closely inspect anything acting up on my muzzleloader.

 

[FishDFly]

this is one of those things you do at your own risk. is it a good idea to wear safety glasses when shooting... yes. do most people wear safety glasses while shooting... no. keep in mind that there is a chance a piece of flint or burnt powder debree could hit you in the eye.

i tend not to wear them if im not at the range but this is a personal choice. i accept something bad could happen.

-matt

Look at the age of posters and see who wears PPE and who do not. The older folks get, the more they are concerned about being hurt long term.

 

[buzz]

I use pair of safety glasses coz im already down one eye cant loose the other

 

[George T.]

I hear that! I am blind as a bat without glasses and I get Poly lenses and way to late I wear hearing protection. One thing the one lense that was damaged so bad that it needed replaceing was with a cap lock. Geo. T.

 

[George91946]

I shoot flintlocks every day. Glasses are a must. I have to change glasses every several months because the powder burns in the lenses are sufficient to interfere with vision. I would have hated to have those burns on my eyelids and corneas.

Even safety glasses have some "chinks in the armor". One day a piece of hot flint arced up and dropped between the top of the glasses and my eyes. It settled on my eyelid and cornea, and burned like crazy, but fortunately didn't scar my eye. Just a blister on the skin of the eyelid. One other time at the range, an adjacent shooter's 0.22 casing arced into my glasses from the top and trapped between my eye and the lens. The hot casing burned my eyelid and cornea. I had a blister from that for several days. Since then, I've been getting glasses with plastic seals between the top of the frames and my eyebrows.

Lisle George

 

[F.G. Ford]

The worst gun I ever shot was the Remington revolving rifle.
The grease spatter and flying cap particles was terrible.
Shooting goggles are a MUST! :stir:
It should be MANDATORY at all shooting ranges to use shooting glasses, there are way too many variables at a range for flying debris.
Fred

 

[Black Jack]

I had to do without the use of my left eye for a number of months due to a diabetic hemorrage. An operation fixed me up but I would not care to repeat the experience of being short one of my peepers. Always wear shooting glasses of some type. I relied on just wearing my regular glasses for a while, but now I wear safety glasses that meet ANSI specs. I am having a pair of prescription shooting glasses made. Also, as stated previously, glasses will also prevent getting poked in the eye by a twig when walking thru the woods in darkness.

 

[majg1234]

I always wear safety type glasses hunting and shooting.They are prescription as I'm nearsighted.In the early 1980s'I was on a pheasant hunt in Nebraska,I'd finished shooting took my shooting glasses off and immediately a large bird flushed.The guy next to me shot toward the bird and away from me.some of his steel shot struck an old piece of farm equipment about 30yrds away ricochets struck me in the chest and left eye.As a result I'm legally blind in my left eye.It took several years for me to be able to wing shoot worth a hoot again.I had to relearn a lot of things as the depth perception was gone.So yes always wear eye protection.You can adapt to this change in time (I fly airplanes and do all sorts of things but it took relearning stuff)but it is so much easier to protect your eyes

 

[buzz]

I wear a hat always now since i was at a range and was showed in bass
I found safety or shatter proof glasses work the best

 

[Black Jack]

I wear a hat always now since i was at a range and was showed in bass
I found safety or shatter proof glasses work the best

Probably me being dense, but having difficulty understanding meaning of your first line.

 

[54ball]

I think he means showered in hot brass cartridges.

 

[Black Jack]

Makes sense. I must have been getting drowsy before nap time when I read this the other day.

 

[don hepler]

I used to work, making eye glasses and learned a lot about what to choose. We did not make safety glasses, but did make eye glasses using poly carbonite lenses, and they were drop ball tested to ANSI standards. However to be real safety glasses, they must be in safety frames, as well. Poly, lenses are also natural UV protective, and can have anti-reflective coatings added. I always felt that I had some protection, just because the lenses were shatter-proof. Now, you can get stylish safety frames and anti-reflective, high quality poly lenses, so I wear high quality safety glasses, when I'm shooting or hunting, and almost always for daily use.

Progressive, safety glasses are the way to go.