Shooting Glasses: The Importance of Proper Eye Protection While Shooting

Regardless of whether you are a professional shooter, or just starting up – you should have an understanding of just how important are shooting glasses for safe purposes. Deciding to include a pair of high-quality shooting glasses as part of your gear can make all the difference in protecting your eyes and making the whole experience more enjoyable and successful. But, in order to get the job done, you need to select a proper pair. Here are a few helpful guidelines.

Lens Material

In most cases, the lenses of shooting glasses are made from plastic or polycarbonate. These materials are made durable enough to meet the standards of impact resistance. Polycarbonate is so sturdy and reliable that it's even used in the production of bulletproof glass. But be advised that even though these materials are made to last, you still need to replace them over time. Depending on the amount of use, a good pair of shooting glasses will last you around 2-3 years.

If you wear prescription glasses, don't count on them as a reliable source of protection. You can use special shooting glasses that can slide over them and act as an additional layer of protection.

Lens Colour

There are models that come with clear glasses, and some that feature different colours. The choice is personal. What you need to have in mind though is the UV protection feature. Opt for ones that will protect your eyes from harmful sun rays and blue light. What follows is a more detailed description of various different lenses.

• Clear Lenses – these are the standard option. There are shooters who prefer the clear look without any additional aberration or colour enhancement
• Yellow Lenses – safety shooting glasses with yellow tinted lenses block out “blue light” such as haze and light fog. This colour helps form a detailed edge on objects which improves the depth perception level. It also provides a better view of target lines;
• Orange Lenses – these are also useful for blocking out blue light, and they bring out the orange colour on practice targets. This feature helps you acquire targets quickly and is also recommended for the trap and skeet range;
• Amber Lenses – these types of lenses are especially useful on low-light or cloudy days. Amber builds contrast and makes it possible for the target to stand out even in unfavourable weather conditions;
• Brown/Tan Lenses – brown and tan lenses are recommended for brighter days. Brown shade calms your eyes and keeps the pupils open so that you can register movements;
• Blue/Purple Lenses – this type is a great option for when you shoot around trees or any other strong greens. The lenses that come in blue or purple colour bring out the contrast between green and orange and help your eyes stay focused on the target by blurring out the distracting background.