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shooting glasses


Trigger Mike

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I wear regular glasses so don't need shooting glasses but I got a cheap pair for my children from walmart.  At the shotgun team match one kid who was using a $17,000 beretta told my son he was wearing shooting glasses that cost over $400.  Beretta sells some for around $100, and Briley where they sell chokes has a pair for $445.  

 

What benefit do I get between the $29 pair and the $445 pair?  

 

Keep in mind, my son was shooting a Hatfield shotgun that cost me $350.  

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Make sure the glasses are stamped Z87.1. That is the ANSI standard for safety glasses. 

 

As for performance differences, more expensive pairs can have colored lenses for better target acquisition.  Theoretically. 

 

I use Home Depot safety glasses. 

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$400 sounds like prescription glasses.

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I was spotting for another shooter three years ago, when a nearly complete .45 bullet came straight back off the target and smashed into my $100 Wiley-X shooting glasses just at the lower edge of my eye. The plastic distorted and stopped the bullet, but I had quite a shiner and the side of my face was swollen up for a few days. I chucked the glasses, of course, and bought a new pair of Wiley-X's. :)

 

Decent shooting glasses are pretty cheap in the long run. ;)

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9 hours ago, Trigger Mike said:

I wear regular glasses so don't need shooting glasses but I got a cheap pair for my children from walmart.  At the shotgun team match one kid who was using a $17,000 beretta told my son he was wearing shooting glasses that cost over $400.  Beretta sells some for around $100, and Briley where they sell chokes has a pair for $445.  

 

What benefit do I get between the $29 pair and the $445 pair?  

 

Keep in mind, my son was shooting a Hatfield shotgun that cost me $350.  

 

If your son does not require glasses or contacts, then you can spend under $200 for mil spec rated glasses.  I would go by the list provided in Ozark Huckleberry's post:  https://www.peosoldier.army.mil/equipment/eyewear/

I have a pair of Wiley X for over 10 years and have been happy with them, but Oakley also has a good reputation.  My eyesight is sufficiently bad that I require inserts for the Wiley's which did raise the price substantially, but that is a function of the optometrists authorized to by Wiley X to handle people  who require prescriptions

 

I'd recommend you getting GOOD safety glasses instead of just regular glasses.  I had an incident some years ago and it made me realize that the coverage & protection provided by standard glasses was not good enough to risk losing my eyesight to save some money.

 

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On the Safety Glasses USA website do a search for MIL-PRF-31013

 

It will give you a list of all safety glasses that meet or exceede the impact portion of that standard.  Keep in mind that the standard covers more than just impact and that a lot of manufacturers meet the impact portion of the standard while not meeting things like color or chemical resistance.

 

BTW Wiley-X are some of the best made safety glasses available.  The Saber line is very affordable. Comes with interchangeable lenses and is available with prescription lenses.

 

The first time you take a high speed impact to your safety glasses you will either be glad you spent the money or be looking for an eye patch.

 

You can even meet the impact standard with glasses as cheap as $4.00.

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I just got a pair of prescription shooting glasses and they were $400.

Someone who buys a $17,000 shotgun that does nothing different than your $350 shotgun could care less about spending $400 on safety glasses.

 

The real problem here is the kid felt the need to push his "expensive" gun and glasses onto other people to let them know he's rich.

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3 hours ago, Perro Del Diablo said:

My glasses are Wiley x and with RX and tint they are around 4-500. I use them all the time make good motorcycle glasses.

 

I rode wearing the Wiley-X SG-1 in goggle configuration. Removed the adjustment from the elastic band and sewed the elastic in place. Loved being able to change tint to match the conditions. Wore Polarized or Copper during the day and either Amber or clear and night depending on the traffic.  Discovered really quickly that glasses wouldn't cut it when the wind started kicking up sand.

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I don't recall the brand name of the shooting glasses I use for Skeet and Trap, but they were about $30 when I bought them ~15 years ago.  They have 3 different lenses.  Yellow, Rose and Brown.  I almost always use the Rose color as they really make the orange on clay pigeons "pop".  For clay target shooting you should really check out the rose type lenses made for clay pigeon shooting.  The contrast is amazing.   Yellow can make things too bright on a sunny day, but I like them for night shoots.  I've never felt the need to use the dark lenses.

 

For CAS and other target shooting I prefer clear lenses.

 

Don't go cheap on shooting glasses just to save money.  You only get one pair of eyes.

 

Angus

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This topic is why I pay extra for my regular glasses that make spec. Like everyone has said, you only get one set of Mk. 1 eyeballs. PS, I used to rely on Wiley-X, great stuff.

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My eyes have been saved by my extreme high quality shooting glasses many times over the decades. They are priceless yet cheap compared to blindness.

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I looked at the link sent but the wiley x ranges from 61 to over 100 but none offered the lense colors needed for clay shooting.   I looked at Amazon and pickings were slim there as well.  

 

Beretta sells a different brand but doesn't mention milspec ballistic glasses but are rated right otherwise .  

 

Bass pro and cabelas had $30 or less.  I'll keep looking. 

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2 minutes ago, Trigger Mike said:

I looked at the link sent but the wiley x ranges from 61 to over 100 but none offered the lense colors needed for clay shooting.   I looked at Amazon and pickings were slim there as well.  

 

Beretta sells a different brand but doesn't mention milspec ballistic glasses but are rated right otherwise .  

 

Bass pro and cabelas had $30 or less.  I'll keep looking. 

 

For clays, ANSI Z87+ should likely be fine -- the worst I've ever had from any clay sport has been a rare pellet coming back, and it's never been with any significant force. (Interestingly, when I asked the shooter what they had loaded, it was always #9 shot, never anything larger). If I recall, the rabbit is the hardest clay target in terms of structural strength, and you're generally shooting downwards with that, anyway.

 

A 250 grain deformed bullet coming back off of  steel at 6 yards is a whole different situation.

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1 hour ago, Trigger Mike said:

I looked at the link sent but the wiley x ranges from 61 to over 100 but none offered the lense colors needed for clay shooting.   I looked at Amazon and pickings were slim there as well.  

 

Beretta sells a different brand but doesn't mention milspec ballistic glasses but are rated right otherwise .  

 

Bass pro and cabelas had $30 or less.  I'll keep looking. 

 

 

Go to this page on shooting glasses.  Scroll down on the left side and check the ballistics box.  Then sort by price. I am sure you can find what you are looking for in your budget. 

 

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7 hours ago, Abilene Slim SASS 81783 said:

 

There are lots of ways to make a point without sarcasm and insult. 
 

 

 

Thank you for posting this.

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1 hour ago, Ozark Huckleberry said:

 

For clays, ANSI Z87+ should likely be fine -- the worst I've ever had from any clay sport has been a rare pellet coming back, and it's never been with any significant force. (Interestingly, when I asked the shooter what they had loaded, it was always #9 shot, never anything larger). If I recall, the rabbit is the hardest clay target in terms of structural strength, and you're generally shooting downwards with that, anyway.

 

A 250 grain deformed bullet coming back off of  steel at 6 yards is a whole different situation.

 

Agreed. In years of shooting trap, with a bit of skeet and sporting clays thrown in, I don't recall it ever being an issue. 

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We each got a pair of shooting glasses from Midway a couple of years ago. They fit over our prescription glasses that are already impact resistant. We look kinda goofy but feel good with two layers of eye protection.

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8 hours ago, Abilene Slim SASS 81783 said:

 

There are lots of ways to make a point without sarcasm and insult. 
 

 

 

1 hour ago, DocWard said:

 

Thank you for posting this.

+1 on thanks to both of you! Trolls like that are why new shooters are not bothering to stick around these forums.

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On 8/18/2020 at 9:14 PM, Trigger Mike said:

... What benefit do I get between the $29 pair and the $445 pair?  ...

Honestly, not much.  There are stronger and more durable glasses that protect well beyond what you need.  Is overkill a benefit?  

 

Like Ozark Huckleberry said, the shot doesn’t have a lot of power behind it.  I’ve had one hit in the hat above the brim, no penetration.  One hit on the brim, the force was felt in the forehead but only dented the fabric, not the brim stiffener.  A third hit what would have been the corner of my right eye and was easily deflected by the ANSI work glasses without bruising.  The other two hit bare skin and felt like a wasp sting, only one drew a little blood.

 

As for your regular glasses, look at slip over glasses or wings for your frames.  That corner of the eye ricochet would have gotten around regular flat glasses.  A pair that seals to your face without fogging is important.  From a financial standpoint, wearing shooting glasses to save $400 prescription glasses is a motivator.

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I have found these Beretta glasses to be about the best all-purpose clay shooting glasses in a lower price range. https://www.amazon.com/Beretta-Shooting-Glasses-Policarbonate-Injected/dp/B005NH4MT0/ref=as_li_ss_tlie=UTF8&linkCode=sl1&tag=gunnewsdail0e-20&linkId=10abf9eb3e39f2d298631dd064e23ea1?th=1 . Purple is good for highlighting both orange and green targets. They are ANSI Z87 rated, which is plenty for clay shooting. I would still wear Ballistic rated glasses for cowboy or any other metallic cartridge shooting.

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Ok, this went way off topic.  All of you have made your point.  I've seen great posts by Phantom.  I'm not going to defend his post.  His post was aggressive but he has a point.  My son had shrapnel ricochet back at him, ricocheted off his safety glasses and pierced the skin right above his eye brow.  I know the importance Phantom speaks of but it was sarcastic.  I'm moving on.

 

I use the ANSI approved safety glasses I am supposed to wear at work.  They have side shields, are to my prescription and I get a new pair every two years for free.

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To answer the OPs question as long as they both meet the same standards; the difference between $400 safety glasses and 4$ safety glasses has NOTHING to so with the level of protection they provide. 

 

The difference is the name, coatings to make them more scratch resistant and reduce fogging, customizable fit, interchangeable lenses, ability to have them with your prescription and a whole host of other features that have nothing to do with the level of protection. 

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On 8/18/2020 at 10:14 PM, Trigger Mike said:

I wear regular glasses so don't need shooting glasses but I got a cheap pair for my children from walmart.  At the shotgun team match one kid who was using a $17,000 beretta told my son he was wearing shooting glasses that cost over $400.  Beretta sells some for around $100, and Briley where they sell chokes has a pair for $445.  

 

What benefit do I get between the $29 pair and the $445 pair?  

 

Keep in mind, my son was shooting a Hatfield shotgun that cost me $350.  

 

Trigger Mike,

Don't go by the cost of the shooting glasses, go by the quality of the protection the glasses will give the eyes.  A bullet that hits a rebar stand, rocks, or bolt head can ricochet in unexpected directions.  Get glasses that will protect from objects coming in fast from top, bottom, and sides.   Make sure the lenses meet military ballistics standards.  Yes, mine cost that much because they are prescription, dominant eye with point of focus on front sight and other eye for distance.  Costly, just like other prescription glasses.

If your son requires a prescription to see what he's shooting at, his may need to be more expensive.  If not, then you get off cheaper.

 

Don't look at price.  Eyes ain't cheap.  Buy him what will protect his eyes properly, period.   I don't know squat about shotgunning sports, but this game, I've seen catastrophic gun failures where eyes were saved by excellent shooting glasses... even when the shooter had to go to the ER to get metal picked out of their face.

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15 hours ago, Phantom, SASS #54973 said:

Really????

 

I mean what the hell?! Your kids eyes are worth going on the cheap???

 

What a Dad...

I'm not offended.   All is well.  I'm a cheap dad sometimes.   We never wore shooting glasses in The army so i never took the need seriously.   

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12 minutes ago, Trigger Mike said:

I'm not offended.   All is well.  I'm a cheap dad sometimes.   We never wore shooting glasses in The army so i never took the need seriously.   

My apologies for being so aggressive. I have a take-no-prisoners attitude when it comes to children's safety.

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This was a terrific, informative thread.  I just upgraded my eye protection.  Thanks!

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I bought a pair for both.  Next I will work on getting a set that fits over my glasses.  

 

Thank you to everyone for their input.   I bought them from midway USA.   

 

What's good about that is midway sends money to the school shotgun team.   I had not checked them until someone mentioned them here.  

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