Protective Eyewear and should you use it

[OutlawHoss]

Since I've stopped going to the range, I shoot a lot of prone in various terrain and conditions. I take off my ballistic shades 'cause they don't work with scopes, but I get a lot of crap in my eyes, just dust mainly (especially with the new muzzle brake on the DPMS 308). So I researched and bought some ballistic goggles, with the yellow, clear, and shaded changeable lenses (Revision Military brand, Bullet "ANT" model) and they have been worth it. I have minor eye health issues, and I don't need the damage and discomfort while I spend a few days trying to flush out dust, nevermind just being covered in case of fubar scenarios. They are great quality, very comfortable, and have a lot of uses. Plus, they give me a 'mad max' asthetic to my appearance, so maybe that makes me cool. Probably not, but whatever dude

 

[jbett98]

In all fairness, you do have two eyes. So if you lose one, it might be a good idea to then start wearing protection.

 

[Joe13]

Since I've stopped going to the range, I shoot a lot of prone in various terrain and conditions. I take off my ballistic shades 'cause they don't work with scopes, but I get a lot of crap in my eyes, just dust mainly. So I researched and bought some ballistic goggles, with the yellow, clear, and shaded changeable lenses (Revision Military Bullet brand, "ANT" model) and they have been worth it. I have minor eye health issues, and I don't need the damage and discomfort while I spend a few days trying to flush out dust, nevermind just being covered in case of fubar scenarios. They are great quality, very comfortable, and have a lot of uses. Plus, they give me a 'mad max' asthetic to my appearance, so maybe that makes me cool. Probably not, but whatever dude

Do those have clearance for perscription glasses?

I don't wear them except for in the dark driving in unfamiliar areas and shooting. Makes me able to go from about 75 yards with iron sights to about 150 yards. Otherwise, they are not enough of a benefit to wear daily.

 

[OutlawHoss]

Do those have clearance for perscription glasses?

I don't wear them except for in the dark driving in unfamiliar areas and shooting. Makes me able to go from about 75 yards with iron sights to about 150 yards. Otherwise, they are not enough of a benefit to wear daily.

They have a the option of a prescription insert that you can send your prescription to them and they'll 'cut' them (don't wear prescriptive glasses, so don't know much about it). I would read the reviews on Amazon as I believe there are some folks who got the prescriptive addition and liked the performance and feel.
Here's the manufacturer's webpage for these goggles: https://www.revisionmilitary.com/product/bullet-ant-tactical-goggle/

 

[Medic!]

When things go right. Shooting a gun is a controlled explosion.
When they go wrong. It's just an explosion! And any number of the ammo's or guns pieces could be heading your way! Along with all the hot expanding gasses and the noise that goes with it.

Ruptured primer.
Wrong ammo. [.308 in a 7 rem mag]?
Ka-boom from weak brass and unsupported chamber. Or double charged round.
Revolver cylinder coming apart from an over pressure round.

All very common happenings. And the list goes on and on.
Just look at some of the pictures on line of guns that turned into bombs and came apart.
When just seconds earlier they were just guns.

My point is. Insurance is for what comes along that you didn't plan for.

And that's what Glasses and hearing protection are for shooters.

Let me tell you. I did not expect my AK to shoot out the back!
And with no primer plugging up the fired rounds hot expanding gasses. And an open firing pin hole in the bolt formerly occupied by a firing pin. It was very loud!
And my head was laying right on top of all that Loud!

Glad I had ear protection.

 

[OutlawHoss]

When things go right. Shooting a gun is a controlled explosion.
When they go wrong. It's just an explosion! And any number of the ammo's or guns pieces could be heading your way! Along with all the hot expanding gasses and the noise that goes with it.

Ruptured primer.
Wrong ammo. [.308 in a 7 rem mag]?
Ka-boom from weak brass and unsupported chamber. Or double charged round.
Revolver cylinder coming apart from an over pressure round.

All very common happenings. And the list goes on and on.
Just look at some of the pictures on line of guns that turned into bombs and came apart.
When just seconds earlier they were just guns.

My point is. Insurance is for what comes along that you didn't plan for.

And that's what Glasses and hearing protection are for shooters.

Let me tell you. I did not expect my AK to shoot out the back!
And with no primer plugging up the fired rounds hot expanding gasses. And an open firing pin hole in the bolt formerly occupied by a firing pin. It was very loud!
And my head was laying right on top of all that Loud!

Glad I had ear protection.

Yup, one moment everything is 'situation normal' and in another instant, it's fubar. No do overs, no "oh just wait a sec while I don my safety gear" Once again, better to have and not need, than need and not have.

 

[Medic!]

My Barrett is a bull pup. And when I shoot it. I cant help but think my face is 1'' away from a stick of dynamite going off.

If something goes wrong with that gun. It could be ugly!
But if they do. [By some chance] . Find a large chunk of my head. It will have on shooting glasses!

 

[Joe13]

You can tell they ain't rednecks cuz instead of "Nope we aren't doing that again", they'd be saying "Holy cow! Let's try that again!"

 

[eldbillbo]

its kind of like wearing a seat belt you never know if or when a accident will happen odds are you will never need it in fact had they made the seat belt law 3 years sooner i would not be tying this right now because I would probably be dead it was a lack of a seat belt being that saved my life.

Its for those just in case moments I have told this story before but I got in on a conversation with a guy at a gunshow a left hander like myself was shooting an right handed ar15 this was before stag started making left handed ones and he had a kaboom shooting sharp brass pcs out the ejection port and blowing the mag out he had some pretty deep scratches on on his face and a nice deep one on his glasses where had it not been wearing it would have hit him in the eyes his quote was "good thing I was wearing my safety glasses".

being left handed I get hit with a lot of crud usually hits the right cheek while shooting left handed rifles especially .22s . But I hate shooting with safety glasses kind of like being a in rock band and wearing earplugs.

 

[eldbillbo]

Remember though if even shooting a BB gun to where your safety glasses or you'll shoot your eye out kid.

 

[Medic!]

Remember though if even shooting a BB gun to where your safety glasses or you'll shoot your eye out kid.

Soo true. When I was a kid I broke out my right front upper tooth with a BB gun.

I was shooting a lizard on a wood fence. The BB hit the head of a fence spike and came right back at me.

Now I look like Bubba!

 

[etrain16]

I grew up being told to use hearing and eye protection, went into construction where it was mandatory. When I shoot, I always wear eyes and ears. I have prescription safety glasses for shooting. I don't want anything to cause me to go prematurely deaf or blind (if it ever happens). Besides, if my eyes get blown out by a bad cartridge, how could I possibly enjoy the guns and girls thread???

 

[Pandaz3]

TFB = The Firearm Blog

So now the truth ...... I really do wear eye and ear protection all the time.

 

[edslhead]

I wear eye protection when I'm shootin my handloads

 

[Ura-Ki]

You only get two eyes and ears in the beginning! My door gunner ran through most of a belt of .50 BMG during a fight, and the muzzle blast knocked my helmet off with my ear phones and ruptured my left ear drum and bloodied my left side of my face!!! I am stone def on my left side and lost 30% on my right side. Luckily I had on my Wiley X ballistic goggles which saved my eyes from serious damage! I wear eyes and ears every time I shoot! I have had a Bolt action blow a case head and thankfully Paul Mauser put in a vent hole along side the receiver so I didn't get much blast back through the bolt!

 

[Member 34319]

Since I shoot a lot of steel targets, I have had shrapnel come back on occasion, especially my dueling tree. I had a piece hit my face one day and cut it pretty good. It wasn't traveling very fast, but it was sharp as hell. Since that day I make sure to wear glasses when shooting.

 

[The Heretic]

I always wear eye and ear protection when shooting, except when hunting (I haven't been hunting for decades though).

I see no reason to risk my eyes or to make my hearing any worse when shooting.

As for cleaning or working on a firearm - except for incompetence or negligence, I don't think people who are doing those tasks are in any real danger.

Whether you do or not is up to you.

 

[clearconscience]

I have glasses to see and have always thought of them as full time safety glasses.
But hearing protection ALWAYS!!!

I made the dumb mistake of shooting my AR with a Miculek comp a few rounds, I though my ears were bleeding. It hurt. Bad.
Never again.

I used to shoot .22s with no ears on, but I used to install car stereos and would listen to music extremely loud. It took a few years before my hearing was normal again.

I don't mind if people don't wear them, but you can't complain years later when your blind or deaf.

 

[ZigZagZeke]

That's a nice setup for sure.

Are the hearing aids normal for you or do you add them just for hunting. I'm guessing the former but I am continually learning.

I too wear hearing aids, but it's all the time. I worked for a few years in a steel mill and then for 30 more years in electric power generating plants. Both environments can run 110db 24/7. Even with hearing protection you get permanent hearing loss.

That said, I was reluctant to get hearing aids until my wife put her foot down and said she'd just stop trying to talk to me. So I stopped by Costco and inquired. I'm on my second set now, and the present ones are amazing. They're controlled through my iPhone. I have 4 different programs; general, restaurant, party, and hunting, that I can switch to with one touch. I can also control the volume from the phone, and when a call comes in, or when I play a video or music on the phone it goes directly to my hearing aids.

The "hunting" program is really cool. Unlike the other programs it doesn't filter out anything. Every little sound at any frequency gets amplified. If I switch on "hunting" and crank the volume up I can hear a trickle of water running at 50 yards.

I did stop by the Eugene gun show today where I bought a set of noise cancelling earmuffs for working with power tools and shooting. I think they are going to work out very well as long as they don't interfere with getting my cheek down on a rifle stock.

As for wearing eye protection and hearing protection when hunting, no, I don't think I will be doing that. I see better at farther distances without glasses, and I want to hear as much as possible when hunting. The one or two shots I'm going to fire at a deer are just not worth the hassle of ear plugs or glasses. I guess I'm a throwback to the 50's when I learned to shoot and hunt. Little or no thought was given to that kind of protection in those days and old habits die hard.

 

[Last_Mile2002]

I always wear eye protection. I've seen factory ammo and handloads fail and blow up. One time the shooter didn't hear the squib go off and pulled the trigger again. Parts went flying everywhere, including his face.

A good set of prescription or non-prescription shooting glasses will protect your eyes. A hat with a brim will prevent hot brass from lodging behind your glasses.

If you get a good set of electronic hearing protection, you can turn them up and get 10 to 15 dB of gain, which is over 10X of your normal hearing. This is good for hearing squibs or a deer walking 50 yards away while hunting.