Shooting glasses?

[DownhillFromHere]

I'm a relative newcomer to action pistol and precision rifle disciplines. I want to purchase a decent pair of shooting glasses for rifle/pistol competition (including steel targets up pretty close for pistol), preferably with interchangeable lenses for lighting condition accommodation. What are your favorites? Why?

I don't require correction, although having a reading correction somewhere on the periphery of the lenses would be nice. I've been using my Decot Hy-Wyd shotgun glasses, but they offer zero protection from any angle other than straight in front.

Thanks

 

[AbbyKatt]

I use Rudy Project glasses. I have bad astigmatism and their glasses can be ordered with an insert to accommodate that. My shooting glasses are configured with my dominate eye focused to my pistol front sight/scope distance and my other is set for distance. Took very little time to get used to this set up. It works great! I also have an everyday pair that has my regular bifocal prescription.

 

[alcap]

I'm also a Rudy Project user. I like mine but there are a LOT of options. Wiley X, Oakley, etc.

 

[Mike 556]

http://www.suffieldeyecare.com/ Dr. Rich Colo, has been a life long firearms enthusiast and has been specializing in shooters exams, shooting glasses for different disciplines , and clinics teaching shotgunners how to see and interpret different flying targets. After an extensive eye exam, 3 plus hrs. and fittings with my guns, Dr.Colo built the perfect shooting glasses for me. Each of us have varying degrees of eyesight, and to have shootings glasses designed for your eyes is by a long shot the best money I ever spent on any piece of shooting or fishing equipment ! I live in PA. And have been making the 5+ hour drive to Connecticut any time I need a pair of glasses. He's made glasses for my pistol shooting, shotgun and rifle shooting, fishing glasses, and I have him make my daily glasses. Without any doubt, my shooting has improved by wearing the correct lense for me. One size fits all is not where you want to venture when dealing with eyewear. Over the years Dr. Colo has fitted and helped scores of shooters with their eyewear. I cannot recommend him highly enough. I have no financial interest, just an extremely satisfied customer.
Mike

 

[PistoleroJesse]

Revision is my go to.
I've also used Randolph Engineering.

 

[Xander3Zero]

If your looking for relatively cheap options checked on Wiley X and ESS, they have a lot of different models to choose from and most can be purchased with interchangeable lenses. I have a pair of Wiley X and for 50 bucks they came with a case, cleaning cloth, 3 sets of lenses, and they seem pretty nice to me.

 

[_Windrider_]

ESS for sure.

 

[Rerun7]

Wiley x has a lot of great options. I have a pair I use for regular sunglasses so I always have some additional protection and a clear pair for shooting.

I’ve also used their interchangeable lenses which worked fine too.

 

[Bigdude]

I use the Oakley SI Speed Jacket with either TR22 or TR45 lenses. The glasses came with three lenses for different light conditions. TR22 is best for bright sunny conditions and TR45 is best for low-light or overcast days. And the set also came with clear lens for indoors.

 

[Frankly]

TacticalRX.com sells all those brands, pick ones that fit and get the lenses costomized. I like wraps and big lenses to protect my beautiful face.

 

[Mute]

Another Rudy Project user here.

 

[Gray Squirrel]

ESS ICE series.

Was issued them overseas and have worn them since. Very low profile, ballistic protection, easily worn with a hat or helmet, replacement parts are inexpensive, and you can get a prescription insert for them if you need one.

ESS Longbow are very good as well, just not as low profile. I have a pair of Wiley-Xs but haven't worn them enough to formulate an educated opinion about them. I know some guys really like them.

Oakleys are always in style, but much more expensive. A pair of Oakley M-frames saved my eyes when I took an IED blast to the face. I've worn several different models of Oakleys over the past few years.

 

[Xander3Zero]

ESS ICE series.

Was issued them overseas and have worn them since. Very low profile, ballistic protection, easily worn with a hat or helmet, replacement parts are inexpensive, and you can get a prescription insert for them if you need one.

ESS Longbow are very good as well, just not as low profile. I have a pair of Wiley-Xs but haven't worn them enough to formulate an educated opinion about them. I know some guys really like them.

Oakleys are always in style, but much more expensive. A pair of Oakley M-frames saved my eyes when I took an IED blast to the face. I've worn several different models of Oakleys over the past few years.

How is the comfort of the ESS ICE with ear protection (over-ear muffs)? I have been looking at eye shields like these because I have been finding that when I shoot prone the upper frame on my Wiley X is obstructing my view ever so slightly and its distracting. I have also read that the interchangeable lens on the ICE is not the easiest or most robust design for the job, but those are just amazon reviews lol.

 

[Gray Squirrel]

How is the comfort of the ESS ICE with ear protection (over-ear muffs)? I have been looking at eye shields like these because I have been finding that when I shoot prone the upper frame on my Wiley X is obstructing my view ever so slightly and its distracting. I have also read that the interchangeable lens on the ICE is not the easiest or most robust design for the job, but those are just amazon reviews lol.

I wear/have worn the ICE with ear muffs for extended periods of time and while there is always a little discomfort (as with any glasses worn with ear muffs), they are way better than any of the other glasses I've worn. I can wear these for way longer than any of the other shooting glasses I've tried. I found that is largely based on head shape too, so what I may find comfortable may give you migraines.

As for the durability, I would disagree with the Amazon reviews. I wore these overseas (they are military issued) and have seen them stepped on, sat on, shoved in bags, thrown around, etc. Can they break or get scratched? Yeah, like any shooting glasses. But parts are interchangeable and inexpensive if the worst case happens. If you take care of them like any pair of glasses, they will last a while. I wear them now as member of a SWAT team for training and call-outs and warrants.

My only complaint is the nose piece will slide off sometimes (usually while taking them out of the case), so you have to check that before putting them on. Never had an issue with it when wearing them. For what you're looking for, I'd recommend them.

 

[bjay]

A lot of shooting glasses dnt feel comfortable as your own daily sunglass..so with my own oakleys i purchased clear lense and switch lense if i need to use clears..

 

[natdscott]

I'd use Randolph or Hy-Wyd for that kinda shooting, but I'd get custom lenses made.

For other things, Knobloch or Champion. Jaggi doesn't hold up well, iirc.

-Nate

 

[quickdraw]

What about something for a person with a wide head? I find it very difficult to find glasses that aren't tight across my temples.

 

[_Windrider_]

What about something for a person with a wide head? I find it very difficult to find glasses that aren't tight across my temples.

https://www.esseyepro.com/Crossbow-Polar-ONE_293_detail.html

these fit my fat head pretty good.

 

[Bradu]

I like the Decoy hy-wyd for shooting rifles. I tend to look right at the frame of my normal sunglasses when laying prone where the Decoys can be adjusted for this.

 

[JS624]

I'm a relative newcomer to action pistol and precision rifle disciplines. I want to purchase a decent pair of shooting glasses for rifle/pistol competition (including steel targets up pretty close for pistol), preferably with interchangeable lenses for lighting condition accommodation. What are your favorites? Why?

I don't require correction, although having a reading correction somewhere on the periphery of the lenses would be nice. I've been using my Decot Hy-Wyd shotgun glasses, but they offer zero protection from any angle other than straight in front.

Thanks

Oakley tombstones. Worth every penny.

 

[SLG]

I've used Oakley for 20 years now, both professional and personal. They work well, though I've had issues with some models and their lack of durability. I do not recommend switching lenses on glasses. Far better to get two pairs if need be.

About 10 years ago I got my first Rudy Project. I find the them to be much higher quality, and have a few pairs. I save them for the serious stuff, so as not to wear them out too fast. Mine adjust to the light conditions, and they seem to do it fairly rapidly. They are all Rx these days for me, and they do a great job.

 

[Nik H]

http://www.suffieldeyecare.com/ Dr. Rich Colo, has been a life long firearms enthusiast and has been specializing in shooters exams, shooting glasses for different disciplines , and clinics teaching shotgunners how to see and interpret different flying targets. After an extensive eye exam, 3 plus hrs. and fittings with my guns, Dr.Colo built the perfect shooting glasses for me. Each of us have varying degrees of eyesight, and to have shootings glasses designed for your eyes is by a long shot the best money I ever spent on any piece of shooting or fishing equipment ! I live in PA. And have been making the 5+ hour drive to Connecticut any time I need a pair of glasses. He's made glasses for my pistol shooting, shotgun and rifle shooting, fishing glasses, and I have him make my daily glasses. Without any doubt, my shooting has improved by wearing the correct lense for me. One size fits all is not where you want to venture when dealing with eyewear. Over the years Dr. Colo has fitted and helped scores of shooters with their eyewear. I cannot recommend him highly enough. I have no financial interest, just an extremely satisfied customer.
Mike

I will be giving him a call. He is 2 hours away from me. Thanks for the link

 

[Pinmaster]

I use ESS as well. Crossbow and ICE. I like the Ice better.

 

[Mike 556]

I will be giving him a call. He is 2 hours away from me. Thanks for the link

When you give a call, You'll get the receptionist , tell her to tell Dr. Colo that your a shooter and Mike told you to call. He'll call you back to discuss the particulars and have you bring your guns to the office. Youll be amazed at how through they are and Im pretty sure you'll be blown away when you get your glasses!
Mike

 

[Nik H]

When you give a call, You'll get the receptionist , tell her to tell Dr. Colo that your a shooter and Mike told you to call. He'll call you back to discuss the particulars and have you bring your guns to the office. Youll be amazed at how through they are and Im pretty sure you'll be blown away when you get your glasses!
Mike

That is a hell of an operation. I can't picture walking into an office in CT with a drag bag.

 

[JKFlyfish]

Newbie here, a lot of the glasses suggestions in this thread are pretty pricey. I have generic clear glasses I use for range time. Will I notice a significant difference with one of the suggested more pricey brands? Does it have to do with how the cheaper plastic lens blurs the sight picture when looking through the scope? Sorry for the silly questions.

 

[Mike 556]

That is a hell of an operation. I can't picture walking into an office in CT with a drag bag.

Yea it is, but if your gonna get custom fit, he'll need your weapons. Like you said, under no circumstances don't open the drag bag until Rich tells you to! They'll lock you up and then come after me for just recommending Dr. Colo. If you have any questions you can PM me and Ill get in touch with Dr. Colo.
Mike

 

[XLR308]

Native Dash Xp have been my favorite for quite a while now. Very lightweight and comfortable and has storage dividers in the case for three different sets of lenses though I rarely use anything but the light tinted polarized.
Im on my second pair now apparently someone else was as impressed with them as I was and relieved me of them.

 

[Pinmaster]

Newbie here, a lot of the glasses suggestions in this thread are pretty pricey. I have generic clear glasses I use for range time. Will I notice a significant difference with one of the suggested more pricey brands? Does it have to do with how the cheaper plastic lens blurs the sight picture when looking through the scope? Sorry for the silly questions.

I went with ESS for their protection ratings. It is just a bonus that I do not get any blur and they are more comfortable that other brands that I have worn in the past.

 

[Mike 556]

That is a hell of an operation. I can't picture walking into an office in CT with a drag bag.

Hey Nik, here's Dr.Colos shooting site
https://www.richardcolo.com/

 

[Nik H]

Hey Nik, here's Dr.Colos shooting site
https://www.richardcolo.com/

Thanks. I will give him a call next Month when I am due for an eye exam. It will be interesting to see how it works. Being that he is two hours away, would it be difficult to talk to him prior?

 

[colodrew]

I have been using ESS who is owned by Oakley and Rudy Project. The Rudy Projects have held up for almost 9 years. I keep migrating back to them after wearing many others. I need prescriptions the last few years so I went with ESS but now I see they stopped doing Rx for the ESS line. Will invest in a new set of Rudy’s. Getting old sucks.

 

[JKFlyfish]

I went with ESS for their protection ratings. It is just a bonus that I do not get any blur and they are more comfortable that other brands that I have worn in the past.

Actually the price on ESS is not too bad. Thanks for your help, I'll look into those more.

 

[DownhillFromHere]

Thanks to all who have posted - I have a number of options to explore. But I just blew the next few months' gear budget on another rifle. I'll stay with the Hy-Wydes a little longer... they've done fine for many years and I'll just be mindful when shooting close-up steel.

To JKFlyFish, who asked if quality eyewear really makes a difference: three ways to look at it.

First and foremost, how much is your eyesight worth? Much of my competitive shooting "career" was spent at skeet, where being struck by pieces of broken target from adjacent fields is not uncommon. I now do a lot of action-pistol matches which have steel targets, and I want GOOD lenses between my eyes and backspatter. With gas guns, I want good lenses between me and hot powder/gasses at the ejection port.

Second, comfort. Ill-fitting frames may not stay put or may cause headache or blistered ears, especially with muffs. Maybe not an issue for short range sessions, but running junk glasses for an all-day match or multi-day matches can be decidedly uncomfortable. Cheap lenses may introduce paralax wiith your scope and eyestrain-induced headache is almost a liklihood.

Lastly, multi-lens capability is especially important in skeet, and can really help with rifle and pistol - or, as I found out last weekend, choosing the wrong lens in a PRS match can be disastrous. The sun got bright as the morning progressed and, without thinking, I went from clear to burnt-orange lenses between stage brief and my turn to shoot. Timer beeps, I get on the rifle, scan for target #1... it's nowhere to be found. None of them were! I timed out without getting off a shot! I couldn't understand - I knew where the targets -HAD- been. Then I realized I'd changed lenses. Pull the glasses off, and the targets were right where they were supposed to be. Burnt-orange / bronze is fine increasing contrast for an orange-domed target against a blue sky but made mostly-gray steel plates almost invisible against a gray-brown background.

Good glasses are an investment. You won't regret finding and using good eyewear.

 

[Mike 556]

Thanks. I will give him a call next Month when I am due for an eye exam. It will be interesting to see how it works. Being that he is two hours away, would it be difficult to talk to him prior?

I'm sure he'd be more than happy to talk to you, in fact I know he'd want to talk with you prior to meeting. Give him a call at the office, leave a message and he'll get back to you. PM me when your going to call.
Mike

 

[JKFlyfish]

Thanks to all who have posted - I have a number of options to explore. But I just blew the next few months' gear budget on another rifle. I'll stay with the Hy-Wydes a little longer... they've done fine for many years and I'll just be mindful when shooting close-up steel.

To JKFlyFish, who asked if quality eyewear really makes a difference: three ways to look at it.

First and foremost, how much is your eyesight worth? Much of my competitive shooting "career" was spent at skeet, where being struck by pieces of broken target from adjacent fields is not uncommon. I now do a lot of action-pistol matches which have steel targets, and I want GOOD lenses between my eyes and backspatter. With gas guns, I want good lenses between me and hot powder/gasses at the ejection port.

Second, comfort. Ill-fitting frames may not stay put or may cause headache or blistered ears, especially with muffs. Maybe not an issue for short range sessions, but running junk glasses for an all-day match or multi-day matches can be decidedly uncomfortable. Cheap lenses may introduce paralax wiith your scope and eyestrain-induced headache is almost a liklihood.

Lastly, multi-lens capability is especially important in skeet, and can really help with rifle and pistol - or, as I found out last weekend, choosing the wrong lens in a PRS match can be disastrous. The sun got bright as the morning progressed and, without thinking, I went from clear to burnt-orange lenses between stage brief and my turn to shoot. Timer beeps, I get on the rifle, scan for target #1... it's nowhere to be found. None of them were! I timed out without getting off a shot! I couldn't understand - I knew where the targets -HAD- been. Then I realized I'd changed lenses. Pull the glasses off, and the targets were right where they were supposed to be. Burnt-orange / bronze is fine increasing contrast for an orange-domed target against a blue sky but made mostly-gray steel plates almost invisible against a gray-brown background.

Good glasses are an investment. You won't regret finding and using good eyewear.

Wow thanks so much for the detailed explanation. I've only been on this site for a short while and I've already learned a ton. Thanks guys.

 

[Wildfire1550]

Have been very happy with Pilla

 

[Vaportrail22]

+1 for Dr. Rich Colo. He is great and friendly. I am a 2 hour drive away as well. Been using him for 7 years. He has shooters from all over the country going to him.

 

[waveslayer]

I am a big fan of the Oakley Prizm stuff, I love my Tombstone glasses. No issues, durable, super easy to switch lenses. I love their higher cut on the lenses , so when you shoot prone with scope you don't get the frames of the glasses blocking your field of view

 

[quickdraw]

https://www.esseyepro.com/Crossbow-Polar-ONE_293_detail.html

these fit my fat head pretty good.

Thank you, I actually picked up an ESS Ice set and they worked great today at our match.

 

[Matt in Virginia]

Rudy Project now that I need modest correction, for reading, and benifit from wee bump of magnification. If you're eyes are young look hard at Oakley... Just like mags they are expendables no matter how well you take care of them. I see too many shooting glasses "loved to death" for lack of a better way of putting it...

Regards, Matt.

 

[Strykervet]

Gargoyles, ESS and Revision. I have several different kinds including some special IR lenses ESS gave me.

Mostly use the Gargoyles, they're ballistic grade come (came?) in several shades. When my ex worked there I got several pairs, used to give 'em to guys in my unit and they served 'em well in Iraq. MUCH better than "Blips"!

 

[Matt in Virginia]

Rudy Project glasses

^^^This^^^ FWIW & IMHO...

 

[chevytruck_83]

I have a pair of the oakley shooting glasses. Left them sit in the door of my truck for a few months and the coating seems to be peeling off like cheap window tint. I was very disappointed as I don’t usually spend so much on glasses.

 

[Temper]

I have a pair of the oakley shooting glasses. Left them sit in the door of my truck for a few months and the coating seems to be peeling off like cheap window tint. I was very disappointed as I don’t usually spend so much on glasses.

Yeah, gotta baby Oakleys. I clean mine often so that won't happen. Really like the coverage and lens options they have, tho.

 

[Nik H]

I have a pair of the oakley shooting glasses. Left them sit in the door of my truck for a few months and the coating seems to be peeling off like cheap window tint. I was very disappointed as I don’t usually spend so much on glasses.

All hype and no substance...pnly good thing is that they used to have great CS for things like this but not sure anymore. Haven't used them for years

 

[shooter28]

Smith Aegis Echo II. Lens are awesome. No fogging. Multiple colors with quick change. The frame is super thin so you can wear them with ear pro all day without pain

 

[etn1type]

I use a set of Smith glasses. Three lenses (clear, smoke, yellow). Quick change and hard case to keep it all together. I've had them for about 2 years, never had to deal with them interfering with my shooting hat or hearing protection.

 

[kthomas]

I just wear my Costa sunglasses. Works good for me.

If it's not bright out, I usually don't wear eye protection.

 

[desertrat1979]

If ballistic eye pro outdoors in the sun is the factor: ESS, Wiley X, Gatorz, Oakley all offer what you need. Most can be had with Rx lenses. Having worn glasses my whole life, I usually had those as my eye pro out on the range. Out here in the desert, sunglasses are a must have. I had a pair of Wiley X Saints with Rx lenses made, those were excellent. Now I have contacts, got the standard lenses for them, and still love them. Not a huge Oakley fan, probably because everyone and their mother gets the Gas Can or some variant, and they seemed more like off-the-rack glasses from a gas station. Got a pair of Flak 2.0 XL, they are nice, but I still like my Wiley X's. So I keep the Oakleys as a backup/loaner pair for when I am instructing.