Choosing Your Prescription Ballistic Glasses

When it comes to accuracy and safety when you’re shooting a gun, good eye protection helps preserve your vision and reduce the chances of an eye injury. After all, as a shooter, accuracy begins and ends with your eyesight. A good marksman can really only hit what he or she can see.

Whether you’re an expert marksman or a novice, a set of good, protective eyewear is an essential part of hunting and shooting. No matter how careful you and your hunting companions are, there’s always room for improved safety. And although you may think your chances of an eye-related injury may be low, over 30,000 Americans make their way to the emergency room every year with firearm-related injuries.

Many of these injuries are entirely preventable. That’s why it’s so important to follow a protocol that includes using safety glasses when handling any firearm, whether pistol, rifle, or shotgun.

Ballistic Glasses Prevent Injury

General hunting accidents are the most common cause of most firearms-related eye injuries, and they’re preventable. As a hunter, you’ll want to make sure you select the glasses you use carefully, especially if you’re going to have them fitted with prescription lenses.

Investing in a quality pair of prescription ballistic glasses doesn’t have to be expensive, but you should have some criteria in place before you buy.

Important Features of Ballistic Glasses

Proper eye protection is an absolute must if you participate in any type of shooting sports. There are a wide variety of styles and shapes available, but for protective eyewear to be effective, you’ll want to make sure that your glasses are certified as OSHA-compliant under regulation ANSI Z87.1, the minimum performance requirement for protective eyewear, and rated for impact. This rating is considered the industry standard and should apply to not only the lenses but the frames as well. Products meeting the standard will carry a “Z87+” marking on the lenses as well as the frame. Many of these products are created to meet military specifications as well.

In addition to having the properly certified glasses, you’ll also want to decide what kind of features you want your ballistic lenses to have. For example, if you tend to enjoy hunting in all kinds of weather, anti-fog lenses can help you hunt with precision no matter how damp it is outside, and they are also great for long drives and other outdoors situations where you experience a lot of glare. Many lenses will also provide anti-fatigue eye protection with polycarbonate lenses that provide 100% UV protection for your eyes.

Uncertified Glasses Are a Hazard at the Range

While at the shooting range, you’ll probably see a few shooters that like to  wear ordinary glasses with non-tempered glass lenses. This is not a good idea because ordinary glass lenses can shatter on impact, and this is especially true when stray or ricocheting bullets are a hazard.

Cheap plastic sunglasses similarly lack impact resistance and can easily become dangerous, sharp, and jagged if hit by a projectiles. Avoid cheap, soft-plastic lenses. Don’t buy any glasses that claim to be impact resistance without satisfying a testing standard.

If you participate in shooting sports, choose your glasses carefully. Your prescription eyewear should be safety-certified, fit properly, and help improve your performance on the shooting range or during your next hunt. The truth is that a pair of inexpensive, impact-resistance prescription ballistic glasses can not only protect your eyes from injury but can also improve your performance. Choose carefully, find the features and style that works best for you, and use your glasses every time you shoot to protect your eyes. You’ll probably find that a good pair of prescription ballistic glasses will enhance your performance as well.

Not sure the best glasses you need for the task at hand? Need advice on choosing prescription safety glasses? We carry a variety of prescription ballistic glasses that meet ANSI Z87 standards and military ballistic impact standards. Feel free to visit our website and we’ll help you find the right fit for your needs.