Ballistic glasses/goggles

[General Geoff]

I really should get a good pair of shooting glasses. Right now I make due with a pair of $10 cheapies I got at Dick's Sporting Goods a few years ago. But they're not particularly comfortable, and they have smoked lenses (non-interchangeable), so I can only use them during bright, sunny days.

Anyway, I'm looking at getting Wiley X SG-1 glasses. They seem to have all the features I'm looking for (interchangeable lenses, wind sealing, and very high ballistic protection), and aren't bad on price either, as they're less expensive than a decent pair of designer sunglasses. And to be honest, I'll probably be using these as normal sunglasses too (right now I use motorcycle glasses which have padding similar to what's shown on the SG-1s).

Does anyone else here use SG-1s? What are your experiences with them?

 

[SupernovaNole]

I don't use these but I'm curious what eye wear you guys use on the range too.

I have a $10 pair of glasses that I bought at Walmart that probably need to be replaced. They are not very comfortable.

SupernovaNole

 

[KC&97TA]

I have 3 Pairs of the SG-1, one pair is like brand new, the other 2 pairs are worn pretty good. I wore them in Iraq the last 2 times with that same set up with the strap, fit under a kevlar helmet pretty good, have one set for tinted and one clear. They have a tendency to fog if it's humid, but are pretty darn good in sand storms. Plus they fit under issued ESS and Oakley Goggles, so they allow for double eye protection.

I wear Romers every day, with tinted lenses, I wear them on the ranges at work and they're pretty comfortable and styleish. I got them about 2 years ago, they're just starting to get some good scratches in them, to make me look around for new lenses.

My wife wears the B-2 style, both everyday and at the range.

At the indoor range I wear ESS ICE glasses, they just fit a little slimmer for useing muffs.

By best friend lost his left eye in the invasion of Iraq at night, He says he shoots better with only one eye, but he has difficulties with only a right eye, his right eye recieved damage, but he can see with it still... he ended up doing 2 more 'no $h*t combat tours', before medically retireing from the Marine Corps... but it was sad knowing that a good set of goggles or glasses, would have kept a good man around a bit longer.

I'm careful & overly cautious when it comes to eye wear and particals flying, Wiley-X, ESS and Oakley all make great glasses, they're worth thier money.

 

[RNB65]

I use Decot's with vermilion lenses for clay shooting. And Randolph Ranger's with yellow lenses for handguns and rifles. Both have interchangeable lens and are excellent.
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[Thain]

Anyone have recommendations for someone who wears corrective eyeglasses?

I can't afford to buy perscription shooting glasses, but if I can find something I can wear over my regular frames (without looking like I'm a scuba diver) then I'll be a happy man.

 

[SaMx]

I started a thread on god looking eye protection a while back. Wiley X is highly rated. I don't like the SG-1 that much, but they have other models to pick from. You can get good prices on eBay.

 

[rust collector]

Thain, the problem with multiple lenses is multiple surfaces to glare and require cleaning. I got a pair of Rudy Project glasses with RX lenses inside and tinted lenses outside, but they were a heavy, smudgy and complicated setup.

Get some Rangers ground to your prescription in the lightest tint that will meet your needs for shooting. You may have good luck with a pair of large lenses over some small wire or half frame Rx specs, but it's trial and error time. Clip ons over the smallish frames that are in style don't give you the protection you need from fragments or UV rays.

If you use cheap glasses, which I do, just make sure the lenses are polycarbonate or better material. Look for the OSHA or ANSI cert.

 

[mekender]

ive tried some of the cheaper goggle style eye wear and didn't like it very much... finally got a prescription set of Oakley wire frames... its damn hard for me to want to take em off, even inside :-D...

there definitely something to be said for getting a quality pair of sunglasses, especially prescription

 

[ryan in maine]

Oakley's or Revision's (the Bullet Ant goggles have been great for outdoor work in the winter).

Everyone's probably familiar with Oakley, but here's a link to Revision's site (you can navigate their other products from here): http://www.revisioneyewear.com/sawfly.html

 

[Walter W.]

Why such a fuss over goggles?

If you wear prescription glasses they're probably your only protection when you shoot someone. Unless you go around with goggles on all the time.

 

[Cooperdisciple]

Decot's are my choice for clay targets. Oakley makes great glasses for practically everything. I use them for rifle and pistol shooting as well as general everyday wear. You can get prescriptions in both brands.

 

[mekender]

If you wear prescription glasses they're probably your only protection when you shoot someone. Unless you go around with goggles on all the time.

+1000

 

[DoubleTapDrew]

I use harbor freight $3 specials mostly. I have some panoptix that i wear for shooting and riding the motorcycle on sunny days but as long as they are rated and feel comfortable all it really comes down to is what style you like. I do like the kind that have the foam to keep a lost piece of hot brass from getting in your glasses but i've never had one go there with enough velocity to do any eye damage since it pretty much has to tumble down off your forehead to get in that area.

 

[rero360]

I had a pair of Wiley-X's, forget what model exactly, they had the gasket glued to the frame, used them for the motorcycle, but like others have stated they tend to fog up. currently I've been using Oakley's M frames and half jackets. haven't tried either one on the motorcycle yet but both worked well up in the turret of the HMMWV's.

 

[Cesiumsponge]

Quote:

If you wear prescription glasses they're probably your only protection when you shoot someone. Unless you go around with goggles on all the time.

+1000

If you wear glasses and get in a situation of self-defense, eye damage is the least of your immediate worries.

On the other hand, on the range, I shoot thousands of rounds and the statistical chance of eye injury is significantly higher, and EASILY PREVENTABLE.

 

[Sunray]

"...corrective eyeglasses..." Asked about it when I got glasses(mine are aviator style just like Rayban shooting glasses). The optician told me all prescription lenses are impact resistant. That's all you need.
Mind you, if your specs have small lenses, you're SOL. You might be able to find something that fits over your specs if they don't cover your whole eye. How you look really doesn't matter when it comes to safety kit.

 

[mekender]

If you wear glasses and get in a situation of self-defense, eye damage is the least of your immediate worries.

On the other hand, on the range, I shoot thousands of rounds and the statistical chance of eye injury is significantly higher, and EASILY PREVENTABLE.

anyone care to explain how a pair of curved (almost wraparound) glasses with polycarbonate lenses will increase your chances of eye injury over a pair of goggles?

i would think two thoughts on that...

1) in a extreme situation, goggles are strapped to your face, glasses can easily be removed, say in a medical situation...

2) how come just about every cop i see on TV (not fictional shows) is wearing a pair of Oakley's if goggles are so much better?

sure if you are in a combat situation (SWAT team, armed forces, etc)... i can see the reason... but outside of that, i don't see a significant difference... and before someone talks about splatter, ricochet, or other projectiles... i would imagine that if these are a significant medical problem for you, then you probably aren't shooting very safely anyways...

 

[Cesiumsponge]

2) how come just about every cop i see on TV (not fictional shows) is wearing a pair of Oakley's if goggles are so much better?

how come just about every cop i see on TV (not fictional shows) is wearing level II vests if level IV hard plates and level III vests are so much better?

Practicality.

You aren't chasing perps on a firing line so you don't need to worry about mobility. The more face-hugging eyewear is, the less chance there is of hot brass popping between your eyewear and your eyes. I've gotten a burn on my eyelid from this before.

Any eyewear decreases your chances of eye injury. Your logic is backwards by posing the question of how glasses increase chances of eye injury over goggles.

 

[mekender]

You aren't chasing perps on a firing line so you don't need to worry about mobility. The more face-hugging eyewear is, the less chance there is of hot brass popping between your eyewear and your eyes. I've gotten a burn on my eyelid from this before.

every shooting guide ive EVER read says to wear a hat with a brim large enough to prevent just such problems...

 

[Cesiumsponge]

I have an airbag in my car, so I shouldn't wear my seatbelt?

It's up to you to decide where YOUR lines of practicality and safety are. I don't find it too much of a burden to wear good eyewear with my ballcap at the range. A cap's brim doesn't eliminate your chances of danger, just lower the chances. This entire discussion is about minimizing your chances of an accident. I had my Crye Precision camo cap on when that happened when I was doing a training course at FAS

I'm not too sure how helpful a cap is either if your gun kabooms. Different strokes for different folks. I like my eyes.

 

[Robert Hairless]

Thain:

Anyone have recommendations for someone who wears corrective eyeglasses?

I can't afford to buy perscription shooting glasses, but if I can find something I can wear over my regular frames (without looking like I'm a scuba diver) then I'll be a happy man.

ESS Striker Land Ops is approved by the U.S. military for use over eyeglasses. I bought a pair, they do fit over my eyeglasses, and they make me look either like a cool ultra-tactical dude or a scuba diver looking for an ocean. Who cares.

I don't wear them often because my eyeglasses have protective lenses. The lenses do work, as the pock marks in them attest. My dealer exchanges the lenses at no cost when that happens because they are guaranteed.

A couple of random comments if nobody minds.

First, anyone who wears eyeglasses while shooting needs to wear a cap or hat of some kind too. The bill or brim deflects shells from coming inside the glasses and getting trapped behind them. That hurts and is dangerous too. The goggles are much better protection.

Second, about whether or when to wear eye protection. There's no doubt that if someone is trying to kill you then and there you can't call a timeout while you don proper gear. Getting blinded, or deafened, is preferable to getting killed, so you play the cards you've been dealt. But it's most foolish to intentionally play a bad hand every time if you have some other alternative. Why risk being blinded on the range, or being deafened either. Advice that you don't wear eye and ear protection when shooting is bad advice.

 

[rc135]

Don't Use the Cheapies

I got hit in the leg with some backsplatter/bounceback awhile ago (guy a few lanes over with 12-gauge slugs). Anyways, If that had hit me in the eyes a pair of cheap goggles would've been useless and I'd prolly be blind.

I wear a pair of (very ugly-looking), thick safety glasses. Not much to look at, but I feel a LOT safer out there...


"They treat us like we are their slaves, because we treat them like they are our ‎masters. " -- Larken Rose‎

"And nothing, from that first day I saw her – and no one that has happened to me ‎since, has ever been as frightening and as confusing. For no person I’ve ever known ‎has ever done more to make me feel more sure, more insecure, more important and ‎less significant. " -- Hermie, “Summer of ‘42”‎

 

[phaed]

i'm using ESS ICE goggles...mainly because i get the prescription lense inserts for it for free. they cost about 40 bucks, and come with smoke, clear, and yellow lenses.

 

[BlisteringSilence]

2) how come just about every cop i see on TV (not fictional shows) is wearing a pair of Oakley's if goggles are so much better?

2 reasons. One is that Oakley sunglasses are cooler.

Two is this site.

Halfjackets with grey, persimmion, and clear lenses: ~$275 from sunglasses hut, $80 from US Standard Issue

M-Frames with grey, VR28 OR persimmion, and clear lenses: ~$400 from sunglasses hut, $100 from US standard issue.

They also have great deals on boots and prescription glasses.

 

[cpileri]

maybe this helps

Not sure if you are looking for this kind of info, but i broke a pair of Wiley-X's one day (the frame) and found myself with an extra lens after replacing them.

i always wanted to test their protective abilities for myself, so i stuck one flat to a blob of plumber's putty and shot it starting with a low-power 'gun' and moving up, all at a range of ~10 feet (except the last one, seebelow).

Results:

Daisy BB rifle .177 cal match grade round BB: bounced off, not even a mark on the finish

I did nt really even expect that to do much, but I was being cautious. Next...

Chinese .177 SPring cocker air rifle, cheapie chinese lead flat point pellet: bounced off

Chinese .22cal spring cocked air rifle, cheap chinese flat point pellet: bounced off, made a small smudge. Supposedly, this ~15gr pellet was moving at around 600fps; which means the lens stopped a hit beyond what it is rated to do (which is a round steel BB at 500fps, I believe- i have it written down, but am going on memory right now).

So, OK, moving on...

22LR 40gr Aguila subsonic from a 5.5" barrel (with suppressor attached): made a dent but did not penetrate.

By now I am becoming nicely impressed. I concluded that the WIley-X does what it says it will. SO i decided to try to blow it away just for fun.

9mm CCI Shotshell in 3" barrel at muzzle contact range: blew a hole right through it. Didn't fully penetrate the putty though.

Hope this was interesting.
C-