How important is eye protection?

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My 22/45 has bounced many spent casings against my safety glasses. I also had one from a sr40c. The few that found their way down my shirt showed me how hot those casings were. If that heat had hit my eye it would not have been pleasant. Except for a defensive spur of the moment situation, eyes and ears 100% of the time.
 
Eyes are among the most important of my organs, and ears are darn important too. I protect them when I shoot, mow the grass, work with dangerous power tools, etc.

Only a fool doesn't.
 
Don't worry about either eye, after all if one is damaged, you've got a spare on the other side of your face. Course you can say good-by to the concept of depth-vision.

Bill
 
I have had a pair of safety glasses sacrifice themselves to save an eye. I had an empty come straight back and the mouth of the case cut a crescent into my polycarbonate shooting glasses right over the iris of my right eye. I can't imagine escaping that without injury had I not been wearing safety glasses.

I would also advocate wearing safety glasses when cleaning/disassembling/assembling guns. All guns have springs in them and springs can propel themselves or other objects at velocities sufficient to cause injury. Before I wised up, I had a small gun part bounce off a hard contact--that was an odd feeling.

In addition, nearly all gun cleaning products are better kept out of your eyes.

I wear prescription glasses. You can take two approaches. You can either find a company that makes shooting glasses with your prescription, or you can do what I have done. My normal prescription glasses have safety lenses. So I'm always wearing safety glasses when I'm wearing my glasses.
 
I always wear eyes, and ears for that matter. Probably because I got out of high school and went straight into machining.

I don't bother buying sunglasses anymore, I buy smoked safety glasses at Northern Tool, cost about three bucks. Clear ones cost about two. Protection is cheap, eyes are not...

I've took my safety glasses off to find sawdust, grass, burnt power, etc, all over the lenses. I've had rust or oil from underside of a vehicle fall into my eyes enough that I don't go under a car without glasses on.

IMO, the only downside to safety glasses that they only seem to fog up when you really need them to be clear...

If you work in manufacturing, your company may cover the cost of your prescription safety glassed 100%. The company I work for used to, I don't know of they still do.
 
leadcounsel said:
Eyes are among the most important of my organs, and ears are darn important too. I protect them when I shoot, mow the grass, work with dangerous power tools, etc.

Only a fool doesn't.
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WHAT?!? Speak up! I will say that after almost 30 years in the military, the tinnitus (ringing in the ears) is much more annoying now when wearing hearing protection than it was back when I didn't wear it...
 
Well, as I was serving as RO for a 3 gun match I had shrapnel ricochet off of a steel plate and cut the back of my throat... So yeah, I am glad that I wear eye protection. All that I wear are Oakleys. I have even had some prescription lenses before I started wearing contacts.

It really is nothing short of stupid to not wear eye protection.
 
You know when I shot in the military we didn't wear anything other than ears at the range in boot camp. Once we got out of there we wore everything. I shoot in the backyard with everything on now. There is just so many things that may go wrong why not mitigate the simple ones?

Another post tracked by the government.
 
Ears and eyes on every range trip.....just seems downrioght silly to not take such simplr precautions to save something so valuable and irreplaceable
 
I have been hit with ricochet squarely in the lens of my safety glasses while shooting at AR500 steel. It happens and isn't a big deal if you have safety glasses on.

Do not ever shoot steel without safety glasses!
 
^^^^
It happens and isn't a big deal if...
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Steel Challenge is great fun. And double that if you shoot 2 divisions.

More and more it sounds as if shooting at steel targets is not a wise thing to do.
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Depending on how risk averse you are, the list of thing not to do might also include:
operating power tools
driving or riding in automobiles
sticking q-tips in your ears
swimming too soon after eating
 
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Based on the 60 or so responses I would think that it is a good idea to use eye protection.

Using internet calculations it appears that 59 out of 60 think it is a good idea. Assuming that half of the responses are true and not made up that means that 84 people think it is a good idea. Taking that number of 84 and dividing it by three it is easy to see that 314% of all people think that you should wear eye protection.

It's like any other kind of insurance. You pay the premiums and hope you never need it. In this case the premium is a couple of dollars that will last for years assuming you don't run over them with the golf cart. The warranty does not cover that.
 
monotonous_iterancy said:
Wow. These stories are kind of freaking me out. Where can I get prescription safety glasses?
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From your optometrist. Costs a bit extra, and may not be available in all frame styles due to removable side shields, but worth the expense.
Polycarbonate lenses are not all equal. The common lightweight polycarbonate lenses are stronger and lighter than glass lenses, but do not meet ANSI safety standards. Make sure you order ANSI polycarbonate safety lenses.
 
Eyepro is not just for shooting, anytime you are using a power tool, a hammer or any other impact tool or high pressure fluids or air you should protect your eyes.
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Amen. I became a believer just a couple of weeks ago on that. I always wear while shooting, but wasn't as strict in other areas. I was weed eating a couple of weeks ago and sent a rock up into my left eye. It missed my eyeball by a fraction of an inch and split my eyelid open, bleeding pretty good. My eye was black and swollen for several days. I was lucky. Now, the safety glasses go on even if only weed eating.
 
Shooting revolvers can have lead shaved back into your face. Shooting semis can have brass and how powder particles get blown back into your face

Not wearing eye protection is just plain stupid
 
Had to switch to polycarbonate long ago for prescription glasses to reduce weight (think coke bottle bottoms).

Now i wear contacts, but have zero prescription polycarbonate glasses made up for shooting.

They are NOT full up safety glasses, but i am not worried all that much about anything that can get through them or push the lens from the frame.
 
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monotonous_iterancy said:
In reading manuals, I always see them stress eye protection. Yet I don't wear any (partly because I wear prescription glasses and protective glasses would intefere), and no one that I know wears any.

I've also never seen anyone get their eyes hurt from shooting, yet I know firsthand how shooting without hearing protection is harmful.

I'm sure there are instances where eye protection should have been worn. Perhaps you have stories of them. If so, share them.

Is eye protection really as important as it's sometimes said to be?
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Yes it is.

Ever had to go get a shard of something removed from you eye? I have. I've gotten stuff in my eyes even with safety glasses on.

It is not fun.


You can get a pair of safety glasses for $2 and they're not even the dorkiest looking ones either.

While we're on the subject, make sure they are in good condition. For work, I buy safety glasses in bulk. When the pair I have in service gets a scratch, I throw them out and get out a new pair. You can see so much better out of ones that are in perfect.
 
Do most you people with prescription eye glasses where. A tint on the glasses?
I want wraparound single vision. I know I can get sunglasses like that now.

sent from inside the fire tornado
 
but have zero prescription polycarbonate glasses made up for shooting.
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What do those cost you compared to Z87+ impact rated safety glasses that are commonly available for under $20?
 
monotonous_iterancy said:
In reading manuals, I always see them stress eye protection. Yet I don't wear any (partly because I wear prescription glasses and protective glasses would intefere), and no one that I know wears any.

I've also never seen anyone get their eyes hurt from shooting, yet I know firsthand how shooting without hearing protection is harmful.

I'm sure there are instances where eye protection should have been worn. Perhaps you have stories of them. If so, share them.

Is eye protection really as important as it's sometimes said to be?
Click to expand...
Ok. Blindfold yourself and try to walk. I hope that helps.
 
I just wear my normal prescription glasses while shooting. I've tried the over the glasses deal but they slip down and obscure my view.

Perhaps one day I will invest in some prescription safety glasses.
 
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