Who actually wears eye protection?

[Cowboybebop]

So I know we're supposed to wear eye protection while shooting - guns sometimes blow up, case rupture, blow back with cans, etc.


But I find that wearing them, especially while using scoped rifles is a major PITA.


I can never see my scope because the oil on my forehead fogs the top of the lens eventually due to cheek weld. I end up taking them off pretty much every time. I've tried several different glasses and always have this problem.


Any one else got issues wearing eye protection?

 

[Hamish]

The only time I don't wear eye protection is when I'm using the spotting scope, and my hands are off the rifle. Even if I'm not shooting, but other people are nearby, I wear eye protection. But I know for a fact that eye protection likely saved one of my eyes on one occasion, and that's not a lesson I need to learn the hard way.

On humid days, sometimes I get fogging on the lens. I keep two pair of glasses on hand, and just switch between them as they fog up.

 

[Old Dog]

Nope. I'm a firm believer in shielding my eyes with the best quality eye-pro I can find.

Never had a problem even with scoped rifles. I've typically been using some model of Oakleys for the past twenty years. On super humid days (common up here), I back the lenses off my face a tad so they're not touching my brow.

 

[dak0ta]

Eye Pro always for me as well and double up on hearing protection.

People next to you on the firing line firing guns with muzzle brakes will not only deafen you, but the concussive effect can also make your ears ring via the skull's mastoid process.

Eye pro, because hot brass from a pistol or rifle to your left can hit you while you're seated at the bench and the guy is standing rapid fire.

 

[larry_minn]

pretty much if I am outside I have eye protection on. I wore glasses for most of my life. Cataracts caused me to get surgury/correction.
I had one pr of script glasses (long ago) damaged by pistol. (not sure exactly what) it was a Springfield 1911 with (I assume set back bullet) that went BOOM instead of bank. Something hit top edge of lens and took out sizeable chunk of "polycarb?" lense.
Had safety glasses take many chunks of metal, other over yrs just in daily life. Went chasing a tornado and ruined pr of safety glasses. (@60 YARDS behind it) but my wife was out there. Caught some debries.

 

[The_Next_Generation]

Well, I guess its just you and me OP..

I HATE wearing eye pro. I almost never wear it, or it becomes a PITA so I remove it. Something I know I should work on but oh well...nobody is perfect..

 

[steveracer]

Not wearing eye protection is a self-solving problem. Should you lose your vision to an incident, you will stop shooting, and therefore not need to wear it for shooting. Easy. Like motorcycle helmets, if you die because you weren't wearing one, you'll not be riding without a helmet again...

 

[Wishoot]

Always.

Even if it's a PITA to wear them.

 

[ford8nr]

Our club MANDATES eye protection on the firing line. I've been hit be richoches (sp?) both indoor and outdoor. In hot weather don't wear wrap around glasses as they fog up easier.

 

[WelshShooter]

I never gave much thought to eye protection until I was doing field firing next to a .338 Lapua Magnum with a muzzle brake...

It's no fun getting hot gas, grit, sand, mud and sheep crap in your eyes.

 

[GBExpat]

Who actually wears eye protection?

<raising hand>

 

[drband]

Always. You only get one set of eyes.

 

[Murphys Law]

I always use them. I saw a friend of mine, take a serious hit in the ear with a piece of bullet jacket that had ricocheted off of a steel plate. There are several anti-fogging products usually sold in motorcycle or ski shops for goggles. Perhaps give one of them a try?

 

[wanderinwalker]

Every time. Just the other week I got hit below my right eye by a chunk of metal shooting at a steel plate rack. (As I once heard a CAS shooter say about close-range steel: "It's more fun when the targets shoot back." ) It was a great reminder of the importance of eye protection and I was rather surprised it didn't break skin.

If your head position isn't lining up to a clear spot on the lens of the glasses for rifle shooting, I think your stock fit or scope mounting may need some adjustment.

 

[Merle1]

So I know we're supposed to wear eye protection while shooting - guns sometimes blow up, case rupture, blow back with cans, etc.


But I find that wearing them, especially while using scoped rifles is a major PITA.


I can never see my scope because the oil on my forehead fogs the top of the lens eventually due to cheek weld. I end up taking them off pretty much every time. I've tried several different glasses and always have this problem.


Any one else got issues wearing eye protection?

I do, having been "sprinkled" several times.
Better to be inconvenienced than blind!!!

 

[sbwaters]

Eyes go on with the ears. Habit.

The tougher one to get used to is which reloading steps to use them. Always when working with primers.

 

[Ryanxia]

Been shooting since I was six years old and never wear it. Kinda dumb? Yes. Am I gonna change anytime soon? No.

Although to play devils advocate, I think statistically the changes are extremely low. I shoot almost every weekend with friends and I've never heard of anyone getting seriously injured from lack of eye protection. Although I'm sure people on here could cite examples, we've never seen it or heard of it happening to anyone we know.

And if you lose an eye, that's why God gave you a spare.

 

[mdThanatos]

Always wear it, even if not the one shooting.

 

[MADDOG]

Anti fog lens cleaner will eliminate to fog.
Always wear my glasses.

 

[Tirod]

Ask those who have no alternative how they put up with it and they will invite you to come over and show you their trophies.

It's a minor inconvenience and no hardship at all. Some of us have no choice in the matter.

 

[badkarmamib]

I wear polycarbonate-lens prescription glasses. Without them, I have 20/80 vision. So yes, I always have eye protection. Sometimes, they do fog. I take them off, wipe them down, put them back on, and continue shooting. 10 seconds of inconvenience to spare my only set of eyes.

 

[dragon813gt]

I've gotten a lot better w/ wearing them. I absolutely hate wearing glasses. I don't need them to see so they are uncomfortable. I'm supposed to wear them all the time at work. If the plant doesn't require me to wear them they typically stay in my bag. I really hate wearing them. But I have gotten better and am making a conscious effort to wear them at work and when shooting.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

I mostly just wear my prescription glasses or sunglasses when shooting so I can actually see the target. That being said, if I ever started wearing contacts or got lasik, I'd wear SOME kind of eye protection. I've had bullet jackets and lead shaved off on a poorly timed revolver hit me in the face. I like my eyes, and want to keep them functional.

 

[Jim Watson]

There is no option in my case, I am dependent on prescription glasses anyhow.

I do see a lot of rifle shooters with Knobloch shooting glasses that just hang a small lens in line with the sights. Some of them wear blinders over the off eye but not all. They are not well protected and a lot of LR shooters are seriously overloading their guns. One friend was sticking his primers in with fingernail polish to get just one more match out of that expensive Lapua brass.

Of my shooting, the BPCR shooters seem the least likely to wear protective glasses, followed by F Class and LR.
Shotgunners are better and action pistol shooters the best I have seen. I don't know about bullseye pistol shooters.

 

[rodregier]

Range and when priming at reloading bench.

Had two range incidents where high-speed particles came back at my eyes.
Seen other incidents on range when others were glad they wore eye pro.

It's a matter of the odds. The more time around firearms being discharged, the more likely you'll have wanted eye pro.