How To Select Target Shooting Glasses

Target shooting requires a lot of practice and skill that you can brag about, and it is addictive!. Fortunately, even with the restrictive gun laws that have been passed after the tragedy in Columbine High School ten years ago, and several other instances when gun ownership was abused, target shooting remains a popular sport. People concerned with the safe use of firearms can check online for a range of safety programs and hunting courses offered by the NRA, but the safety procedures are easy to follow and usually only need a bit of common sense.

Target shooting is a sport not without risks, and there have been accidents with ricocheting bullets, flying shrapnel or splinters from the targets and other things. Shooting clay targets probably has the greatest risk factor because these usually shatter when they hit the ground or a tree, so it only stands to reason that, when you play the sport, you should always wear protective gear, which includes ear plugs or muffs that cover the entire ear to protect your ears from the loud report of your gun, a padded shooting jacket, and last but not the least, shooting glasses.

Some people don't like to wear glasses, thinking it will impede their vision, but considering that you only have two eyes, you should be glad of the protection offered by glasses, and it's not like you'd be using normal ones. Here are a few things you need to consider when choosing target shooting glasses:

• Choose glasses with a frame that is balanced and lightweight so there's little chance that they will fall off or the extra weight on your face will distract you from your target. Glasses with a wrap frame or side panels are recommended for added protection against wind and dirt getting into your eyes.
• Check if your glasses have an adjustable nose bridge. An adjustable nose bridge means that you can better align your lenses, and you generally feel more comfortable wearing them.
• Choose glasses with lenses that are 2.5 mm thick polycarbonate. This offers the best protection for your eyes, and glasses made from these can usually withstand even a hit from a 12-gauge shotgun.
• Your glasses should also give you 100% protection from UV rays, especially if you're in an open target range outdoors, under the sun. Choose glasses which provide you with a set of different color lenses, with the color molded rather than tinted in. These color lenses are helpful under different conditions: the clear ones are for poor lighting and shooting indoors; orange lenses enhance the clarity of orange clay targets, so you'll find them easier to shoot; gray are for bright days and yellow are for overcast, while brown lenses reduce light and are perfect for shooting orange clays outdoors with a green background.
• There are glasses with a special feature to enhance target acquisition and visualization, so it might also be to your interest to choose one of these.