Best Glasses for Shooting & Hunting: Which to Choose & Where to Buy

If you enjoy shooting and hunting, glasses serve two main purposes: safety and vision enhancement. 

Wearing shooting glasses is the only way to protect your eyes from any mishaps that may occur. While rare, guns can misfire, bullets can ricochet, cartridges are ejected toward the eyes, and debris caused by shots fired at closer ranges may enter the eyes. 

Protective eyewear can also help shield your eyes from common environmental hazards, such as dust, wind, and UV radiation. 

Glasses for shooters and hunters can also enhance your vision and shield your eyes from distractions, such as sunlight or shadows. Specialized lenses can ensure that your vision remains intact in inclement weather conditions, such as heavy rain, fog, and snow. 

Experienced hunters and shooters know that glasses are an important part of their overall arsenal. 

Benefits of Glasses for Shooting & Hunting

One of the first things people learn when they complete education courses on shooting and hunting is to use glasses. The following are key benefits of glasses when using firearms:

Color adjustment: Specialized lenses are available that can improve vision and eliminate distracting light in the visual spectrum. Some glasses allow for lenses of different colors to be interchanged, enabling hunters to select an optimal color based on their preferences and the ambient light.

The light spectrum constantly changes throughout the day, which can affect your ability to see at various distances. Selecting the correct lens color is critical, particularly when shooting from long ranges.

• Protection: Not all hunters or shooters use glasses, but many who don’t end up regretting that decision. Eyes can easily be injured when using firearms, sometimes due to unintentional firing or shooting mishaps. 
  
  In addition to a bullet or cartridge ricocheting, protective eyewear can shield your eyes from other debris. For example, they are also useful for preventing contact with sticks and branches when hunting in thick brush.

• Color adjustment: Specialized lenses are available that can improve vision and eliminate distracting light in the visual spectrum. Some glasses allow for lenses of different colors to be interchanged, enabling hunters to select an optimal color based on their preferences and the ambient light.
  
  The light spectrum constantly changes throughout the day, which can affect your ability to see at various distances. Selecting the correct lens color is critical, particularly when shooting from long ranges.
  
• Accuracy enhancement: Lenses can increase clarity, enhance visual acuity, and improve your depth perception, thus, improving your accuracy at distances.
  
• Visual correction: If you require prescription lenses, have color blindness, or have a visual condition such as myopia (nearsightedness), glasses can improve your vision and allow you to continue to enjoy shooting and hunting. Many types of shooting and hunting glasses accommodate prescription lenses.

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Best Shooting Glasses

Many state-of-the-art shooting glasses are available, depending on your needs, preferences, and budget. Here are some of the best shooting glasses available in 2023:

Beretta Clash Shooting Glasses

Beretta is a trusted name in the firearms industry, so it is no surprise that they also make high-quality shooting glasses that are favored by many hunters and shooters. They feature optimal colors for shooting, and their simple design makes them ideal for standard use. 

However, the lack of interchangeable lenses may make their functionality limited for hunting and shooting in multiple different environments.

They are available on both Optics Planet and Amazon. 

Smith PivLock Echo Shooting Glasses

These glasses are optimal for protective purposes. They feature distortion-free edges and flat arms to provide comfort when used underneath earmuffs.

The lens interchangeable design could be more functional, as it can feel a bit clumsy when compared to other models. 

They are available on Amazon. 

Oakley Tombstone Shooting Glasses

These highly rated glasses contain a wraparound design and interchangeable lenses with distinct colors and tints that offer a high degree of customizability for advanced shooters who hunt in a wide range of different environments.

The only disadvantages are that they are among the more costly glasses on the market and also tend to run out of stock quickly on sites like Amazon. They can be found on Optics Planet. 

Shooting & Hunting Glasses FAQs

What color lens is best for shooting?

This depends on many factors, such as the environment and your vision. Yellow is one of the most popular choices for universal use because it enhances acuity and contrast while making the environment appear brighter. 

Are shooting glasses the same as safety glasses?

Shooting glasses must meet many of the same impact standards as safety glasses, but they may offer an even higher level of protection and contain specialized features that are necessary for hunting, such as interchangeable lenses of different colors. 

Which shooting glasses does the military use? 

Several options are available to military personnel, but Oakley and Gatorz are commonly used brands in the U.S. Armed Forces. 

References

1. Beretta Colored Lenses Safety Clash Shooting Glasses for Eye Protection. (2023). Amazon.

2. Beretta Shooting Glasses Products Up to 7% off. (2023). Optics Planet.

3. Oakley SI Tombstone Spoil Sunglasses w/ Free Shipping. (2023). Optics Planet.

4. Smith Optics Elite Pivlock Echo Max Eyeshields Sunglass with Black Frame and Gray/Clear Ignitor Lenses. (2023). Amazon.