Do you need shooting glasses for shooting airguns?

Mike Morton discusses what shooting glasses are used for and whether or not you need one when using air arms…

Are shooting specs just for firearms or could you benefit too?

Q. Whenever I go into my local gun shop I see loads of shooting glasses for sale. Should I buy a pair and use them when I shoot my airgun?

A. Most of the shooting glasses you’re looking at are designed for shotgun shooters to protect their eyes from glare, gases and possibly pieces of clay. However, there’s a definite place for shooting glasses in airgunning.

First of all, and this may sound obvious, glasses will not protect your eyes from a direct hit. This is not what they are designed to do; moreover, they are in no way a substitute for good gun safety! What they will do is help protect your eyes from ricochets. A ricochet is more of a danger to the shooter at closer ranges, so I will always wear safety glasses when shooting pistols or rifles at targets closer than 20 yards.

If you already wear prescription glasses when you shoot then shooting glasses won’t really offer any greater protection, but they do come in a variety of lens colours, including clear. I prefer yellow or orange lenses as they act as a filter and help accentuate my target.

You can even buy glasses with a camouflage print over them. These are more designed to help disguise the airgun hunter than offer protection. The effect is somewhat like a one-way mirror, but they can feel slightly uncomfortable and your eyes will need sufficient time to adjust to them.


This article originally appeared in the issue 96 of Airgun Shooter magazine. For more great content like this, subscribe today at our secure online store: www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk

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