High Quality Reasonably priced Prescription Shooting Glasses

[mikemyers]

I need to get a new set of prescription shooting glasses, and would like to get "polycarbonate glasses" as they offer the best protection. As I did last time, I will have an eye test done to get a prescription for the distance from my eye to the front sight. Can someone recommend a good source for prescription glasses? They certainly don't need to be "fancy", but they should have a frame that's good for shooting (some frames even have side "plates" for more protection).

I also don't want to waste money needlessly. A company in Italy bought up most of the places people used to go to for glasses, and with no competition, raised the price by a huge amount. If you're not aware of that, check this link:

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/sticker-shock-why-are-glasses-so-expensive-07-10-2012/
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I refuse to have anything to do with that scheme, and buy my glasses overseas.

Assuming that there are specialized shops in the USA that provide shooting glasses for a fair (not inflated) price, are there any that some of you have already bought from, and would recommend?

 

[Elkins45]

Why not just have them made by th doctor who wrote your prescription?

 

[RetiredUSNChief]

I see my regular eye doctor.

My work safety glasses are prescription. I can just have an extra set made and keep them at home for the range, if I want.

Talk to your eye doctor about prescription safety glasses.

 

[mikemyers]

My eye doctor who wrote the prescription is in India, where i get my glasses. They don't have Polycarbonate lens blanks yet - are working on it.

Good idea though - I can take my prescription to my American Ophthalmologist and ask him to get them made. Thanks!

 

[MrBorland]

If you already have the prescription and don't mind the Harry Potter look, check out Bob Jones glasses:

http://www.bjonessights.com/


And while not as inexpensive as the Jones glasses, look into Decot glasses. Top drawer shooting glasses.

http://www.sportglasses.com/

 

[oneounceload]

If you like shooting using different colors for lenses, look into TX Shooter's Optical. They sell Randolph. You can either get scrip colored lenses, OR with the XLW model, you can get a scrip insert and use all of the regular colored lenses. That way, if your scrip changes over time, you are only replacing the insert and not all of the lenses.

 

[Sniper66]

My optometrist, knowing I shoot a lot, told me she could help with shooting problems since her dad is a avid shooter. Fortunately I don't need it yet. I mention my doc's interest because shooting presents a unique set of problems and requires attention to those issues. My brother chose the cheap method through a Veterans Hospital and eventually tossed his prescription shooting glasses.

 

[Jim Watson]

I have thought about getting a pair of Uvex safety glasses and a prescription insert, then having a local shop grind insert lenses.
http://search.safetyglassesusa.com/search?catalog=safetyglassesusa&query=uvex+genesis

 

[mikemyers]

.......And while not as inexpensive as the Jones glasses, look into Decot glasses. Top drawer shooting glasses.

http://www.sportglasses.com/

I do have the prescription, and I couldn't care less about the "fashion" concept. I want good eye protection, for my shooting glasses. Maybe I need two pair of them, one for red dot sights. Thanks - will check this out.

 

[RetiredUSNChief]

I do have the prescription, and I couldn't care less about the "fashion" concept. I want good eye protection, for my shooting glasses. Maybe I need two pair of them, one for red dot sights. Thanks - will check this out.

Oooooh! Better yet, a pair of red dot shooting glasses! Wouldn't THAT be cool!

 

[Sheepdog1968]

My wife got her glasses at Costco. About half of what they cost at eye doctor. That's where I plan to check when I update my prescription safety glasses.

 

[mikemyers]

Do you know if Costco can provide "polycarbonate lenses" ?

 

[RetiredUSNChief]

Do you know if Costco can provide "polycarbonate lenses" ?

It would appear so:

http://www.costco.com/lens-materials.html

 

[OpticsPlanet]

Give us a call, and ask to speak to someone in eyewear. They will explain the process to you. Be sure to use the discount code below.

Mark H.

 

[1KPerDay]

Do any of these glasses take into account that for rifle shooting you often end up looking through the very top of the lens?

 

[oneounceload]

The shotgun shooting glasses do like Randolph and Decot

 

[Sebastian the Ibis]

Check out Zenni online. $30 for prescription sports goggles:

http://www.zennioptical.com/prescription-sports-glasses-742823.html

Regular polycarbonate glasses are a bit cheaper.

While you can't try on the glasses at Zenni, you can order a half dozen pairs for same price as the cheapest pair you can find at a retail store. At least one will work, and you have 5 spares you can can wear when there is nobody around to judge how good they look on you.

 

[mikemyers]

It says those are made from "Material:Acetate/Plastic", not polycarbonate. I don't see an option for the stronger material.

 

[hso]

You can walk into any WalMart and have them made or order the prescription installed on WileyX or other shooting glasses.

 

[mikemyers]

'hso', I tried to look it up, found prescription glasses at Walmart, but no indication that they would be either "safety glasses", or "polycarbonate".

http://www.walmart.com/c/kp/prescription-glasses?facets=gender%3AMen

I'm not particularly concerned with the frames, and not at all with style, but I'd like to get the stronger material.

 

[hso]

Safety glasses are both frame and lense material. For shooting you want ballistic standard glasses. These include the U.S. civilian standard (ANSI Z8+), the U.S. military standard (MIL-PRF-31013), or the European standard (EN166, 169, 170 & 172).

 

[mikemyers]

'hso', your link eventually led me to this page. Thanks. I haven't found the costs yet, but it does seem like a reputable place to deal with. Searching for shooting glasses suitable for prescription lenses eventually got me here:

http://www.bobster.com/ballisticstactical/ballistics.aspx?pagesize=10000&SortBy=3

 

[mikemyers]

I just had a chat with Tim at the above website. A set of good frames will cost me $54, and $150 for a pair of prescription lenses as noted above.

http://www.sportrx.com/catalog/product/view/id/9619/s/wiley-x-saint/category/2/

 

[jlr1962]

Make sure you have a full refund guarantee when you make your purchase. The prescription that I needed wouldn't work with the frames that I chose. I didn't find out until days later when they called with the bad news. I took my business elsewhere, but had to pay for the exam. If you want progressive bifocals, the lens/frame style is very limited, or so I was told by several opticians, ophthalmic techs, and optometrists that I dealt with.

 

[herrwalther]

http://www.sportrx.com/

I ordered a set of eyewear from them. Polycarbon, transition (adjust to sunlight), and prescription. Bought a set of Wiley SG-1 about 5 years ago for less than $200 and I still use them to go shooting.