# Prescription glasses for hunting - suggestions



## WhoaThereBigFella (Dec 30, 2007)

I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on what might make a good pair of prescription glasses for hunting. Apparantly the eye doc says I need some now. I currently have what are called transition lenses which get darker as the light gets brighter. I noticed that during our gun deer season they got so dark that it almost inpeded my hunting. Half way thru the season I switched to my work safety glasses that don't darken but look a little dorky with those side sheilds and all. Does anyone have any suggestions? I heard that they do make polorized prescription glasses, does anyone use them?


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## Kelly Hannan (Jan 9, 2007)

mine are transitions also, never had a problem.

I personally can't wear polarized glasses. Try just clear lens with the clip on sunglasses if needed.


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## duckp (Mar 13, 2008)

I use them for fishing.Work great.


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## Dak (Feb 28, 2005)

I really like an orange lens for hunting. If I had to wear glasses again I would get me a pair with orange lenses from the place at the link below.

http://www.39dollarglasses.com/

They aren't fancy frames or such but they seem just as good as what we pay hundreds for at lenscrafter or whatever your local optical shop is. My wife has several pair from here...why anyone needs several pair is a different story...and is very satisfied.

:beer:


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## dakotashooter2 (Oct 31, 2003)

I tried the transitional glasses on two different occassions. Here is the problem I had. When the temperature starts to get cold the transitional glasses (plastic lenses) start to take longer to transition. When I hunted in Nov and Dec often my glasses would not turn clear untill after my 30 minute drive home (often 1- 1/2 hrs after sunset). They reduced my vision at low light and made it a bugger to drive home in the dark with sunglasses on. I usually had to switch to my other pair. If you have had them for a full year you will notice they get much darker in the winter than in the summer. When I asked my eye doctor about this he told me those were some of the downsides. He also told me that the glass transitional lenses work just the opposite getting darker in the summer and not as dark in the winter with the longer transition in warm weather. Unfortunately glass lenses are getting harder and harder to come by.


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## Kelly Hannan (Jan 9, 2007)

mine are glass lens, maybe that's the difference


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## Aythya (Oct 23, 2004)

Last year while rifle hunting for deer I almost lost an eye to a branch. Was still hunting through some trees and had a small branch come between my glasses and my eye and just miss my eye.

Decided that the same glasses I wear daily aren't good for hunting. So I bought two pair of Wiley X safety glasses. One pair is sunglasses, the other pair is clear. A bit pricey but decided that eye protection of this sort is better than losing an eye. Wear them shooting, hunting and when doing yard work, using power tools, etc.

I considered transition lenses but my eye doctor talked me out of it.


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## NDMALLARD (Mar 9, 2002)

I wear Randolf Ranger shooting glasses. They are spendy but my uncle is an optician(sp) and gives me a pair every few years. Each pair comes with 3 different sets of lenses. I can't believe how I ever hunted without them in the past.


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## Csquared (Sep 5, 2006)

A few things to consider from one who's spent many hours (and years) in the woods wearing prescription glasses.

I also believe in clear lenses and clip-on sunglasses. They make them to match the frames precisely and are held by tiny magnets. Can't tell from 6' away they are clip-ons. I DO prefer the polarized lenses.

I would recommend a strap on the glasses while hunting. Might sound ridiculous, but towards the end of October this year I was in a 4 year old stand that hadn't been touched all year. It was still 15 or 20 minutes until shooting time and I was trimming a couple branches off that would have been in the way of the top limb of my bow. So I pulled the main branch as close to me as I could and cut as far as I could reach, but I didn't notice that the part of the branch that was tickling my face was attached to the part of the main branch I was NOT cutting. So when I cut the branch I wanted, the main branch swung back to it's original location...taking my glasses with it! Being 15' up a tree, in almost total darkness, while practically blind, on a perfect morning just prior to the time when you could expect to see (well...NOT see it) a deer at any moment.......not a good way to start the day!

As to eye injury, I am absolutely certain that my glasses have saved more than one eye injury while in the timber over the years. Certain enough to avoid laser surgey even though my insurance carrier would have paid 100%.....among other reasons.


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## 94NDTA (May 28, 2005)

If you have trouble at night, try canary colored lenses.

Polorized is the way to go. If you like transitions, try to find a place that sells the new drivewear transitions. Transitions do not turn dark in vehicals due to the UV blocker in the windsheild. Drivewear are polarized and will turn darke as to how much UV light is hitting it. They will turn canary yellow at dusk, and can be used for night driving because they brighten up everything at night.

WhoaThereBigFella, here is another thing to consider. How old are you? Have you had perfect vision your whole life and are now needing bi-focals or is your trouble seeing in the distance?

I'm an ABO cert. optician and I manage a vision center/lab if you have any specific questions


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## dakotashooter2 (Oct 31, 2003)

> Have you had perfect vision your whole life and are now needing bi-focals or is your trouble seeing in the distance?


I decided to make the transition to bifocals about a year ago. I had been putting it off for a couple years. All I can say is that for hunting purposes I HATE...HATE...HATE...HATE them. I depend a lot on my periferal vision when hunting so I don't have to turn my head as much. Now I can't see jack when it comes in from the sides.


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## 94NDTA (May 28, 2005)

dakotashooter2 said:


> > Have you had perfect vision your whole life and are now needing bi-focals or is your trouble seeing in the distance?
> 
> 
> I decided to make the transition to bifocals about a year ago. I had been putting it off for a couple years. All I can say is that for hunting purposes I HATE...HATE...HATE...HATE them. I depend a lot on my periferal vision when hunting so I don't have to turn my head as much. Now I can't see jack when it comes in from the sides.


Get a pair of lined bifocals for hunting, or single vision for hunting. My father does this, works perfect for hunting.

Progressive lens (no line bifocals) have to blend into the reading, which distorts your side vision. Even if you get a really high end progressives, you will still have slight distortion on the edges, not really what you want for spotting a deer of the sides of your glasses off in the distance.

Progressive lenses are kind of the all in one lens. It makes it so you can function day to day without the need of multiples pairs of glasses. However, this is like trying to do all your trypes of hunting with a .223, or all types of fishing wtih a 7' medium action rod.

There are better rods/rifles/lenses for specific situations.


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## mach (Aug 29, 2005)

Get the bifocal lens so you can see the ammo and adjust the scope etc.
Get the sctatch coat and put n the antireflection coating for a clear view plus protection.

You could lightly tint them yellow/brown later on if you like.

I had the progressive focals but they offer binocular vision and you have to look thru the X spot to see clearly
The verigrade sunglasses are temp dependent and take a long time to clear plus they are crap for driving
a polarized clip on will take away some clarity but can work on budjet


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## 94NDTA (May 28, 2005)

mach said:


> Get the bifocal lens so you can see the ammo and adjust the scope etc.
> Get the sctatch coat and put n the antireflection coating for a clear view plus protection.
> 
> You could lightly tint them yellow/brown later on if you like.
> ...


Make sure you get your facts straight. You CANNOT tint a lens once you put and antiglare coating on it, or if you have a polycarbonate lens with a hard coating worth it's salt.

If you get an antiglare coating, make sure you get a good quality one. Make sure it's hydrophobic (repels oil, dust, water) and extremely scratch resistant, because that is what will scratch first. There is no antiglare plus scratch coat, it is only an extremely scratch resistant antiglare.


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## Pato (Oct 7, 2003)

I have polarized sunglasses. They are wrap around prescription glasses. I tried the anti-glare coating and found it way too streaky when cleaning them, as they can get really dirty in the field and woods. I was advised to have, (I think it was "Golfers") bifocals put in them. They said that they are a smaller bifocal in that they are low on the lens and also smaller than regular sized bifocals. This is so I can see peripheral a bit better and most important for me, being able to see distance while in a lay-out blind. I do wear tri-focals for everyday use, but they are terribly in my way in a lay-out blind, as the profile is way too high. My new prescription sun glasses will be only a bi-focal for this reason. It will be for close looking work such as threading a hook, etc. I also got a hard shell zippered glasses case and have found it real handy to carry out without worrying about loosing glasses. My case has a clip, so I can attach it to gear or throw it in the blind bag. Hope this helps, and Merry Christmas to all!


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## djleye (Nov 14, 2002)

> Get a pair of lined bifocals for hunting, or single vision for hunting. My father does this, works perfect for hunting.


Or contact lenses for hunting, NDTA, where do you work???


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## mach (Aug 29, 2005)

I meant to say put a tint on normal straight vision glasses to clarify and I am not a glass specialist as these glasses I have tried on personally and may not have put on the corect jargon.
I did find out tat the antir-eflection was a real bugger to clean and it scratches quite easily


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## the professor (Oct 13, 2006)

i wear a pair of oakley prescription sunglasses pretty much all the time during daytime hunting. they have glass lenses, are polarized, and are a wrap style affording my eyes side protection. a little spendy at right around $400 but definetely the best investment ive made for hunting.


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## djleye (Nov 14, 2002)

Prof....If you like Oakleys, you should try a pair of maui jims.......Definately worth the money and seems to be a bit harder lens than oakleys.


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## Longshot (Feb 9, 2004)

djleye said:


> Prof....If you like Oakleys, you should try a pair of maui jims.......Definately worth the money and seems to be a bit harder lens than oakleys.


I will second that. I always bought Oakleys also, until last year. I picked up a set of the Maui Jims and love them.


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## 94NDTA (May 28, 2005)

I'm one of the managers at the Lenscrafters in Fargo, feel free to visit me. My name is Sean.

We sell Maui Jims, They are one of the best sets of sunglasses out there today. If you absolutely cannot compromise your vision, they are well worth it for an outdoorsmen.


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## 94NDTA (May 28, 2005)

mach said:


> I meant to say put a tint on normal straight vision glasses to clarify and I am not a glass specialist as these glasses I have tried on personally and may not have put on the corect jargon.
> I did find out tat the antir-eflection was a real bugger to clean and it scratches quite easily


Where did you get your glasses from?


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## Grumann (Dec 21, 2008)

Wow seems as if everyone has bad eyes. Maybe you should hunt at all if you can't see what your shootn at. :lol:


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## MSG Rude (Oct 6, 2003)

Grumann said:


> Wow seems as if everyone has bad eyes. Maybe you should hunt at all if you can't see what your shootn at. :lol:


I did until I had lasik back in '99. Still see 20/20 in both and I was over 500 in both at the time.


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## Norm70 (Aug 26, 2005)

perscription sunglasses are the way to go. i got a pair 2 yrs ago and i love them. i also got some anti fog stuff that helps alot.


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## single-shot (Dec 16, 2008)

this year i used progressive glasses [ the ones with no lines] and i hated them...i had to turn my head to see because my side vision was useless...they may be ok for everyday use but not for hunting....Im going to get a pair for [my far vision only] just for hunting and shooting at the range.


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