Goggles For Shooting

[BruiseLee]

I was rewatching Blackhawk Down the other day and got to thinking about how the Army Ranger and Delta Force operators used goggles for eye protection. I've never seen anybody at the range use them, but I got to thinking they would probably provide superior protection in case of an accident.

First of all, they protect more of your face. Secondly, I've had hot brass ejected from the guy shooting next to me actually hit me in the head, and fall down between my shooting glasses and my face. Certainly if there was some sort of catastrophic failure of my weapon due to a barrel obstruction or too hot a reload, I would think goggles would provide better protection from hot gasses, splinters, etc. Finally, in a combat situation, goggles would give you superior protection from being maced, secondary projectiles coming at you from near misses, dirt being thrown in your face, etc.

What do you guys think? Any thoughts as to type or brand of goggle?

Bruise

 

[FC.]

ESS
BOLLE T-800
HATCH B.O.S.S.

 

[ygbsm]

I've used the Bolle T-800 -- they offer nice visibility, have a nice thick piece of material for protection (unlike a lot of dust and snow goggles) but they have an open ventilation gap around the edge (not enough to allow in brass) and have some distortion. Some people like the Oakley A frames.

 

[tkl]

i would make every possible effort to NOT shoot at a public range. find a spot out of the city on private land, a lease if need be. or atleast a private outdoor range and shoot when their are few or no shooters present.

ranges are dangerous, you don't know the other guy and what he is doing. i'm sure you've noticed the bullet holes in the walls, floors or ceilings.

if an accident occurs and is serious enough to involve the police they will confiscate every firearm until things are sorted out. you'll be out of your arms until then, probably weeks given you're not at fault.

 

[ygbsm]

I know this is somewhat of a digression, but the few times I've felt any twinge of understanding of the gun control mentality has been at a public range or gun stores -- I've been swept by the muzzle of a loaded shotgun at a skeet range, seen people walking with their fingers casually in the triggerguard at the range and seen a frightening number of individuals at gun stores rapidly and repetedly yank the trigger of guns they haven't made sure were clear. Imagine hHomer Simpson and guns.

Actually, the best/worst thing I saw was at a weapons display at a Marine open house. Some teen was holding an M4 swinging the muzzle around and yanking the trigger. The Force Recon guy at the table slapped the muzzle rather forcefully down and made his displeasure quite plain

 

[BruiseLee]

[ QUOTE ]
tkl said:
i would make every possible effort to NOT shoot at a public range. find a spot out of the city on private land, a lease if need be. or atleast a private outdoor range and shoot when their are few or no shooters present.

ranges are dangerous, you don't know the other guy and what he is doing. i'm sure you've noticed the bullet holes in the walls, floors or ceilings.

[/ QUOTE ]

Unfortunately, I live in Los Angeles. It is so spread out and has so many people that it's pretty hard to drive to drive off to a nice secluded plinking spot. I uesed to go to a place called Kentucky Canyon years ago, but there were just too many wackos out there. I never went with less than 3 people, usually I had over 10 people out there at a time. You literally could not set up a target there, the second you stepped off the road it was like hitting the Normandy Beach on D-Day!

I used to live in San Luis Obispo, a little town in Central California. There, I could drive for like 10 minutes into the hills north of town, and shoot in peace - and no range fees!

Stupidest thing I ever saw at the range was a moron trying to teach his tiny girlfriend how to shoot a .44 mag M29 S&W. She took 1 shot, lost her grip on the weapon which proceeded to spin around on her trigger finger in the trigger guard. Second dumbest thing was my friend pointing my 12 gauge Remington 870 at me loaded asking me how to fire it. The guy is a cop now, lol.

Bruise