In the frame - July issue
Transcription
In the frame - July issue
Equipment In the frame READER TESTED! Mark Harwood-Stone took a range of shooting glasses to a local club shoot to find out what shooters really look for and which glasses were our readers’ choice N ow compulsory at most grounds and major who matter, the end user competitions, modern shooting glasses have who has to reach into your become as much of a fashion accessory as a pocket and shell out your hard safety item. earned cash: the megabuck glasses, though desirable, can be With an almost bewildering selection when it comes to the all dismissed on cost alone. Some clay shooters can’t tell a great important lenses – that’ll give you a supposed optical edge – the deal of difference, a smoked or orange lens by one company choice has become even more daunting. very much like another from their point of view. It’s also So when a box full of new shooting glasses is placed in interesting to see that when a direct comparison was made, it front of an enthusiastic group of average Sunday morning clay was still many of the more economical versions that those who shooters, it’s their opinion that truly counts. Remember, it’s you took part preferred. Lesley Lee See the facts Choice: Doyle Sports Top Shot 500: £59.95 + £15 for prescription inserts “I wear glasses so for me any pair of shooting glasses has to have the facility for a prescription insert. But, I don’t believe in overspending. Looking at all the styles on offer the best for me in both style, value for money and the fact they have an insert facility are the Doyle Sports Top Shot 500. For me they look the best, fit well, are comfortable and represent value for money even with the additional cost of the insert lenses.” Graham Lee Choice: Wiley-X Saber Advance: £60 “I’ll be perfectly honest and say that for me it’s down to cost. I won’t spend any more than £60 on a pair of shooting glasses, which means I tend to wear what’s often referred to as the budget options. So, for me the Wiley-X Saber Advanced is the perfect pair. The price is exactly right, there’s the option of interchangeable lenses, although I tend to stick to just one and the wraparound style means they offer excellent protection, there’s no light or particle ingress and they’re comfortable to wear over extended periods. Basically they tick every box.” Our vision is responsible for 90 per cent of all the sensory information we receive, it shapes every aspect of our lives and is vital and often taken for granted. The increase in sports-related eye injuries has been exponential in recent years – sport is now the biggest source of hospital admission for serious eye injury. Shooting-related eye injuries and accidents can be caused by falling fragments of clay (or game), cartridge malfunction and long exposure to bright sunlight. A good set of shooting glasses can help prevent or lessen the effects of all of the above, whilst also improving the clarity of the clay and reducing the effects of glare. Polycarbonate lenses are the default choice and have a UV blocking property within the material in addition to being extremely tough – some manufacturers offer a version of polycarbonate that has higher levels of protection from both UV and impact, whilst others champion the purity of the optics they create. Ed Lyons, Sports Vision Optometrist and winner of the Sports Vision Practice of the Year Award 2011 July 2011 078-081 Eyes_rev3.indd 79 79 25/5/11 12:37:55 Andi Woods Martin Powell Choice: Optilabs Zeiss: £134.95 or Choice: Wiley-X Saber Advance: £60 £159.95 with prescription lenses and Wiley-X PT-33CL: £100 and Optilabs Top Gun: £39.95 with prescription lenses from £99.95 extra “It doesn’t really matter which ones – I like both these pairs of Wiley-X “If I was looking for a pair of traditionally- shooting glasses. I’d probably have to styled shooting glasses I’d go for the wear both styles to make my mind up Optilabs Zeiss immediately. The price as to which I’d finally buy, but it would isn’t bad, they’re extremely comfortable, definitely be one or the other. I like the well made and should provide good style, quality and the comfort factor. value for money. On the other hand the And with the right lenses fitted I’d Optilabs Top Gun also appeals. They’re also be able to wear them for fishing, comfortable, modern, offer a choice of which would be an added bonus.” lenses and in my opinion offer great value for money. The other thing is I’m a confirmed biker, which means I could use them with my open-faced helmet and change the lenses to suit the road conditions then change again once I got to whichever ground I was shooting at.” Phil Old Choice: Optilabs Zeiss: £134.95 or £159.95 with prescription lenses “For me it’s got to be the Optilabs Zeiss. I wear prescription glasses and I always have Zeiss lenses fitted so without question it’s these I’d go for. Apart from the traditional and comfortable style and shape that I like, as soon as you see the Zeiss name on anything you know you’re getting quality and value for money given how many years’ service you’ll get from them.” John Roberts Choice: Pilla Sport Outlaw Pro3: £550 “It’s not so much a case of money no object, but as someone who shoots as much as I do at Sporting and various trap disciplines, the Pilla Sport Outlaw Pro3, fitted with MaxOrange lenses and the deep soft rubber side guards, are in my opinion as good as it gets. I currently wear Oakleys but after trying these today it won’t be long before I’m off to my nearest dealer to buy a full set for myself. Although others might disagree for whatever reason, for me these are the best there are.” Find out more and get your own Doyle Sports Optilabs: Pilla Sport Randolph Sunglasses for Sport WileyX: 80 T: 07940 841494 T: 02086 865708 T: 01202 880300 T: 01217 721119 T: 01256 472064 T: 07917 360855 W: www.doylesports.net W: www.optilabs.com W: www.pillasport.co.uk W: www.randolphglasses.co.uk W: www.sunglassesforsport.co.uk W: www.wileyx.com www.clay-shooting.com 078-081 Eyes_rev3.indd 80 25/5/11 12:38:05 Equipment Trevor Stanley Karen Graham Choice: Optilabs Top Gun: £39.95 Choice: Pilla Sport Hornet Pro2: £295 with prescription lenses from £99.95 extra or any of the Pilla “I wear contact lenses so the Hornets would Sport models give me ideal protection from dust and other irritants that can get round the sides of “I already wear a pair of Optilabs Top more traditional shaped glasses. The shape Gun shooting glasses which I have had and design of the frame is comfortable and for a while and really like. The price is modern without having to use the one- right for me and they do everything piece design that I personally don’t like. I I need and ask of shooting eye know the Hornets aren’t cheap and that the protection. I must admit though that if additional lenses are quite expensive but money were no object I’d have a pair of the good thing is I’d also be able to wear Pilla Sport with MaxOrange lenses. The the Hornets for a variety of other activities. style wouldn’t matter a great deal I’d I play golf and enjoy walking in the Alps just love to own and shoot in a pair of so I could use them for that as well, which what I regard as the best there is.” means the cost isn’t so bad when divided three ways.” Peter Muirhead Choice: Randolf Ranger XL: £149.50 “I’ve been a confirmed Oakley wearer for years but after trying the Randolf Ranger XLs I could well be changing. Although they’re not cheap, they seem to be of an average price for this type of shooting accessory and for the few minutes I’ve worn them they’re without doubt the most comfortable I’ve ever tried. They fit well, the soft bridge distributes what little weight there is – the shafts seem hardly to touch the side of my face, yet they seem to have smaller lenses than others, they wrap round nicely and take in every aspect of my vision and eye movement. Excellent!” Ryan Easington Face the facts Choice: Sunglasses for It was interesting to Sport Mission: £39.95 see that not everyone went straight for the WIN! “I found these really high-end products and for comfortable, which is great many, value for money was for the budget end of the as important as style and comfort. It was market. In terms of style I also interesting to see that several of our really like them and they testers look at shooting glasses as multi- are really practical with the purpose and wanted a model that could interchangeable lenses and be used for other hobbies and activities. shock-absorbing frame. I’m What do you use? Write in to the usual actually looking to invest in address and let us know, and if you fancy a pair of shooting glasses at trying out some of these glasses for the moment – having tried yourself, turn to our competition pages these out, I think I’ve decided (page 68) where you can win some of which I’ll choose!” these models and more! July 2011 078-081 Eyes_rev3.indd 81 81 25/5/11 12:38:16