Remember to put your glasses on

I never shoot without specs , I never have even when I didn’t have a prescription. I’ve got a very strong safety culture , having seen some horrible injuries during my working life due to shortcuts with wearing PPE .

Today on a simulated day , on a ( clay ) partridge drive , i was struck by a large piece of clay . It hurt I saw stars , the impact was on the right lens of my purple ZeissSport specs from JH Steward . . I’ve a small cut on my nose where the frame was driven in , and the adjustable bridge was bent . The frames stayed securely on my head , the lens is scraped and scratched , but still secure . I felt sick unloaded my gun left it where it was and left the line . I might have the start of a black eye . However that’s worst thing that’s happened today , and I’ve probably got a £100 bill for new lenses . However without the specs I’d have lost an eye .. sobering thought .

I'm glad that your ok mate. I've been hit myself a couple of times by clay fragments usually when shooting driven clays. Things like this just reinforce the necessity of basic but essential PPE when shooting (suitable glasses, ear defenders, hat). This combined with safe and competent handling, muzzle awareness, trigger discipline and situational awareness are a key part of responsible and safe shooting. I hope the glasses aren't too expensive to get replaced/repaired.

lh8611 said:

I'm glad that your ok mate. I've been hit myself a couple of times by clay fragments usually when shooting driven clays. Things like this just reinforce the necessity of basic but essential PPE when shooting (suitable glasses, ear defenders, hat). This combined with safe and competent handling, muzzle awareness, trigger discipline and situational awareness are a key part of responsible and safe shooting. I hope the glasses aren't too expensive to get replaced/repaired.

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Second the above, good to hear you are not worse off. Besides hearing protection, it's shooting glasses and a baseball cap for me- every. single. time. I've had chunks of clay hit my head that would see me in stitches if not for the cap, and the brim offers some protection of your face against clay-from-above. Still I've had the odd bit marr a lense or two, but like you I'd rather shell out for a new bit of plastic than for a red-white cane.

I now use clear safety glasses as used on building sites.

Much cheaper, just as good and the clear lenses and allow me to see better.

Always used purple before.

MartynB said:

... However that’s worst thing that’s happened today , and I’ve probably got a £100 bill for new lenses . However without the specs I’d have lost an eye .. sobering thought .

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Even £1000 would be worth it. If the specs are damaged that much imagine what could have happened without them.

Luke_(NL) said:

Second the above, good to hear you are not worse off. Besides hearing protection, it's shooting glasses and a baseball cap for me- every. single. time. I've had chunks of clay hit my head that would see me in stitches if not for the cap, and the brim offers some protection of your face against clay-from-above. Still I've had the odd bit marr a lense or two, but like you I'd rather shell out for a new bit of plastic than for a red-white cane.

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Last year a piece of clay fell on my head. Even though I was wearing a basebal cap it still gave me a cut that was still bleeding a few hours later. So, for me also, ears, eyes and a baseball cap... always.

Shame these damn glasses are so expensive. Must hurt taking a clay shard to a Pilla lens and having to shell out £180 for a replacement. Though not nearly as costly as having the shard hit your eyes...

A guy at a local club got smacked in the side of the head by a clay this past weekend. Ended his day there and then and required a trip to A&E for stitches. He's very lucky it wasn't a few inches forward as it could have blinded him. I don't think the lens arm would have stopped the clay at the speed it was going.

Clear Miss said:

Shame these damn glasses are so expensive. Must hurt taking a clay shard to a Pilla lens and having to shell out £180 for a replacement. Though not nearly as costly as having the shard hit your eyes...

A guy at a local club got smacked in the side of the head by a clay this past weekend. Ended his day there and then and required a trip to A&E for stitches. He's very lucky it wasn't a few inches forward as it could have blinded him. I don't think the lens arm would have stopped the clay at the speed it was going.

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It would hurt a damned site more if you were wearing poor quality glasses or worse, none at all.
Pilla do have a repair service, depending on how badly damaged the lens is.
As above though, my protective gear goes on in the car park at the shooting ground and stays on until I finish shooting. Some 10 years ago I was Instructing at a corporate event. One group wanted a 'group pic', which they wanted me on. I removed my shooting glasses for the picture. Anyway, the next group arrived, I did the safety brief and brought the first volunteer forward. I always use a semi auto for these events, just to ensure nobody gets bruised from recoil. The girl shooting, shot the clay perfectly, but I felt a stinging in my left eye. I had forgotten to put my glasses back on and a flake of hot powder went into my left eye as I was looking over the shooters shoulder. As I was the only shooting Instructor at the event, I was forced to carry on, after washing my eye with salt water. My glasses were still on the peak of my baseball cap. I learned from that, it has NEVER occurred again.

westley said:

It would hurt a damned site more if you were wearing poor quality glasses or worse, none at all.
Pilla do have a repair service, depending on how badly damaged the lens is.

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This . Every once in a while you get a reminder that even when safety is top of mind, a combination of bad luck and physics can surprise you. If one of those days ends with a scratched lense and nothing worse, thats still a good day. I may see about this repair service still.

Luke_(NL) said:

This . Every once in a while you get a reminder that even when safety is top of mind, a combination of bad luck and physics can surprise you. If one of those days ends with a scratched lense and nothing worse, thats still a good day. I may see about this repair service still.

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Strange you should say that, only yesterday a piece of incoming broken clay has left a permanent reminder on the peak of my baseball cap.