# Safety Glasses Save Eyes



## Lug (Nov 12, 2013)

Apologies in advance if this too ranty One of my niece's favorite teachers died last week of the flu. She "always" got a flu shot but didn't get around to it this year. A few years ago, a neighbor's son died in a car accident. His folks said he "always" wore his seat belt but in the excitement of that evening he didn't. Make "always" always.


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## treefork (Feb 1, 2010)

Good reminder on the safety glasses.


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## Sunchierefram (Nov 16, 2013)

Well, I didn't wear any safety glasses while shooting for a pretty long time, maybe a year and a half. But recently, I sorta got a little more worried about shooting my eye out so I started wearing them just a short while before I joined the forum.


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## Tentacle Toast (Jan 17, 2013)

Spot-on, Lug; despite having several hilariously witty quips, I'll leave them at the door for this one. Eye protection is essential with this passion of ours...


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## BunnyBlaster (Dec 16, 2013)

i dont wear safety glasses but i tested a pair shot them point blank with slingshots and 400 fps airsoft guns and just tiny dents held up good


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## leon13 (Oct 4, 2012)

@bunnyblaster Any brand tip 
I was scared when I tested mine and they just chatterd 35 € diddent mean to last ???
kind regard 
cheers


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## BunnyBlaster (Dec 16, 2013)

i paid like 5 for mine on sale its winchester im sure. good brand


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## Charles (Aug 26, 2010)

Safety glasses do not have to protect you from a full-on shot at close range ... I cannot quite imagine you turning the fork around and shooting at your own face ... hard to draw the pouch and ammo back when the forks are pointed at you! That is very unlikely to happen. What is more likely is that you will get a snap back from a broken band or slipped band tie ... or you may have a fork tip break as a result of a flaw in the material or damage from a fork hit, and a piece of the fork will come back at your face. Other likely scenarios include ricochets, which will have lost quite a bit of their power by the time they hit you ... still have enough to severely damage your eyes. And then of course there are return to sender shots ... these would probably have the most power, but still less than a full-on shot at close range. And even if your safety glass do fail, they will absorb a lot of energy from the ammo in the process, probably saving you from much worse damage.

There are a lot of possibilities for damage ... thankfully they do not occur that often. BUT, better to be safe than sorry ... better to have the protection and not need it than to not have it and need it. I wear very large lenses in a prescription plastic, so I cannot shoot without glasses ... could not see the dern target! So I have protection all the time. Those of you who wear contacts or who have good vision without glasses ... I urge you to protect your vision.

I used to shoot a lot of black powder stuff ... wore contact lenses. I always wore shooting glasses. After many years, I was at a competition and a cap failed, or I had over charged the weapon, or ... and I had a blowback in my face ... metal fragments from the cap and hot powder were embedded in the glasses. That day the glasses saved my sight. My lesson was that no matter how careful you think you are being, sh!t happens. I have never had an untoward incident with a slingshot. However, I do break bands at full draw sometimes, and sometimes the broken band comes back and hits my hand or arm; and I do sometimes get hit by a ricochet ... but luckily I have not been hit in the face. But I know it could easily happen. It could happen to you. Please protect yourself.

Cheers ..... Charles


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## BunnyBlaster (Dec 16, 2013)

yes but just tested them out to the fullest!!!!!!


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## Tube_Shooter (Dec 8, 2012)

For those in Europe you can tailor your safety glasses around this standard EN166



leon13 said:


> @bunnyblaster Any brand tip
> I was scared when I tested mine and they just chatterd 35 € diddent mean to last ???
> kind regard
> cheers


There are different impact strengths look at this standard to ascertain the strength lens you need,once you learn the coding you can look on the frame to determine if they're low impact "F" Withstands impact from small objects traveling 45 meters per second or high impact "A" Withstands impact from small objects traveling 190 meters per second.

Hope this helps

http://www.nothingbutsafetyglasses.com/advice/standards

All that said I don't think safety glasses were meant to replace paper targets Lol


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## Tentacle Toast (Jan 17, 2013)

Like Charles said, they don't need to protect from Armageddon, but should have somewhat of an impact resist; I use these...they're comfortable, effective, & not even that bad looking.




















...as you can see, the arms articulate for fine adjustments, the lenses "wrap-around" in case of wayward rubber, & they sit snug upon the mug, leaving my anchor points completely unhindered. At <$10USD a pair, they're worth EVERY penny, & highly recommended. If you have any use for your eyes at all, protection at ANY level is a must.


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## Tube_Shooter (Dec 8, 2012)

That's it TT they will save a tube or band rupturing the eye no problem should a snapped tube/band want to visit an eye.


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## Tentacle Toast (Jan 17, 2013)

Tube_Shooter said:


> That's it TT they will save a tube or band rupturing the eye no problem should a snapped tube/band want to visit an eye.


My eyes water just THINKING of the horrible possibilities....


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## e~shot (Jun 3, 2010)

I'm using one of this Pyramex Venture 3


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## Tentacle Toast (Jan 17, 2013)

...indispensable...


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## leon13 (Oct 4, 2012)

Tube_Shooter said:


> For those in Europe you can tailor your safety glasses around this standard EN166
> 
> 
> 
> ...


thanks for the tip !

cheers


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## Tube_Shooter (Dec 8, 2012)

Safety glasses or the eye patch? you choose which


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## Tentacle Toast (Jan 17, 2013)

Tube_Shooter said:


> Safety glasses or the eye patch? you choose which


...nuff' said...


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## youcanthide (Jun 16, 2013)

Im guilty of never wearing safety glasses, a majority of my shooting is out hunting so wearing safety glasses kind of gives the game away for me.

Really i should force myself to wear them, years ago when at school a lad decided it would be a laugh if he shouted me while my back was turned, as i spun round he wipped me in the eye with his tie, sounded like a cracking whip, my eye colour changed from blue to green as blood filled somewhere in my eye which i cant quite remember. Long story short i couldnt see out that eye, all i saw was block white. I didnt regain vision for 4 weeks and had to take it really easy so i didnt make it worse. My eyes still a different shade of blue to the other to this day. I imagine the same could happen just as easily with a snapped band so they really are an important piece of kit


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## Tentacle Toast (Jan 17, 2013)

youcanthide said:


> Im guilty of never wearing safety glasses, a majority of my shooting is out hunting so wearing safety glasses kind of gives the game away for me.
> Really i should force myself to wear them, years ago when at school a lad decided it would be a laugh if he shouted me while my back was turned, as i spun round he wipped me in the eye with his tie, sounded like a cracking whip, my eye colour changed from blue to green as blood filled somewhere in my eye which i cant quite remember. Long story short i couldnt see out that eye, all i saw was block white. I didnt regain vision for 4 weeks and had to take it really easy so i didnt make it worse. My eyes still a different shade of blue to the other to this day. I imagine the same could happen just as easily with a snapped band so they really are an important piece of kit


Yeah, bud...imagine that force times 20, concentrated...giving away game is of legit concern, but can be overcome with attention to angle of light. Even the addition of a cap with a visor might take care of this, I don't know...I'd just hate to hear of anyone here suffering such injury. I mean, statistically speaking, how many of us are there on this forum alone? Multiplied by how many shots each of us takes per day? It's almost inevitable; one of us is going to suffer a potentially blinding mishap. "Will we be prepared?" is the question.


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## JEFF BURG (Nov 12, 2013)

you can say that again!


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## rockslinger (Nov 16, 2010)

Tentacle Toast said:


> Like Charles said, they don't need to protect from Armageddon, but should have somewhat of an impact resist; I use these...they're comfortable, effective, & not even that bad looking.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Where did you get those?


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## JetBlack (Mar 9, 2012)

I wont do anything without my safety glasses on. Ive had a cuff hit me in the eye while making a band set and someone I know had crazy glue get on their face where they rolled up the metal tube. anytime I pull out a knife(except for cooking at home) glasses on. I just like how it lowers the odds.


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## flipgun (Nov 14, 2012)

I recall a post by Dayhiker where he was stretching some loose tubes to check the pull. They got away from him and danged near took out his eye.


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## PorkChopSling (Jan 17, 2013)

I always have safety glasses on, lol, can't see without them.


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## leon13 (Oct 4, 2012)

PorkChopSling said:


> I always have safety glasses on, lol, can't see without them.


i chekt to get prescription ones ,need to play a bit lottoo,

na ! will let u know if i get prices naild

cheers


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## Tentacle Toast (Jan 17, 2013)

leon13 said:


> PorkChopSling said:
> 
> 
> > I always have safety glasses on, lol, can't see without them.
> ...


I went on a family vacation some years ago...remembered my slings & ammo, but neglected me safety specs. My grandfather, in his infinite wisdom, purchased for him & my grandma sunglasses that were made to fit over prescription glasses, & even had the foresight to buy an extra pair "just in case". Though tinted, & obviously with a more prominent profile, they were effective. I'm sure such creatures are still extant....I'm at my house now, & that pair is at my apartment; I'll post a pic when I stop over there later so you can see what I mean. I swear I still see them at drug stores...


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## NaturalFork (Jan 21, 2010)

I never wear safety glasses. And I know I should. Going to order a pair tonight.


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## PorkChopSling (Jan 17, 2013)

Tentacle Toast said:


> leon13 said:
> 
> 
> > PorkChopSling said:
> ...


Lol, I have a pair of those too, blue blockers, for when I forget my prescription sunglasses ????


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## treefork (Feb 1, 2010)

http://slingshotforum.com/topic/19873-a-little-safety-tip/

http://slingshotforum.com/topic/1226-im-shocked-safety-glasses-are-useless/

http://slingshotforum.com/topic/752-wear-safety-glasses-always-heres-why/


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## Tube_Shooter (Dec 8, 2012)

JoergS test is flawed here's why there's a big difference to cheap safety glasses and ballistic grade safety glasses. Cheap ones were designed mainly for grinding metal working pieces and using electric sanding tools meant to stop very small particles not designed to stop lager projectiles still I'm pretty sure they would protect you from a band coming back at you. Beware of cheap safety glasses that have no test coding on the frame and buy the best you can afford with the highest impact coding,cheap is not always the best way to go when its your eyes at stake.


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## AmmoMike (Dec 31, 2013)

Burnt my eyes welding one time(very young&dumb)because i didn't wear proper eye protection. Was blind for 2 days,and very lucky no permanent damage. Pls use proper eye protection at all times.


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## BeMahoney (Jan 26, 2014)

Just to be honest:

most of the safety gear nowadays looks just cool!- No matter if glasses, earcaps, boots

or clothing!- There´s no rational excuse for skipping the "reason part"..

Life´s a beach, and then you die!- That´s true!- But I like to waste my hearing with awesome

music.. And why not a beautiful woman to blind me? (Not speaking about the pointlessness

of driving a nail into my foot by not wearing appropriate boot...)

please let me say:

Be safe 

Be


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## Tentacle Toast (Jan 17, 2013)

BeMahoney said:


> Just to be honest:
> 
> most of the safety gear nowadays looks just cool!- No matter if glasses, earcaps, boots
> or clothing!- There´s no rational excuse for skipping the "reason part"..
> ...


LoL! Well said, Be! Well said....couldn't agree with you more...


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## Davidka (Jun 8, 2013)

Since yesterday i am wearing prescription glasses. At last - I can see the target! They are plastic frames and lenses - do you guys think they give any protection? And how about sun glasses? Are they good enough?


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## slinger16 (Nov 3, 2013)

Im guilty of not wearing them aswell. After reading this i think i should start practicing the habit as should everyone else


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## flipgun (Nov 14, 2012)

Since we are dealing with bands breaking and RTS more than ricochets to the eye, I think that the shooting glasses you get at most sports store are adequate. I have some that I got at Academy for $5.00 that fit over my glasses and have suffered through 22 casings bouncing off of them just fine. They are a lil' scratched from being thrown around my shop, So I might bust a few rounds at them to see what happens.


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## Imperial (Feb 9, 2011)

Davidka said:


> Since yesterday i am wearing prescription glasses. At last - I can see the target! They are plastic frames and lenses - do you guys think they give any protection? And how about sun glasses? Are they good enough?


if i were you, i'd try to find some that would go over them, wouldn't want to scratch or break my second set, or only useful set of eyes. even a full on face shield . any eye wear made out of glass, no !


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## JonM (Aug 17, 2013)

if they're polycarbonate lenses, they'll pass as safety glasses at the range, however it's best to wear something over them given the replacement costs.


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## raiderkilo (Feb 1, 2014)

Smith's Optic Boogie goggles


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## slinger16 (Nov 3, 2013)

When i was shooting the other day a steel ball actually richocheted past my head, lucky it wasnt a few inches closer


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## Lug (Nov 12, 2013)

A lot of the great (and therefore influential) slingshot shooters on YouTube don't wear safety glasses. To me, it's the personal equivalent of not putting your two kids in car seats.

My uncle had his left eye put out by a flying nail when he was working at a construction site when he was 18. When he got older, he used to take his glass eye out and show it to strangers.


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## Charles (Aug 26, 2010)

I too think Joerg's test is flawed. Your eye ball is somewhat elastic and will withstand a lot sharper blow without rupturing than your eye. Also, it looked to me like his Styrofoam head had the egg sticking out a lot further than your eyeball sticks out. And finally, your eye is surrounded by bony protrusions which help to keep flat materials (eye glass lenses) from compressing the eyeball very much. The Styrofoam is just not as rigid as bone.

I was out hunting with a friend, going through some heavy bush. He was in front, and I was coming along behind. A branch caught on his coat and snapped back at me, hitting me in the eye. I was wearing contact lenses. Visually I had a very large dark, distorted spot in my field of vision as a result of the impact. The doc said it was a vitreous detachment ... not a retinal detachment, which was a relief. Still, it took several months for the vitreous humor (stuff inside the eye) to go back to normal. That branch would have smashed an egg, no problem. Your eye is tougher than an egg, but it is still subject to pretty easy damage.

Having said all that, I do not mean to belittle the prospect for eye damage. Wear safety glasses, even when hunting ... please.

Cheers .... Charles


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## Sunchierefram (Nov 16, 2013)

What about a hard boiled egg with the shell off? It seems like it'd simulate an eye pretty well.


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## Charles (Aug 26, 2010)

Sunchierefram said:


> What about a hard boiled egg with the shell off? It seems like it'd simulate an eye pretty well.


The surface of a hard boiled egg is really fragile ... quite unlike an eye. To find a reasonable facsimile, go to your local abattoir and get a cow eye. You will find they are pretty tough.

Cheers ...... Charles


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## JUSTJOB (Dec 26, 2013)

Davidka,

Prescription eyeglasse lenses are only strong enough to be considered approved safety lenses if they are made of either Polycarbonate, or Trivex. If they are Plastic lenses, then no, they are not considered up to approved safety standards


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## Tube_Shooter (Dec 8, 2012)

Safety glasses don't have to be bullet proof just so long as they have a decent impact resistance they'll be find

Heck I could even make a pair from HDPE lids like this one I shot 200+ fps 15 feet away wearing this lid would save my eye,you can see it dented just of center........must practice more I was aiming dead center :rofl:


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## benzidrine (Oct 14, 2013)

Just want to point out that even finding a good facsimile of the eye itself it still wouldn't be a great test as the muscles around the eye serve like a trampoline to attempt to protect it from damage.

This is why people tend not to lose eyes from punches to the eye.

If trying to find a facsimile I would go for a 1mm thick rubber ball filled with a mixture of jelly and water. All jelly to represent a young eye and all water to represent an old eye.

For strength the safety glasses I prefer are the ones designed to go around glasses. They have a really thick frame of plastic which I feel would be most important for impact. I feel a slingshot impact is more likely to break the frame and push the lens out of the way upon impact with the eye area over going straight through the lens of your safety glasses.


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## Sunchierefram (Nov 16, 2013)

Tube_Shooter said:


> Safety glasses don't have to be bullet proof just so long as they have a decent impact resistance they'll be find
> 
> Heck I could even make a pair from HDPE lids like this one I shot 200+ fps 15 feet away wearing this lid would save my eye,you can see it dented just of center........must practice more I was aiming dead center :rofl:


Yeah, I've noticed that HDPE is one tough plastic. It's pretty hard to shoot through.


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## Peter Recuas (Mar 6, 2014)

I shoot from my chest the only place where I allow amo and eyes to converge is the target


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## Peter Recuas (Mar 6, 2014)

I shoot from my chest the only place where I allow amo and eyes to converge is the target


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## Rathunter (Feb 14, 2014)

BunnyBlaster said:


> i dont wear safety glasses but i tested a pair shot them point blank with slingshots and 400 fps airsoft guns and just tiny dents held up good


I don't bother with safety glasses with my higher-powered slingshots. I wear a full face mask.

all the ones I have tested just shatter when hit by an airgun pellet or BB or a .50 ball bearing(or even a 3/8ths).

I stick with a full face mask. Airsoft mask. It will stop a .50 ball bearing or pellet, although it generally cracks...

Still, a new polycarbonate plate is cheaper than new eyes.

Plus it is always available....


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## Pebble Shooter (Mar 29, 2014)

Safety glasses are a must, we only have one pair of eyes that do not take all that much force to suffer irreversible damage: *an air-soft gun pellet is sufficient!*. That potential is present every time we pull back the pouch for a shot: suddenly tearing flat bands or tubes, a projectile fork hit, projectile ricochet, or in the worst case scenario, a fork limb that breaks due to material weakness or excessive draw forces on a weak frame. The shooter does not have the slightest chance to move out of the way in the split second timing of such (unfortunate) events. Yet many slingshot users seen on YouTube do not seem to worry about such dangers, as they quite happily pull back the pouch with highly strung flat bands or tubes directly in line with their faces. Safety glasses, yes indeed, but the key factor is *impact resistance* - such as would be required while carrying out certain kinds of repair work on solid materials where fragments of variable sizes might be sent buzzing off at high velocities. Safety glasses should fit snugly, and above all, should not be pushed off the face by ruptured rubber bands or tubes or objects suddenly flung against them. Look for a quality product that has been officially tested or rated (e.g. *ANSI Z87.1-2010*) certified: I came across this site while looking up available products (just as an example):

http://www.elvex.com/high-impact-safety-glasses.htm

and

http://www.elvex.com/Facts-What-changes-in-ANSI-Z87.1-2010.htm

Whether safety glasses would also resist a larger section of a slingshot fork flung back at a significant speed should also be tested by someone with good engineering knowledge about the plastics used in such glasses. Besides the safety glasses themselves, it probably is a good idea to subject a new slingshot with bands or tubes to a thorough and extreme "stress test" prior to actually using it with one's face behind it - and to draw back the pouch of an older slingshot a couple of times before every shooting session to ensure that everything is still working properly. Being an organic material, older rubber tends to snap rather quickly and when you least expect it to, and that trusty multiplex or hardwood slingshot may not be as strong as it should be if it was subjected to extreme heat, cold, or very damp conditions for lengthy periods. As the old saying goes "better safe than sorry".


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## Underachiever (Oct 17, 2013)

I´m always wearing safety glasses because I´m a model for my nine year old son and because I´ll keep my eyelight for the next years!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=AEygb1qtl5o

This video I`ve embedded with permission from my Ammo-Dealer Kugel-Winnie.de


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## faca (Dec 24, 2009)

ALWAYS WEAR GLASSES


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## Adirondack Kyle (Aug 20, 2012)

Good point toast


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## Adirondack Kyle (Aug 20, 2012)

I just started wearing them, it's hard for me to tell my kids to wear them if I don't. 
Statistically speaking, one of us is bound to have some incident.


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## faca (Dec 24, 2009)

I can think to shot without glasses

Enviado desde mi VTR-L29 mediante Tapatalk


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## stevekt (Jul 3, 2012)

I always wear safety glasses when I am shooting. I wear them for slingshots, bows, crossbows, blowguns, and even for throwing boomerangs.

While we're discussing safety, wear a hat, use sunscreen, and drink plenty of water if you are going to be spending a lot of time outside shooting your slingshot this summer.

Happy shooting.


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## Jolly Roger (Aug 14, 2017)

How about wearing a glove to protect against hand hits?


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## Ordo (Feb 11, 2018)

Someone should warn Wignorant about this thread. He's shooting eye naked. Danger!


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