Clear case for glasses

Is expensive eyewear a waste of money or should we all invest in the best, asks Simon Reinhold

- Simon Reinhold

We all know the type: he usually shoots a Perazzi or a Krieghoff and unfailingly has a pair of those ludicrously expensive coloured sunglasses on his head. Those of us who’ve been around long enough will note that such eyewear is a relatively new addition to the flash shooter’s wardrobe. In one way, their ubiquity has come about because ‘safety glasses’ are now mandatory on clay grounds.

I can hear some of you scoffing but a shard of clay to the eye really leaves you missing many more birds than you already do. But a pair of those clear plastic numbers that used to be handed round in chemistry lessons before you fired up the Bunsen burners would perhaps serve the purpose. So why do people spend three days’ wages on purple Pilla jobs and could they improve your game shooting, or is this recent trend merely an example of competitive spending?

I spoke to Ed Lyons, widely regarded as the specialist vision consultant for shooting sports, for some insight into what represents sensible options for game shooters. The thinking, he explained, is that glasses can make a target — be it a clay or a snipe — stand out against a background. As we all know, the clearer the target, the more we focus on it and the better our shooting will be.

Colour

Glasses are now almost universally worn on grouse moors but one of the many choices grouse shooters face is what’s the best colour to pick out heather-coloured birds against a heather-covered hillside? I’ve always wondered if there were recommended colours for different situations — blue sky or overcast — or if it is purely personal preference.