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Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 380 Location: Northeast Ohio

Well, I have gone and made a costly mistake and lost my trusty old Hy-wyd RX shooting glasses which have served me well. Just got a new RX set of lens' a few years ago too. Bummer. I have never had any other frames than Hy-Wyd Classics for many, many years and was quite pleased with them.

I have a pretty slight RX so I can still shoot while shopping (I have a built in excuse now!). But, I'll likely have to shop on line, sight unseen (pun intended!) as there is nowhere to shop close to home where I can actually try something on. I'm tempted to just get Decot again because they were fine and I'll know what I'm getting, but since I got my original frames many years ago, I thought I'd ask around and see if their is anything new out which might be better or as good as the Decots.

I'm a bit put off by the price of the Decots compared to some others, but I know you get what you pay for and maybe I won't lose the next pair! I see a few guys with Randolphs and ESS but have not tried them on. They are cheaper than the Decots I think but are they as good?

Any reccomendations or suggestions on any brand and where to get them at a fair price would be appreciated.

Thanks.

Member Joined: 28 Oct 2005 Posts: 665 Location: Louisiana

grouse gunner: why 'fix' something that wasn't broken?

Ron

Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 380 Location: Northeast Ohio

Woodcock,
Thanks for the reply. I had that exact same thought, but I just thought I'd see if anything new or better came up since I bought the Decots so long ago. I like going with a proven thing too, but I'm just upset with myself for losing them. Especially since I recently paid for a repair and RX lenses. They are not cheap to replace and as I recall, the Randolphs appear to be very similar and quite a bit cheaper I think. I see a few guys wearing those but I've never tried them, as I just yesterday discovered that my Decots were long gone.

I'll be happy with Decots again if no better option surfaces. Just thought I'd see what others here may be happy with. One never needs any distraction in the back of the mind when shooting. Getting what I'm familiar with surely can't hurt and will give me one less thing to think about other than the next target.

Anybody have a pair of standard size Decot frames they want to sell if you indeed have happened upon something else to use and you can be shed of your Decots?

Thanks again for the reply and advice.

Member Joined: 28 Oct 2005 Posts: 665 Location: Louisiana

I didn't mean to be to abrupt although after I looked at my post I decided I had been. Embarassed

As a sometime user of the Decots I can hardly imagine a better product AND as a person who has, from time to time,'fixed' things unecessarily I've tried to lean my lesson.
I've never been happy with what appeared to be 'knock offs' and, where eyes are concerned, it's one pair per customer................

Ron

Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 380 Location: Northeast Ohio

Woodcock,

I took absolutely no offense at your post...no need at all to apoligize. I did not find it abrupt. Unlike my wordy style, your post was right to the point. Thoughtful and helpful too. It was appreciated.

Thanks again.

Hi Bubba,

Next time at Greenville ask me about my Rudolph Rangers. I'll be happy to show them to you. Morgan Optical has offered me some great advise and service, hence I am very pleased with them. You also have my email. Let me know if I can help.

By the way, some great advice Morgan Optical gave me was to buy my RX lenses in clear, then purchase their optically ground clip ons in the various tints I wanted. That way when I buy new RX lenses, I am only buying one set of them instead of two or three in various tints. I was concerned about the quality of vision with these clip ons, which turned out to be a non-issue. I'll show them to you next time I see you at the club.

Regards,
Warren, aka "Grousen"

P.S. Nice job winning the pump class of our Vintage Shoot this year. After winning the whole thing last year you are probably getting bored thumping our butts out there. Atta boy.

Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 380 Location: Northeast Ohio

Grousen,

Thanks for the tip. I'll take you up on your offer. I hope to get to Greenville soon and of course Crooked Creek would even be better since it's so much closer.

Please check your pm.

Thanks again.

Member Joined: 25 Jun 2008 Posts: 1863 Location: Wisconsin

The only thing I have heard over the years is that glass lenses should be avoided because they are more likely to shatter. When I shoot with others or on the range, I make sure I use polycarbonate lenses which will scratch and deflect. I've been interested in trading up to a better design of shooting glasses, but I am waiting to fix the gun-fit confidence problem before I spend a nickle on anything else. Still loving the sixteen, though!

Reno

Member Joined: 02 Feb 2007 Posts: 371 Location: mpls mn

I just got a pair of hidefspex sebrings and they are a total piece of shit and i would recommend not purchasing them. I have used them twice
Here is why they suck
-They are very expensive three rx lens $850 way over price for what you get

-They are fully adjustable with a spring loaded ball that fits into a hole that is suppose to lock in place. well that has already broken on the nose piece so the nose piece is at the lowest postion.
The ear pieces are the same pretty shitty design

-The lens are held in place by a stud type arrangement (rather than a notch like the rangers or decots) that has already pulled out its small like a watch screw good luck finding it when it lands in the grass at the gun club

-The frames are really heavy

- They took a little more than a month to get after I paid for them

Member Joined: 31 Oct 2005 Posts: 446 Location: Wisconsin

As a long time wearer of shooting glasses, I have a number of early pairs of B&L glass with Transition tints. Heavy, uncomfortable after afew hours but they get the job done. With the plastic eating insect protection, I wear them when hunting using insect protection. A few years ago I encountered Alan Lehman of Lehman Optical http://lehmanoptical.net/ at the Wisconsin State Trap Shoot. Alan travels in a trailer to many State trap shoots and custom fits Rx shooting glasses. He fitted me with a Titanium framed polycarbonate pair, Transition Tint and bifoculs. Light, one can wear them all day long and indeed, they are now the only Rx glasses I wear for everything now. Even the cable temples are comfortable. Alan knows Target Tints but for hunting I prefer Transition and no false colcors. I will see him this Thursday to get another pair with Transition new Driving Tint with Polarization. I don't know of anyone that does a better job or provides a better product.
BTW I have found an insect repellant with Piricardin that does not eat plastic.-Dick

Joined: 25 Jun 2006 Posts: 79 Location: SE Pa

Joined: 21 Jan 2006 Posts: 166

I bought a set of Rangler XLWs this year. I had the opportunity to try on a few sets of Oakleys and HiDefs before going with the Rangers. It was a mix of priorities based on cost, lens color, comfort, etc. I liked the Rangers because I really did like the CMT lenses, and they were considerably cheaper then HiDefs.

So far they've worked out just fine. Lenses stay tight in the frames using the "notches". I picked CMT, purple, and orange and they seem to work out fine for any light/background situation I've run across. I love the CMT, but for me it is truly a bright sunshine lens...on a slightly overcast day I have a heck of a time seeing orange dome against green with the CMTs. I got the wrap around temple design which is great for keeping the glasses secure when I'm sweaty. Most importantly, even though the XLWs are a "wrap around" design which I prefer, they do NOT fog up on hot muggy days. This is very important as I'd had considerable issues with fogging with my other glasses.

Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 380 Location: Northeast Ohio

Thanks for all of the helpful replies.

I've narrowed it down to Randolph rangers and Classic regular Decots. I don't think it matters much between the two.

Some folks say the Rangers have frame metal that holds it's shape longer, thus doing a better job of keeping the lenses from falling out but are a little heavier. I've also heard opinions that the Decots have better frame welds around the nose piece so they are more adjustable and less likely to break there. I'm getting differing opinions on polycarbonate lens material versus plastic. I've been told the standard Decot (plastic) gives better optics but the Ranger (polycarb) give better protection and good enough optics.

Color is not an issue. I'm going with what I've used forever, clear or very light gold. I use it in all conditions.

My Decots did have the lens fall out a time or two while cleaning or handling but that may have been operator error. They were 15 years old. One lens cracked at the notch by the nose piece but they were still usable. Again, operator error? Lastly, the lenses were gettin a little scratched, but they were 6 years old and perhaps I was to blame there, possibly handling them too roughly or just normal wear and tear.

The Hidefspecs were out of my price range anyway, but it sure is helpful to hear your opinions about them. I might have considered them in the future but will avioid them now.

So... any thoughts about Rangers vs. Decot classics without the hi-lo bridge? It's one or the other. I won't obsess over this but would appreciate your opinions and experiences.

I'm living proof that the nut behind the gun is more important than which frame one is wearing anyway. I was forced to wear my street glasses with a very small, low riding, more prone to fogging frame, and ran my first skeet 50 in many, many years the other day! I got mad after psyching myself into two mediocre rounds and decided to just concentrate on keeping my gourd on the stock and staring at the target, and the next two rounds were straight...street glasses and all. 25's are very infrequent for me. So...whichever glasses I buy, I'll forget about them once there on my face and try to just concentrate on the birds.

Thanks again.

Joined: 07 Apr 2008 Posts: 20 Location: Chesapeake Bay, MD

I've never looked back to the other types of shooting glasses since the first round down range wearing my Wiley's.
http://www.opticsplanet.net/wiley-x-romer-ii-rx-prescription-sunglasses-goggles.html

In a word, phenomenal.