If you're a relatively new firearm owner who has started to visit a local gun range, there's a good chance that you've seen people wearing shooting glasses. While this accessory can vary somewhat in design, it commonly has colored lenses — with yellow being a very popular color. Shooting glasses aren't simply a fashion trend. If you don't have a pair, you'll want to make this purchase before your next shooting outing. Virtually every gun store will carry many pairs of shooting glasses, so you can look at what's available and find a style that will suit you. Here are some reasons that you should buy this accessory.

Eye Protection

Wearing a pair of shooting glasses when you're at the gun range can be instrumental in providing protection for your eyes. If you're using a firearm that ejects its spent casings from a port on the side of the gun, there's a chance that one of the casings could fly toward your face. Having a casing hit you in or around the eye could cause an injury, but you won't have to worry about this occurring when you're wearing shooting glasses. The durable lenses will easily deflect any casings that eject toward your face, keeping your eyes safe.

Sun Blockage

At outdoor ranges, you may deal with sunny conditions when you visit at certain times of the day. Instead of having to squint while the sun is bright — which could affect your ability to clearly see the target and potentially leave you with tired facial muscles at the end of a long period of shooting — you should wear shooting glasses. Their yellow lenses will lessen the harshness of the sun, but also not make the environment appear so dark that it's difficult for you to make out the target.

Improved Contrast

Another reason that you should don shooting glasses when you visit the gun range is that the yellow lenses can improve the contrast of colors that you see downrange. If you were to look toward the target without shooting glasses and then slip a pair of this eyewear on, you'd immediately be able to see a contrast difference. When you're working on your shooting accuracy, it's important to see the target and the area around it as clearly as possible, and shooting glasses can help in this regard. Visit a gun store in your area to buy a pair of shooting glasses.