I wish I had picked up a pair of Hunters HD Gold a lot sooner than I did. We’ve all heard one of our shooting buddies tell us that if we just buy a specific product, it’ll change our world. And how often do we listen to them? Rarely.
I never thought much of shooting eye protection. I always just bought safety glasses or whatever was cheapest at Academy or on Amazon. While I can miss all on my own without anybody’s help, I certainly wasn’t doing myself any favors in finding the best pair of shooting glasses to see targets.
That was an eye-opening experience…
At this point in my competitive shooting career, I hadn’t yet heard of Hunters HD Gold. I live in a heavy military community, and all the rage was Oakley Standard Issue glasses. While these aren’t cheap for civilians, they require two pairs – one dark-tinted for daytime shooting and a clear pair for overcast and low light conditions. I just purchased the one tinted pair, and while I enjoyed them for a little while, their lenses were not that scratch-resistant.
I moved on to using Wiley-X shooting glasses next. They have a changeable series that allows you to swap out lenses based on the amount of light you’re shooting in. You pay for what you get with these, and it’s not much.
In May of 2019, I met the President of Hunters HD Gold, Brian Conley, in an NROI class. Brian is known for doing demo days and having all of the Hunters HD Gold glasses out for shooters to try at matches he attends with the Magical Mystery Tour. This wasn’t a match weekend, so I didn’t know anything about the glasses nor who Brian was. It took until November of 2019 to try my first pair of Hunters HD Gold, and after that, I’ll never look back.
I was a competitor and an RO for the back-to-back USPSA Nationals in Frostproof for the single stack, L10, production, and revolver divisions. Brian was set up, and I hadn’t seen him since the RO class, but I heard more about Hunters HD Gold since then. Brian had me demo a pair of glasses, and let me tell you, life changed. I finished the day out and realized I hadn’t squinted once, forgot I was wearing eye protection, experienced zero fog in the Florida humidity, and I could see targets clearer than I’ve ever been able to before. As an RO, eyesight and being able to read targets is everything. I’ve never worn glasses or contacts, but I compare this experience to putting on your first pair of prescription glasses to see clearly again.
If you’ve never heard of or demoed a pair of Hunters HD Gold, it’s hard to understand why they’re so effective. They’re made with transition lenses, so they change based on the amount of sunlight, eliminating the need for two or even three pairs of shooting glasses.
“But they’re so yellow!” I’ve heard this a lot. Without knowing the exact scientific explanation, when you first put on the glasses, your eyes have an adjustment period where they get used to the yellow tint, and your view becomes clearer. The yellow tint also allows shooters to see better in low light conditions such as early morning, after sunset, and even while driving. If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you may have seen my growth in long-range rifle shooting. I used to be terrible, and one of the reasons was being able to pick up targets with sub-par eye protection. The yellow in Hunters HD Gold lenses allow me to pick up steel targets more effortless than ever.
At the end of day one, I immediately went up to Brian, asking to buy a pair right then and there. He insisted I keep using the demo pair over the weekend, and I said, “No, by tomorrow, these should be sold out; they’re so incredible. I’ll take them right now, so I don’t miss out on these.” Verbatim. He laughed and got to work packing up my first pair of Hunters HD Gold, and I never even asked how much they cost. Excellent, high-quality products, made in the USA, and backed by excellent customer service, are darn near impossible to find. Price should NEVER matter when it comes to your eyes, ears, or any protection that could save your life, hearing, vision, or anything else you care about.
The game-changer is that you can now upgrade your favorite frames and replace the lenses with Hunters HD Gold. If you need prescription lenses, they do that too.
AND, as a Second Amendment enthusiast and competitive shooter, I try to support as many companies supporting our industry. Hunters HD Gold has been a sponsor of what feels like every match on the planet. Brian demos his glasses all over the country, steps in as an RO when needed, helps reset stages, and does whatever he can for the shooters, hunters, archery shooters, and athletes of this world.
If you ever take one of my CCW classes, see me at a shooting competition, or go to the range with me, I have demo pairs of Hunters HD Gold and would be happy to answer any questions you may have! Just ask!
P.S. Every pair of Hunters HD Gold comes with Z-Clear Anti-Fog Paste, the only product you’ll ever need to fight fog again.
Apply a small amount with your finger to both sides of each lens. Let it COMPLETELY dry on the lenses (similar to wax on paint), and wipe it off with a microfiber or cotton cloth. Use the product every morning before a shooting event.
