By Steve Marchant 

There is an old baseball quote that goes: ‘You can’t hit what you can’t see’. Specifically, if the batter cannot see the pitch due to its speed or misleading nature, hitting the ball is almost impossible. 

The Tracer is supplied with a hard plastic case, yellow and clear interchangeable lenses, a microfibre cloth and a microfibre eyewear bag. 

This quote is also applicable to the shooting sports, so we shooters spend a great deal of time and money on ensuring our rifle scopes or gun sights produce the very best sight picture possible in all conditions. When it comes to shooting glasses, however, most of us look for the cheapest eye protection and don’t give it a second thought. But we won’t get maximum benefit from our chosen sighting systems looking through a wavy set of cheap, plastic safety glasses. And this is where Leupold’s Tracer Performance Eyewear line of shooting glasses comes in. 

Leupold Performance Eyewear range is designed, machined and assembled in the USA and currently includes nine models: Becnara, Bridger, Cheyenne, DeSoto, Katmai, Packout, Sentinel, Switchback and Tracer. Within this lineup, there are seven different frame colour options and nine different lens options available. Hunters, target shooters and outdoor enthusiasts are thus afforded a comprehensive range of high-quality shooting glasses engineered to enhance and protect visual acuity. 

The subject of this review is the Tracer model, which is available in a matte black or shadow tan frame. Four primary lens colours are offered, and either yellow and clear, or yellow and red interchangeable lenses are provided, depending on which sunglass lens is chosen. The review glasses have a matte black frame, and shadow grey, yellow and clear lens options. 

Upon opening the box, I was immediately taken with the quality of the protective packaging. The Tracer is supplied with a hard plastic case. The bottom half of the case contains precision cut foam protection, within which the glasses reside, inside a microfibre eyewear bag. The top half of the case contains the yellow and clear interchangeable lenses and a microfibre lens cleaning cloth. Lens Removal/Installation and ‘Quick Care Tips’ guides are also provided. For hunters and target shooters, the glasses case is outstanding, because it easily survives being packed into a backpack or range bag along with boxes of ammo and spare magazines, etc. 

Turning to the glasses themselves, the frame is made of resilient non-metal materials that will stand up to ballistic impacts, extreme stress, and harsh weather. The frame is also designed to reduce glare and distortion, which is crucial for optimal performance. 

Speaking of performance, ballistic protection is the primary purpose of shooting glasses, and all Leupold Performance Eyewear lenses meet or exceed American National Standards Institute (ANSI) high velocity impact standards. Tracer lenses also have a wrap-around design, which protects against side as well as frontal impacts. 

Leupold Performance Eyewear features optically decentred lenses – each lens is designed and machined to fit within its frame, so the clearest part of the lens is positioned directly in front of the wearer’s eye, eliminating distortion and maximising clarity. The lenses are also treated with Leupold’s proprietary lens coatings: DiamondCoat, a hardened surface coating that exceeds military standards for scratch resistance; and Guard-ion, a hydrophobic coating that is ionically bombarded to the molecular structure of the lens. Guard-ion is permanent, and effectively removes water, dirt, fingerprints and oils from the lens for a maintenance-free, clear, crisp image. Lastly, the lenses provide 100 per cent UVA and UVB ray protection. This is a vital feature for Australian outdoor enthusiasts, particularly in Queensland, where the UV index ranges from high to extreme. 

Testing the performance of Leupold’s Tracer shooting glasses simply amounted to wearing them. So, for two weeks the Tracer replaced my tried-and-trusted Ray Ban sunglasses, and I must say that I was very impressed with their performance. 

The extreme light weight of the Tracer, combined with Leupold’s no-slip, soft-touch rubber nose bridge pads, make them so comfortable to wear that you quickly forget you have them on. 

In terms of optical performance, the Tracer’s field of vision is excellent, and the optical clarity of the lenses is superb, with no distortion of the target or what’s around you. Here in North Queensland, glare is particularly problematic, even in winter, but the Tracer was just as effective in handling the glare as my Ray Bans. Indeed, I could not detect any difference between the optical quality of the Tracer and that of my Ray Bans. This was remarkable, as the Ray Bans cost about the same as the Tracer, but they are not ballistically rated, nor did they come with two other sets of interchangeable lenses and a hard protective case. 

For optical quality, and comfort with or without earmuffs, the author found the Leupold Tracer to be the best shooting glasses he has used.  

I have used yellow tinted, dedicated shooting glasses, i.e. not safety glasses, for a couple of decades, but these cannot match the Tracer, with respect to the clarity of the pistol sights, target and surrounding environment, and their comfort with or without earmuffs. Interchanging the lenses on the Tracers is quickly and easily accomplished, as per the simple instructions in the Lens Removal/Installation guide. 

In conclusion, the Leupold Tracer shooting glasses are an excellent choice for anyone who shoots regularly. Flexible, durable and ultralight, the Tracers are designed to withstand the demands of shooting but are nonetheless supremely comfortable for long hours in the field or at the range. Their easily interchangeable, shatterproof lenses will stand up to ballistic impacts and maintain maximum protection in all light conditions. And their protective coatings will resist scratches, water, dirt and oil to maintain Leupold’s unmatched clarity, which is the piece de resistance of the Leupold Performance Optics range. Leupold Performance Eyewear also comes with their famous lifetime guarantee: Leupold will repair or replace the product free of charge if it is found to be defective.  

The recommended retail price for the Leupold Tracer Shooting Glasses, as reviewed, is between $255-$329. For a premium eyewear product, designed specifically for shooters, and with a lifetime guarantee, it’s easy to see this is exceptional value in terms of price-performance ratio.