How often do you get your hearing checked? I shoot a lot, and work checked us every six months. I always wore quality muffs, and earplugs when I thought I needed them.

My hearing is still very good as a result of that.

Good Electronic noise-limiting Headphones are not cheap, but neither is your hearing.

Home Depot is having a sale on the Ryobi TEK4 line up of rechargables.

That includes their Smart Headphones. They are rechargable, come with a charger, are iPod and MP3 compatible, noise reducing and voice amplification technology. NRR rating is 25dB.

Normally $70.oo plus sales tax, Home Depot has them on sale this weekend for $49.95.

Just a thought for those of you who do not yet have "Huh?" as a routine part of your vocabulary.

Rich

I wear my ear muffs when running any power equipment: lawn mower, string trimmer, circular saw, leaf blower, doesn't matter how much or little...even just to blow off the patio the muffs go on first!

Nine years in and out of air handler rooms lead to a loss and I'm going to protect what's left!

quote:

are iPod and MP3 compatible

Rich, I know you'd be lost without your iPod and MP3 player going!!!

walker game ears have a new pair of plain ear muffs out they call the bone collector $12 at natchezz. advertise 32 db reduction. i bought a couple pair & they are pretty good

I had to read the box to be able to SPELL iPod and MP3. That end of the deal is Mamma's domain.

Rich

I use ear plugs from work inside a set of cheap shooting ear muffs. The double hearing protection really makes a world of difference and makes the shooting a lot more pleasent and no flinching.

My hearing is still excellent except when the girlfriend is talking.

Rich; I bought a set of the el cheapo electronic Caldwells from Midway a couple years back. They sent a monthly sale flier and had them for some ridiculus amount 14.95(reg 49.00) or something, so what the hay. If these are poor quality I'd like to try some high quality, they work wonderfully. Infact they work so well I hardly ever get to wear them, you gotta be real fast around wife and girls!

I have range commands and time limits on my iPod. Works great to run practice matches.

In the early 60's I worked at a skeet/trap range for 3 years wore Sonic ear valves. suffered big time HF hearing loss. Spent 20 years in the Army and suffered severe hearing loss. Now wear custom moulded ear plugs, muffs and filters for my spectales. Still have ringing in ears 24 -7.

Good advice, being half deaf is not funny
But no regrets as I had a lot of interesting times getting this way!

I work at a range in the air force we must wear dual muffs and earplugs we use the peltors with a two way radio in them. been doing it for 8 years with out any hearing loss untill this last year been teaching the 107 even with dual protection its loud.

My hearing is terrible, I wear hearing aids and have been for the last 12 years. I had a doctor tell me that the 357 mag is the worst gun for hearing damage. He said that even with plugs and muffs that the sound wave travels through your skull. He sounded a little full of crap as I have fired maybe less than 200 rds of 357 in my life and that is what he attributed the majority of my hearing loss to. I did a lot of shooting without hearing protection in my youth, Mostly 22 rifle and work as an auto mechanic. I rely heavily on my hearing aids now. It sucks.

My hearing is OK as long as I ignore the ringing. I know...not funny but what's is done is done... Too many years playing near 100W MArshalls, Mesa-Boogies, Metaltronix, Fenders etc...

My typical deal is a pair of foams then my Peltor shotgun cups on top of that. I have also been known to put my iPod headphones in and then the Peltors. Nothing drowns out a gun-blast like Iron Maiden.

Spend the dough for a custom poured set and thank me later

Make sure to get new ones every 3-4 years, which reminds me...

quote:

Spend the dough for a custom poured set and thank me later

Make sure to get new ones every 3-4 years, which reminds me...

Speak up sonny, cain't hear you...

After 60...almost 70...years as an active shooter, I have severe high frequency hearing loss.

That brings me to a comment about ear muffs in general. I always felt safe wearing my Peltor Tac7s and ear plugs. But it turns out they weren't good enough and my hearing wasn't safe.

Many conversations with audiologists have turned out essentially all the same...hearing protection of 25 or 26 db is NOT enough for shooters who shoot regularly and/or often, especially if they shoot high velocity centerfire rifles, or if they shoot pistols at enclosed ranges. The audiologists say 30 db is the floor level for good hearing protection, and 32 db is desirable.

Ear muffs of those levels aren't common, and are rather pricey, but these days I'd say they're worth it.

I'm a young man of only 35 years. Worked on the farm and shot as far back as I can remember. I really wish that hearing protection would have been preached/practiced more when I was younger. My hearing is not what a 35 year old should have. Now anytime I'm near a loud environment i.e. work, mowing, running farm machinery, shooting, on and on I wear muffs. I make damn sure that my kids do the same, hopefully it will save them the troubles I have.

Lost my hearing in the Army. The audiologist had a heart attack when I first went for a hearing test for diving until I told him I know.

.

How much does wearing both foam plugs and ear muffs help? If the plugs have a rating of NRR 15db and muffs have a NRR 25db then would wearing both total NRR 40db or is there a lessening of returns?

What........? Somebody say something?

I haven't seen figures quoted but I do know that the additional protection provided by wearing plugs and muffs is significantly more than wearing either one by itself.

Well maybe one of you guys can be the guinea pig here and post the results on how this works:

http://www.returninghope.com/s...or-hearing-loss.html

My hearing is great except for all those voices...

Wear ESP's and love em.

After 47 years of shooting, stints working in high noise environements, and doing my part in the USMC... I too have severe high frequency hearing loss and a very loud/constant ringing in my ears.

I recently bought a pair of high-end custom fitted ESPs and havent looked back. My only regret? #1) I didn't buy them sooner and #2 I didn't take better care of my hearing when younger.

quote:

Originally posted by Idaho Sharpshooter:
How often do you get your hearing checked? I shoot a lot, and work checked us every six months. I always wore quality muffs, and earplugs when I thought I needed them.

My hearing is still very good as a result of that.

Good Electronic noise-limiting Headphones are not cheap, but neither is your hearing.

Home Depot is having a sale on the Ryobi TEK4 line up of rechargables.

That includes their Smart Headphones. They are rechargable, come with a charger, are iPod and MP3 compatible, noise reducing and voice amplification technology. NRR rating is 25dB.

Normally $70.oo plus sales tax, Home Depot has them on sale this weekend for $49.95.

Just a thought for those of you who do not yet have "Huh?" as a routine part of your vocabulary.

Rich

What, no Bluetooth?

Protect your hearing the best you can, once you've lost some, its not coming back.

Wore hearing protection all my life, still lost some. Audiologist said the worse things for losing hearing are chain saws and diesel engines over extended period of time.

When I was in a tractor cab, ear plugs with ear muffs, falling timber had expandable ear plugs in. Still lost part of my hearing and hearing aids don't help. $5000 pair at that with four channels!!

The "huh" doesn't bother me as much as the not making out what you are saying, especially if the words spoken have "rhyming" words! I can't make out weather one is saying cat,rat,hat,that etc. Numbers even get funner!!

I know your talking to me, just can't make out the words and raising ones voice only makes it worse.

I don't know what I could have done to change what happened, but Life happens and you go on with it the best you can.

So if your young, do your best to protect what you have in the hearing department.

Well I'm now at a 60% hearing loss. Even though I used good protection at the range no so much hunting.

I hate a muff because with my lose I can't hearing anything. I had a set of molded protectors I bought from hogkiller. Work as an analog hearing aid but shut down with the shot. At the range I often place muffs over that.

But now that he is gone and my current units are analog need to think digital.

Anyone recommend a molded unit with digital hearing aid built in???

The owner of the shooting range I frequent has never worn any hearing protection.At least I have never seen him wear any for the 20+ yrs I have going to his range.He has no problem hearing.I never suspected for once that he had the slightest problem hearing when I talked to him-so go figure.

What custom fitted ear protection are the best and what is the cost?

I have 3 different types of custom moulded ear plugs and have not noticed any difference. I found mine on EBay and paid around $12 for them. They have lasted several years now. I shoot skeet so I can't really use ear muffs, and ear plugs just don't provide the same protection. The ones I have used are all basically the same: mix up two different materials (kind of like epoxy) stick it in your ear, don't move, and let it harden, then do the other ear. 10 minute process max. The technology is widely available.
Peter

It has always been my contention that one develops a "flinch" from the noise moreso than from the recoil.

Real rompem stompem calibers excluded.

I've worn hearing protection (silicone plugs and/or muffs) since I was 16. What got me was rock music and a 30 year career driving 6 hrs a day. Tire noise can get you. I find the plugs are the best. At work I test fire 12-14 guns a day, 2 rounds each. I had to use muffs one day and got my ears rung good. No issue with plugs. I've now got backups stashed everywhere. Fastenal carries a good brand of tethered silicone plugs for like a buck apiece. I use those also when I do nuclear plant work. It gets real loud when you are hitting a cast steel valve housing with a 5 lb sledge breaking clamp rings and nuts.

Like all my old friends, old school and deaf! When I was El Paso City policeman and shortly thereafter a Deputy Sheriff we only use fired .38 spec. cases in our ears, Later as a customs Agent, then a DEA agent we use protection but too little too late. Then hunting world wide and DG, I wouldn't use hearing and still won't..but Ive paid the price..but I can live with it no since crying over spilt milk, but many of you today can prevent that..

As I have said before;someday you might want to hear your grandkids voices.

huh! they talk??

Only took one afternoon with a .22 Ruger Bearcat to make me understand how important ear plugs truly are.

The hard thing is while hunting. I don't use them then. I would miss too much.

But I have come to realize that I have fired many hundreds of rounds while hunting.

Those count, too.

Funny, Ray. Sometimes you wish they wouldn't. Mike, just like recoil; in hunting, it's not felt any more than the discharge noise is. Doesn't mean it's not there, you just don't notice it.

quote:

Originally posted by NormanConquest:
Mike, just like recoil; in hunting, it's not felt any more than the discharge noise is. Doesn't mean it's not there, you just don't notice it.

What?

Huh?

Those have become my answers to too many things other people say, whether to me, or anyone else.

I'm reminded of the words in the Jimmy Buffet song, "He went to Paris",
Now he lives in the islands,
Fishes the pilings,
and drinks his green label each day,
He's writing his memoirs, losing his hearing
But he don't care what most people say.

quote:

What?

Huh?

Those have become my answers to too many things other people say, whether to me, or anyone else.

Join the club!