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| One of Us |
I went to the audiologist yesterday, concerned that after even just one shot while hunting (without ear protection, of course) I have significant hearing loss in my left ear for hours afterward. Good news is that my hearing is well within normal range, but they did say that the temporary hearing loss is something that will get worse with age. My question to you all is whether any of you use electronic hearing protection while hunting (or shooting at the range), and if so, what you use. I have seen various devices in catalogues that purport to allow normal hearing of lower-decibel sounds but which block out the worst effects of a gunshot. None is cheap and some are hugely expensive. I'm very reluctant to drop several hundred bucks on something that isn't likely to work. | ||
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One of Us |
I would suggest the regular gel plugs you can get from any sporting goods store. I dropped 1100.00 on sport ear 2 years ago and wish everyday since I could get my money back! NRA Life Member DSC Life Member Government exists to protect us from each other. Where government has gone beyond its limits is in deciding to protect us from ourselves. Ronald Reagan | |||
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one of us |
I never shoot on the range without hearing protection and when I'm shooting varmints or stand hunting birds, I wear them also. The only time that I'm not using hearing protection is while hunting big game. I use the foam plugs on the shotgun fields and a set of electronic muffs from Caldwell or Peltor for rifle shooting. If nothing else put a plug in your left ear as that is the one pointed toward the muzzle when you shoot (for right handed people). Frank "I don't know what there is about buffalo that frightens me so.....He looks like he hates you personally. He looks like you owe him money." - Robert Ruark, Horn of the Hunter, 1953 NRA Life, SAF Life, CRPA Life, DRSS lite | |||
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I always used muffs at the range. But never hunting. Now that I have lost about 60% in my left and 40% in the right I use ESP electronic for both hunting and shooting. As usual just my $.02 Paul K | |||
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One of Us |
Though not a big bore I do hunt with a 338-378 with muzzle brake. I use a pair of electronic muffs from Peltor when hunting. Not the most expensive and there are others out there that are better but they certainly work. I can hear what's going on around me very well and it reduces the blast noise quite well. Certainly enough for those one or two shots. I prefer my regular muffs at the range as they are a 30db set compared to the 23db from the electronic muffs. Some of the other electronic muffs out there decrease more then 23db though they are more expensive. Ken.... "The trouble with our liberal friends is not that they are ignorant, but that they know so much that isn't so. " - Ronald Reagan | |||
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| One of Us |
I've hunted alot since I was 7. My father and I used to stop shooting when we had too many birds to admit to here(old days) and we never used protection while hunting. Dad now has SIGNIFICANT hearing loss. I now always use protection whether hunting, at the range or dog training! The electronic muffs are great for hunting but do NOT provide sufficient noise reduction for range work. They also pick up alot of excess noise if it's windy. I also have tried the ones that have a sound chamber built in for hunting. They work okay and are much cooler and lighter than the muffs. Also cheaper at $20 bucks! | |||
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| One of Us |
Thanks for the responses thus far. If you don't mind, could you tell me what make and model you use? Thanks! | |||
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| One of Us |
I use ESP's digital product. Hogkiller here sells them. Work well for shooting and hunting. Only problem I have is feeling like ears are plugged when wearing them all day. "shoot quick but take your time" | |||
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| one of us |
I use ear muffs. They cut the noise down to about 50 desables. Hunting I use ear plugs they are attached to a plastic band that goes on to your head like ear muffs. I would say they cut the noise down to about 70 desables witch is better then nothing. | |||
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| one of us |
I use ESP older analog. Allows me to hear normal conversation but handles the blast even at the range using bigbores. I first tried the $1800 sport ear. They wouldn't handle the range work. Way to much sond got through. Since them back within the 30day trial. The $6-700ESP shut down quickly. Don't know if the digital would have been better but the analog works great for the $$. As usual just my $.02 Paul K | |||
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| One of Us |
My family uses the Peltor 6S, which is slim enough to not interfere with the gunstock, fits over ballcaps or under stocking caps, and collapses into a softball-sized package when not in use. | |||
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| One of Us |
I use EAR digital while hunting. WAY more than several hundred dollars. They are tuned to your hearing test and work great. They do make your own voice sound funny and amplify walking over dry leaves. They are almost a hearing aid. I love them. ............................................. | |||
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| One of Us |
what speak up I cant hear you (: (: (: | |||
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I always use earplugs and headphones PELTOR President. We must look after our health. Oscar. I am Spanish My forum:www.armaslargasdecaza.com | |||
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| One of Us |
I pointed out, I use hearing protectors when shooting, I do not use hearing protection when I hunt and that is a mistake. I know. Maybe I start to use earplugs when I hunt. It is good advice. Greetings, Oscar. I am Spanish My forum:www.armaslargasdecaza.com | |||
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| One of Us |
I tie the cheap disposable ear plugs (the one with a string) around my binos when I’m hunting with my 300 WM (it’s ported). It’s the only gun I own with a break on it. Every else (from my 22 to my 375) I don’t worry about. Its only the ones with muzzle breaks that will make you go deaf. That’s if you’re only shooting 1-3 rounds. If you tie the disposable plugs around your binos or to your jacket, they're pretty easy to put in time. If you jump something, you wont have time! | |||
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| One of Us |
I'm in my 60s. When I was in my 30s one day I took a .50 muzzleloader out to the farm, loaded it up and fired it without any hearing protection (forgot to take the muffs with me). On the first shot I felt a sensation I'd never experienced before. Hard to describe but like a deep roar that penetrated the whole head. Then I stupidly did it again and it hurt this time. So I quit. Next morning I heard a buzzing/ringing/hissing sound. I thought it was something electronic and turned the whole place upside down trying to find the source, then eventually figured out the source was me. It has a name, and the whole thing was explained by a doctor. Anyway, I avoided loud noises of all kinds for several months and it eventually went away so I thought it was over for good. Big mistake. One day I then fired a shotgun and it immediately returned and I've had it since. When aggravated noises occur I get pretty bad sound distortions and immediate extreme pain in the ears and the buzzing has long since become 24/7 permanent. I could well imagine with people who tend to worry about themselves a lot, it could be a real distraction and serious issue. DON'T do any more shooting without REALLY GOOD hearing protection. That goes for the lightest .22s on up. Block out as much gun noise as possible. I tried all sorts of things then finally settled on two solutions. The guys at the trap range all use the solid custom ear plugs that are molded to fit just you. There's a soft stuff they put in your ears and you wait a few minutes for it to harden. I did the left in flesh colored and the right in orange to help me know which from which quicker. They are solid and block out enough sound so that it does affect your hearing conversations, but you can get by. I use them for all rifle and shotgun in the field. For really loud shooting like at the gun club covered rifle and handgun ranges I use BOTH the solid molded ear plugs AND the muffs over those. Plan on buying new muffs every few years as eventually the insulation dries out and the seal around your ears becomes compromised. You'll know when that happens. I'm posting this in the hope that some here can avoid the lifetime of hearing misery that I live with...so take it in the helpful spirit intended. | |||
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| one of us |
For the rifle range, I wear foam plugs AND muffs. For shotgun range shooting, I wear foam plugs because muffs interfere with shooting. For deer or dove, duck, goose hunting I don't wear protection. For high volume Argentina or Bolivia, Mexico etc duck or dove shooting, hearing protection is a must. I went to Argentina once without protection and still hear the buzz in my ears. JPK  Free 500grains | |||
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| One of Us |
when looking for protection - look for the maximum amount of db reduction. in muffs right now i believe it belongs to pro ears. remember though that the sound will also be conducted through the bones of the head, so eventually no matter how much protection you are wearing, the sound waves will eventually get you. In high volume shooting i have found that rounds larger than the 223 family will conduct through bones. | |||
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| One of Us |
I agree about the muffs interfering with shooting; mainly they are incompatible with gun stocks. Fortunately the solid molded ear plugs I described are OK for most long gun shooting. The exception is on a covered center fire range, where obviously is found your real noise. So I ALWAYS wear both kinds there. Btw here's a couple other tips - first, wearing the muffs on a rifle range has caused dents in fine wood stocks. You have to be careful of that. What I do is wrap a piece of thick leather around the stock where it contacts the muffs. I have thought of using my wallet for this, but I typically use that as cushioning for my shoulder on hard kickers. It makes a rather nice recoil pad. The other tip is, when on the trap line watch out for the characters who show up with muzzle brakes or magna porting on their 12 gauges. You want to know who has the guns with those contraptions and always make sure you're not the shooter standing on either side of them...especially if you have hearing problems. Besides, the repeated concussion blast will screw up your concentration on the clay birds anyway. One other thing...on periodically replacing the muffs. I was using an old set on top of the molded plugs so I should have been fine, since all I was shooting was a .22 rifle. But, after each shot I was getting a brief reverberation distortion...kind of like rattling a tin can with BBs in it. The muffs were "leaking" because the seal was dried out. A new, better set fixed the problem. It was scary because temporarily I thought that was it for me and shooting if even muffs and plugs weren't enough. | |||
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| One of Us |
I understand that one. It's called tinnitus and I've had it for several years now. In my case it was a concert that I was sitting WAY to close to the sound system. Yep it was painful and in short order I didn't care if I looked like an idiot with my fingers in my ears. It was too late however. Always wear good hearing protection, even in the field. It only takes a few shots in shorter succession to get this problem started. Brake or no brake, high power rifles are loud, between 140 and 170 db. It doesn't take too many to screw up your hearing and it is cumulative. Ken.... "The trouble with our liberal friends is not that they are ignorant, but that they know so much that isn't so. " - Ronald Reagan | |||
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| one of us |
http://www.keepandbeararms.com...ViewItem.asp?id=2052 You should worry, you're just going deaf one shot at a time, even the 22Lr report will damage hearing...one shot at time, sounds over 85-90 dB can lead to permanent hearing damage without hearing protection, just ask me, but be sure to speak up!!  | |||
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| Administrator |
Years ago, when we were young and stupid, we used to shoot all sorts of rifles and handguns without any ear protection. Then we learnt the hard way that that is not very good for our hearings. After that, I started using ear muffs when shooting skeet and trap. Here in our indoor range, I use both a foam in ear plug, plus an over ear ear muff. I don't use anything while hunting. | |||
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| one of us |
Me too. E-A-R "Classic" foam plugs plus muffs. Those E-A-R plugs are the only disposable foam plug I have found that is big enough to seal in my big-0l'ear canals. The red rubber non-disposable plugs they handed out to me in the USAF work well too. I think those are color coded for ear-hole size. There are racial differences in susceptibility to noise related hearing loss. Caucasians are the weaklings in that department, by some studies of the past, even before Obama got elected. | |||
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