Hi All:

Not sure where this should be posted so I thought this might be a place where there would be some interest. I really want to get some suitable (i.e. nicely comfortable and highly effective) hearing protection, and I'll willing to invest in a good to superior system.

There's a flock of vendors and seemingly two basic methodologies: passive and electronic assisted sound attenuation, though I'm no audiologist or anechoic expert. Still, I'm inclined to think the electronic assisted method has merit, and perhaps combining the two would be even better . . . BUT, the solution has got to be comfortable and pretty darned hassle free.

I use soft ear plugs and muffs now, and that works sorta OK but it isn't all that good and it's not very high on my comfort/ease of use scale. Of course, when the guy next door is shooting A Win 300 Mag, the freaking ground shakes and the shock wave spills coffee over a 1/2 block away! (Back in the day I had a 300 H&H . . . boom.)

So, as a diversion from wanting to go shooting Sunday with my virgin 617 and can't, and while I wait for my Sig P220 Equinox .45ACP here in CA (26 days to go!), perhaps a few of you might want to join me in a conversation about a critical part of shooting safely - preserving one's hearing while still being in communication aurally with one's immediate surroundings.

Thanks to those of you who who chime in . . .

__________________
Rachel
Grande Torina

I like the fitted plugs that you get from vendors at many large shooting events and gun shows. They use some sort of two-part rubbery stuff they squirt into your ears and allow to set to make an exact mould of your outer ear tube. If they aren't sufficient (and they usually are) I wear a good pair of generic muffs. My left ear is about half gone from damage over 40+ years of shooting and teaching high school and my right shows some loss as well, so I need to protect what is left.

Froggie

Considering the extent of my hearing damage (high school rifle team in the 50's and Army pistol teams in the early 60's) I take very good care of what hearing I have left. That means I do not use the electronic muffs. The best noise reduction I have found on electronics was 25dB. I wear the Pelitor 105's with 33dB of reduction along with foam plugs that are around 30dB reduction. That combination seems to keep the ringing to a minimum. The Tinnitus is a real bear as there is a fire engine in my head all the time. I've also learned to keep the soft foam plugs in until I'm ready to leave the indoor range I'm a member of. Just on the off chance that someone will open the range door while I'm in the club room, and someone fires a round on the range. Catch me like that and the ringing goes up several notches. I usually don't take the foam plugs out until I'm in my car. Yeah, large collection of orange plugs sitting in the console. So, if you have all your hearing, please try and keep it with as much protection as you can buy. Study the noise reduction levels of the offered aids and get as high a number on both the foam and the muffs as you can.
Stu

For hearing protection, I would tell you to look at electronic especially if you going to local ranges, or shoot matches. It allows you to clearly hear conversations or range commands, with the muffs on. So when you or the neighbor goes back to shooting you do not get a nice loud surprise because you forgot to slide them back on or they didn't notice you weren't wearing your hearing protection.

Highly recommend you stay away from the Peltor 6s, as they caught fire while I was wearing them.

I have a pair of caldwell electronics ear muffs that work just fine for normal range use. I carry a pair of soft plugs in my shooting vest to put in if the range is hot when I am carrying stuff from my car to the line and back after shooting. If someone has a cannon on the line (or a S&W 500) I leave them in and put the muffs on over them. If not, I swap out the plugs for the muffs.

__________________
Revolver luvin' Mountaineer

I also recommend the best conventional muffs (fit, comfort and noise reduction) plus plugs. I have a set of high-end electronic muffs that don't seem to function as advertised indoors, but if you shoot exclusively outdoors these should work fine.

Also, as others mentioned it is not always what you are shooting (e.g., your 617) but what your range neighbor is touching off.

__________________
Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

Put me in the line with all the other people here who did
foolish things to their hearing when young. Mine came from
standing in front of four fifteen inch bass speakers powered
by eight hundred watts. I use Peltor TacSport Electronic Muffs.
They seem to do a pretty good job of capping off the noise
while still allowing me to hear voice commands. In the future,
though, I think I'm going to add the foam plugs when someone
is firing a cannon or mortar next to me!

__________________
Lounge Lizard Extraordinaire

I just have a pair of cheap ($10) muffs I use, and an assortment of those orange plugs on hand in case I forget my muffs. Nothing fancy, and never tried electronic. Probably not the best db rating, but it's not bad.

And yes, tinnitus sucks.

Does anyone still make the old Norton plugs that came in the blue plastic case? I loved those things.

__________________
Regards, Ron
USASA 1965/69

These were mentioned in a thread last week and they look interesting.
Ryobi Tek4 Audio Plus Noise Suppression Headphones - Woodworking Review of Ryobi Tek4 Audio Plus Noise Suppression Headphones

My problem is I shoot 22 rifles like the Remington 40X off the bench and the big muffs get in my way. They hit up against the stock when I shoot. I can get by with ear plugs until other people start shooting their AR's. I have ear plugs that are rated at 33db but they don't do as good a job as my muffs that are rated. Yes they are inserted correctly. Don

__________________
"Don't worry be happy"

Plugs and muffs for me. Remember you will still absorb sound and shock through the rest of you, the most the best hearing protection will do is reduce the noise to a comfortable/tolerable level. Plus shooting on an outdoor range that is too well covered is pretty noisy. With muffs you need to find a pair that fits you.

I've still got a set of those. I have wondered how they would work out for shooting. Have you ever used them for that?

__________________
Lounge Lizard Extraordinaire

I use plugs or muffs, but I'm thinking of starting to use both when shooting anything beyond a .22LR. My muffs are electronic, but I've found that I never turn them on.

Last week I bought a new Ruger SR22. In my excitement to try it out when I got home, I thought, "Heck it's only a .22. I don't need any earmuffs."
I was wrong. Lesson learned.

I have three sets of Howard Leight L3s for my family. They are very trim and don't get in the way. Comfortable as I forgot I had mine on for several hours. The noise reduction (30db) is great, no bangs bothered me at a very tight range with some cannons being fired. With a slight raising of the voice I could understand conversation between us easily.

I use the Howard Leight Impact Sports. They are active and work as advertised. I like that they are thin and can be used with a shotgun or rifle. I find them comfortable with any of my glasses. If the noise level is going to get outrageous I put in some cheap compression plugs first. Best of all is they are under 50 bucks on Amazon. My son uses them also...of course he stole mine and I had to replace them. He shoots way more than me do and likes them.

My second pair are the "thin" active Caldwells, they work fine and are a great bargain at under 30 bucks. Again, comfortable, can be used with a shotgun and work very well. I like that they have an "on" light indicator. Great as a reminder to turn them off at the end of your session!

Either IMHO, is a keeper.

__________________
paws for friendship

I used them for several years when I was shooting competition trap. I haven't used them in an enclosed area though.

__________________
Regards, Ron
USASA 1965/69

I have had good service from my Caldwell electronic muffs for several years. The LE rangemasters i know think very highly of the Dillon and Peltor ones.

__________________
Always bet on stupidity.

I have a set of plugs a friend gave me, he got them when he was in the Army in Iraq, it's green on one end and yellow on the other. The yellow end is for loud sudden noise like gun fire or IUDs. You can hear normal voice and other noise. the green is for constant noise like machines. I use then with a low profile muff. I lost 45% of hearing in my right ear and 65% in my left. air craft noise and a claymore mine going off less then 10 feet away.

__________________
Carpriver.

It's something most of us never really thought about when we were younger for sure. I now have a few pairs of $20 muffs that are always worn when shooting or running the lawn mowers, chain saws, or any loud equipment. I have plugs in all my jackets and spares in the truck to share with others when needed. It makes good sence to use something. The hearing loss ain't comin back, and I sure want to keep waht i have. It's to bad that there aren't any do overs in hearing loss, eh!

spricks

i have been using a set of peltor 105, h10a earmuffs for years. they have provided me with excellent hearing protection, even when the guy next to me at the indoor range is firing his .44 magnum.

__________________
There's nowt so queer as folk

I have three sets of Howard Leight L3s for my family. They are very trim and don't get in the way. Comfortable as I forgot I had mine on for several hours. The noise reduction (30db) is great, no bangs bothered me at a very tight range with some cannons being fired. With a slight raising of the voice I could understand conversation between us easily.

I have these, and they work pretty well. If someone starts using the high caliber stuff, I just add a set of foam plugs underneath.

__________________
Semper Fi

Hi All: My research suggest that the Pro Ears Pro Tac Mag Gold with an NRR of 33 are about as good as it gets for muffs that are electronically assisted. Thought I'd get a pair and keep a pack of foam plugs close by to insert when the noise is a concern.

Any major concerns folks have these muffs, except cost?

Thanks and take care all,

__________________
Rachel
Grande Torina

Remember that the noise reduction rating on your muffs is for the best case/perfect fit scenario. Do you wear shooting glasses? (I hope so!) Or some type of ball cap? Despite those nice soft "seals", the intrusion of the bows from your glasses or the edge seam of a hat create noise "leaks" and make your muffs less effective...NOT worthless, just less effective. Disposable plugs used properly are always a good addition to the muffs.

Hi:

I wear glasses and the frames are a source of 'leakage' for muffs, so I also use ear plugs too. And I wear a baseball cap for my pony tail out the back.

Thank you for the comment,

__________________
Rachel
Grande Torina