From an old man with 60% hearing loss in one ear, and 50% hearing loss in the other, YES, use as much hearing protection as you can tolerate. In addition to the plugs, find a set of ear muffs that are the "least intrusive" for your style of shooting. Even if you have to spend several hundred dollars trying different styles/types, at the end of the day, it would still be money well spent...
Are Ear Plugs Really Enough (to protect your hearing)?
- Thread starter Phil3
- Start date
I use custom molded plugs or my electronic E.A.R.S. which are molded too. The E.A.R.S. are hard and start feeling a bit after 2-3 hours. I used to shoot 4-500 rds of 12g a day when shooting in competitions. The foamys work pretty well if eliminating all noise, but there are times I wanted to hear and shoot.
BoydAllen
Gold $$ Contributor
That is sort of like saying that with a good diet you don't need vitamins. Of course no one eats properly, but that does not seem to penetrate.
I almost always see that foam plugs are not inserted correctly, and people do not pay any attention to suggestions that they need to be put in right, just like they resist wearing eye protection.
Another thing, I seriously doubt that most hearing professionals have much experience being in close proximity with someone who is firing a big magnum, that is burning a lot of slow powder (more pressure at the muzzle) that is fitted with one of the louder muzzle brake designs, on a range with a concrete floor that extends in front of the bench several feet, and has a steel roof overhead.
If one experiences discomfort is that an indication that more protection is needed, and if that discomfort is remedied by additional protection (muffs over plugs) is that not an indication that one's hearing was inadequately protected in the first place, and better protected in the second?
Another thing, if one has ringing in the ears for some time after exposure to loud noise, what does that indicate about the level of protection, or lack of, that was used? Perhaps there is more to this than first meets the eye, or rather ear.
I almost always see that foam plugs are not inserted correctly, and people do not pay any attention to suggestions that they need to be put in right, just like they resist wearing eye protection.
Another thing, I seriously doubt that most hearing professionals have much experience being in close proximity with someone who is firing a big magnum, that is burning a lot of slow powder (more pressure at the muzzle) that is fitted with one of the louder muzzle brake designs, on a range with a concrete floor that extends in front of the bench several feet, and has a steel roof overhead.
If one experiences discomfort is that an indication that more protection is needed, and if that discomfort is remedied by additional protection (muffs over plugs) is that not an indication that one's hearing was inadequately protected in the first place, and better protected in the second?
Another thing, if one has ringing in the ears for some time after exposure to loud noise, what does that indicate about the level of protection, or lack of, that was used? Perhaps there is more to this than first meets the eye, or rather ear.
Notwithstanding the input from Normmatzen, I have to agree with Boyd. I was recently at a range with concrete floor, steel roof, wood wall behind the shooters, and wood dividers between each shooter. Earplugs alone still left me somewhat uncomfortable, even standing back from the shooters. I donned the ear muffs over the ear plugs, and that definitely helps cut the noise. Not nearly as much as ear plugs alone, or muffs by themselves. This may be anecdotal evidence at best, but I believe if my ears are telling me something, I should pay attention. Do we really think ear plugs alone are enough for this guy? I am not sure ANY kind of ear protection would be.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8K1t_mRC7A
Phil
Notwithstanding the
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8K1t_mRC7A
Phil
Notwithstanding the
+1 normmatzen, the key of course that I got from his post was 'properly inserted' foamies. MOST are not inserted right. I was at the local range a week or so ago, and watched a veteran shooter have a dickens of the time getting his foamies squeezed down and then inserted and HELD until they expand into the ear canal. It does take some actual practice to get it right. I am old enough to remember inserting .38 shells into our ears to protect them. I get 20% from the VA now because of tank fire and 40mm auto fire weapons in Vietnam. Just saying.
Ear plugs custom molded to your ears are the best protection you can have. Even foamies will not truly fit properly. And if they don't fit properly, they will not provide the protection they are rated at. I've been using custom molded electronic protection for almost 20 years and while it was very expensive, I consider the purchase one of the best investments I ever made in my shooting! If needed, I add my electronic Pro Ears muffs! No such thing as too much protection IMHO.
butchlambert
Site $$ Sponsor
I use custom molded plugs and muffs. I have some high dollar molded electronic plugs. I got tired of hearing too much while deer hunting. The first 2 or 3 times I used them hunting I keep hearing the hogs near by, but never saw them. Grandson was in the blind with me and said"Papaw, the hogs you are hearing is you. Your stomach is growling".
I don't use them for anything anymore. I can still hear range commands.
I don't use them for anything anymore. I can still hear range commands.
I tried the custom molded, in-ear type and found that when I moved my jaw, they aren't sealed any longer. They don't extend far enough into my ear canal to be effective. Expensive console space fillers now.
Foam, inserted properly, works for me but there are times that I want muffs on over the plugs.
Silicone plugs seem to work the best for me.
Norm, wouldn't a pad slightly compressed over the mastoid bone (muffs) serve to dampen some of the acousitcs transmitted to the inner ear?
Foam, inserted properly, works for me but there are times that I want muffs on over the plugs.
Silicone plugs seem to work the best for me.
Norm, wouldn't a pad slightly compressed over the mastoid bone (muffs) serve to dampen some of the acousitcs transmitted to the inner ear?
CaptainMal
Silver $$ Contributor
Decades retired, I was a shooting coach at a high school in Pennsylvania for decades. Prior to that I rarely used hearing protection. During those coaching times I wore ear plugs called North or Lee Sonic plugs. There's a little metal piece inside that moves and is supposed to seal off loud noise.
It seemed to work but I am horribly hearing challenged today. Might be age, might be pre-post shooting outside the range. Might have been the range. All I know is whatever hearing protection I did/did not use, did not work.
It seemed to work but I am horribly hearing challenged today. Might be age, might be pre-post shooting outside the range. Might have been the range. All I know is whatever hearing protection I did/did not use, did not work.
Raythemanroe
Bullet Whisperer
people said:
+1
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