Hearing protection???

[msinc]

Thanks again for the replies fellas...I ordered a very nice set of 3M Peltor's this afternoon. I never intended to skimp and I also never intended to wear some sort of hearing aid under muffs. I already suffer with tinnitus in one ear. The ENT I saw told me, "don't worry, in about a year or so your brain will tune out the ringing and you wont hear it anymore." That was 7 years ago. It hasn't got worse and it's not to the point that I need a hearing aid, but I for absolute certain don't want it to get worse either.
In fact, I may end up wearing foam ear plugs under the Peltor's if it seems like they are not quiet enough.

 

[normmatzen]

Well GSXR, I spent a lifetime as an electrical engineer and audiologist and worked for one of the top audiologists in the country.
Your hearing aids most likely have a compressor amplifier in them. That means they offer high gain for soft sounds and the gain drops as the ambient sound pressure level rises. My blast protectors start at a moderate gain and as the ambient sound rises, it drops to unity at around 90 dB SPL ( the level of a mans voice at his mouth). Beyond 90 dB, the gain actually drops below unity and at around 117 dB SPL in the ear canal, the output clips and the output cannot extend above 117 dB SPL. That means your rifle at 160-170 dB SPL is dropped below the level that your mastoid bone passes directly to your inner ear. Can't get any reduction above that.
Actually, you probably could use your hearing aids as long as you plug the vent hole in each one. Then the output of the aid , at high levels, would be limited by the output amplifier,

 

[JRS]

You obviously know nothing about the hearing aids I wear, and that's OK. One of the specialists from whom I received treatment and evaluation is the retired US Army Colonel David W. Chandler, PhD in Hearing Science, Audiologist and Director of the Army Audiology & Speech Center at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. I'll continue to rely on his professional expertise. I learned a great deal regarding the types and use of hearing protection from him.

 

[savagedasher]

Whatever you choose, get enough to protect your hearing. Once it's gone, it's gone!

(WHAT ) Smile Larry

 

[msinc]

Got the muffs yesterday and tried them out...so far I like everything about them. The sound coming in is very clear, like stereo sound. They work fine alone for gunshot protection, no need to use foam earplugs too. I would recommend these to anyone that shoots. Don't see why they couldn't be used to hunt with either.

 

[fx77]

Tried the Peltors 3M...didn't to work for me..ears too sensitive..and sound can be conducted thru skull bone (mastoid) so I need foam plugs and MSA Elect. muffs.

 

[Judd]

I bought the MSA's as a recommendation from a buddy who saw me constantly taking them off during cease fires and said I needed to try MSA with the gel cups. WOW what a difference. I've just used them at one match since I got them but they work extremely well. I was wearing custom molded plugs and Impact muffs over them...the MSA's by themselves do a better job than the plug/muff combo I was wearing before. I'm amazed at how well they work...I spent more than I wanted but we only have one set of ears. I'm extremely happy with my purchase.

 

[dcali]

I'm perfectly happy with my MSA's AND foam plugs. The MSA's are very well made, durable, and comfortable. That's what you're paying for. Sound reduction wise, they're mediocre at best - and they show you the data in the instruction manual (they're really not so hot in the low frequency ranges). The microphones still pick up wind noise. So they're not magical in a functional sense - functionally, you can get the same thing for a lot less money. But quality construction, and especially comfort, matters when you wear them all day.

Foam alone, no matter what brand I buy, or how carefully I insert them, never works alone either. But both together, with the MSA's volume turned up enough to hear people talk, is a combination I can wear all day comfortably, and I know that the noise reduction is as good as you can get. (There is a quite a bit of research out there on the net that you can read that will show you this).

 

[gunnermhr]

Now is time to pay attention, ear muffs are commonly rated at around 25 dB NRR. With really good fit and design, you can get up in the 30's, but most folks would not like them as they are too big and too expensive!
Most people use ear plugs under muffs. I cannot figure why as the ear plugs do all the heavy lifting and one would get the same protection with just the plugs!

Are you saying wearing double ear protection does not increase hearing protection???? In my experience, I've noticed a significant noise reduction when doubling up with good earplugs installed correctly and ear muffs. I strongly recommend wearing both. As cool as I thought it was not to wear ear protection at a young age i now regret not wearing it more often. My kids won't even mow the lawn without earplugs or muffs, probably because they have to repeat themselves too much around me. I have several pair of muffs and cases of plugs around so it's easy for everyone to get a piar when needed

 

[onelastshot]

For years I've stuck to the same protection; slimline earmuffs combined with foam earplugs. The combination seems to work and the slimline earmuffs don't get in the way. I'm fortunate, I've got very good hearing and I haven't always been as careful as I should be. I personally can't see spending $400 on muffs.

 

[Richard Coody]

I find these work fine for me. Can't wear muffs when shooting a rifle. Do wear the electronic muffs when shooting a pistol. I can't hear $€&# anyway.

http://www.surefire.com/ep3-sonic-defenders.html

 

[BoydAllen]

I have not seen anyone that could not wear the very thinnest muffs (which would of course be paired with plugs), but of course I have not seen everyone who shoots. IMO the rating of those plugs is not high enough for them to adequately protect a shooter who is on a firing line with other shooters, with an overhead roof and concrete floor. The problem with people who have significant hearing loss evaluating there protection is that just because something does not make them uncomfortable, does not mean that it is not damaging the hearing that they have left. I have run into this quite a bit when I was younger. Older shooters (a group that I am now a member of) who had significant hearing loss (a group that I do not belong to) would say that there was no point in their taking pains to protect their hearing the best that they could because they were already half deaf, as if the hearing that remained was somehow more durable than that that they had lost. I do not believe that it is. What they were saying was sort of like "I am so broke that I do not need to be careful about how I spend my remaining money." Really?

 

[normmatzen]

Again!
If you use foamies under thin muffs and can notice a difference in noise level when you put on the muffs after inserting foamies, You are NOT inserting the foamies correctly!

Roll between thumb and fore finger till the plug is a thin rod, QUICKLY insert into ear canal and hold in with pinky finger till it stops expanding.
It is easier if you take the opposite hand over your head and grip the top of the ear and pull up and back. This movement strengthens out the ear canal a bit and the plug enters easier. Remember, the outer half of the ear canal is the Cartilaginous region and is flexible.

 

[JRS]

 

[Hermantk]

+1
Don't wear any type of electronic plugs in your ears that amplify sound. It defeats the purpose of hearing protection. Really no different than wearing hearing aids under muffs!

ummm. i think you may wish to do a bit of reading on this. The electronic hearing protectors are pretty sophisticated. they actually amplify soft sounds, like speech and block the really loud sounds, like rifle fire.

 

[Nick Caprinolo]

I have lost 85% of my hearing. Without hearing aids, I am deaf to all intents and purposes. Protect your ears at all costs. Thousands of dollars on a rifle and more to add a scope and other equipment, then you use cheap ear protection. That's just plain stupid.

As a youngster, hearing protection consisted of a spent .38 special fired case. That's what the firing range instructor at the police academy told us to use. Now I am 83 and am paying the consequences. Even before that, as a 17 year old, while in the National Guard, we fired thousands of rounds with no protection at all.

Bottom line, is spend a little less on that new equipment you are about to buy, and get the best hearing protection available.

 

[wholmes]

I was informed that ear muffs would reduce to a value of 20-22 db, with including roll up plugs would benefit an additional 2 db only. This came from an Army audiologist about 35 years ago. been retired 12 yrs. (disclaimer) All information should be taken with salt, everyone has an opinion. Mine is wear something don't wait until it's too late. What's that you say speak up, your competing with that GE 747 engine I constantly hear in my head.

 

[TAJ45]

I was informed that ear muffs would reduce to a value of 20-22 db, with including roll up plugs would benefit an additional 2 db only. This came from an Army audiologist about 35 years ago. been retired 12 yrs. (disclaimer) All information should be taken with salt, everyone has an opinion. Mine is wear something don't wait until it's too late. What's that you say speak up, your competing with that GE 747 engine I constantly hear in my head.

Sry abt that honker of a 747 that never runs out of fuel......
My opinion is he was operating on old info, even for that period. I was doubling up for indoor 45 cal BE matches around then. Wayyy more diff in attenuation. Remember, he was from the govt and was there to "help".