Hearing Protection
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silvercorvette
New member
I am not familiar with them so I had to bing.com them, judging from the pictures my guess it the foam may work better. In my opinion the hundreds of small air pockets in the foam may help to reduce sound better but I always make it a point to double bag it using cheap throw away foam plugs topped off with electronic peltors.
I have also heard good things about the ones that are custom molded to your ear. The sometimes set up a booth at gun shows and shooting matches and offer a discount at the match or show.
What ever you choose double up on protection, both my mother and father had to wear hearing aids and it is far cheaper to buy good quality protection than spending $4,000 to $6,000 later in aids. Even an expensive aid won't make up for hearing loss.
I have also heard good things about the ones that are custom molded to your ear. The sometimes set up a booth at gun shows and shooting matches and offer a discount at the match or show.
What ever you choose double up on protection, both my mother and father had to wear hearing aids and it is far cheaper to buy good quality protection than spending $4,000 to $6,000 later in aids. Even an expensive aid won't make up for hearing loss.
MidwestRookie
New member
I bought some surefire earpros to go under leightning l3's...it sounds like a balloon popping mostly..
If there's a Northern Tool near you, $20 for 200 pair of foam earplugs isn't a bad deal. I use this type without muffs for rifle shooting as I find my muffs get in the way.
Foam plugs
Any foam plugs are better than muffs, sudden shoulder movements will move your muffs.
Just to test, stick your left pinky in your left ear and just cover your right ear with you hand and you'll find the answer.
Just get a big tub of soft ear plugs, the cheapest are OK.
Any foam plugs are better than muffs, sudden shoulder movements will move your muffs.
Just to test, stick your left pinky in your left ear and just cover your right ear with you hand and you'll find the answer.
Just get a big tub of soft ear plugs, the cheapest are OK.
silvercorvette
New member
I bought a few hundred foam plugs and use them more than once by washing them. The reason I use plugs and muffs is for extra protection and I like to hear what is going on. I would hate to have someone yell some kind of warning and not hear it. I keep the volume cranked all the way up on the muffs so I can hear any thing that could be a warning of danger. I especially like the amplified muffs if I bring a new shooter to the range. They can hear any warnings I give and I can hear any questions they ask. I have 4 or 5 muffs and for some reason the DB rating is better with the cheaper non-amplified muffs.
One more thing to consider for hunters, the electronic muffs work well enough in an open are so you don't need to double up. But being able to have super hearing in the field can be helpful when you are hunting.
That's true. But folk should keep in mind that the less expensive ones only have one microphone so you don't get stereophonic hearing. (You can't tell what direction a noise is coming from.)
silvercorvette
New member
mine are stereo
According to my old flight surgeons, flight physiologists, and audiologists, plugs and muffs are best used together, because they are optimal for different frequency ranges. Protection is enhanced not only by double layering, but by protection against a broader frequency band than plugs or muffs alone can handle.
Average Joe
New member
You only gain 3db of noise reduction when you use muffs and plugs together, so its not really an issue.
3dB...
... is not "only" 3dB.
The decibel scale is logarithmic. A 10dB gain would be a 10x, or 900% increase in sound intensity.
That measly 3dB represents a 2x, or 100% gain in intensity.
In other words, by decreasing the noise level by "only" 3dB, you actually cut the sound intensity in half.
For the Wikipedia entry on decibel measurement, see here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decibel
From that page:
From somebody who not only shoots a lot, but also used to ride motorcycles, and still flies turbine aircraft... hey, they're only your ears... I didn't double up when I was in my 20's. I started doing so in my 30's, and my rate of hearing loss slowed way, way down.
... is not "only" 3dB.
The decibel scale is logarithmic. A 10dB gain would be a 10x, or 900% increase in sound intensity.
That measly 3dB represents a 2x, or 100% gain in intensity.
In other words, by decreasing the noise level by "only" 3dB, you actually cut the sound intensity in half.
For the Wikipedia entry on decibel measurement, see here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decibel
From that page:
in an example where nominal 0dB was set at 1mW.
From somebody who not only shoots a lot, but also used to ride motorcycles, and still flies turbine aircraft... hey, they're only your ears... I didn't double up when I was in my 20's. I started doing so in my 30's, and my rate of hearing loss slowed way, way down.
Better to double up...
... but, if it's either / or, here is a comparison table by the Canadian equivalent of OSHA (no, I'm not Canadian, but it was the first to pop in the search): http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/prevention/ppe/ear_prot.html
Ear Plugs
Advantages:
small and easily carried
convenient to use with other personal protection equipment (can be worn with ear muffs)
more comfortable for long-term wear in hot, humid work areas
convenient for use in confined work areas
Disadvantages:
requires more time to fit
more difficult to insert and remove
require good hygiene practices
may irritate the ear canal
easily misplaced
more difficult to see and monitor usage
Ear Muffs
Advantages:
less attenuation variability among users
designed so that one size fits most head sizes
easily seen at a distance to assist in the monitoring of their use
not easily misplaced or lost
may be worn with minor ear infections
Disadvantages:
less portable and heavier
more inconvenient for use with other personal protective equipment.
more uncomfortable in hot, humid work area
more inconvenient for use in confined work areas
may interfere with the wearing of safety or prescription glasses: wearing glasses results in breaking the seal between the ear muff and the skin and results in decreased hearing protection.
... but, if it's either / or, here is a comparison table by the Canadian equivalent of OSHA (no, I'm not Canadian, but it was the first to pop in the search): http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/prevention/ppe/ear_prot.html
Ear Plugs
Advantages:
small and easily carried
convenient to use with other personal protection equipment (can be worn with ear muffs)
more comfortable for long-term wear in hot, humid work areas
convenient for use in confined work areas
Disadvantages:
requires more time to fit
more difficult to insert and remove
require good hygiene practices
may irritate the ear canal
easily misplaced
more difficult to see and monitor usage
Ear Muffs
Advantages:
less attenuation variability among users
designed so that one size fits most head sizes
easily seen at a distance to assist in the monitoring of their use
not easily misplaced or lost
may be worn with minor ear infections
Disadvantages:
less portable and heavier
more inconvenient for use with other personal protective equipment.
more uncomfortable in hot, humid work area
more inconvenient for use in confined work areas
may interfere with the wearing of safety or prescription glasses: wearing glasses results in breaking the seal between the ear muff and the skin and results in decreased hearing protection.
Last edited:
thebrassexchange
New member
plugs
I like the plugs better than anything because you can go from rifle to hand gun with no problems, tough to shoot a rifle with head gear
I like the plugs better than anything because you can go from rifle to hand gun with no problems, tough to shoot a rifle with head gear
Shot my .30-06 on Thanksgiving day, using muffs and plugs...
... and had no trouble at all.
Had more trouble between my Oakleys and the scope.
Look, I don't mean to come across as a jerk, or know-it-all, but in this argument I have some perspective that perhaps not everybody in the forum has; that is, for all of my adult life since college, I've had to do annual military flight physicals, and more recently civilian, airline type flight physicals.
What this means, is that I've had annual audiology tests, and lots of discussions with medical people and audiologists. The opinions I've offered on efficacy of combining plugs and muffs come from them, in accordance with their recommendations.
I'm pretty sure that most of our vets will remember that certain dB levels at work came with a requirement for double hearing protection. There was a reason for that.
... and had no trouble at all.
Had more trouble between my Oakleys and the scope.
Look, I don't mean to come across as a jerk, or know-it-all, but in this argument I have some perspective that perhaps not everybody in the forum has; that is, for all of my adult life since college, I've had to do annual military flight physicals, and more recently civilian, airline type flight physicals.
What this means, is that I've had annual audiology tests, and lots of discussions with medical people and audiologists. The opinions I've offered on efficacy of combining plugs and muffs come from them, in accordance with their recommendations.
I'm pretty sure that most of our vets will remember that certain dB levels at work came with a requirement for double hearing protection. There was a reason for that.
Thanks for the interesting responses.
What I've been using is the combo of cheap plugs & muffs.
I'm still curious to know what Hickok uses. Have ya'll seen any of his videos?
www.youtube.com/user/hickok45
Thanks.
JB
What I've been using is the combo of cheap plugs & muffs.
I'm still curious to know what Hickok uses. Have ya'll seen any of his videos?
www.youtube.com/user/hickok45
Thanks.
JB
A funny story, I was at the range (indoors) one day, and I ask the range master to lend me the Red Hawk on the wall (A rental) agreeing that I'd split the 10 rounds I had of 44mag +Ps so they can shoot the +Ps (5 and 5), a gun that could take these "quality" +Ps.
Well there was a father and two son's, and I assume they didn't double up just a few lanes down.
Well, I took a few shot's and we rotated. And we were laughing at how much recoil/noise those thing produced. Not quite a 460 S&W snub, but still.
I look over and the father and sons were holding there hands over there ear muff's. They were freaked out at the noise that it made. Maybe cruelty to animals, but that image of the father and his two son will always be with me. LOL
TBS, I usually "give" the kids a set of ear plugs after that happened. Of course they are my old used ones, just kidding.
Well there was a father and two son's, and I assume they didn't double up just a few lanes down.
Well, I took a few shot's and we rotated. And we were laughing at how much recoil/noise those thing produced. Not quite a 460 S&W snub, but still.
I look over and the father and sons were holding there hands over there ear muff's. They were freaked out at the noise that it made. Maybe cruelty to animals, but that image of the father and his two son will always be with me. LOL
TBS, I usually "give" the kids a set of ear plugs after that happened. Of course they are my old used ones, just kidding.
silvercorvette
New member
I already said this but it is worth repeating. Both my mother and late father had to buy hearing aids that cost over $4,000, and they need to be fed new batteries every week. and even with the hearing aids they still had trouble hearing.
youngunz4life
New member
yes those hearing protections will work fine, OP. I always use two; if I don hearing protection I wear two: the ones that go in the ear and some cheap muffs. That way I don't need to worry about having the best kinds and if it isn't in 100% correct. It makes a big difference to have both in my opinion.