Hunting hearing protection

[Dave R]

In a pinch, cigarette filters work well if you smoke.

And if you don't smoke, in a pinch you can use:

-9mm cartridge cases (primer end goes in your ear.)
-.357Mag cartridge cases
-.223 cartridge cases.

Ask me how I know

You look pretty stupid with .223 brass hanging out your ears. But I guess it looks less stupid than going "EH? WHAT DID SAY? TALK INTO THIS EAR."

[jonathon]

Tyme & Terry -

How well do those Aearo Combat plugs work? Can you hear stuff just fine in them like they claim? Any complaints?

I might try to sell my dad on a couple pairs

Last time we went shooting, forgot plugs but had a roll of TP.. it helped..

[Smokey Joe]

Artsmom--I'd have a problem w/any ear coverings when calling waterfowl--I need to hear if and when and what they say back to me!

Emphatically agree with you about on the range, indoor OR outdoor. Would NEVER go to the range again w/o hearing protection rated 30 or 31, unless I could get it rated even higher! (A rating of 31 is the highest I've ever seen, and those are the muffs I normally use. My backup pair is a 30.)

No varmints where I hunt, so no experience there, but it must be much like range work from the descriptions I've read.

[JohnKSa]

I need to hear if and when and what they say back to me!

You know, with modern technology, you'd think that someone would come up with a device to protect your hearing AND still let you hear normally...

Oh wait. They have...

Come on folks, needing to hear is no excuse for leaving your ears unprotected. Most of the better electronic hearing protectors actually AMPLIFY quiet noises and allow you to hear BETTER than normal while still offering excellent protection.

[Lawyer Daggit]

I have constant tinnitus from gun induced hearing damage and problem hearing conversations in rooms with high ceilings and hard floors and furnishings.

I now always wear ear protection when hunting. At a push 'bluetac' (used to stick up posters on walls- don't know if it is called this outside Australia) works well as a substitute.

[samoand]

so what do you think is the best hunting hearing protection these days? the one that allows (or even amplifies) low level sounds and effectively blocks out anything beyond some reasonable cutoff point?

[FirstFreedom]

lookit, wearing a bit honkin set of muffs that amplify sound but have an 85 db cutoff, though it works well, is just too uncomfortable to wear all day, not to mention hot in the early season. But I have done it - I just usually take them off after 2 or 3 hours - for comfort reasons.

So all's I do is this. Just use normal rubber earplugs. For the ear which is on the side of the rifle I'm shooting (right side), I have it stuck in about 2/3rds or 3/4ths of the way, where just a bit of sound gets through. On the left ear, I have it in about 1/2 way, where enough sound gets through that I can hear a deer walking and distinguish it from a squirrel.

[NRA4life]

Has anyone tried the Walker Game Ears? I'd be interested to know. They advertise only needing one, with a plug in the other ear. They claim the sound amplification from the one is ample to compensate for the plug in the other ear. They are expensive, but with the hearing damage and Tinnitus I am suffering from may make them well worth it.

And for anyone who believes that they will not suffer down the road from gun shots while hunting, you are sorely mistaken. You cannot imagine how a bad case of tinnitus can affect your life. Go do a google search on William Shatner (yes, Captain Kirk) and tinnitus.

[FirstFreedom]

Whether it was a muff or one of those inserts, before I'd trust my hearing with it, I would (and have and do) test it the loud sound cutoff feature extensively at the range, starting with .22s and working my way up to the bigger boomers.

[Double Naught Spy]

lookit, wearing a bit honkin set of muffs that amplify sound but have an 85 db cutoff, though it works well, is just too uncomfortable to wear all day, not to mention hot in the early season. But I have done it - I just usually take them off after 2 or 3 hours - for comfort reasons.

I think this may have somewhat to do with your selection of muffs. I find Peltor Comtacs to be comfortable for all day wear and they are low enough profile to work well with rifles.

Of course, you may be one of those folks who just isn't comfortable in muffs like some people can't stand having plugs in their ears.

For most shooting, I wear both and simply turn up the volume in the muffs. I end up with about normal hearing of normal noises and extremely well muffs gun sounds.

[Dave R]

After my first varmit season with Peltor Tac-6 "behind the head" electronic muffs, I cant imagine hunting any other way. It is so nice to have normal (or enhanced) hearing, but not be bothered by the report of the rifle.

I recognize this is about the cheapest solution, but the effect is almost magic. The better quality devices must be wonderful.

[skeeter1]

I recently got a pair of electronic muffs for <$30 (they're available just about everywhere), and they're a great improvement over my old "regular" ear muffs. I'm not constantly taking them on-and-off, particularly on a firing line, when you might want to talk to someone, but there's still shooting going on. The batteries are supposed to last for 200 hrs, and I haven't worn them out yet.

I think these are the ones I got:

http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/EAR108-46607-966.html

[22-rimfire]

I use Peltors. The Walker Game Ears are very good and were the original "game ears". I often wonder if deer can hear the tiny noices that you notice with the amplified game ears on. The amount of sound you hear is really amazing.

The game ears/amplified muffs can be tiring. Sometimes I just have to hear normal for a while. I always keep ear plugs on a shoe lace around my neck anyway. If I see a deer and the game ears aren't on, I slip the plugs in. No deer is worth hearing damage.

[davlandrum]

I always feel like my non-gun side ear takes the brunt of the blast. Anyone else feel that way?

During an ideal deer hunting season, I only take one shot with no protection. If we had more tags allowed each year, I would start considering something while hunting, but not one shot a year. I always wear hearing protection at the range, obviously, as well as while running table saw, circ saw, chainsaw, brush hog, etc.

For the average person, these activities around the house probably do a lot more damage than a couple of rifle shots a year. I have never been around a muzzle brake, but it sounds like that might be a whole different story with even one shot.

[Capp35]

I think I feel like alot of people on here. I always use hearing protection at the range and when dove hunting.

I never use protection when I deer hunt. Maybe I'm good or just lucky, but I take one deer a year and fire one shot a year doing it. This using my Weatherby Mark V 7mm Rem mag.
I do alot of walk hunting looking for the big one. With plugs I can not hear, and muffs get way to sweaty while walking. They also distract me when taking a quick off hand shot. I Have been hunting for 30 years this way and have never had a problem or any ringing after a shot. Long barrel or maybe the round?

I will agree If I had a muzzle brake or a large magnum, I would find a way to use one.

[Scorch]

I use the low-tech approach on anything that goes to the field with me. In the case of ear plugs, I use North Sonic Ear Valves. They work pretty good, you can hear with them in and they shut down whenever there is a sudden loud noise (like a gunshot).

[FirstFreedom]

Scorch are those you describe an analog or digital device?

[keita]

I wear my electronic hearing protection, both on the hunt and at the range.

#1 priority is protecting your hearing.
#2 I can hear range commands or someone else trying to get my attention at the range or at the hunt.
#3 there may be some "enhancement" from these electronic muffs, but I honestly don't think it works that well and I don't like the excess noise, so I don't turn it up above what I can normally hear without the muffs. If some warden has a problem with me protecting my own hearing, they can kiss my axx. We should all be entitled to protecting our hearing, and being able to hear ambient noise is a good idea from a safety standpoint.

Don't be stupid guys, wear your protection. If someone says it causes a problem with hunting, then they probably haven't tried a "decent" electronic device. If you have a problem with unfair advantage from "enhancement", then TURN IT DOWN like I do. If anyone has a problem with it, tell them that you are protecting your hearing.