Do you wear ear plugs while hunting?

[Brian Pfleuger]

Originally Posted by rickyrick

90% of my hunting successes are because I heard the animal coming,...

You should love electronic protection then, because you can hear BETTER than without protection!

[arch308]

I hate to admit it but no, I don't wear protection while deer hunting. 90% of my hunting is from enclosed box blinds where the barrel sticks out the window which shields me from alot of the blast. One or two shots like that a year aren't worth worring about. But when target shooting or plinking I can't stand to be without my ear covers! OUCH!

[doofus47]

I think that FrankenMauser is generally correct, and as a western guy, I've generally not worn ear protection while still hunting--although I wear plugs/muffs when doing pretty much anything but cleaning my firearms.

However, I am definitely in the market for the ear protection such as outlined by Peetzakilla. Apparently, this year was a tipping point. I took only 2 un-filtered shots to fill my buck tag, but my ears have had low-level ringing ever since. I'm still about 3 decades out from reaching life expectancy age, and I plan on hearing my grand kids laughing at me. Lesson learned: I'm going to be wearing protection from now on.

[4winds]

Thinking about buying these:

http://www.electronic-hearing-protec...roducts_id=100

Seems like a good deal and may have to save the pennies. My buddy is deaf in one ear and it sucks for him.

Don't know why, but people seem to be really nasty to folks who can't hear very well until they find out their condition...after the fact.

[WWWJD]

These are the best shooting earplugs I've ever had:

Radians Cease Fire

So far, these are the only ones I've seen like this; they suppress the high dB impulse noise from firing, and like advertised, hearing everything else doesn't seem to be effected as much as with the foamies. They're not real comfortable without a little trimming. I've never owned a pair of actives.

I didn't wear any this last season, but.. I'm only firing one round for the day too. My .308 was surprisingly quiet, so I don't worry about it. Marlin 60 is quite; .22 Mag Chuckster is a bit much, and the 625 revolver? Might as well gouge your ears with a pencil. .40 M&P is about the same. I wouldn't dare shoot my pistols without for sure!

[Brian Pfleuger]

The Noise Reduction Rating on those things is 7db.... in gunshot terms, that's virtually like wearing nothing at all.

Firearms can routinely reach 140 db and as high as 160 or more. Damage begins slightly north of 85db.

Reducing even a "quiet" gun shot of 130 db to 123 db is (almost) irrelevant.

Fact is, even the best devices only drop the sound from VERY damaging to SLIGHTLY damaging but.... those things have a baffled hole in them. They really don't do much at all.

[Double Naught Spy]

Electronic muffs are terrific, especially this time of year when it is cold. They help me hear better AND keep my ears warmer!

[BIG P]

I use game ears or plugs always,but most of my shots are beyound hearing range anyway,powerlines cutovers,open fields.

[Kreyzhorse]

I don't wear them while hunting but I do wear them every time I'm shooting.

I understand that one rifle shot a year will certainly damage my hearing to some extent, but I prefer to hear the woods.

[phil mcwilliam]

I wear hearing protection when shooting at a rifle range or even sighting in at a make-shift farm range. I don't wear hearing protection when hunting. My hunting rifles are not that loud when compared to others. I've hunted with "borrowed" rifles fitted with muzzle brakes & I would definately recommend hearing protection when hunting with such rifles. I even once owned a S&W 629 in 44 magnum that was as loud as a rifle with a muzzle brake. I was happy getting rid of the 44 magnum, as I considered regular use would deteriorate may hearing.

[hogdogs]

[kicksthedirt]Nawwww... Shucks... the ringin' in my ears muffles the gunfire...[/kicksthedirt]


Brent

[Keg]

Nope....

[WWWJD]

peetzakilla: The Noise Reduction Rating on those things is 7db.... in gunshot terms, that's virtually like wearing nothing at all.

By the numbers, 7 doesn't sound like much. But based on experience and a bit of dabbling in sound testing at work, you have to understand that the NRR values are weighted, and based on a broad spectrum sound measurement. These play fair with everyone else by providing a NRR rating. From 20Hz to 20,000Hz, the overall reduction may only be 7, but in the range that matters as pertains to a muzzle blast, they work pretty darn good! I'm not playing favoritism... just think you might be surprised. I was.

[Brian Pfleuger]

Well, I have a pair made by another company. In my experience, they seem to muffle speech and do little or nothing for muzzle blast.
Somewhat subjective I suppose.
IMO, nothing compares to a good set of electronic muffs, with plugs underneath for really loud guns.

[NESHOOTER]

I never wear them I just shoot suppressed.... damping gameear for turkeys.

[natman]

I use a set of these. Properly adjusted, there's no problem hearing or locating sounds. After a while you forget you have them on.

Won't hunt without them. Tinnitus never stops.

[deerslayer303]

I have to admit I don't wear protection while deer hunting, but I do wear them for dove hunting, shooting, etc. And I know I should, been listening to jet engines for 15 years, and early in my career (read young snot nosed kid) I didn't wear anything, but now I wear DOUBLE hearing protection at work. I am interested in getting a set of the muffs like the above post, and heck another thing is I bet they help keep your ears warm also.

[Double Naught Spy]

I wear hearing protection when shooting at a rifle range or even sighting in at a make-shift farm range. I don't wear hearing protection when hunting. My hunting rifles are not that loud when compared to others.

Your choice of rifles may not be as loud as some others, but unless you are shooting suppressed, virtually any centerfire hunting rifle is going to produce ear damaging noise.

[rickyrick]

Barrel length makes a huge difference.

Some ammo makes some difference too.

Surroundings........If you shoot across the bed of a pickup, you really need earplugs due to the sound bouncing off of the rear window.

[Doyle]

Surroundings........If you shoot across the bed of a pickup, you really need earplugs due to the sound bouncing off of the rear window.

Even worse if you shoot from inside the cab.

[rickyrick]

LOL

[BUFF]

I'll be 38 in March and I have to turn my head to the right sometimes when people talk to me. I never wore protection when I was a kid. Started wearing them in the military when we went to the range or on the flightline (turbine engines are LOUD!) I never used to wear them when I would hunt for the same reasons already listed. Then I started noticing hearing loss. Now I wear the game ears. They shut off when you shoot. Or foam ear plugs when I forget the electronic ones.

Never tried the muffs for hunting. Usually one shot one kill and I don't notice it.

[tmlynch]

Won't hunt without them. Tinnitus never stops.

I used to not be too picky about wearing ear protection while hunting, and I regret it. This past dove season I developed very noticeable tinnitus in my left ear following a shot from a partner 15 feet to my right. I intend to wear some sort of protection for every non-emergency shot for the rest of my life. The ringing on the left is unpleasant, and I don't want it to get worse, or start up on the other side.

You don't have to break the bank to do something about this. For a lot less than the electronic muffs linked above, you can get ear plugs with baffles. My birthday present this past year was fairly inexpensive electronic ear plugs that allowed me to hear pretty well while blocking loud noises.

Tom

[L_Killkenny]

Short answer, no. I've tried e-muffs and they're a pain in the butt while hunting.

Handguns are a differnet story. I would wear muffs or ear plugs while handgun hunting but then again that's the reason I no longer hunt with handguns.

Range or high volume shooting (doves) muffs and/or plugs with anything besides a .22lr rifle.

LK

[Crankylove]

I don't normally were ear protection while hunting big game.

I do pack a pair of ear plugs along while hunting big game in case I get a chance to set up a shot from my pistol, but that would really be the only time I wear any ear protection while hunting.

While target shooting, I always have plugs or muffs, or both. But, while hunting I like to be able to hear what is going on around me, and despite what some people will claim about the electronic ear muffs, I prefer my naked ears for hunting.