Hearing protection ?

rebs · March 17, 2012, 02:19 PM

What type hearing protection do you guys prefer for shooting ? What brand and models do you like ?

dmazur · March 17, 2012, 02:32 PM

Right now we're using ProEars Pro Tac 200s with foam earplugs as well.

With the "doubled up" protection, the NRR of 19 wasn't that much of a problem. What I wanted was something that folded up to fit in my range bag pocket, had an easy to change battery holder (without prying plastic parts with a screwdriver) and had enough amplification to push normal sound levels through the foam earplugs.

And it works. With the gain on the muffs turned up all the way, I can hear range commands just about like not wearing any protection at all.

But when the shooting starts, the muffs clamp and do NRR 19, and the earplugs do their NRR 30, and things are nice and quiet. (I'm aware that NRR isn't additive, but it is definitely quieter than either used alone.)

Now ProEars makes a really nice line of "top end" muffs for $350 or so, with NRR 33, I think. It is possible these might work as a "single" protection system, but I haven't tried them.

It was $200 for (2) of the Pro Tac 200's vs. $700 for (2) of the Gold ones...

PoorRichRichard · March 17, 2012, 02:38 PM

Simlpe foam earplugs work best for me. I always use them for handgun shooting. On my shotguns (usually while hunting) I use a brand called Hearos. They are actually for musicians- purchased at a local Guitar Center for $15. I like these because the have three differing sized circle plugs along the length of the post, starting from small to large. The further you push the plug in your ear, the greater the sound reduction. They are really great for hunting (especially quail and dove) because if you only push one or two circles into your ear you can still hear better than with a full foam plug which might block out the beating sound of dove wings, or the running of quail in brush. I'll try and post you a picture if you are interested in using them for hunting.

Single Six · March 17, 2012, 02:43 PM

I also recommend using the foam plugs in conjunction with the headphones. It works well for me, and makes the noise even less of a distraction than it would be if I were only using one or the other.

SIGSHR · March 17, 2012, 02:45 PM

Been doubling up since the 1970s, still have my old David Clark earmuffs I bought in 1972. And "someday" I will get a kit to make the molded ones.
I haven't found much difference between brands, I realized a long time ago that you wil absorb some sound through your skull and the rest of your anatomy and that the best hearing protection will not eliminate sound so much as make it comfortable. I have a pair of earplugs with the valves in them, I found that on an indoor range by myself and firing anything with subsonic velocities they were fine, with other shooters present and with higher velocity ammo, muffs were a must. I also wear muffs when I use power tools or even a vacuum cleaner.

PoorRichRichard · March 17, 2012, 02:46 PM

+1 to dmazur. But I have to add that when shooting long guns, the shape of my head does not allow me to wear earmuff type protection without impeding my shooting, especially shotgun shooting from a standing position. Having played in a few punk bands over the years, the Hearos plug I mentioned were already on hand, and have worked out very well for me while hunting, at fairly low cost.

dmazur · March 17, 2012, 04:49 PM

I just take the foam earplugs for hunting. I know it isn't as good a protection, but I'm not planning to shoot more than once or twice, and it's not under a roof.

I've had guys tell me I'm crazy for this, that a bear or something is going to "sneak up on me".

Well, our hearing is one of our poorer senses, compared to animals. So I'm going to minimize poking around dense brush and take advantage of hunting more open areas, where I'm "cheating" by using binoculars and a scoped rifle.

I'll admit to wondering if I'm compromising my safety by wearing earplugs. What I do know is that I will suffer hearing loss if I don't wear them.

rebs · March 17, 2012, 05:28 PM

what I was most interested in was what you use at a range and target shooting.

Rifleman1776 · March 17, 2012, 06:47 PM

I usually use silicone foam earplugs. But recently I started using the kind with a series of flanges and connected with a string. They seem more effective than the silicone foam.
BTW, I specify silicone foam because some are simply latex foam and do not work near as well.

PoorRichRichard · March 17, 2012, 06:50 PM

Rebs, if you are just range shooting, double up with the foam plugs and a $10-15 cheap set of muffs over the plugs. Should be more than adequate at a low co$t. If you shoot in areas that are really warm, the muffs can get really sweaty and hot on your mellon. So in this case look into some spcializesd plugs if you feel the foam plugs are not providing the level of hearing protection you need. Hope these post help you out.

Also having a couple of extra sets of both plugs and muffs is good if you tend to take friends and/or family members to the range, as I frequently do. My younger gunless friends are great as the tend to bring out a ton of ammo for us to shoot out of my guns when I take them to the range, but they generally seem to forget hearing protection. Nice to have extra sets on hand.

Jo6pak · March 17, 2012, 07:13 PM

I use the cheapo EAR foam earplugs. (-34db) I also have a pair of muffs and wear them over the plugs if the range is especially busy and loud.

jhansman · March 29, 2012, 01:49 PM

I double up with foam plugs and Silencio Falcons. Only took one session sitting next to a guy with a .308 with a muzzle break to convince me.

March 17, 2012, 02:19 PM	#1
rebs Senior Member Join Date: January 10, 2012 Posts: 3,881	Hearing protection ? What type hearing protection do you guys prefer for shooting ? What brand and models do you like ?

March 17, 2012, 02:32 PM	#2
dmazur Senior Member Join Date: July 5, 2007 Location: Pacific NW Posts: 1,310	Right now we're using ProEars Pro Tac 200s with foam earplugs as well. With the "doubled up" protection, the NRR of 19 wasn't that much of a problem. What I wanted was something that folded up to fit in my range bag pocket, had an easy to change battery holder (without prying plastic parts with a screwdriver) and had enough amplification to push normal sound levels through the foam earplugs. And it works. With the gain on the muffs turned up all the way, I can hear range commands just about like not wearing any protection at all. But when the shooting starts, the muffs clamp and do NRR 19, and the earplugs do their NRR 30, and things are nice and quiet. (I'm aware that NRR isn't additive, but it is definitely quieter than either used alone.) Now ProEars makes a really nice line of "top end" muffs for $350 or so, with NRR 33, I think. It is possible these might work as a "single" protection system, but I haven't tried them. It was $200 for (2) of the Pro Tac 200's vs. $700 for (2) of the Gold ones... __________________ .30-06 Springfield: 100 yrs + and still going strong

March 17, 2012, 02:43 PM	#4
Single Six Senior Member Join Date: January 31, 2010 Location: N.C. Posts: 1,522	I also recommend using the foam plugs in conjunction with the headphones. It works well for me, and makes the noise even less of a distraction than it would be if I were only using one or the other. __________________ Seen on a bumper sticker: "Exercise. Eat right. Take vitamins. Die anyway."

March 17, 2012, 04:49 PM	#7
dmazur Senior Member Join Date: July 5, 2007 Location: Pacific NW Posts: 1,310	I just take the foam earplugs for hunting. I know it isn't as good a protection, but I'm not planning to shoot more than once or twice, and it's not under a roof. I've had guys tell me I'm crazy for this, that a bear or something is going to "sneak up on me". Well, our hearing is one of our poorer senses, compared to animals. So I'm going to minimize poking around dense brush and take advantage of hunting more open areas, where I'm "cheating" by using binoculars and a scoped rifle. I'll admit to wondering if I'm compromising my safety by wearing earplugs. What I do know is that I will suffer hearing loss if I don't wear them. __________________ .30-06 Springfield: 100 yrs + and still going strong

March 17, 2012, 06:50 PM	#10
PoorRichRichard Senior Member Join Date: April 13, 2011 Location: San Berdoo Posts: 269	Rebs, if you are just range shooting, double up with the foam plugs and a $10-15 cheap set of muffs over the plugs. Should be more than adequate at a low co$t. If you shoot in areas that are really warm, the muffs can get really sweaty and hot on your mellon. So in this case look into some spcializesd plugs if you feel the foam plugs are not providing the level of hearing protection you need. Hope these post help you out. Also having a couple of extra sets of both plugs and muffs is good if you tend to take friends and/or family members to the range, as I frequently do. My younger gunless friends are great as the tend to bring out a ton of ammo for us to shoot out of my guns when I take them to the range, but they generally seem to forget hearing protection. Nice to have extra sets on hand. Last edited by PoorRichRichard; March 17, 2012 at 06:58 PM.

March 17, 2012, 02:38 PM	#3
PoorRichRichard Senior Member Join Date: April 13, 2011 Location: San Berdoo Posts: 269	Simlpe foam earplugs work best for me. I always use them for handgun shooting. On my shotguns (usually while hunting) I use a brand called Hearos. They are actually for musicians- purchased at a local Guitar Center for $15. I like these because the have three differing sized circle plugs along the length of the post, starting from small to large. The further you push the plug in your ear, the greater the sound reduction. They are really great for hunting (especially quail and dove) because if you only push one or two circles into your ear you can still hear better than with a full foam plug which might block out the beating sound of dove wings, or the running of quail in brush. I'll try and post you a picture if you are interested in using them for hunting.

March 17, 2012, 02:45 PM	#5
SIGSHR Senior Member Join Date: September 13, 2005 Posts: 4,700	Been doubling up since the 1970s, still have my old David Clark earmuffs I bought in 1972. And "someday" I will get a kit to make the molded ones. I haven't found much difference between brands, I realized a long time ago that you wil absorb some sound through your skull and the rest of your anatomy and that the best hearing protection will not eliminate sound so much as make it comfortable. I have a pair of earplugs with the valves in them, I found that on an indoor range by myself and firing anything with subsonic velocities they were fine, with other shooters present and with higher velocity ammo, muffs were a must. I also wear muffs when I use power tools or even a vacuum cleaner.

March 17, 2012, 02:46 PM	#6
PoorRichRichard Senior Member Join Date: April 13, 2011 Location: San Berdoo Posts: 269	+1 to dmazur. But I have to add that when shooting long guns, the shape of my head does not allow me to wear earmuff type protection without impeding my shooting, especially shotgun shooting from a standing position. Having played in a few punk bands over the years, the Hearos plug I mentioned were already on hand, and have worked out very well for me while hunting, at fairly low cost.

March 17, 2012, 05:28 PM	#8
rebs Senior Member Join Date: January 10, 2012 Posts: 3,881	what I was most interested in was what you use at a range and target shooting.

March 17, 2012, 06:47 PM	#9
Rifleman1776 Senior Member Join Date: April 25, 2010 Location: Arkansas Posts: 3,309	I usually use silicone foam earplugs. But recently I started using the kind with a series of flanges and connected with a string. They seem more effective than the silicone foam. BTW, I specify *silicone* foam because some are simply latex foam and do not work near as well.

March 17, 2012, 07:13 PM	#11
Jo6pak Senior Member Join Date: August 5, 2010 Location: West Coast...of WI Posts: 1,663	I use the cheapo EAR foam earplugs. (-34db) I also have a pair of muffs and wear them over the plugs if the range is especially busy and loud. __________________ NRA Life Member, SAF contributor.

March 29, 2012, 01:49 PM	#12
jhansman Senior Member Join Date: June 17, 2007 Posts: 680	I double up with foam plugs and Silencio Falcons. Only took one session sitting next to a guy with a .308 with a muzzle break to convince me. __________________ Blessed is the man who has nothing to say, and cannot be compelled to say it.