Eyes and ears

Hoop · August 13, 2002, 09:28 PM

Looking to buy a quality set of eyes and ears. What should I look for?

dragon1965 · August 13, 2002, 09:31 PM

I would go to your local animal shelter and adopt a good mixed breed puppy and raise it to be your eyes and ears

Hoop · August 13, 2002, 09:35 PM

Monkeyleg · August 13, 2002, 09:53 PM

Hoop, there are several brands of good ear-protection and eye-protection gear. You might want to ask yourself what sort of shooting you're going to be engaged in. Will it just be plinking on the range, or are you looking to get into competition? If it's the former, there's shooting muffs from Silencio, Peltor and a zillion other good manufacturers. If you're getting into competition, you might want to consider some of the models that allow you to hear range commands while still muffling the sound of the gunshots.

Also, what's your budget? When I got re-started in shooting back in the mid-eighties, I used hardware store orange "noise protectors" along with foam earplugs. Not fashionable, but it did the job.

Probably your best bet is to visit your local gun shop and talk to the salesperson who doesn't use the word "tactical" when he describes your options.

enkidu · August 13, 2002, 10:22 PM

Here's my list. I double protetct on the ears:

Rubber ear plugs (around $3, the pair I bought a couple of years ago fit me very very well, don't know what brand, sorry).
Peltor Ultimate 10 (around $23, this has the highest noise reduction rating I could find)

For the eyes, if you don't need glasses or wear contacts, you have alot of options. Me, I wear glasses, so I chose:

Wiley-X Higher Ground with Rx Insert ($55 for frames and $50 for the prescription with anti-reflective coating)

If you don't wear glasses you should be able to get a full set for under $40. If you want electronic hearing protetction and prescription shooting glasses, expect to pay well past the $200 for a full set.

EnkiduEOT

Guy B. Meredith · August 13, 2002, 10:56 PM

Hoop,

I have used foam ear plugs (25 cents or less per pair in bulk), Peletor Bullseye Ultimate 10, Dillon electronic and Pro-Ears Dimension 1.

The foam plugs are always the best in terms of noise reduction, but then you are isolated from the world and feel like an idiot because of your isolation.

The passive cups are just okay. Not as efficient as the foam. Electronic cups are better in that they allow you to hear more than you ever wanted to hear (that conversation 50 yards down the range) while shutting out the loud noises. The Pro Ears are better than Dillon and others as the Dillons, etc., shut down during loud noises and interrupt your abililty to hear. The Pro Ears compress the loud noises to a reasonable level so that you never lose hearing.

As is the case with other cup ear protectors, the Dimension 1 are not super at limiting noise so when things get loud I use foam and crank up the volume on the Pro Ears to carry normal conversation past the foam plugs. Works great. Pro Ear also has cups with higer noise reduction but are more expensive and/or bulky.

Glasses are very subjective--color, perscription, etc.--but should be shatter resistant plastic rather than glass.

jimsbowies · August 14, 2002, 08:18 AM

The "system"...that'll get you (in my case) the blue reflective lens, the standard "green" and the shooter's "yellow"....they're wraparound, provide lots of protection and look way cool...

Bartholomew Roberts · August 14, 2002, 10:04 AM

Yes, I really like the Wiley X glasses myself; besides being fairly affordable ($29 or so for the basics) they are also comfortable and way exceed the ANSI standards for ballistic protection.

larryw · August 15, 2002, 02:51 PM

Another vote for Wiley-X, not only for the reasons already stated, but also because the company provides outstanding support. I broke the frame on mine and they quickly shipped me a new one, no questions asked. I have clear and smoked lenses for indoor and outdoor shooting.

I'm a fan of the Peltor 29db ear muff. I'm partially deaf (misspent youth) so I'm not the right person to weigh in here, but my wife is very sensitive to loud noises and they work well for her. She still prefers to double up with the muff and ear plugs, but it is no longer a game over problem if I forget to pack the plugs when we go to the range.

We also have some electronic "Tac-6" muffs that seem to work OK. The noise reduction (if memory serves, around 18 dB) wasn't enough for her to comfortably use them at the range, so they now live in our bedroom with the home gun. Nice thing about these electronic muffs is they also amplify soft noises, like someone walking around the house at night.

August 13, 2002, 09:28 PM	#1
Hoop Member Join Date: July 31, 2002 Location: Wichita, KS Posts: 16	Eyes and ears Looking to buy a quality set of eyes and ears. What should I look for?

August 13, 2002, 09:53 PM	#4
Monkeyleg Senior Member Join Date: January 25, 2000 Posts: 4,625	Hoop, there are several brands of good ear-protection and eye-protection gear. You might want to ask yourself what sort of shooting you're going to be engaged in. Will it just be plinking on the range, or are you looking to get into competition? If it's the former, there's shooting muffs from Silencio, Peltor and a zillion other good manufacturers. If you're getting into competition, you might want to consider some of the models that allow you to hear range commands while still muffling the sound of the gunshots. Also, what's your budget? When I got re-started in shooting back in the mid-eighties, I used hardware store orange "noise protectors" along with foam earplugs. Not fashionable, but it did the job. Probably your best bet is to visit your local gun shop and talk to the salesperson who doesn't use the word "tactical" when he describes your options. __________________ ACOG Scopes, EOTech Sights, Crimson Trace, LensAndLasers

August 13, 2002, 10:22 PM	#5
enkidu Senior Member Join Date: April 18, 2002 Location: SFBay area Posts: 133	Here's my list. I double protetct on the ears: Rubber ear plugs (around $3, the pair I bought a couple of years ago fit me very very well, don't know what brand, sorry). Peltor Ultimate 10 (around $23, this has the highest noise reduction rating I could find) For the eyes, if you don't need glasses or wear contacts, you have alot of options. Me, I wear glasses, so I chose: Wiley-X Higher Ground with Rx Insert ($55 for frames and $50 for the prescription with anti-reflective coating) If you don't wear glasses you should be able to get a full set for under $40. If you want electronic hearing protetction and prescription shooting glasses, expect to pay well past the $200 for a full set. EnkiduEOT

August 14, 2002, 08:18 AM	#7
jimsbowies Senior Member Join Date: January 9, 2002 Location: Charlotte Posts: 332	Wiley-X The "system"...that'll get you (in my case) the blue reflective lens, the standard "green" and the shooter's "yellow"....they're wraparound, provide lots of protection and look way cool...

August 14, 2002, 10:04 AM	#8
Bartholomew Roberts member Join Date: June 12, 2000 Location: Texas and Oklahoma area Posts: 8,462	Wiley X Yes, I really like the Wiley X glasses myself; besides being fairly affordable ($29 or so for the basics) they are also comfortable and way exceed the ANSI standards for ballistic protection.

August 13, 2002, 09:31 PM	#2
dragon1965 Member Join Date: March 25, 2002 Location: ohio Posts: 59	I would go to your local animal shelter and adopt a good mixed breed puppy and raise it to be your eyes and ears

August 13, 2002, 09:35 PM	#3
Hoop Member Join Date: July 31, 2002 Location: Wichita, KS Posts: 16

August 13, 2002, 10:56 PM	#6
Guy B. Meredith Senior Member Join Date: August 29, 1999 Location: Salem, Oregon Posts: 1,581	Hoop, I have used foam ear plugs (25 cents or less per pair in bulk), Peletor Bullseye Ultimate 10, Dillon electronic and Pro-Ears Dimension 1. The foam plugs are always the best in terms of noise reduction, but then you are isolated from the world and feel like an idiot because of your isolation. The passive cups are just okay. Not as efficient as the foam. Electronic cups are better in that they allow you to hear more than you ever wanted to hear (that conversation 50 yards down the range) while shutting out the loud noises. The Pro Ears are better than Dillon and others as the Dillons, etc., shut down during loud noises and interrupt your abililty to hear. The Pro Ears compress the loud noises to a reasonable level so that you never lose hearing. As is the case with other cup ear protectors, the Dimension 1 are not super at limiting noise so when things get loud I use foam and crank up the volume on the Pro Ears to carry normal conversation past the foam plugs. Works great. Pro Ear also has cups with higer noise reduction but are more expensive and/or bulky. Glasses are very subjective--color, perscription, etc.--but should be shatter resistant plastic rather than glass.

August 15, 2002, 02:51 PM	#9
larryw Senior Member Join Date: January 17, 2002 Posts: 336	Another vote for Wiley-X, not only for the reasons already stated, but also because the company provides outstanding support. I broke the frame on mine and they quickly shipped me a new one, no questions asked. I have clear and smoked lenses for indoor and outdoor shooting. I'm a fan of the Peltor 29db ear muff. I'm partially deaf (misspent youth) so I'm not the right person to weigh in here, but my wife is very sensitive to loud noises and they work well for her. She still prefers to double up with the muff and ear plugs, but it is no longer a game over problem if I forget to pack the plugs when we go to the range. We also have some electronic "Tac-6" muffs that seem to work OK. The noise reduction (if memory serves, around 18 dB) wasn't enough for her to comfortably use them at the range, so they now live in our bedroom with the home gun. Nice thing about these electronic muffs is they also amplify soft noises, like someone walking around the house at night. __________________ Learn about TR-069 remote management.