Hearing protection

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Just curious what the rest of you use to protect your ears.
I use a simple pair of industrial ear muffs that do a very good job. Although at the range I see everything from the inexpensive disposable push-in one time use ear plugs, to the expensive electronic ear muffs.

What have you found that works well?

Adam
 
I use the foam ones when shooting rifle and I use electronic ones for pistol. Len may still have the link for the electronic ones, best $20 I've ever spent.
 
derek said:
I use the foam ones when shooting rifle and I use electronic ones for pistol. Len may still have the link for the electronic ones, best $20 I've ever spent.

Here's the thread with the info:
http://northeastshooters.com/viewtopic.php?t=138

Be aware that these go on sale occasionally for the $20 price, other times they are more expensive. Plan on 2-3 weeks for delivery as Harbor Freight has a very strange shipping system that's the equivalent of sending the product by banana boat around Cape Horn to get to you!

To take a class shooting pistol, electronic muffs are ESSENTIAL!! This is the only way that you can clearly hear the instructor and range commands. Plugs are great, but you can't hear squat all the time and that is not a good thing in a class.
 
I think that it's the Peltor Electronics that I have. I use them most of the time. When I'm shooting with a brimed hat, I have a set of hte corded push ins.

I like the electronics because you can talk normal, don't have to yell, and you don't get that weird feeling from everything being all muffled all the time.

Hell, I've been known to use old cigarette filters when in a pinch.
 
I use Peltor Tac-7S myself. Bought the Harbor Frt ones for my Wife (plus Derek & Brent). The Peltors seem to come back to normal (after a shot) faster than the HF ones, but there is a massive difference in cost too!

Peltors are stereo and the HF ones are mono in case that matters to anyone.
 
I have a pair of the Peltor stereo ones too. One side crapped out on me last week :(
I've tried the foam inserts but having something inside my ears really annoys me.
 
M1911 said:
Generally use plugs underneath Peltors. I've already got tinnitus and don't need anymore.

You too?

Not sure that plugs under muffs are any help for this condition, but I'll try to remember to ask when I see my audiologist (hopefully tomorrow, after my eye doc appt).

I do wear both at the rifle range plus sometimes on the pistol range, but in any class I find it necessary to wear only the electronic muffs so that I am able to hear the range commands.
 
I, too, have tinnitus. Predominantly in my right ear. Funny thing is, I've had it as far back as I can remember, around 5. It has not gotten better or worse. Very sporadic. I'll go months without hearing the 'tone' but sometimes it'll happen several times a day for about a week. Weird shit.
 
2 things-

1) I have bad tinnitus as well so I use both plugs and muffs

2) I find I have significantly less ringing after going to the Dr and having my ears flushed. Next time you go to the doc ask if they can flush you. It's crazy the stuff that you don't even know is in there... Icky.

Only lasts a while, but it's nice while it lasts.
 
SiameseRat said:
2 things-

1) I have bad tinnitus as well so I use both plugs and muffs

2) I find I have significantly less ringing after going to the Dr and having my ears flushed. Next time you go to the doc ask if they can flush you. It's crazy the stuff that you don't even know is in there... Icky.

Only lasts a while, but it's nice while it lasts.

umm what is Tinnitus? Im afraid I might get it. :D
 
I had a set of ears given to me by a friend - I don't see a maker's name on them, and they aren't battery operated, however, they do reduce loud noises and let's me hear people speaking without them having to yell. I like them. I'll try to find out what they are.
 
My tinnitus is constant. Last time I was checked, I still had excellent hearing, except for some roll-off at upper frequencies.

I'm not sure whether the damage was due to loud music in my youth or time on construction sites listening to the insessant backup alarms...
 
derek said:
SiameseRat said:
2 things-

1) I have bad tinnitus as well so I use both plugs and muffs

2) I find I have significantly less ringing after going to the Dr and having my ears flushed. Next time you go to the doc ask if they can flush you. It's crazy the stuff that you don't even know is in there... Icky.

Only lasts a while, but it's nice while it lasts.

umm what is Tinnitus? Im afraid I might get it. :D

Too late, and you've probably spread it!
 
In case there's somebody out there who actually doesn't know, tinitis is just the medical term for that damn constant ringing in my ears! I now wear both plugs and muffs, but I guess this is my body's payback for the first 20 years shooting without any hearing protection and a lot of serious 70's heavy metal. (I know it's getting back at me in other ways for a lot of other things, but that's a totally different topic.) No significant hearing loss, except a fall-off in high frequencies that my doctor tells me is "typical for my age", whatever the hell that's supposed to mean. The tinitis is driving my wife crazy, since I don't like not having some sound source going 24/7 to cover it up. (Charlie Daniels works well.) When it's really quiet, the ringing is a real irritation. Oh, well. At least it tends to drown out the voices. [wink]

Ken
 
derek said:
SiameseRat said:
2 things-

1) I have bad tinnitus as well so I use both plugs and muffs

2) I find I have significantly less ringing after going to the Dr and having my ears flushed. Next time you go to the doc ask if they can flush you. It's crazy the stuff that you don't even know is in there... Icky.

Only lasts a while, but it's nice while it lasts.

umm what is Tinnitus? Im afraid I might get it. :D

It's like cooties for your ears! Yay
 
My tinnitus was no doubt caused by the 3 years working on nuclear subs. During construction and overhaul at GD/EB, they were always grinding, welding or chipping and the echo in a metal sewer tube is something else!

I always wore ear protection shooting . . . other than one time when my buddy lit off a couple of .38 rds in his snubby before I could get my muffs on . . . my ears rang for 3 days after that event.
 
I get a small ringing every so often, but nothing that drives me nuthouse. I think it started back in the 70's when I was singing with the band...and too much loud music at other times. :D With everthing else that's going on with me - I'll not b*tch about the infrequent ringing. :D
 
I hear the ocean all the time in both ears, and I don't need any conch shells to do it either. Additionally I have significant hi-freq hearing loss in my right ear.

For years I kept telling my Wife that it was "spousal hearing loss"! She didn't buy it and I finally had a hearing test . . . result was a hearing aid.
 
Hubby's got it too. His is from working in a lumber mill his family owned for awhile,then factor in the high noise environment we worked in for Uncle Sam,and various other factors. Plus he still works in a high noise environment.
 
If it's like cooties, I don't think so... As everyone knows, there is NO CURE for cooties! [lol]

Adam
 
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