I usually just shoot with disposable ear plugs, but I recently purchased a pair of electronic ear muffs. I will wear both together, this will give me the same ambient level of noise but cuts the report even further down. This is mainly for shooting with people that have .38 super comped guns indoors.
Hearing protection
This may belong in the newbie section, I wasn't sure so I put it here.
Most of us in this site are experienced shooters, we write about the gear we take to the range, weapons, mags, holsters etc but we never mention the hearing protection we wear while shooting. I'm guessing that all of us take hearing protection for granted; it's part of our range gear just as much so as ammo or a gun itself but we never mention it. I thought; which is a scary proposition in it's self lol; this should be put out there so the newbies understand that we do wear hearing protection, we just tend to over look the fact that we do.
So what does everyone wear?
Depending on what and where I'm shooting I use different types. I have disposiable plugs in every vehicle I drive for spur of the moment shooting with my buddies;in the country no range needed just beer cans in the back yards sort of thing; or hunting groundhogs and crows where we shoot a lots. When I go to the range or a shoot where there are alot of other shooters in close proximity I wear walker power muffs, they work better than plugs and are easier to use than plugs when you constantly put them on and take them off. When we shoot the big guns which are very loud and have larger than average muzzle blasts I actually wear plugs and muffs both, it's uncomfortable but it's better than being deaf.
Not only does hearing protect your ears but in most people, me included,it improves accuracy. I've never had a problem with recoil from a rifle I can shoot my high powers all day with no problem with recoil but 3 shots without hearing protection and I start to flinch from the muzzle blast,start to anticipate it and end up jerking the trigger with my eyes half closed. It's amazing how much a couple pieces of foam or plastic can effect your group size.
I've been shooting rifles and shotguns since I was 7 and have over 20 years in shooting and many many thousands of rounds I trained myself to shoot left handed, right handed, left eye right eye, both eyes open crossover and eyes closed going total muscle memory at close range. the one thing I couldn't beat was the muzzle blast. Even with a 22 the muzzle blast will effect me it just takes more rounds fired than bigger guns.
Most of us in this site are experienced shooters, we write about the gear we take to the range, weapons, mags, holsters etc but we never mention the hearing protection we wear while shooting. I'm guessing that all of us take hearing protection for granted; it's part of our range gear just as much so as ammo or a gun itself but we never mention it. I thought; which is a scary proposition in it's self lol; this should be put out there so the newbies understand that we do wear hearing protection, we just tend to over look the fact that we do.
So what does everyone wear?
Depending on what and where I'm shooting I use different types. I have disposiable plugs in every vehicle I drive for spur of the moment shooting with my buddies;in the country no range needed just beer cans in the back yards sort of thing; or hunting groundhogs and crows where we shoot a lots. When I go to the range or a shoot where there are alot of other shooters in close proximity I wear walker power muffs, they work better than plugs and are easier to use than plugs when you constantly put them on and take them off. When we shoot the big guns which are very loud and have larger than average muzzle blasts I actually wear plugs and muffs both, it's uncomfortable but it's better than being deaf.
Not only does hearing protect your ears but in most people, me included,it improves accuracy. I've never had a problem with recoil from a rifle I can shoot my high powers all day with no problem with recoil but 3 shots without hearing protection and I start to flinch from the muzzle blast,start to anticipate it and end up jerking the trigger with my eyes half closed. It's amazing how much a couple pieces of foam or plastic can effect your group size.
I've been shooting rifles and shotguns since I was 7 and have over 20 years in shooting and many many thousands of rounds I trained myself to shoot left handed, right handed, left eye right eye, both eyes open crossover and eyes closed going total muscle memory at close range. the one thing I couldn't beat was the muzzle blast. Even with a 22 the muzzle blast will effect me it just takes more rounds fired than bigger guns.
1 - 10 of 10 Posts
I don't like shootintg indoors, but when I do I have a regualr old pair of muffs.
When out doors I use dispodable plugs.
Zach
When out doors I use dispodable plugs.
Zach
I've got some of those two sided Peltor triple flange plugs. They work pretty well for what I use them for. I'll be honest, though, I've ended up doing a fair ammount of shooting in my life without ear protection and I'm losing my hearing in my left ear because of it.
I hate the noise/report of firearms.
I'd love to have a silencer if only just to train with.
As of current I shoot indoors 100% of the time and double bag.
I keep a pair of rubber inner ear plugs and then cover those with a Peltor 6S (I believe thats the model number) that have a 28db rating and are electronic. This combo has been for years protecting my hearing although even that is not infallible.
The NRA HdQ range where I used to train allowed _anything_ and as such folks would comein with .223, .308 and 30-06 long guns to train. The report indoors even with their own active sound dampening system is unbearable. Most often my shooting partner and I would get up and move to the far opposite side of the range or if it was too bad just up and leave.
I keep in my gear box several pairs of foam plugs just in case I bring a guest.
Even though the NRA and S&W ranges loan guests/observers/renters a set of ears I still advise folks to play it safest and double up.
- Janq
I'd love to have a silencer if only just to train with.
As of current I shoot indoors 100% of the time and double bag.
I keep a pair of rubber inner ear plugs and then cover those with a Peltor 6S (I believe thats the model number) that have a 28db rating and are electronic. This combo has been for years protecting my hearing although even that is not infallible.
The NRA HdQ range where I used to train allowed _anything_ and as such folks would comein with .223, .308 and 30-06 long guns to train. The report indoors even with their own active sound dampening system is unbearable. Most often my shooting partner and I would get up and move to the far opposite side of the range or if it was too bad just up and leave.
I keep in my gear box several pairs of foam plugs just in case I bring a guest.
Even though the NRA and S&W ranges loan guests/observers/renters a set of ears I still advise folks to play it safest and double up.
- Janq
Any time i go to an indoor range i use a pair of remington ear muffs and foam earplugs. I double up since its so loud in there and i tend to go often. When i'm at an outdoor range wether its for shotgun or rifle i normally just use the ear muffs since it outdoors and theres not as much shooting in a small area.
I didn't used to double up, but I've never shot without plugs until I went hunting this year, then I was around a box or two of 20 and 12 guage firings without any protection.
In the last six months or so I've doubled up inside and outside becuase I've noticed a bit of tinnitus and I don't want it to get any worse. Even the other week at an outdoor but covered range I noticed things are pretty loud.
I also hate loud noises. I was always the geek with TP in my ears at concerts. I think that 600 hours in a small plane screwed my hearing though, plus the cumulative effect of all the shooting, even with hearing protection.
In the last six months or so I've doubled up inside and outside becuase I've noticed a bit of tinnitus and I don't want it to get any worse. Even the other week at an outdoor but covered range I noticed things are pretty loud.
I also hate loud noises. I was always the geek with TP in my ears at concerts. I think that 600 hours in a small plane screwed my hearing though, plus the cumulative effect of all the shooting, even with hearing protection.
Indoors, I use foam plugs and muffs (non-electronic old school)
Outdoors, I use the just the rubber plugs that allow you to hear everything but the bang.
Outdoors, I use the just the rubber plugs that allow you to hear everything but the bang.
I really learned my lesson in Argentina, we went on a spur of the moment dove, duck and goose hunt. That was VERY high volume of shooting. I alone fired 1000 round of 20 and 28ga in a day. 3 of us had more than 3200 rounds total all with no hearing protection. my ears were ringing for 2 days
At the outdoor rifle/pistol range I use muffs as they are easy to take on/off for the cease-fires. At indoor ranges I wear muffs and foam earplugs. I also wear the muffs/foam earplug combo when I'm shooting my SU-16CA outdoors but under an overhang as the top slot in the muzzle brake really sends the sound bouncing off overhangs right at my head. When plinking in the great outdoors but not at the range I use foam earplugs alone just because they're easier to transport and less cumbersome.
-Chris
-Chris
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