Ears??? What do you use at the Range

What hearing Protection do you use???


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In addition to what 'Card said, also make sure you hold them in with a fingertip for a few seconds until they expand, as they can back out of your ears.

I wear double EP indoors (foamies under Peltor Ultimate 10s), and foamies outside (unless there are rifles present, then I usually double up). I prefer the foamies to the muffs as they won't get knocked loose or make my ears sweat. The Peltors are much better muffs than what were available to me to use on the flightline in my AF days.

And I'm cheap, I reuse foamies...I find lots of newly-cleaned ones in the washing machine and dryer :neener:
 
I use plugs and electronic Peltors over them. Most of the time I don't even turn the Peltors on, so they just act as regular muffs.

Occasionally I'll wear only plugs when shooting trap, but that's just if the muffs are annoying me.
 
No problem using foam plugs over and over again. You can even wash them in the washing machine, but you're better off with just a little dish soap in warm water. The washing machine method is good for half a dozen uses as it eventually removes the plasticiser. Hand washing is good for about 30 washes as they only need to be washed enough to clean the outside.

Roll 'em up small, pull your ear from over the top of the head, insert deeply, allow to expand for a couple of seconds and enjoy the silence.

By the way, suppressors remove much of the sound but not all of it. Remember that it all adds up in chipping away at your hearing.
 
Usually foam plugs under electronic muffs, even outdoors. When I'm bird hunting, mostly foam earplugs, though for dove I've started wearing my electronic muffs when I'm hunting from a stand.

My dad lost a lot of his hearing via his job, where even though they needed to, nobody wore hearing protection in the good old days. I'm extremely cautious with my hearing now, because I don't want to drive anyone else as crazy as my dad drives me and pretty much everybody by saying "what?" every other sentence when you're talking to him.
 
95% of the time:

E-A-R Classic Plugs (the ones with blue strings). I mostly shoot outdoors, and with shotguns - ear muffs mess with mounting gun to face, and all the other correct basic fundamentals I harp about

I tie 2 pair together, and one pair is always around my neck handy.

I added string to my wax ear plugs "back when", later to foam rubber when these easier to get, always 2 pair, been doing so since I was six years old. I'm 51 now.

Plugs have to be removed sometimes, range rules, b/t rounds...I always know and have ear plugs handy.

I boughgt these by the box, and when dirty tossed into a delicate bag and just tossed in with the laundry.

--

Ear muffs: for observing, shooting indoors like old barns / farmhouses and such "training" [note: not with a shotgun, handguns only, I am real picky / real serious about shotgunning] sometimes those times shooting big bores , or sitting in a blind with kids [electronic are good for this].

I had 3 sets each of Peltor Electronic Muffs, Zeiss shooting glasses, hand tooled leather shooting belts and pouches. The one set never used - I gave to a lady , other two sets died in a fire. *sigh*. [along with a 2 dozen Gadsen Flag bandanas, Stetson hats, straw hats (don't do baseball style) *grin*].
 
SM,

You can only wash foam plugs about 6 times in a washing machine before they begin to degrade. If you were to hand wash them with your delicates:neener: they'd last about 30 washings.
 
I'm stone deaf on one side and very protective of the good side - double up plug and muffs. I could skip the muff on the bad side too but I need two to keep the muffs on my head. Besides you can't buy a single muff.;)

Interestingly, even though I can't hear the sound I can still feel the pressure wave affect.
 
E-A-R 32dB plugs under range-rental muffs. Even for .22.

My Walther .177 Redstorm (and most crappy music) is just comfortably below the pain threshold; the other side of this is that I can hear well into the 'dogs and dolphins' region of the frequency range.
 
I'm really glad I read the posts on this thread. I've always had problems trying to get plugs in my right ear. Also I work around planes and I can't tell you how many times i've been without my ear protection on. Already I have intermittent ringing in my ears. I learned somthing new today. :)
 
Pro-Ears Dimension I "Sporting Clays" electronic muffs for outdoor ranges; indoors, same used with those yellow E-A-R foamies ... My department provides for range use some no-name electronic muffs that seem to be be almost as effective as my overpriced Pro-Ears ... For tactical situations, no hearing protection, only a radio earplug/mic ...
 
Most of the time, I use my Silencio Falcon electronic muffs only. They do a nice job outdoors (I rarely shoot indoors), but I've found it helps to tamp them into place over my ears.

I bought a set of cheapy Caldwell's from Midway a few months ago, and while they dampen the sound OK, it takes four or five seconds before the electronics kick back in. During that time, they're just plain old muffs.

For tactical situations, no hearing protection, only a radio earplug/mic ...
That is a real problem on the job. I smoke, so when I have to dispatch an injured animal or something similar, I snap off a couple of cigarette filters and stuff them in my ears.
 
You can only wash foam plugs about 6 times in a washing machine before they begin to degrade. If you were to hand wash them with your delicates :neener: they'd last about 30 washings.

Now for the rest of the story...

1) wives wonder what the heck ear plugs are doing in the delicate bag with her delicates. Hey, we shared house duties, she went to run a errand with the boy, I said I would start the laundry...

2) wives really wonder where their delicate bags went...and are so surprised to find them full of 28 ga hulls when found amongst shooting gear upon my return from range.

3) wives sometimes have last minute schedule changes at the hospital, they did not go to work, instead they return unexpectantly to find / hear 28 ga hulls in their "replacment" delicate bags in the washer...and the dryer making a racket with the first load of 28 ga hulls in the old delicate bags 'I inherited".

Now you know why I bought 6 boxes of E-A-R Foam Plugs, 4 boxes of Delicate washing bags [48 total] and was spotted at the local laundry-mat at times...

Dogs: Might as well, folks are gonna ask about dogs and shooting...

The dog, well he would not wear the kid's size muffs around his neck, they were up messed anyway, and better as a chew toy.

Now he would wear the E-A-R plugs and strings around his neck along with his matching to mine Gadsen Flag Bandana.

Exceptions : He would not wear the bandana when he wore the special collar that held 4 extra 28 ga shells. He told me I might need a shell in a hurry and the bandana might get in the way...

He would wear the plugs and shells instead Yep, he stayed behind where I was shooting and coached me on the next station...repeat. He really liked it when I shot 2 at Low 8 for a straight.

:)
 
It depends.

When I'm shooting by myself I normally use a set of Peltor Ultimate 10 muffs. If I'm in training or teaching a class where there are a lot of shooters and shelter, I use Howard Leight Leightning 31 muffs with Silencio baffle type plugs, since I have a habit of pulling one side of the muffs back to communicate.
 
Muffs and plugs

The indoor range where i shoot has very few
restrictions on handguns so there's always
some heavy hitters like 44mag and 454
casull's.If i bring my shotgun i'am put over
on the rifle bay which is always loud.
 
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