Custom ear plugs?

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I got a pair of these at a gun show - $45+tax, took about 15 minutes for the, uh, stuff to set and then another 45 to dry and get finished. No doctor required.

Rated at 29db, I use them alone for rifles (outdoors only) or with muffs for pistols.
 
I have a set that I had made by a guy that came around to skeet shoots. Mine are 27DB reduction and work very well for shotgun.

For pistol shooting, I wear them under a set of electronic muffs. Ears don't ring as much as they once did.
 
You can also buy kits to make them yourself. My brother has a pair and he liked them ok. I've kind of subscribed to the theory that since they are so form-fitting that if either your ear or the plugs change shape for any reason, the benefit is lost. But, some folks swear by them.
 
I paid $40 for mine. They do fit well, but are a bit hard to insert into the ear. Have to be lined up and turned just right to be seated properly. They do a good job of noise attenuation and I use them alone for both rifle and pistol (outdoors). After about an hour or so they do begin to get a bit uncomfortable.

Jim
 
I have a pair made by a woman at a gunshow, I think they are super comfortable, and block sound better than my Peltor tac-6 electronic muffs.
 
I have had a pair for a few years. I really like them and reduce around 29 or so. I use them for Trap all the time, but pistols and rifles I still put a second set of ears on over them. Just more of a precaution, but I have too many older shooting friends who use the word "Huh" or "What did you say?" to much during conversations. Use two pairs and save your hearing.
 
I have a set made by Starkey Labs. They have filters that are interchangeable for 9, 15 and 25db reduction with no occlusion effect. They're fantastic for work (military musician) and I wear them underneath a set of earmuffs for shooting. I love them, and they're way more comfortable than regular plugs.

Don't know how much they cost, the .mil bought them for me...:cool:
 
Why pay for someone to improperly mold a "custom" earplug with a lower NRR than the pennies a pair foam plugs?
 
The porous foam ones (sponge-like) never seem to expand right in my ear and are generally uncomfortable. The more rubbery ($1/pair) foam ones expand but still bother me (always feel like they're going to come loose).

The pair I have block sound without going too far into the canal and make a much better seal - the cheap ones are no good if they ever lose pressure.
 
I have the customs with the little speakers in them so I can listen to some music while riding the motorcycle. Also have a set without speakers for shooting. I like them both a lot. You only have ONE set of ears so take care of them.
 
I personally do not

own a pair but my daughter has them. If you are thinking about getting them from the guy who does all the local shows around NH and Mass I can tell you that he is a stand up guy. His name is Mike. I have lots of friends who have his plugs and most of them consider them a very good investment. My daughter got hers from him and she is very happy with them also. The only reason that I haven't gotten a pair is because I will lose them.
 
I had my audiologist do mine a number of years back, they hold up great, paid around 60 for the pair. They're made of much tougher rubber than the ones found at gunshows.
 
Molded plugs are no more protective than inexpensive foam plugs. Their one advantage, other than providing someone else with your money, is that if they are properly made they are easy to insert properly every time.

Foam plugs come in standard and small sizes so if you have a problem getting them to seat you can get the ones for folks with small ear canals.

Almost everyone puts foam plugs in improperly. You have to compress them much more than you think you need to. They should be rolled between your palms until they are about the diameter of a drafting pencil lead. Insert them into the ear until the tip reaches the bend in the ear canal then hold them for a few seconds until the expand.

Not only are they cheap and effective, but they can be washed a few times and reused.
 
I have two sets that I had made by a hearing aide company locally (check your yellow pages) that uses a mechanical baffle. They are worth every penny of the $100.00 I pay for them.

I work in an industrial plant and these allow me to hear people clear as day and still drown out the noise above 80db?

They are comfortable 8+ hrs a day also.
 
Custom ear plugs? What for? Will try to post the pic. of the kind we use here with one finger of the other hand.
 

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HOCKS is the brand name.

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I had my last pair done in GREEN/ORANGE for LEFT/RIGHT. This was because people could not see my hearing protection at matches and schools. It also makes it faster to put in.
 
+1 for the molded plugs

I have tried alot of different types of hearing protection and am using the molded ones that are held together with neck chain. They took about a 1/2 hour to set up but they turn down the volume on gunfire. Ive tried the sonic valves and they dont work. Tried the little foam plugs you scrunch into your ear and hate the large over the ear units alot that are popular but uncomfortable. If your moving and shooting, these are great plugs and between strings, you can let them hang around your neck.
 
Hso I'm not sure why you've got a problem with custom molded plugs. I've used the foam ones in PRECISELY the way you describe and they are neither as effective nor as comfortable as my custom molded ones. Further the molded ones can be cleaned with a little rubbing alcohol which takes less time than washing my ears! Plus the friggin pressure that the foam plugs exert on my ears gets just plain painfull after as little as 3 hours. If I wear them for working around machinery for a full day, I can't wear them for more than 30 minutes the day after without discomfort. Plus if the custom molded ones are made without the tether attached you can wear headphone type protection and gain another 15dB or so of protection. Granted you can do this with the foam ones however the packages of foam ones are listed as having the same 29dB as my custom molded ones.
 
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