Hearing Protection While Hunting?

[TrapperReady]

griz - The way that I usually adjust my Peltors is to turn the volume up until I start to hear the white noise, then back it down slightly until that goes away. It works pretty well.

Also, when I wear foam plugs under the muffs, it cuts out a lot of that noise (as well as making the overall protection more effective). The trade-off there is that I lose the amplification and it's slightly worse (for general hearing) than nothing at all. Personally, I like that trade-off. I get slightly less acute hearing, but very good protection.

 

[Lennyjoe]

Santa Claus aint that rich in my house.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

mtnbkr, you enjoy hearing the crunch of animal feet when you hunt now because from the sounds of things, you will not be able to hear them later. Your hunting experience will decline in a manner where you will undoubtedly start to try to convince yourself that the animals are fewer in number or quieter because they have gotten smarter and know you are hunting...only they haven't gotten smarter, but you have gotten more deaf.

I am not conflicted with you. I want you to be able to continue enjoying what you do, but your "too expensive" and "don't fit me right" arguments are really not in your best interest as a justification for not wearing protection.

Somewhere in my memory, those were similar argument for condoms. For a guy like me with ears like mine, the small ones don't fit right!...but so far I still don't have hearing aids....budoomp-boomp!

You know what they say, big ears, big ear muffs.

 

[mtnbkr]

mtnbkr, you enjoy hearing the crunch of animal feet when you hunt now because from the sounds of things, you will not be able to hear them later. Your hunting experience will decline in a manner where you will undoubtedly start to try to convince yourself that the animals are fewer in number or quieter because they have gotten smarter and know you are hunting...only they haven't gotten smarter, but you have gotten more deaf.
I am not conflicted with you. I want you to be able to continue enjoying what you do, but your "too expensive" and "don't fit me right" arguments are really not in your best interest as a justification for not wearing protection

Did you even read what I wrote? I said the various electronic hearing protection is worth the money provided they fit me properly. Proper fit is paramount because if they don't fit, they won't protect. How did that get translated to "too expensive" and "they don't fit"?

Here's what I said:

Trust me, I see the value in them, but I've got to be sure they're going to work before spending that much money

That's why I wear plugs and muffs when I shoot today. Muffs frequently contact the stock of my rifle when I get a good cheek weld, pushing the left cup away from my head. Without plugs, my left ear would be as good as bare.

Besides, I'm not in danger of going deaf from hunting at the moment. I'm doing good to fire a single shot during deer season. When I'm at the range, I double up as a habit.

Chris

 

[Jaywalker]

Good thread. I believe I should wear protection while hunting, but without this thread I might have forgotten to take my Peltors with me. I double up with foam at the range, but I'm not sure I'll do that next week in the field. I will change the batteries, though. I like hearing the squirrels running around. Cheek weld isn't an issue for me with mine. Also, FWIW, my Peltors have a little moleskin on the right earpiece that deaadens the "thunk" when my rifle but contacts it. Good idea, I think.

mtnbkr, I read your plaintive wail for a report on the Woodland Whisper 2, but have no experience with it. I'm waiting for your review, though. I'll be buying my license this evening. Do you, or anyone else, have a brand name for the "sonic valve" earplugs? Is this a Wally World item?

Jaywalker

 

[mtnbkr]

Jaywalker,

The Sonic Valve tech can be found in different brand earplugs. The ones I bought are made by Silencio. I found them at Wal-Mart. They are blue in color. IIRC, they were about $10, give or take a few bucks. With them in, normal sounds are just barely attenuated. However, they seem to block loud noises like gunshots to a degree. I wouldn't use them by themselves for range duty, but under muffs or for use when off the line (like waiting for your group's turn at trap) or hunting should be fine.

I like how they work, but they are incredibly uncomfortable, actually painful, for me. It's not that particular plug, but that style (any of the ribbed rubber plugs hurt my ears it seems). I found a company that can make custom molded plugs using that valve. Once I get molds made, I'm going to get a set. NRR for the custom ones is 17. Not the best, but better than nothing and you still hear quiet sounds. The same company will make custom plugs for use with the electronic enhancement/protection devices (the behind the ear ones, not muffs).

Chris

 

[ScottsGT]

I'll second the Remingtons at Wally World. I use them when I carry my .44 magnum. 190db will do perminant damage. Even only once. I actually carried my Raging Bull around at a gunshow to sell it, a gentleman asked why I was selling. Told him I don't want to ruin my ears hunting, won't wear earplugs hunting, so I have no need for it. He sent me to Wally World to get the Remingtons, and told me to keep the gun if I really liked it. The first time I wore the muffs, I thought I had gone deaf at the end of the hunt when I removed them. I could hear the redneck in the mobile home 2 miles away with Freebird cranked up while he was vacuuming out his truck! That guy's singing really was bad! And he thought he was all alone.

 

[mtnbkr]

Visit with Audiologist today...

I had my Audiologist appointment today. After the normal battery of tests, she concluded my hearing was nearly perfect. I have 100% of my hearing in my right ear and 90% in my left. Most of the loss, if not all, probably comes from my band-geek days since we never wore hearing protection then.

She gave me a list of local audiologists who could make custom molds of my ears for custom plugs and the like. She asked me if I needed them because I was in a band. I replied truthfully, "no, I shoot". No lectures on how shooting is bad for my ears or anything like that. She pointed out that I could find manufacturers for shooting specific hearing protection in magazines and such and that I could get custom electronic protection once I got the molds (duh, that's why I wanted them made).

Chris

 

[Jaywalker]

I wore the Peltors hunting yesterday/Saturday. They keep your ears warm. Unfortunately, they didn't do much else after I took a small, impromptu swim.

I'd like to try the Game-Ear gun-fucious mentions, but nearly $500 - either each, or even for two, is just too much money.

Jaywalker

 

[mtnbkr]

They're not swimmer's ear protection Jaywalker.

BTW, Walker makes a non-digital plug for about $150 per ear.

Chris