Noise reduction devices. AKA hearing protection

[Lennyjoe]

Need to tap into your experiences a little bit.

I have been around airplanes for the last 17 years and have been wearing ear plugs and such but over time I have had a documented loss off hearing in both ears to include the annoying constant ring.

I have been shooting for years and always wear protection when at the range but never when Im hunting.

So, Im looking for a hearing device that blocks out the loud bang of a weapon without taking away from hearing a deer crunching in the leaves in the distance, talking and so on.

I know that such things like Walkers Game Ear is out there but what else is available?

Dont really want the ear muff style just something that I can insert in my hearing channel like an ear plug but has the ability to block out loud noises.

If you have any ideas feel free to let us all know what works, how comfortable it is to wear, how much and where to get em. Thanks ahead of time.

 

[mattd]

There are a few, just surf the gun catalogs.

 

[Lennyjoe]

That part already has been done.

Just looking for experiences with the different varieties offered.

 

[Keith]

Why not choose a hunting rifle based on how loud it is? Maybe a long-barreled "sendero" style .308 or something like that?
That should reduce the decibel levels considerably, and it's an excellent excuse to buy a new gun!

Keith

 

[Gunfyter]

I've used a Walkers Game Ear for years. This past winter at the Eastern Regional Sports Show in Harrisburg, there was a fellow at the Walkers booth that was making ear plugs for the Game Ear. I bought a pair and he made them right there, even put the tube in for the Game Ear. I use them while hunting and on the range if it isn't enclosed. They are great. Normal conversation, but blocks gunfire. Eventually I plan on getting a second Game Ear and have them for both sides.

 

[bountyhunter]

ME TOO

I have been around airplanes for the last 17 years and have been wearing ear plugs and such but over time I have had a documented loss off hearing in both ears to include the annoying constant ring.

Me too. You should use inner plugs and muffs as well. FYI: different frequency components are blocked differently by plugs and muffs. The low frequency end of the "BOOM" can be conducted dirctly through the bones so plugging the ear canal doesn't do much. Muffs that cover the area around the ear are much more effective. Ear plugs are more effective for high frequency sounds.

Bottom line: human speech is centered in the frequency range of about 500 Hz to 5 kHz. It's possible to make a device to go in the ear that passes that well but provides some attenuation to other frequency ranges... but the attenuation (protection) provided will be minimal. If you already have tinnitus, you need to go as far as possible to protect what's left.

 

[Lennyjoe]

You should use inner plugs and muffs as well

I usually do wear both but there have been quite a few times that I havent had the opportunity to put them in in time. Also as an expediter I have to have the window down on the truck while on the line. That wayI can talk to the crew chiefs and talk on the radio at the same time. Over time it has taken its toll.

Reason Im concerned is cause I dont want to get any worse.

Looks like the Game Ear might be the way to go.

 

[TechBrute]

EARINC should have what you're looking for. I use and love their products.

 

[V-fib]

The last couple of years for hunting I've been wearing my Sonic II ear plugs by North safety products. I can hear normal conversation, the birds, wind and crunching leaves when a deer approaches but they block loud noises like gunfire. I carry a pair with me all the time. They run around $10

 

[C.R.Sam]

.22 long rifle on up...
There is no unsilenced rifle that will not damage ears.
Nor shotgun.

Sam...I hear J-59 (Deamon) in my head at night.

 

[rayra]

If you are having problems with Tinnitus / ringing, you might want to have yourself checked for high blood pressure or hypertension.
Just in case.

 

[Lennyjoe]

you might want to have yourself checked for high blood pressure or hypertension

Already had that done.

 

[bountyhunter]

Reason Im concerned is cause I dont want to get any worse.

If you are on the downhill side of 40 (like me) hearing can ONLY get worse. Even in the best case scenario, everybody has a gradual hearing loss with age.

Tinnitus usually only occurs in people with a significant (and measurable) hearing loss (again, I also have both of those). If you have tinnitus, you have to get ultra paranoid about protecting what's left of your ears.

FWIW: many people with tinnitus (and hearing loss) develop hyper-acousis, which means extreme sensitivity to loud noises (I also have that). So, you may find that your body is sending you the message.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

While plugs may actually do a better job of stopping noise transiting the auditory canal than muffs do, one failing of plugs is that they do almost nothing to stop conduction of sound via the bones. Simply put, loud noises impact your brain bucket and vibrate. That vibration transits the surface bone until it reaches the area around the ears which is the temporal bone. Attached on the interior of the temporal bone are the skeletal structures of the ear including the petrosal and auditory bulla. Connected by soft tissue within are the hammer, anvil, and stapes.

There is a reason you can hear things with your ears plugged. Conduction of sound. Muffs do more to dampen sound conduction via the cranium than plugs can do because plugs don't cover anything but the auditory canal.

Hearing damage is cumulative over time. A very good idea, inside or outside, is to wear plugs and then muffs with electronic amplfication and shutoff. I like Peltor's Comtacs as they are lightweight, durable, have long battery life and a pretty darn good NRR rating compared to other muffs out there (24 or so). I also wear plugs. I have the volume turned up high on the muffs so that I can hear normal sound through the plugs.

I have read some posts where people claim that doubling up really offers no advantages and that is just crap. Not doubling up offers no advantages in regard to auditory health. One of the issues is that muffs often fail to fully seal around the ears and hence leak sound into the ear. That is true. However, the sound is leak in small amounts and at angles that don't lead directly into the canal. Improperly fitted plugs will leak sound directly into the ear.

The nice thing about doubling up is that it helps to cover shortcomings of both the plugs and the muffs. I like to have the plugs in all the time at the range as every so often somebody may shoot before I expect it and so I stay continually protected. Far too many times I have been surprised, and I know this happens to others, while taking off my muffs during what I thought was a cease fire only to have somebody blast away. It is not a pleasant experience.

FYI, for hunting, Walker's game ear may be great. I don't know. What I do know is that that Comtacs work well enough that I can wear them inside my home and hear the footfall of my cat coming down the carpeted hallway or be able to hear the sounds of my kids' light breathing in the middle of the night from the doorway of their room, several feet away from them.