Questions about shooting gear

[randommj]

I and a few friends will be going to a farm to go shooting (into a hill side) I was wondering if some earbud style head phones would be sufficiant enough as ear plugs, the ones I have are noise canceling and quite frankly if I have them in and music on they cancel voices alot better than the foam plugs the shooting ranges provide, has anyone tried this? (heres what I have http://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDR-EX56...1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1270054559&sr=8-1)

also, what would be a good rifle rest while shooting in prone, I really dont want to spend 15-20 bucks for a bag of beads for an official rest, is there anything I might have around the house that I could use/make?

Miles

 

[NG VI]

Doesn't mean they will protect your ears better than foam plugs or any other type of hearing protection. Noise canceling headphones are to preserve sound quality, not protect you from sharp impulses.

As far as a rest, personally I seem to shoot better prone unsupported, so I'm not sure. A towel to lay on?

 

[Justin]

Get real hearing protection. Earphones are for listening to music, and are not rated to dampen sound to the point of safety. Nearly any store sells cheap disposable foam plugs, and you'd be foolish not to use them.

Also, don't forget to wear eye protection as well.

 

[benzy2]

As for a cheap rest, I have seen people fill a leg of a pair of jeans with sand. If you have access to sand and an old pair of jeans you don't mind cutting up you could be out with an ok rest fairly cheap. Google "home made shooting rest" I'm sure something will pop up you have access to.

 

[Jeff82]

Foam ear plugs are typically rated at 32-33 db noise reduction as compared to low to mid 20's for head phone style hearing protection. Both together is your best bet. Ear buds ain't gonna do it.

 

[happygeek]

When I've been out on unofficial ranges I've used stumps or logs that were around as rests in the prone.

Quick question, what will you be shooting at? You didn't say anything about target stands.

 

[randommj]

we will be shooting at paper targets of somekind, Im not really sure how we will be standing the targets up, there will be a lot of .22s there, a mosin, and a marlin 336

Miles

 

[Zerodefect]

Just swing by Ace or Homedepot. Get the orange foam ear plugs ($0.99) and the plain black/grey ear muffs ($16). The plain ear plugs are good for a 30+db reduction, another 10-20db for the ear muffs. The softer the rubber surrond the better. Your glasses will ruin the seal on all earmuffs. Get a set of yellow and clear safety glasses while your there.

I wear both, and remove the ear muffs to talk. If someone starts shooting I'm reasonably protected by the foamys.

The cheap foam plugs work best. The fancy Surefire, formed plugs offer very little protection.

Just remember to pull you ear lobe up and back with one hand so you ear canal will open so you can get the foam ear plug all the way in.

 

[Shadow 7D]

Well, with the mosin, especially if it's a carbine, you would be an idiot not to wear proper ear protection, unless you really don't mind not hearing, for the rest of your life.

as for a rest, a simple sand bag is more than adequate, I agree that being in a stable and comfortable position is actually as important to accuracy if not more than a "good" rest.

If you need the basics of riflemanship, look up an Appleseed shoot or just search it here, because it is MUCH easier to learn good habits than trying to unlearn them later.

 

[happygeek]

Just grab some 2 by 4s and nail some together to make a base, then nail one standing upright to the base. Use roofing nails to attach a piece of thicker cardboard to the upright 2 x 4 and simply staple your paper targets to that. Just be sure to put the upright 2 by 4 on the edge of your cardboard, not in the middle. I've quickly destroyed a target stand before by not doing so.

 

[dagger dog]

Cut the legs off an old pair of jeans use nylon zip ties to tie one end off and fill them with sand or dry dirt then tie off the other end makes 4 sand bags out of 1set of legs.

The Sonic ear plugs from Wally World are cheap and work well but you have to read lips on the firing line, if you do alot of shooting invest in some muffs, the higher decibel cancellation the better, as a lot of the concussion from high power rifle, handgun shots transmit harmful sound through the skull, muffs cut down on this type of harmful noise.