hearing protection

[Two-Gun Mary]

What kind of hearing protection do you like? I've been using a relatively inexpensive ANR headset, but find that with the larger calibers I need to also use earplugs.

I'd like to find a headset that gives adequate protection while also allowing me to hear enough to communicate with a shooting friend or range officer.

What is your experience?

[eljay45]

Pro Ears

[dosei]

I work in a very noisy enviroment, so I have custom molded "noise breaker" ear plugs. LOVE them.

[martinglock]

Moldex Spark Plugs work great.

[frankt]

I have been wearing the Peltor 6s behind the head electronic muffs for the last 1 1/2 years. They work very well at protecting my hearing and still allowing me to hear all the range commands.

I like the 6s because I can wear a hat to shade my eyes when shooting outdoors.

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=157547

[Young-Kiwi]

Another vote for a Peltor of some kind,

I have used the Peltor Tac7 's and am very happy with them.
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c110/young-kiwi/1911Grip.jpg

Here is the Web Site for them... Peltor (http://www.peltor.com/peltor.com/comm_detail.cfm?prod_family=Tactical%207&ind_prod_num=MT1H7A001)

[AggieMM]

Originally posted by Young-Kiwi
Another vote for a Peltor of some kind,

I have used the Peltor Tac7 's and am very happy with them.

+1. I like the 7s.

Ryan

[gary newport]

Originally posted by Young-Kiwi
Another vote for a Peltor of some kind,

I have used the Peltor Tac7 's and am very happy with them.
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c110/young-kiwi/1911Grip.jpg

Here is the Web Site for them... Peltor (http://www.peltor.com/peltor.com/comm_detail.cfm?prod_family=Tactical%207&ind_prod_num=MT1H7A001)

Ditto on the Tac7 when I need to hear range commands. When I don't, I prefer my Glock non-electronic muffs (made by Peltor).

[eljay45]

Hearing loss is permanent. Every time you expose your ears to a loud noise you are doing some damage.

You biggest concern when picking hearing protection should be how well they protect your ears. If you compare the Noise Reduction Rating , NRR, I think you will find the Pro Ears Dimension series a better choice than Peltor. Tac 7s offer 24 nrr, Tac6s 19 nrr. Pro Ears offers up to 33 nrr and has a five year warranty compared to Peltors one year.

I've owned both and IMO Pro Ears is clearly a better product.

[gary newport]

Originally posted by eljay45
Hearing loss is permanent. Every time you expose your ears to a loud noise you are doing some damage.

You biggest concern when picking hearing protection should be how well they protect your ears. If you compare the Noise Reduction Rating , NRR, I think you will find the Pro Ears Dimension series a better choice than Peltor. Tac 7s offer 24 nrr, Tac6s 19 nrr. Pro Ears offers up to 33 nrr and has a five year warranty compared to Peltors one year.

I've owned both and IMO Pro Ears is clearly a better product.

My Pro Ears went deaf in one ear within a month or so. My Peltor muff hasn't missed a beat. One can always "double-plug" (wear earplugs under the muff) if one is so inclined. I consider the "native" NRR of the Tac7 adequate for non-magnum pistol rounds. If I were compelled to spend time near louder firearms, I'd double-plug or just use my Glock muffs.

[eljay45]

Originally posted by gary newport
My Pro Ears went deaf in one ear within a month or so. My Peltor muff hasn't missed a beat.

My experience was just the opposite. My Peltors developed loud static 2 weeks after the warranty expired. They rebuilt them for $70. The second time I used them the static was back. My Pro Ears have haven't failed in 4 years of use.


Did you send your Pro Ears back? The warranty is five years.

As far as the NRR and non magnum loads ,that's your choice and your hearing. You will never know you have damaged your hearing until it's too late.

[Maxthemutt]

I use the Peltor 7's and love them. I have a friend w/ the Pro-ears and they crapped out in one ear. They are inexpensive and if it's too loud you can double plug, as Gary said earlier.

As a side note, I've used the lesser protection, 6s etc and didn't like them, too tinny.

[gary newport]

Originally posted by eljay45
Hearing loss is permanent. Every time you expose your ears to a loud noise you are doing some damage.

You biggest concern when picking hearing protection should be how well they protect your ears. If you compare the Noise Reduction Rating , NRR, I think you will find the Pro Ears Dimension series a better choice than Peltor. Tac 7s offer 24 nrr, Tac6s 19 nrr. Pro Ears offers up to 33 nrr and has a five year warranty compared to Peltors one year.

I've owned both and IMO Pro Ears is clearly a better product.

I suppose the higher (PASSIVE) NRR would be good if the batteries die. As I understand it, both brands clamp noise to a safe level electronically, so the passive NRR is not particularly relevant if the electronics are working.

[Two-Gun Mary]

Thanks for all the comments. I'm careful about my hearing because I've already lost so much of it. Mowing, weed trimming, and definitely chainsaw work all calls for earplugs. For shooting I want even more protection. 150 decibels and more can be generated by even .32 caliber rounds. That is a LOT of noise.

[Japle]

Something else to think about: If the temples of your shooting glasses go under your ear muffs, they break the seal.
A pair of muffs that’s rated at 28 db might only give you 18 db protection. Maybe less.

I took a pair of clear wrap-around shooting glasses with plastic frames and melted/bent the temples so they go up at a sharp angle above the ear muff cups. Looks kinda funny, but it works fine and the difference it makes is pretty amazing. Especially at an indoor range.

I always wear a pair of the “yellow squishies”, too.

John
Cape Canaveral

[Jim Watson]

Originally posted by gary newport
I suppose the higher (PASSIVE) NRR would be good if the batteries die. As I understand it, both brands clamp noise to a safe level electronically, so the passive NRR is not particularly relevant if the electronics are working.

I don't think so. Consumer grade electronic muffs are not active noise cancelling. They only "clamp" amplification at 85 dB, they cannot reduce sound transmission more than their NRR.
The last time the subject came up, somebody posted that there was a noise cancelling headset with fast enough response to handle an impulsive sound like muzzle blast... but you probably would not want to pay for it.

[gary newport]

Originally posted by Jim Watson
I don't think so. Consumer grade electronic muffs are not active noise cancelling. They only "clamp" amplification at 85 dB, they cannot reduce sound transmission more than their NRR.
The last time the subject came up, somebody posted that there was a noise cancelling headset with fast enough response to handle an impulsive sound like muzzle blast... but you probably would not want to pay for it.

I stand corrected (Jim has a long track record of being right on GT).

[elsolo]

I wear the foam plugs, they have one of the best NRR ratings at 33.
I also tend to leave them in the whole time I am on the range.
With muffs, I take them off when I am done shooting because they get hot and sweaty; this exposes me to other peoples' gunfire from a bit further away which is still loud.

[gary newport]

Originally posted by elsolo
I wear the foam plugs, they have one of the best NRR ratings at 33.
I also tend to leave them in the whole time I am on the range.
With muffs, I take them off when I am done shooting because they get hot and sweaty; this exposes me to other peoples' gunfire from a bit further away which is still loud.

The OP wanted to be able to communicate while shooting. With good earplugs or a good set of non-electronic muffs, I can barely hear a timer buzzer held next to my ear and I can't hear most range commands or conversation. It becomes a trade-off; do you want to have maximum protection or do you want to hear stuff while accepting a lesser level of protection?

Last night, thinking about this thread, I tried an experiment. I stuffed high NRR foam plugs in my ears, put on my Peltor 7 muffs and cranked up the volume. I could barely hear the buzzer.

[Joe D]

Yeah but he has few facts. He is just full of opinions. I OTOH am an electronic muff junkie/expert. I have/owned just about all of them at one time or another.
I have boiled it down to two muffs. Low dollar is the Radian ProAmp. High dollar would be the Pro Ears Predator 300. If you want a muff with a lot of volume go with the Radians Maximus.
The ProAmp runs from $58-$69. The Predator is in the $129- $150 range. Both are small enough to be used with a rifle.
I find myself reaching for the ProAmps most of the time.
Both Radians have enough volume to work with plugs, especially the Maximus. When I don't plug I run the ProAmps at their lowest setting. The Predators do not have as much volume.
There is not much I like about the Peltors. Every model I have owned "clipped". Nor do I like their headband. It will fry your head through a ball cap in the sun.

[reconvic]

I use Dillions Electronic Muffs. They cost about 130.00 but well worth it.

[Joe D]

You aren't going to like this, but the Radian ProAmps are the same muff as the Dillons for 1/2 the cost.

[elsolo]

Originally posted by gary newport
The OP wanted to be able to communicate while shooting. With good earplugs or a good set of non-electronic muffs, I can barely hear a timer buzzer held next to my ear and I can't hear most range commands or conversation. It becomes a trade-off; do you want to have maximum protection or do you want to hear stuff while accepting a lesser level of protection?

Last night, thinking about this thread, I tried an experiment. I stuffed high NRR foam plugs in my ears, put on my Peltor 7 muffs and cranked up the volume. I could barely hear the buzzer.

I don't ever have a problem hearing range commands or the timer while wearing plugs. I do not hear the people back on the line so well, which is fine. How well you hear with all incoming sound being muffled is different for everybody. I do prefer to use a PACT club timer 3 because it has the loudest buzzer.

[emikysa]

John you're right - lab studies (and experience) have shown that the temples of shooting glasses often significantly compromise earmuff protection. For this reason FullPro (my company) is launching a line of eye protection we designed for use with earmuffs and headsets. You can see more info about these new shooting glasses at www.fullpro.com (http://www.fullpro.com).

Best,
Erik


Originally posted by Japle
Something else to think about: If the temples of your shooting glasses go under your ear muffs, they break the seal.
A pair of muffs that’s rated at 28 db might only give you 18 db protection. Maybe less.

I took a pair of clear wrap-around shooting glasses with plastic frames and melted/bent the temples so they go up at a sharp angle above the ear muff cups. Looks kinda funny, but it works fine and the difference it makes is pretty amazing. Especially at an indoor range.

I always wear a pair of the “yellow squishies”, too.

John
Cape Canaveral

[biggrizzly]

Originally posted by Joe D
I have boiled it down to two muffs. Low dollar is the Radian ProAmp. High dollar would be the Pro Ears Predator 300. If you want a muff with a lot of volume go with the Radians Maximus.
The ProAmp runs from $58-$69. The Predator is in the $129- $150 range. Both are small enough to be used with a rifle.
I find myself reaching for the ProAmps most of the time.
Both Radians have enough volume to work with plugs, especially the Maximus. When I don't plug I run the ProAmps at their lowest setting. The Predators do not have as much volume.


Where can you purchase the Radians?

[Shooters Plus]

Not as cheap as the price Joe posted but I got mine here.
Midway USA (http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=345056)