Ear and Eye Protection
- Thread starter MilRad
- Start date
I have several but almost always use the MSA
Get the best gel pads and buy once cry once.
One of the biggest disappointments for me is the Howard Light. Despite thier popularity, I never ever use them any more.
The worst mistake is to buy something that is not comfortable that you have to remove, usually just when someone fires a shot.
If you are into PRS, just imagine the number of shots fired in a day. For matches I will use good soft ear plugs as well.
Get the best gel pads and buy once cry once.
One of the biggest disappointments for me is the Howard Light. Despite thier popularity, I never ever use them any more.
The worst mistake is to buy something that is not comfortable that you have to remove, usually just when someone fires a shot.
If you are into PRS, just imagine the number of shots fired in a day. For matches I will use good soft ear plugs as well.
Yes, that sounds about right... They are a little on the pricey side, but you will be pleased with them in the long run.
They are on Amazon.ca
https://www.amazon.ca/MSA-Sordin-Supreme-Pro-comfortable/dp/B00XJEGSJ6/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw7ZL6BRCmARIsAH6XFDIbEblX0cGnxtsNzwy0sZGaLfvcdQW87qxpuqcn1CP5R8buAHisOeMaAmYUEALw_wcB&hvadid=231033528443&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9001096&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=b&hvrand=11445248282360733768&hvtargid=kwd-297355682373&hydadcr=23345_10308607&keywords=msa+sordin&qid=1598373124&sr=8-6&tag=googcana-20
SRS Tac
https://srstactical.ca/msa-sordin-supreme-pro-x.html
For eye protection I just use a quality pair of sunglasses. Whenever I'm outside and if it's even slightly sunny, I'm wearing sunglasses to protect my eyes. You're much more likely to damage your eyes through UV/sun damage then you are from a shooting incident, and regular sunglasses will protect you from everything but the most serious (albeit very rare) shooting incidents.
For ear protection, I use foam ear plugs combined with MSA Sordin Supreme-X's with the gel cup inserts. The Sordin's are a compact design, they were designed around maintaining a good cheek wield. The gel cup inserts are a very recommended upgrade for the increase in comfort. They work in all elements, and the mic system works good for conversations while shielding the louder noises.
Electronic inner ear plugs seem to be in vogue these days, though I personally wouldn't recommend them for any type of volume shooting. Hunting, sure, but not for target or competition shooting. Vibrations from loud noises can be transmitted to the inner ear through the cochlea bone, so there's still a potential for hearing damage with volume shooting and ear plugs only. Muffs provide better protection then just ear plugs. I think in the future we are going to start hearing about a lot of competition shooters suffering from some sort of hearing loss, as electronic ear plugs become more and more popular.
Your eyesight and hearing never come back once they are gone, so they are pretty valuable to protect. The above is my philosophy on the manner.
For ear protection, I use foam ear plugs combined with MSA Sordin Supreme-X's with the gel cup inserts. The Sordin's are a compact design, they were designed around maintaining a good cheek wield. The gel cup inserts are a very recommended upgrade for the increase in comfort. They work in all elements, and the mic system works good for conversations while shielding the louder noises.
Electronic inner ear plugs seem to be in vogue these days, though I personally wouldn't recommend them for any type of volume shooting. Hunting, sure, but not for target or competition shooting. Vibrations from loud noises can be transmitted to the inner ear through the cochlea bone, so there's still a potential for hearing damage with volume shooting and ear plugs only. Muffs provide better protection then just ear plugs. I think in the future we are going to start hearing about a lot of competition shooters suffering from some sort of hearing loss, as electronic ear plugs become more and more popular.
Your eyesight and hearing never come back once they are gone, so they are pretty valuable to protect. The above is my philosophy on the manner.
I recently bought some Walker ultra low profile Razors, seem good so far. I've always used ear plugs and/or conventional muffs. These are supposedly slim but I find they interfere with the stock which is annoying. I have no experience with any others though. Might have to look into the MSA suggested above.
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Just got some Walker Razors last week and been out twice with them. A friend at the range has a Savage .308 precision with a muzzle brake and standing about 10 feet at his side the shot doesn't bother my ears - just feel it thru my body. and Sat another fellow had a .338 Magnum and he was only 8-10 feet - still no prob. Only $80 on amazon.ca w/free shipping. They do hit my stock on my Rem SPS-TAC .308 and .223 and rimfires, but I just 'snug-up' and go for it. They still work fine, you just need to get used to it like new shoes I guess. Mine only have 2-mikes, not 4 but I only turn them up a bit or else I can hear conversations in the parking lot 50 feet away !!
Milofficer
CGN Regular
- Location
- Vancouver, BC
I used to work as a full-time RSO and instructor, so wearing ear pro was a constant and necessary thing. I've worn everything from foam earplugs to the MSA Supreme Pro-X, and not just for casual 2 hr range sessions. I'm talking about 5-6 days a week, 8 hrs at a time.
For eye pro, your mileage may vary. You can probably get away with cheap ANSI Z87.1 rated plastic safety glasses. I would HIGHLY recommend reading this article from LuckyGunner Labs on various eyewear options: ht tps://www.luckygunner.com/labs/eye-protection-shooting-glasses-review/
For what it's worth, I have used Revision glasses since I was issued the Sawfly kit in the Army. They're lightweight, durable, with easily changed nose pieces and lenses. Protection and optic quality is significantly better than cheap Z87.1 glasses. I ended up switching to the Stingerhawk model since the arms are thinner and didn't give me pressure point headaches from long range sessions. Being able to wear prescription inserts is a major bonus for me as well.
If Revision isn't your thing, but you still want high quality eye protection, I would stick to glasses that are on the US Army's Authorized Protective Eyewear List (APEL) ht tps://www.peosoldier.army.mil/equipment/eyewear/ as these are all rated for MIL-PRF-32432 which is much higher than the Z87.1 standard.
When it comes to ear protection, I've found that you do get what you pay for. I started with the cheap stuff and switched to more and more expensive options, finding that I was much happier with the high quality options.
That being said, the cheap foam expanding ear plugs are some of the best noise reduction you can get, and they're also the cheapest. If that's all you can find or afford, you're actually giving yourself a lot of protection.
Here's my breakdown:
SureFire EP3 Sonic Defenders - These are reusable plastic earplugs. Fairly inexpensive at around $20, but protection wasn't as good as foam plugs. I found that they sealed less and less well over time. Not terribly impressed with the performance, but they're decent if you wear them sporadically and outdoors. Obviously if you have to replace them every 6 months or so, the cost becomes less appealing. Not ideal for indoor ranges.
Howard Leight Impact Sport - My first electronic earmuffs, also usually one of the cheapest electronic earmuff options at around $60-70. I liked the slim design, but the battery life was poor. The ear seals became rock hard after a few weeks and the noise reduction suffered as a result. The seals have a rectangular shape, and often I found a bottom corner wasn't sealing against my head. The noise reduction wasn't great to begin with, so this was disappointing. Electronic noise dampening was very basic and didn't offer much in the way of amplification.
Peltor Tac 6S - Bought these to replace the HLs for around $80 or so. I think these might be discontinued since Peltor released newer models. Right away, the ear seals felt much more comfortable despite being the basic plastic type. These never got hard like the HL seals and continued to offer good protection - the oval shape of the ear seals also helped. Overall noise reduction wasn't great, but still slightly better than the HLs. Battery life wasn't great, and changing batteries is a pain since you have to remove the ear seals to get access to them. Also the battery terminals got a bit loose over time. Being able to turn one side on or off independently was a neat option, but I didn't use it much. I found that the volume knobs can be accidentally activated even when folded, which led to a few dead batteries - there's no auto shut-off. Electronic quality was noticeably better than the HLs - I could hear people talking easier even when the speakers were muting for gunshot noises. I ended up keeping these for a while and upgraded to the gel earseals, which was a revelation in comfort. I still have a pair that I loan out to new shooters. A side note is that Peltor gel ear seals are the same size and fit for their lineup - even basic non-electronic muffs will fit.
Side note - the 6S has a very slim headband and is also available in a behind-the-neck version. These worked great with my issued CF helmet when I needed to wear earpro on the range.
Peltor Tactical Sport - These replaced the 6S as my daily driver. I bought these with gel ear seals right off the bat - they come with removable covers and mine were black or hunter orange - a nice feature. This was a major jump in comfort and quality, while still being fairly reasonable in terms of price. At the time I wasn't ready to drop $250-400 on a pair of earmuffs, so $150-ish seemed pretty reasonable after the $80 I spent on the 6S. These are still my second favourite earmuffs to this day. They are a bit bulkier than the 6S or the HLs, but still slim enough to shoot long guns without much issue. Battery life was astonishing, even though I was using these daily - I'd go months without a battery change and because the electronics were so much better, I didn't have to crank the volume nearly as high. Not to mention the battery compartment is much easier to access than on the 6S. These actually amplify your hearing slightly and you can hear people talking much better when there's shooting going on. There's an auto shutoff feature designed to save battery life as well. Unlike the HL and 6S which had knobs, the Tac Sport uses buttons and you need to long-press the on button to get started, helping to reduce accidental activation. After 4 hours of continuous use, they give you a beep to let you know it's about to turn off unless you tap the button to cancel - that's a nice feature. They also give an audible low battery warning. These are also durable - I had these for less than a week when my range's fire sprinkler system got activated accidentally and I was drenched while wearing these. After taking the batteries out and drying it for a few days, they worked like nothing happened. With the gel earseals, I could (and did) wear these for hours and hours without developing pressure points or headaches. I love these so much that I still use them and recommend them as the best value + price option. I eventually bought a replacement headband cover from Perroz Designs (highly recommended - and Canadian) for a bump in comfort and so I could put a nametape on it. TL/DR: If you're looking for a buy once, cry once option, this is it.
MSA Sordin Supreme Pro-X with camo headband and gel earseals - Eventually after a year and a half of wearing the Peltors, I decided I wanted to treat myself. Yes, these are expensive. Yes, they are totally worth it if you want the best quality earmuffs and the best electronics. They are slimmer than the Tac Sports and they are fully waterproof. They're also available in a behind-the-neck style if you prefer. I found the battery life seemed to exceed the 300hrs stated on the product page, but YMMV. They have a similar recessed button design to the Tac Sport and a low battery warning feature. The electronics amplify much more than the Peltors did, and you can hear speech level audio much better too. It's hard to quantify, but if you get the chance to try them out from a friend, you'll understand right away. It's like looking through a very high-quality scope for the first time. These are my all-time favourite earmuffs and the ones I wear if my wife hasn't already stolen them. If you have the coin, or you're going to be using these a lot, they might be worth the investment to you. That being said, they are pretty expensive ($300 range), so if that's more than you're comfortable with, I'd strongly suggest getting the Peltor Tac Sport instead - you won't regret it. BTW I highly recommend going with SRS Tactical for anything Peltor or Sordin - they're a site sponsor and the service (and prices) are excellent.
I don't have experience with the Pro-Ears line, but some people swear by them. I wasn't a fan of the knob design or the expensive lithium batteries they used in some models, so I stuck to Peltor and MSA since they use AAA or AA batteries and ran just fine on cheap Ikea alkalines.
For eye pro, your mileage may vary. You can probably get away with cheap ANSI Z87.1 rated plastic safety glasses. I would HIGHLY recommend reading this article from LuckyGunner Labs on various eyewear options: ht tps://www.luckygunner.com/labs/eye-protection-shooting-glasses-review/
For what it's worth, I have used Revision glasses since I was issued the Sawfly kit in the Army. They're lightweight, durable, with easily changed nose pieces and lenses. Protection and optic quality is significantly better than cheap Z87.1 glasses. I ended up switching to the Stingerhawk model since the arms are thinner and didn't give me pressure point headaches from long range sessions. Being able to wear prescription inserts is a major bonus for me as well.
If Revision isn't your thing, but you still want high quality eye protection, I would stick to glasses that are on the US Army's Authorized Protective Eyewear List (APEL) ht tps://www.peosoldier.army.mil/equipment/eyewear/ as these are all rated for MIL-PRF-32432 which is much higher than the Z87.1 standard.
When it comes to ear protection, I've found that you do get what you pay for. I started with the cheap stuff and switched to more and more expensive options, finding that I was much happier with the high quality options.
That being said, the cheap foam expanding ear plugs are some of the best noise reduction you can get, and they're also the cheapest. If that's all you can find or afford, you're actually giving yourself a lot of protection.
Here's my breakdown:
SureFire EP3 Sonic Defenders - These are reusable plastic earplugs. Fairly inexpensive at around $20, but protection wasn't as good as foam plugs. I found that they sealed less and less well over time. Not terribly impressed with the performance, but they're decent if you wear them sporadically and outdoors. Obviously if you have to replace them every 6 months or so, the cost becomes less appealing. Not ideal for indoor ranges.
Howard Leight Impact Sport - My first electronic earmuffs, also usually one of the cheapest electronic earmuff options at around $60-70. I liked the slim design, but the battery life was poor. The ear seals became rock hard after a few weeks and the noise reduction suffered as a result. The seals have a rectangular shape, and often I found a bottom corner wasn't sealing against my head. The noise reduction wasn't great to begin with, so this was disappointing. Electronic noise dampening was very basic and didn't offer much in the way of amplification.
Peltor Tac 6S - Bought these to replace the HLs for around $80 or so. I think these might be discontinued since Peltor released newer models. Right away, the ear seals felt much more comfortable despite being the basic plastic type. These never got hard like the HL seals and continued to offer good protection - the oval shape of the ear seals also helped. Overall noise reduction wasn't great, but still slightly better than the HLs. Battery life wasn't great, and changing batteries is a pain since you have to remove the ear seals to get access to them. Also the battery terminals got a bit loose over time. Being able to turn one side on or off independently was a neat option, but I didn't use it much. I found that the volume knobs can be accidentally activated even when folded, which led to a few dead batteries - there's no auto shut-off. Electronic quality was noticeably better than the HLs - I could hear people talking easier even when the speakers were muting for gunshot noises. I ended up keeping these for a while and upgraded to the gel earseals, which was a revelation in comfort. I still have a pair that I loan out to new shooters. A side note is that Peltor gel ear seals are the same size and fit for their lineup - even basic non-electronic muffs will fit.
Side note - the 6S has a very slim headband and is also available in a behind-the-neck version. These worked great with my issued CF helmet when I needed to wear earpro on the range.
Peltor Tactical Sport - These replaced the 6S as my daily driver. I bought these with gel ear seals right off the bat - they come with removable covers and mine were black or hunter orange - a nice feature. This was a major jump in comfort and quality, while still being fairly reasonable in terms of price. At the time I wasn't ready to drop $250-400 on a pair of earmuffs, so $150-ish seemed pretty reasonable after the $80 I spent on the 6S. These are still my second favourite earmuffs to this day. They are a bit bulkier than the 6S or the HLs, but still slim enough to shoot long guns without much issue. Battery life was astonishing, even though I was using these daily - I'd go months without a battery change and because the electronics were so much better, I didn't have to crank the volume nearly as high. Not to mention the battery compartment is much easier to access than on the 6S. These actually amplify your hearing slightly and you can hear people talking much better when there's shooting going on. There's an auto shutoff feature designed to save battery life as well. Unlike the HL and 6S which had knobs, the Tac Sport uses buttons and you need to long-press the on button to get started, helping to reduce accidental activation. After 4 hours of continuous use, they give you a beep to let you know it's about to turn off unless you tap the button to cancel - that's a nice feature. They also give an audible low battery warning. These are also durable - I had these for less than a week when my range's fire sprinkler system got activated accidentally and I was drenched while wearing these. After taking the batteries out and drying it for a few days, they worked like nothing happened. With the gel earseals, I could (and did) wear these for hours and hours without developing pressure points or headaches. I love these so much that I still use them and recommend them as the best value + price option. I eventually bought a replacement headband cover from Perroz Designs (highly recommended - and Canadian) for a bump in comfort and so I could put a nametape on it. TL/DR: If you're looking for a buy once, cry once option, this is it.
MSA Sordin Supreme Pro-X with camo headband and gel earseals - Eventually after a year and a half of wearing the Peltors, I decided I wanted to treat myself. Yes, these are expensive. Yes, they are totally worth it if you want the best quality earmuffs and the best electronics. They are slimmer than the Tac Sports and they are fully waterproof. They're also available in a behind-the-neck style if you prefer. I found the battery life seemed to exceed the 300hrs stated on the product page, but YMMV. They have a similar recessed button design to the Tac Sport and a low battery warning feature. The electronics amplify much more than the Peltors did, and you can hear speech level audio much better too. It's hard to quantify, but if you get the chance to try them out from a friend, you'll understand right away. It's like looking through a very high-quality scope for the first time. These are my all-time favourite earmuffs and the ones I wear if my wife hasn't already stolen them. If you have the coin, or you're going to be using these a lot, they might be worth the investment to you. That being said, they are pretty expensive ($300 range), so if that's more than you're comfortable with, I'd strongly suggest getting the Peltor Tac Sport instead - you won't regret it. BTW I highly recommend going with SRS Tactical for anything Peltor or Sordin - they're a site sponsor and the service (and prices) are excellent.
I don't have experience with the Pro-Ears line, but some people swear by them. I wasn't a fan of the knob design or the expensive lithium batteries they used in some models, so I stuck to Peltor and MSA since they use AAA or AA batteries and ran just fine on cheap Ikea alkalines.
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