Ear defence thread.
- Thread starter migrant hunter
- Start date
Go to a hearing clinic and get good plugs fitted to your ears. They insert a small bag(term?) and slowly pump an epoxy into it to form to your ear canal.
Hearing loss sucks guys. ' I'll be OK, it won't happen to me ' is commonly quoted. Make a call and get some.
Hearing protection / enhancing has come a long way in the last 10 years.
Hearing loss sucks guys. ' I'll be OK, it won't happen to me ' is commonly quoted. Make a call and get some.
Hearing protection / enhancing has come a long way in the last 10 years.
If you are thinking of these,
I have bought a few pair of these. I had an old pair, orange ones, that in fact were fairly uncomfy to use. They actually do work great, and I use the duck hunting, but after an hour or two, they hurt my ear canal. Basically the rubber they use is too hard, and they use baffled rings to make them pliable enough to fit into your ear. After a while, they feel not so fun.
I bought a newer pair recently, transparent. I thought they would be gooey pliable silicone. Turns out they are just transparent, and basically just as uncomfy as before. They still work great, but after a couple hours of wearing them, I am dying to pull them out.
I remember seeing somewhere that you can now get kits for these filters to be fitted to proper silcone in-ear molds. This would be the way to go, as proper molded silicone plugs are uber comfortable to wear all day. Add these filters and you should be protected from impulse noises all day long.
- Location
- Saskatchewan
Anyone who thinks that even one shot does not do them any damage doesn't understand the problem!
The cilia ( tiny hairs) in your inner ear are kinda like short pieces of springy wire. When the pressure of a sound wave moves them, the nerves in your inner ear pick up the motion & contact and relay that to the brain as "sound". After repeated hard impacts of loud noises, some cilia lose their springiness and stay laying down - just like the bristles in a wire brush. They interfere with each other, and many lay flat. That causes two things - lack of ability to hear at normal sensitivity, and constant static or tinnitis. The cilia do not repair themselves, but some people are a little luckier than others and have somewhat more resilient ears. But EVERY single shot that an ear hears is stressing the ear, it is cumulative and irreversible. I also know from experience. If it gets bad enough, you not only lose your ability to hear and enjoy normal sounds, you hear a constant high pitched whine like an old TV set or a mosquito in your ear, AND it can affect your balance in very unpleasant ways.
Not using hearing protection for "only one or two shots" now seems to me a lot like not using eye protection when arc welding a small part or two.
I now use the baffle plugs for nearly all my hunting, they are made by several manufacturers. The Browning ones work OK and are reasonably comfortable. The best are an old pair of "Sonic" hearing protectors, they have a nice soft brownish rubber coverings and a metal cylinder housing the insides. I use Browning electronic muffs when doing stationary stuff like shooting waterfowl. It is important to use muffs that have the microphone covered with foam or you will get too much wind noise. If possible try out electronic muffs in the store, there is a big difference in how much static the systems produce ( my Remington muffs are crap!)
The cilia ( tiny hairs) in your inner ear are kinda like short pieces of springy wire. When the pressure of a sound wave moves them, the nerves in your inner ear pick up the motion & contact and relay that to the brain as "sound". After repeated hard impacts of loud noises, some cilia lose their springiness and stay laying down - just like the bristles in a wire brush. They interfere with each other, and many lay flat. That causes two things - lack of ability to hear at normal sensitivity, and constant static or tinnitis. The cilia do not repair themselves, but some people are a little luckier than others and have somewhat more resilient ears. But EVERY single shot that an ear hears is stressing the ear, it is cumulative and irreversible. I also know from experience. If it gets bad enough, you not only lose your ability to hear and enjoy normal sounds, you hear a constant high pitched whine like an old TV set or a mosquito in your ear, AND it can affect your balance in very unpleasant ways.
Not using hearing protection for "only one or two shots" now seems to me a lot like not using eye protection when arc welding a small part or two.
I now use the baffle plugs for nearly all my hunting, they are made by several manufacturers. The Browning ones work OK and are reasonably comfortable. The best are an old pair of "Sonic" hearing protectors, they have a nice soft brownish rubber coverings and a metal cylinder housing the insides. I use Browning electronic muffs when doing stationary stuff like shooting waterfowl. It is important to use muffs that have the microphone covered with foam or you will get too much wind noise. If possible try out electronic muffs in the store, there is a big difference in how much static the systems produce ( my Remington muffs are crap!)
Went out moose hunting saturday and just used some cheapo foam plugs. Im glad I had them in incase I had to shoot, but damn, I couldnt hear anything the whole time except for my footsteps. I guess its time for some electronic muffs or plugs.
