Hearing Protection

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Leavenworth

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Not sure if this is the correct place for this but will also place in the Pistol and Revolvers Forum .
I’m going to be new to pistol shooting but have shot long guns . I have noticed with long guns ear muff type hearing protection is a pain when at the range hampers a good cheek weld . But I see many revolver and pistol shooters on YouTube wearing the ear muff type of hearing protection when shooting recreationally and competing .

What brand of ear muff style protection do you use for shooting ?
What decibel rating protection do I need to protect my hearing ?
Links to ones would be great ! I don’t want to loose my hearing !
Thanks !
Leavenworth
 
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I did exhaustive research recently and decided on Otto for both muffs and in-ears. I plan to use in-ears exclusively whenever I can so I wanted good ones because I already have music-induced tinnitus and don't want shooting to get it any worse than it already is. But in cases where the in-ears aren't enough I'll cover up with muffs. The muffs are the Otto Range SA which are apparently "inexpensive" clones of even more expensive tactical muffs. They're not by any means "cheap". On the contrary, they actually seem like a premium product in every sense of the word. They're more expensive than most Walkers or Peltors but I have some cheapies too and the Ottos just feel superior and they perform amazingly!

https://www.otto-comm.com/products/headsets-and-earplugs/over-the-ear-headsets/noizebarrier-range-sa

For the in-ears, I have the Otto NoizeBarrier Micro. I tried cheaper in-ears like the Axils and they were just garbage despite all the great reviews on YouTube (which I now regard as caution flags for products that are just WAY TOO over promoted). The Micros are very comfortable, particularly with Comply tips which is universally recommended.

https://www.otto-comm.com/noizebarriermicro
 
Check out the options at SRS Tactical. They are a site sponsor at the top of the page and one of their specialties is hearing protection. Got my Sordin supreme pro x from them.
 
Leavenworth said:
...I’m going to be new to pistol shooting but have shot long guns . ...
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How much time do you have? ;)

It's about the right tool for the job - Ideal hearing protection for handgun shooting is different from hearing pro for long gun shooting. Different setup again for multigun shooting. Different setups for indoor and outdoor, etc.. Or, some people don't care that much and use one system for everything.

The BEST noise protection will always be a combination of plugs and muffs (I always do this indoors, and sometimes outdoors too). Aside from stacking the noise reduction from both the muffs and the plugs (it's non-linear, but it does stack), properly fitting earmuffs will help to insulate the bone structure around your ears which makes more of a difference than you'd think. It's often overlooked that they need to seal properly around your eye protection. I use glasses with thin, flat-profile arms that run tight to the sides of my head for this reason.

Selection of both plugs and muffs will depend on your skull and ear structure, and your tolerance for discomfort - Good muffs are always hot if you're doing much more than standing still, and the headband and ear cups can be uncomfortable. Be wary of the noise reduction rating (NRR), as different manufacturers use different methods to measure this. However, comparing NRR from the SAME manufacturer is usually useful (e.g. 3M muffs with 25NRR are better than 3M muffs with 21NRR).

You can spend a lot on hearing protection, or very little. Even the cheapest disposable plugs and muffs will do a pretty good job of protecting your hearing for typical shooters. Unfortunately, if you're a discerning user there is no substitute for trying lots of different options. If you don't know where to start, I recommend getting solid name-brand industrial stuff from 3M or similar on a modest budget, and getting "enough" hearing protection for your needs for now ($30 muffs and $2-$5 plugs should do). Then decide if you want/need more spendy kit - You can always use the basic stuff for guests / spares in the future. Custom fit plugs, electronic muffs (and/or plugs), etc. aren't for everyone, and it's hard to decide in advance what your needs are without context.

Be friendly at the range and ask others if you can try their earmuffs on. Or if they have disposables that you can buy a set of (I get mine by the hundreds).


TL/DR: Most of the time I use

Muffs: 3M Peltor Optime 105
w ww.3mcanada.ca/3M/en_CA/p/d/v000062870/?preselect=8725636

Plugs: Surefire EP5 Sonic Defenders Max
w ww.surefire.com/products/earpro/ep5-sonic-defenders-max/
 
I'm a big fan of electronic muffs, you can have a conversation, hear footsteps and where something bounced if you drop it, etc. AND you won't go deaf at an indoor range. You can listen for bears when shooting outdoors as well.

I've got the 3M Peltor Sport Tac Slimline muffs and they work great. Keep spare batteries in your range bag and you're all set!

https://www.3m.com/3M/en_LB/p/d/v000082819/
 
If you are concerned about your hearing I would strongly suggest wearing ear plugs and muffs. Electronic muffs if you anticipate talking to anyone but wear both. It will also make it easier to become accurate with the pistol as you are not dealing with as much perceived noise. If you have a properly functioning nervous system if and every time you pull the trigger the gun makes a big noise that hurts you then you will likely develop a flinch.
 
Look at the NRR numbers and pick the highest you can afford/fit well. Plugs and muffs indoors for sure. Peltor is my preferred brand for muffs and EAR or howard leight for plugs. ALWAYS double up indoors - plugs and muffs
 
great thread so far. Hear pro depend on your volume of fire.

alpining said:
How much time do you have? ;)

It's about the right tool for the job - Ideal hearing protection for handgun shooting is different from hearing pro for long gun shooting. Different setup again for multigun shooting. Different setups for indoor and outdoor, etc.. Or, some people don't care that much and use one system for everything.

The BEST noise protection will always be a combination of plugs and muffs (I always do this indoors, and sometimes outdoors too). Aside from stacking the noise reduction from both the muffs and the plugs (it's non-linear, but it does stack), properly fitting earmuffs will help to insulate the bone structure around your ears which makes more of a difference than you'd think. It's often overlooked that they need to seal properly around your eye protection. I use glasses with thin, flat-profile arms that run tight to the sides of my head for this reason.

Selection of both plugs and muffs will depend on your skull and ear structure, and your tolerance for discomfort - Good muffs are always hot if you're doing much more than standing still, and the headband and ear cups can be uncomfortable. Be wary of the noise reduction rating (NRR), as different manufacturers use different methods to measure this. However, comparing NRR from the SAME manufacturer is usually useful (e.g. 3M muffs with 25NRR are better than 3M muffs with 21NRR).

You can spend a lot on hearing protection, or very little. Even the cheapest disposable plugs and muffs will do a pretty good job of protecting your hearing for typical shooters. Unfortunately, if you're a discerning user there is no substitute for trying lots of different options. If you don't know where to start, I recommend getting solid name-brand industrial stuff from 3M or similar on a modest budget, and getting "enough" hearing protection for your needs for now ($30 muffs and $2-$5 plugs should do). Then decide if you want/need more spendy kit - You can always use the basic stuff for guests / spares in the future. Custom fit plugs, electronic muffs (and/or plugs), etc. aren't for everyone, and it's hard to decide in advance what your needs are without context.

Be friendly at the range and ask others if you can try their earmuffs on. Or if they have disposables that you can buy a set of (I get mine by the hundreds).


TL/DR: Most of the time I use

Muffs: 3M Peltor Optime 105
w ww.3mcanada.ca/3M/en_CA/p/d/v000062870/?preselect=8725636

Plugs: Surefire EP5 Sonic Defenders Max
w ww.surefire.com/products/earpro/ep5-sonic-defenders-max/
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I double up on the surefires with either sordins or 3m peltor tactical and tactical sport. The tactical 6m (grey) style require annoying disassembly to replace batteries and the on switch will flip on while in bags randomly and burn out the battery while you're not using it, tactical sport don't have this problem. Sordins are awesome, just a pain to buy.

The surefire plugs work fine in open field with nobody around, but if there's more then one of you or inside anything, add the muffs. TBH, the muffs can interfere with cheer weld sometime on any of the muffs above, but these ones are better then the factory floor style muffs with the slight relief up cut on the bottoms of the muff. Just something you kind of deal with, having plugs in there makes it a non-issue if the cup shifts around, you still have protection.

Also, get gel cups. It took years before I caved, and wished I'd just started with gels and bought spares as stockpiles.

Rust said:
Check out the options at SRS Tactical. They are a site sponsor at the top of the page and one of their specialties is hearing protection. Got my Sordin supreme pro x from them.
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These are good to go.

TBH, I don't get why pal holders have tolerated the suppressor prohibition for so long. That is the only OHS equipment banned by the government ever. And it was done for political reasons. Reasons which are obsolete in reality. The CAF is slowly adding more suppressors. They ran some surefire style a2 birdcage clip ons in the 2000s, then switched to OPs Inc out of California (now smith enterprises sort of) for service rifles. The next developments of service rifles will likely require suppressors to help reduce the future tinnitus problems the caf has. Generally most tac teams or emergency teams order suppressors for their guys. And rightly so. Yes, suppressors are hearing protection. Looking at them otherwise is backward and offensive.

my 2 cents.

edit: electronic muffs are also great. They help you hear RSOs in matches and if you have them hunting, you can hear the squirrels fart while they gobble your snacks you dropped 20m behind you.
 
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I spend about 25-30 hours a week on a pistol range and I wear a set of custom molded plugs from DB Blockers and MSA Sordin's over those. IMO that's the best protection that you can get while still maintaining the ability to communicate. I strongly suggest using a gel ear cup as well. They seal up significantly better than a padded cup.

Don't be afraid to invest in quality products when it comes to safety. Hearing protection is a lot cheaper than Hearing aids.
 
The Sordin Supreme Pro X are only rated at NRR 18. You want to make sure you wear plugs as the time indoor or out.
 
Rust said:
Check out the options at SRS Tactical. They are a site sponsor at the top of the page and one of their specialties is hearing protection. Got my Sordin supreme pro x from them.
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I'm with this guy^^^^

I too have Sordins and really like them. Very comfortable and feel well made. Only downside is lower DB reduction than some other offerings but I also have moulded in ear plugs that I wear too. By the time both are on even the loudest guns are pretty quiet, even with the amplification turned up full I can just hear folks talk etc but it works great.

This did two things for me - protected my ears (obviously) as I just had my bi-annual medical at work and my hearing trend was pretty much identical to what it was 6 years ago despite being around loud equipment much of the time and shooting thousands of rounds from all manner of firearms.

As a side note the moment I decided this was something I wanted to do moving forward was when I was shooting from an awkward position in a 3 gun match and the rifle was pushing my muffs off of one ear so there was zero protection. Was probably only 10 rounds but the ringing in my ears made me rethink things and thats where the plugs work great, even if the muffs move the plugs will still protect.

The second thing that happened was that I found I shot better, I believe it is not normal for humans to be around really loud noises and doing so induces flinch, by reducing the noise I feel like my flinch lessens and my shooting improved.
 
Howard Leight Impact Sport electronic earpro + 3M disposable ear plugs

This tends to strike the best balance for value. Decent build quality with decent stereo mics that isolate loud noises while giving you directional cues for where conversations are coming from (contrast this with the Walker’s Razors which use omnidirectional mics, which actually leave you confused because they don’t tell you which direction sounds/voices are coming from)

The next upgrade is to jump from these to MSA Sordin/SWATCOM/Peltor Comtac, but considering they’re $300+ it might not be worth it. The dB rating is seldom enough from earmuffs alone though so that’s why people tend to double up (foam plugs + electronic earpro), and turn the volume up on their electronic earmuffs to maintain conversations over the foam plugs

As for the cheek weld issue, I find that it’s simply unavoidable in some cases, and you’ll have to train around it or set up your optic/stock height to accommodate for earpro. In many cases I don’t even bother with a cheek weld and opt for a jaw weld but I understand that’s not optimal for most people. This is also why I opted for the Howard Leights, as they were relatively slim and the padding isn’t excessive to the point where a cheek weld is impossible.
 
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BooSSted2.0 said:
I spend about 25-30 hours a week on a pistol range and I wear a set of custom molded plugs from DB Blockers and MSA Sordin's over those. IMO that's the best protection that you can get while still maintaining the ability to communicate. I strongly suggest using a gel ear cup as well. They seal up significantly better than a padded cup.

Don't be afraid to invest in quality products when it comes to safety. Hearing protection is a lot cheaper than Hearing aids.
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+1 for the DB BLockers - I work in an engine room 12+ hours a day for half the year and I've been using this product for a decade now. Very comfortable. Highly recommend. https://www.protectear.com/
 
Did not see any prices on the link so they must be good! ;)
I am a very casual shooter and fairly new but I did find the Walker’s® Razor Patriot Canada Muffs at $65. Seem to work for me. I can hear conversations but I removed them for a few seconds and the ringing in my ears from the one shot convinced me they worked. .Now the bashing may begin.
 
BooSSted2.0 said:
I spend about 25-30 hours a week on a pistol range and I wear a set of custom molded plugs from DB Blockers and MSA Sordin's over those. IMO that's the best protection that you can get while still maintaining the ability to communicate. I strongly suggest using a gel ear cup as well. They seal up significantly better than a padded cup.

Don't be afraid to invest in quality products when it comes to safety. Hearing protection is a lot cheaper than Hearing aids.
Click to expand...

Another vote for DB Blockers & MSA Sordins with Noisefighter gel cups - they work really well and are easy to wear for long durations.

Another advantage of the Noisefighter gel cups is that they have relief cuts at the top of the cups so your eye protection isn't being pressed against your head and that too helps with comfort.
 
I use non electronic, cheap Peltor ear muffs (Peltor H6A) and ear plugs. I also got the gel cups for both comfort and a better seal around glasses.
 
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