Tell me about your hearing protection

ASTRYX

ASTRYX

Regular
Rating - 100%
7   0   0
Location
Maple Ridge
I am in the market for some new hearing protection.

I shoot IPSC and trap.

I unfortunately have a budget to consider, so some of the amazing MSA and Peltor sets are a little out of my range.

I would like to keep it under $200, which seems entirely possible, but there are so many to pick from.

A secondary question: are gel ear seals worth it?

Thanks for your time.

Cheers!
 
Ear plugs will close the ear canal, and ear muffs will reduce the amount of sound vibration reaching the ears.

A lot of guys like sound dampening electronic ear muffs. You can wear them full time, and listen to everything that is going on, except the spike of a shot cuts the microphone and speakers to protect your hearing.
 
I like the muffs untill it getts too hot out or when using a scoped rifle as I find the muffs interfere somewhat with a good cheek rest. Then I switch to rubber ear plugs on a string. Both of these options are fairly cheap (muffs being about $15-50, plugs about $.50- $2) never bought into the expensive electronic muff craze.
If buying muffs a set of Peltor muffs are every bit as good as Browning muffs and in some cases better with out having to pay for the Browning name.
I've tried the foam ear plugs which are good for one time use but not pro longed use. Silicone rubber ones can be washed but never tried gel per-say.
 
Last edited:
Chalk said:
http://srstactical.ca/msa-sordin-supreme-basic.html?___SID=U
These msa's fall in your price range. I run the msa sordin supremes with the gel seals. The gel seals make a big difference when wearing eye protection. I think some of the peltor headsets can be had for cheaper but I don't have any experience with those.
Click to expand...

With an NNR rating of only 18db don't bother with these. Look for protection that has a NNR of 28-32db.
 
Gel seals on ear muffs are worth every penny! They make a significant difference. The gel seals don't last forever and I just changed mine - was shocked at the improvement.

To the OP, I know you said you have a budget to consider. But you shoot IPSC and trap so clearly you a) aren't having trouble making the rent ;) and b) shoot more than just a couple times per year. Do yourself a favour and buy the best protection money can buy. My Peltors with gel seals cost me over $300 but hearing loss is PERMANENT! If you are worried about your budget and decide to cheap out on your hearing protection, make sure you budget for hearing aids.
 
ASTRYX said:
I am in the market for some new hearing protection.

I shoot IPSC and trap.

I unfortunately have a budget to consider, so some of the amazing MSA and Peltor sets are a little out of my range.

I would like to keep it under $200, which seems entirely possible, but there are so many to pick from.

A secondary question: are gel ear seals worth it?

Thanks for your time.

Cheers!
Click to expand...

Have you checked the price of hearings aids lately ?
Plus, apart from from the money, hearing loss is a real pain in the butt.

But, your hearing, your money, your choice.
 
Ive used the molded ear plugs for work and range for years now, no complaints....more comfortable than the foamies or muffs
 
pmt said:
With an NNR rating of only 18db don't bother with these. Look for protection that has a NNR of 28-32db.
Click to expand...

Couldn't resist posting the following link.

https://trevoronthetrigger.wordpress.com/2014/05/01/msa-sordin-supreme-performance-the-misleading-nrr18db-rating/

I do agree a system with around 30 db NRR is a good thing to strive for. Though the numbers can be skewed as the article in the link shows.

High NRR muffs are bulky, maybe too bulky for rifle/shotgun shooting. Fine for handgun though since getting your head to a stock to see the sights isn't an issue. The highest rated muff you can get is around 31 NRR, passive only. They rely on large volume ear cups that stick out about 2-1/2". Electronic muffs will be in the low 20's NRR at the best.

Any cheapie disposable foam plug is going to be in the 28-33 NRR range. Assuming it is well inserted. http://w ww.earplugstore.com/unfoamtrialp1.html A lot of people will not insert them far enough.
The reusable silicone type plugs like Surefire Sonic Defenders are at 24 NRR.
Custom molded avoid the user induced problem of improper insertion since they fit perfectly, usually around 30 NRR.

Currently outdoors I use MSA electronic muffs with gel seals over top of EP3 Sonic Defenders. The two together should be around 30 db NRR (NRR numbers don't add directly) The big thing for me though is I can actually still hear my surroundings with the electronic muffs and plugs due to the amplification.
For indoors I have giant passive Peltors and foam plugs available. Custom molded might be in my near future to bring my setup up a dew db and still be user friendly.
 
I wear MSA Sordin Supreme Pro X's with gel seals when I am shooting on my own time. They do the job just fine. Outdoors, there is no need to double up and indoors for pistol I also don't need to double up. I also wear MSA's at work and if I am working on the line with 30 pistol shooters at the same time, I still don't need to double up. Shooting rifle indoors I would double up though. The good thing about the MSA's is that they are low-profile, so you can still get a good cheek weld with a long gun. If you use some of those massive ear-muffs you will find that you can't get on the gun properly, and the recoil can knock your earpro right off.

You can get MSA's for less than 200 bucks. Check SRS tactical out. If you do get MSA's, you should strongly consider the gel seals.

For the in-ear protection, you can go to Sail and pick up a 20 dollar kit for custom molded protection and it actually works quite well. This combined with my MSA's and I am GTG even shooting loud rifles indoors.
 
Costco custom molded ear plugs. By far the most comfortable ones to wear whether it is a short or long time. When indoors I always double up so the percussion does not strike mastoid bone and cause damage.
 
I got these at a gun show and love them. They are easy to get in and are very comfortable. I use them for more than just shooting.

http://www.earinc.com/p1-nonelectronic-instamold.php

I "double plug" wearing the plugs with Howard Leight Impact Sport muffs. http://www.amazon.ca/Howard-Leight-R-01526-Electronic-Earmuff/dp/B001T7QJ9O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422850325&sr=8-1&keywords=howard+leight+impact+sport

I can hear conversations because of the electronic ear muffs and wearing both plugs and muffs I get really good protection. This is a common combination among the shooter's I compete with.

This should be below your $200 budget.

DNH
 
I have some pro ears 300... just looking at prices means you will be over your $200 mark, but when I got them they were well below that. The electronic muffs are really nice IMHO as on the trap line you can hear what is going on. I do double up when inside or around big boomers/brake users on the line- but if it is just me they are fine. They are great muffs and I am completely happy with them.

In my experience I have used el-cheapo electronic muffs which were good to attenuate the sound but were almost useless for reproducing sound. I also had a few pairs of the Walker muffs- but none lasted for me (but others at the club are still going strong with them). If you go electronic, there are 2 types- one that cuts off the sound for a brief period when a shot goes off and the other that turns down the volume to "compress" the sound. I strongly recommend the latter- but of course they normally cost more. My recommendation is to get something you will be happy with- hearing loss is permanent, cumulative and irreversible.
 
I have custom plugs similar to the Costco ear plugs I paid about $80.00 for my first pair and $50.00 for every other pair. All of mine are patch camo green and black even my work ones.

I like customs even though I cannot wear them every day because of an ear condition I have I do not do that kind of shooting that often.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom