mont1120 Posted March 13, 2016 Share Posted March 13, 2016 I was at the first practice match of the year in the NW, and was standing behind the starting box by about 15 feet when a competitor fired off his first open rifle shot, and the noise blast was incredible. Now, I'm an old geezer and have lost about 50% of my hearing due to rock music and shooting without ear protection, (yes, those days did exist when wearing ear plugs was considered sissy), but the decibel level even hurt my ears with electronic hearing muff protection. It was deafening. With the advances in recoil reduction, the rise of open shooters, and the 9MM major guns taking forefront, it would seem we are reaching noise levels that can hurt an RO's ears. Has anyone actually tested the levels we are seeing now in relation to the RO standing off to the side watching the competitor? In my estimation, the levels might be exceeding the levels which most present day hearing devices will not work correctly for. If we are, it would stand there are some resolutions that are going to become necessary. Asking RO's to get their ears blasted round after round seems counterproductive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bhayden Posted March 13, 2016 Share Posted March 13, 2016 I'm with you. Sometimes when I'm running people shooting open guns, I can feel the sound through my sinus. A lot of us 'double up' on ear protection, wearing both plugs and muffs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas H Posted March 13, 2016 Share Posted March 13, 2016 If I'm going to be running shooters all day at a USPSA match, I double up.If I'm going to be running shooters at a Multigun match (or shooting one, for that matter), I double up. "In my estimation, the levels might be exceeding the levels which most present day hearing devices will not work correctly for."This seems unlikely, considering the types of work in which people use hearing protection. This is separate from whether or not people are actually wearing the hearing protection that they should. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mont1120 Posted March 13, 2016 Author Share Posted March 13, 2016 What I meant by present day hearing devices are the one most shooters are using. There are certainly hearing protection out there that will handle incredible levels of sound, but I will bet foam plugs and average hearing muffs are not among them. Also, very, very few shooters other then RO's wear double hearing unless they are shooting the comped guns. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishsticks Posted March 13, 2016 Share Posted March 13, 2016 What I meant by present day hearing devices are the one most shooters are using. There are certainly hearing protection out there that will handle incredible levels of sound, but I will bet foam plugs and average hearing muffs are not among them. Also, very, very few shooters other then RO's wear double hearing unless they are shooting the comped guns. Respectfully I have to disagree. In my area there is a lot of discussion among those I shoot with regarding the best hearing protection options. It's very common to see folks using some of the higher end options, and I don't see too many folks using plain foam plugs. Personally, I use high quality plugs and msa sordins. I did a number on my hearing when I was young and need to hold onto what I have. After trying many options this is what works best for me under a variety of conditions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StealthyBlagga Posted March 13, 2016 Share Posted March 13, 2016 Foam plugs are actually one of the better options IF PROPERLY INSTALLED. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bikerburgess Posted March 13, 2016 Share Posted March 13, 2016 (edited) ^^^^^ this Look at the NRR rating of your ear pro. Most foam plus are around 30, a large portion of the muffs I see are low 20s (yes you can get good ones but that takes a little effort) then you put some glasses on, breaking the seal between your head and the muff and they do even less Edited March 13, 2016 by bikerburgess Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas H Posted March 14, 2016 Share Posted March 14, 2016 ^^^^^ this Look at the NRR rating of your ear pro. Most foam plus are around 30, a large portion of the muffs I see are low 20s (yes you can get good ones but that takes a little effort) then you put some glasses on, breaking the seal between your head and the muff and they do even less Yup. If I'm only wearing single ear pro, they are in-the-ear. If I double, then I add an over-the-head active set. I personally see lots of people who double-plug. In USPSA matches, I see both ROs and people who shoot Open double-plug. In Multigun, I see all sorts of people double-plug. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Racinready300ex Posted March 14, 2016 Share Posted March 14, 2016 Most likely the electronic muffs you have aren't doing a good job. I had a set and didn't realize how bad they were until I got something better. I also would recommend doubling up when ROing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motosapiens Posted March 14, 2016 Share Posted March 14, 2016 i have a -30db set of muffs (peltor ultimate 10) that I use when I have to run open shooters at big matches. those guns really are obnoxious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Round_Gun_Shooter Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 Foam plugs are actually one of the better options IF PROPERLY INSTALLED. This and an observation, I have seen a trend where shooters buy cheap hearing protection from places like Harbor Freight and Home Depot thinking they are getting a deal. Cheaper is not always better. I double up all the time with molded plugs that have filters and Pro Ears. If I find there are exceptionally loud guns like my AR on my squad, I change the plugs to custom without filters under the pro ears. Some guns are louder than others but some people have more sensitive hearing than others. I want to maintain my hearing as long as possible but don't tell my wife. She thinks it has deteriorated a lot over the years Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
9x45 Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 (edited) I've been using the Peltor Tac 6s since they first came out for all competition. My 3 gun rifles have Miculek comps, and I have no problem with my G31 .357SIG at a 178 floor. The problem with foam and muffs is they are static rated EPNdb (estimated perceived noise reduction, as measured by units of decibels, the ratio of 2 power levers,ie, a logarithmic value), and work best for steady state noise at certain frequencies, such as jet engine, air compressors, whereas the dynamic electrics clip transient noise sound above 82 db and boost below 42 db. Course you have to have a proper seal around your ears. Plugs and muffs are better than nothing, but they are not a dynamic response. Edited March 15, 2016 by 9x45 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Powder Finger Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 Just an observation but....... there were probably more "open" gun shooters in the late 80's-mid 90's and with a higher pf loud is defined by me as 9X25 in handguns anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob1125 Posted March 17, 2016 Share Posted March 17, 2016 9X25's were extremely obnoxious... as well as teeth rattling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray_Z Posted March 17, 2016 Share Posted March 17, 2016 Foam plugs are actually one of the better options IF PROPERLY INSTALLED. +1 on PROPERLY INSTALLED. I try to use both headset and foam plugs when I am ROing. So many of the shooters don't put plugs in correctly. I hear a ton of excuses but the bottom line is that they won't work if you don't put them in right. Roll them up tight, twist them in, wait until they expand fully, If the plugs are hanging out of your ears, they aren't doing anything. If you've got one of the above mentioned excuses wait until you get home from shooting, if you hear ringing in your ears that's your bodies way of telling you that you screwed up, and for your trouble you get to loose some of your hearing. The more you do it, the more you get to loose. Trust me, I worked in metal shops all my life and now my favorite word is " huhh ". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronArcher Posted March 18, 2016 Share Posted March 18, 2016 (edited) For indoor IDPA, usually, I'll run some acoustically neutral plugs (about 23dB ) and electric muffs (27dB ) should get me to almost 30dB and still be able to have normal conversation. I think I am just going to start running either 31dB or 33dB plugs. Edited March 18, 2016 by IronArcher Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pjb45 Posted March 18, 2016 Share Posted March 18, 2016 Talk with some old navy gunners. the vibration still travels through the bones in your face and impacts the inner ear parts. That said, I still double plug when needed. Oh, I had an SV IMM which was murder on the ROs. I felt sorry for them but loved the dot movement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AWLAZS Posted March 18, 2016 Share Posted March 18, 2016 https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1454687729/prosounds-m-series-electronic-muffs?utm_source=Axil&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=AxilEmail Anyone try these? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Powder Finger Posted March 18, 2016 Share Posted March 18, 2016 Talk with some old navy gunners. the vibration still travels through the bones in your face and impacts the inner ear parts. That said, I still double plug when needed. Oh, I had an SV IMM which was murder on the ROs. I felt sorry for them but loved the dot movement. some doctor type guy studied this in the 90's on the 115 loads at +175 and said this was happening on comped guns. don't remember all that was said cuz I couldn't hear him very well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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