Ear Pro

[TFT_Guns_Up]

Hey guys I’m loving USPSA Open Divison, and I can’t get enough. As much as I like it, it’s a very loud division.

I currently have Howard Leight Eletronic Ear Muffs, and Surefire Ear plugs, to which I’ve been doubling up. That said I’m getting custom ear plugs.

 

All that said I’m thinking about upgrading my electronic muffs to something better. What do you guys like?  

[Sarge]

It's ironic that I shoot Open exclusively and just yesterday decided to order some Howard Leights. I am going to start double plugging so hopefully they will work as well as my Peltor pro's. I can wear them by them selves and they are excellent for Open. My only complaint is their size. They are really not slim at all. Yes, I want slimmer muffs for rifle etc anyway so I'm looking for one size fits all.

[AverageJoeShooting]

the custom fit in ear axils. they are pricey but no need to double up and the miic works really well so you are hearing peoples actual voices

[Rvajma]

Open shooter here as well.  When I am shooting, I wear a set of the Ear’s Inc. Silicone custom ear plugs with the noise filters.  When I am shooting or RO’ing an open shooter, I double up with muffs.  I had been using Howard Leight Bolts with aftermarket silicone muffs.  They work well to hear commands while double plugged, and I had thought they were super comfortable compared to the set of Peltor Shotgunners I had previously worn.  The HL’s decided to lose themselves, and I was able to pick up a set Sordin Pro X’s with the leather headband for cheap from a friend.  Night and day difference in comfort compared to HL’s.  Super pricey, I know, but no headache/discomfort after long day on range training.

[Ssanders224]

14 hours ago, AverageJoeShooting said:

the custom fit in ear axils. they are pricey but no need to double up and the miic works really well so you are hearing peoples actual voices

 

Good luck with that.  

 

I'd never trust ANY custom molded plug by itself for protection against Open guns. 

[Sarge]

2 hours ago, Ssanders224 said:

 

Good luck with that.  

 

I'd never trust ANY custom molded plug by itself for protection against Open guns. 

Besides that I have yet to find just plugs that work. I have custom molded without electronics and they are nowhere near good enough

[Ssanders224]

44 minutes ago, Sarge said:

Besides that I have yet to find just plugs that work. I have custom molded without electronics and they are nowhere near good enough

 

Yep. 

 

The best protection you can get from plugs is PROPERLY inserted 3M foamies.... and even then, it's not enough for Open guns (if you actually want to preserve your hearing). 

[UpYoursPal]

Howard Leight foam earplugs, Peltor Comtac electronic protection on top.

[TFT_Guns_Up]

Hey guys, I’m picking up what you’re putting down… From what I’ve read here and what I’ve experienced, one should double up when shooting Open. I just ordered a set of Peltor Sport Tactical 500’s, and I’m gonna double them up with plugs

[021411]

What makes or breaks over the ear hearing protection is how well they seal around your ears. Thick eye pro temples and even hats can break a good seal. 
All my ear pro utilize gel cups. 

[AverageJoeShooting]

8 hours ago, Ssanders224 said:

 

Good luck with that.  

 

I'd never trust ANY custom molded plug by itself for protection against Open guns. 

ive been using them for 2 years now and still hear just as well as i did when i started 

[Ssanders224]

1 hour ago, AverageJoeShooting said:

ive been using them for 2 years now and still hear just as well as i did when i started 

I’ll assume you mean that over the course of those two years, you’ve had periodic audiometric testing done, and that you’re not just speaking anecdotally. 

The reality is that almost all ear plugs provide insufficient protection for sustained, close proximity open gun fire. 
 

Double up. You’ll probably enjoy shooting more. 

 

[Ssanders224]

1 hour ago, AverageJoeShooting said:

ive been using them for 2 years now and still hear just as well as i did when i started 

Put another way...

 

Your Axils have at BEST a 27NRR. So, by OSHAs standards, they attenuate a noise by about 10dB’s. 
 

let’s assume an Open gun report is 165 dB’s, (which is probably at the low end).  That means your ears are still being exposed to nearly 155dB’s. More than enough to do permanent damage  immediately, much less over the course of repeated exposure. 
 

Even if you don’t use OSHA’s recommended 50% correction factor, 27NRR still only provides 20dB of actual attenuation. So your ears are still being exposed to nearly 145dB. Again, more than enough to cause damage. 
 

Hey, I have zero problem with someone choosing to risk their hearing. That’s their prerogative, and I say more power to you.  But to imply or claim that 27NRR plugs are completely adequate for sustained Open gun shooting is naive. 

[terrydoc]

4 hours ago, 021411 said:

What makes or breaks over the ear hearing protection is how well they seal around your ears. Thick eye pro temples and even hats can break a good seal. 
All my ear pro utilize gel cups. 

Try the ESS Crossbow suppressor frames for a slim line eye wear frame.

 

 

[Michael303]

2 hours ago, terrydoc said:

Try the ESS Crossbow suppressor frames for a slim line eye wear frame.

 

 

I have these.  They're fantastic.

[DavidSeavey]

I've tried a bunch of options and come to prefer Howard Leight silicone ear plugs under MSA Sordin muffs with gel cups.  They let me shoot and RO 3gun rifles and 38sc open guns while still being able to hear voices reasonably well between shots. I still often look back at the RO before I make ready just in case i heard it wrong...

[StefVanHauwe]

I also shoot in open major and use the "Sordin Supreme PRO-X BLAZE with LED and GEL". Great fit and ability to adapt noise filtration.

[terrydoc]

5 hours ago, Michael303 said:

I have these.  They're fantastic.

Been using mine for about 4 years of and on, just picked up a bronze lens for them to try out with the red dot 

[jim vaughan]

Ear muffs also dampen low frequency sounds that would otherwise travel through the bone directly behind the ear.

Ear inserts of any form will not reduce this noise.

[niroth81]

I have used Peltor Sport Tacs with gel cups for years. Recently changed to these:

 

https://www.decibullz.com/custom-molded-percussive-shooting-filters/

 

They are fantastic. Shoot only open and they do a great job. I find noise is less an issue when behind the gun shooting compared to when RO'ing. I do tend to double plug if I am RO'ing a lot of open guns or for a long time.

[boatdoc173]

I like elvex  rubber plugs+ ms sordin electric muffs

[sauza45]

I use the Peltor tac 500 with gel cups. they work good but If I need to double pug I use Earasers Musicians Plugs from the guitar center for about 40.00

they have a filter so you don't get that plugged up ear feeling when you double plug.

[lroy]

I read the instructions on my foam plugs. Pulled up on ear to straighten canal then rolled them and inserted for 30 seconds. Kind of scary as I Had to pull them out with tweezers but I couldn't hear a goddamn thing.

[cxgfmlu]

I have a pair of the Ops core Amps with the NFMI earplugs. The ear cups transmit the amplification through the ear plugs. It's a pretty weird feeling at first having doubled up ear pro but still hearing everything. I don't wear the ear plugs all the time as I generally find doubling up a bit uncomfortable for hours at a time. However they are extremely useful when you know you're going to be shooting a really loud gun.

[ltdmstr]

Regardless of what anyone claims, there isn't an ear plug on the planet that provides sufficient protection from the noise level of an open gun.  Plugs certainly look cool and are comfortable.  And maybe you don't notice hearing loss right now.  But guess what?  It's cumulative.  And by the time you do notice it, you won't be able to do anything about it.  Ask anyone who's shot an open gun over a number of years with just plugs and see what they have to say (if they can still hear you).  Or ask someone who suffers from tinnitus what that's like.  I know that's probably not going to convince some people, but I can guarantee you they'll regret it down the road.