Ear plugs for shooting in the field?

wahoowad

wahoowad

Member
I keep reading references to some folks using hearing protection even when shooting in the field. I do not do that because the report of my rifles usually is very quiet when fired across open farmland. Yes, my rifles are loud as heck at the range where I have buildings and berms that reflect the sound back to me, but I do not hear (or notice?) any loud rifle report out in the field. I'm shooting 243, 22 Hornet, 17 Fireball if that matters.

Curious if others feel their rifle is loud out in the field. Heck, maybe my hearing is reaching the point where I'm not noticing it like I used to.
 
The loud ringing at night when I would like to sleep is the worst.You may not notice but it is happening.Then you start missing some words because the ringing is so loud.If you can,use hearing protection.
Shooting is not to blame for all my hearing loss,loud machinery has also played a part. When I was young nobody paid any attention to hearing protection.I had no idea I would live this long.
 
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My 300 win mag is VERY loud in the field. Last deer season I had a set of muffs on my head that I could pull down when one came in. Didnt happen, I didnt notice him till he was only 15 yards behind me. My ears rang for the rest of the day after that shot.
 
I always wear shooting protection on the field. Sometimes it's hard to do when a bobcat is giving you the 1,000 yard stare but my ears already ring continuos so it's worth it
 
I have been wearing the Howard Leight electronic ear muffs what out in the field. They are light weight and not that expensive. I have a set for myself and each of the kids to hunt with. If we are plinking then we just use ear plugs.
 
Hearing damage is incremental..and permanent or so I'm told. If true, why run any unnecessary risks? Your ears, your choice.

73, I wear electronic muffs at the range..and soft plugs in the field when using C/F or shotgun...many of my peers most used sentence is "What did you say?".

Old Army, I never saw any hearing protection..maybe for the horses.
 
Tis called adrenaline... you dont notice the recoil or the noise but the damage is being done...

My girlfriend has to repeat most of what she says because of the permanent ringing in my left ear.

I have started wearing ear plugs similar to these in the field, but just in my left ear:
http://www.cabelas.com/product/EAR-Inc-HearDefenders-DF-Dual-Filtered-Earplugs/1167585.uts?Ntk=AllProducts&searchPath=%2Fcatalog%2Fsearch%2F%3FN%3D%26No%3D40%26Ntk%3DAllProducts%26Ntt%3Dear%2Bplugs%26Ntx%3Dmode%252Bmatchall%26WTz_l%3DHeader%253BSearch-All%2BProducts%26WTz_st%3D%26WTz_stype%3DSP%26form_state%3DsearchForm%26search%3Dear%2Bplugs&Ntt=ear+plugs&WTz_l=Header%3BSearch-All+Products
 
Guess I'm lucky not to have that ringing yet. Lots and lots of duck hunting through the years. Always wanted to get some enhacment/protection but they sure know what they want for em. Had some radians I got for cheep but all you could here was hissing through em. Then my roomates dog ate em. Once getting rent paid is not an issue I will have to pick some good ones up.
 
Like stated above, the Howard Leight Impacts electronic muffs are great for the field. They work great and aren't that expensive.
 
I have a set of Peltor Pro muffs that work great. I can hear things that you would miss without them. I wear them on stand and many times have heard animals running in, way before I see them. You can hear coyotes yapping, or turkeys gobbling, much farther than with normal hearing. My son's low profile don't amplify quiet as much as mine, but work good as well.

I've used plugs as well, the old Sonic 2's with the valves, and the disposibles.

Use em or lose it forever!

PS. You should have your eye protection on as well.
 
I work around F-16's every day, we are required ear plugs AND muffs. Some people don’t wear them as often as they should, or they wear them improperly, and have suffered the consequences. At work, I wear regular foam plugs and traditional passive muffs.

For hunting, I wear the baffled type, similar to these .

For range time, I wear the baffles and the electronic muffs.

And I always wear eye pro...

You anly have 1 set of ears or eyes. Plain and simple. You can try to be tough and not wear them, thats your choice, but there ARE issues that WILL appear with out proper protection.
 
Odds are pretty good that if you take 1/2 a second to slip in a plug and you lose that deer, you're life isn't going to change a bit by waiting for the next deer.

Odds are pretty good if you drive yourself deaf at 30, your remaining years will be drastically different in every possible way, for every second you're alive.

For $3 buy a pair of plugs on a cord. 1/2 hitch the cord over the the adjuster on your hat and you're never without them.

I usually leave my left plug in and the right dangling so I can hear, then slip it in before the shot.

I've got some tinnitus, not looking to add to it.
 
i use the electronic plugs that dampen loud sounds,and amplify normal sounds they fit in my ears like hearing aids.i believe they are [EAR] i lost enough hearing in the army and places i worked don't want to lose any more they work great i hear things i would miss without them.they even cut the wind noise while riding my four wheeler.
 
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