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Hearing Protection

wolfred
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wolfred Enthusiast

wolfred

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Anyone out there got a suitable method of protecting your hearing while hunting? I've got Peltor stereo ear muffs which I use at the rifle range, and they work great, but I don't want to walk around the bush wearing them for half a day while hunting. I think it unlikely that in the heat of the moment, you've seen an animal you want to shoot, that you're gonna take off your back pack, fish out your ear muffs and then take the shot. In all the hunting magazines I've read, no one talks about this issue, everyone seems to walk around unprotected, and just take the shots when available. I suppose you could have ear plugs in your shirt pocket and stick em in before shooting, but that delay might cost you the animal.

My hearing is stuffed already from using machinery without ear protection and I think my .308 blasting next to my ears is gonna take what's left.

What do youse guys do? :huh:

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Fireman_DJ Grand Master

Fireman_DJ

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Nothing, I'm not good enough to find the deer in the first place!

One option you may like to look at are electronic ear plugs. Think hearing aid. But it blocks out ALL noise, then pumps in noise from it's mic/amp/speaker package. When noise reaches X (about 80db I think) it turns off the speaker.

A bonus of this is most can be adjusted for volume, you you get better hearing then normal and some can be volume adjusted for specific freq ranges, so you can focus on listening for specific sounds.

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b_bear Veteran

b_bear

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Mate, I know what you mean about the 308 blasting the crap out of your ears. Give the electronic earmuffs a go on a hunt. I find it takes a few hours before they really start to get uncomfortable. The slimline ones don't take up that much space in the back pack.

Other than that I use disposable earplugs and leave them in.

I

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Jase Experienced

Jase

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I use a set of these:

http://www.howardleight.com/segment/index/4

It's the QB3 units that I use. But the QB2 seem to offer a little more protection. That said, the QB3 make my 22 sound almost silent. The 243 that I shoot, and my friends 20-06 don't bother me at all when using them. Tey fit around your neck so they are always at hand, and you can actually put them on with only one hand. One ear, then the other.

Light weight, low cost, they don't interfere with shooting. I love em. I whack them around my neck before I even leave the house. I wouldn't be without them.

Jase

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assailant Proficient

assailant

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i was going to suggest the same, i use a set of QB1.

i have peltor earmuffs and the QB1's that i use for work but i prefer the peltor muffs at work because they dont enter the ear canal (obviously).

the QB1's are more practical for tramping around the bush though, so the short period of discomfort when taking a shot is outweighed by not lugging a big pair of muffs around the gob

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Jase Experienced

Jase

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Counter, I got them from Protector Alsafe. Any local safety supplier should be able to get them.

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ozhunt13 Enthusiast

ozhunt13

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Hi mate, in the Army we dont worry about protection. Probably not the best idea, but its similar to hunting where you have to be able to hear the animals (enemy). One shot once or twice a day isn't gonna kill your hearing. But I would wear them for sure at a range when sighting in or trying new loads.

Overall it comes down to whether you want comfort for the hours of not shooting and a bit of ringing for a minute after the shot or no ringing and discomfort with big earmuffs.

Hope this helps.

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Zardez Mentor

Zardez

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Hi mate, in the Army we dont worry about protection. Probably not the best idea, but its similar to hunting where you have to be able to hear the animals (enemy). One shot once or twice a day isn't gonna kill your hearing. But I would wear them for sure at a range when sighting in or trying new loads.

Overall it comes down to whether you want comfort for the hours of not shooting and a bit of ringing for a minute after the shot or no ringing and discomfort with big earmuffs.

Hope this helps.

some armys wear electronic ear protection, EVERY single round you fire without hearing protection IS doing your ears damage.

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optic Grand Master

optic

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We were issued with cotton wool, then updated to a small tin of putty type stuff, which i only threw out this year after 30 years. I found cigarette filters better than the issue stuff, just poke them in and i still use them if i forget the ear plugs.

My ears are stuffed, one rings from a very loud noise, and im as good as deaf in the other.

Guys you have no idea how hard it is when you cant hear the gran kids talking to you, or hear other people talking in your group less than a mtr away.

Look after your ears where ever you can.Next step for me is 3k or more worth of hearing aids.

That can handle a gun blast.

Try sleeping with an ear that rings 24x7. Its just not worth it.

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Jase Experienced

Jase

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For those who are worried about not hearing animals, there are plenty of electronic earmuffs that are pretty comfortable. The Peltor Protac II comes to mind. Blocks loud noises and can actually amplify ambient noise. What could be better than no hearing damage when you take a shot, and superhero hearing when you are between shots!

Jase

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