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Ear protection

C

Cpalmer72

Private
Minuteman
Nov 27, 2018
4
1
#1
Do any of you guys have an issue with your stock sliding against muffs and moving them around when you're shooting?
I bought a set of HL impact sports. First time using them a few weeks ago but had the stock keep hitting them. Had it move them enough to have no protection on two shots. Sucks when you're not anticipating it.
Maybe just some small changes and adapting, but was just curious how many of you have this issue, what I could do to prevent or what kind of protection you're using.

Thought about trying some of the Walker buds but haven't read many reviews on them yet.
 
#3
Everybody always seem to suggest some sort of over the ear muffs, but I'm in the same boat as you. I must have an odd shape head or something because I can not get on my gun comfortably with muffs. I use foam ear plugs most of the time. It takes trying several brands to find ones that dont make my ears hurt after prolonged use, but they are cheap and available everywhere.
 
#4
jsimonh said:
Everybody always seem to suggest some sort of over the ear muffs, but I'm in the same boat as you. I must have an odd shape head or something because I can not get on my gun comfortably with muffs. I use foam ear plugs most of the time. It takes trying several brands to find ones that dont make my ears hurt after prolonged use, but they are cheap and available everywhere.
Click to expand...

Misshapen head aside, the MSA's are shaped very differently. Supposedly, this is part of why they are so popular and don't interfere.

Just something to check out if you haven't
 
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#7
I don’t shoot rifles with my MSA’s. I can’t get comfortable and always break the seal on my right ear. I’ve had great success with the Surefire EP7 with the Comply tips with that said.
 
#8
Yes, I was forever messing about with my ear pro when I used the muffs. Changed to the Otto NoizeBarrier electronic in ear pro and I love them. Stay charged forever it seems, are comfortable, and they never interfere with my cheek weld.
 
#12
I have sordins with gel cups, but I can’t use them with any of my rifles. I always doubled up plugs and muffs, but my LGS had a custom ear plug vendor on site one time so I got a pair for $60(Amp’d up). I’ll either wear a plug in my shooting ear and Sordins canted so if the seal does break no biggie or I’ll just use my plugs.

Otherwise it’s just sordins when I’m resetting or waiting my turn.
 
#13
I’ve been using moldable ear plugs from radians. There like 15 dollars for a set and in my opinion the most comfortable of anything I have tried. Molding them stinks the first time but after they set up and harden they are good for a long time. I had a pair for a couple of year and the only issue is they start to get dirty even if you clean them regularly.
 
#14
My gripe with the HL impacts is, on me, the cushioned gasket seems to pull away from the bottom of my ears leaving a small gap unsealed by the muff. I ran the electric wire on the outside of the muff and that helped a bit but I have resorted to running soft "rollup" plugs in my ears as well as the hl light impacts. Works good and I can still hear range officers so long as I have them turned up to max audio. This is a compromise of sorts, and like many of us, the last place we compromise is on our precision rifles, so I feel a bit like a pos compromising on hearing protection when I'm sure there is something much better for me out there.
 
#15
I got some custom molded ear plugs at southwest nationals a few years back for about $80 and they are worth every penny. Never beak the seal and no big muffs to hit on your stock. That said, I normally use the peltor sport tactical 500’s now because I got given a pair and I have zero issues with them interfering with anything. My only gripe, I guess, is that they push the sides of my shooting glasses into my head....... gets a little sore at the end of the day.
 
#17
I too have the HL impacts and I noticed one thing... they dont do as well as my old school ones. If youre going to be shooting braked rifles (or on the same firing line) you should double up and put in the foam rollies underneath and then use the muffs mic to hear range commands.


I have the gel cups with the special slit up top for my glasses, only when Im shooting I dont need them pulled down lower and into the stock, I need them higher. So the glasses slit is sort of the opposite of what it needs to be when shooting rifles. I can skew the muffs over so that they arent in the way of the stock and the gel does well enough to still seal off around my glasses in the middle of the gel, I just wanted to comment on how they try to make the seal wider and wider and that causes them to interfere more and more.
 
#18
CavScout85 said:
Yes, I was forever messing about with my ear pro when I used the muffs. Changed to the Otto NoizeBarrier electronic in ear pro and I love them. Stay charged forever it seems, are comfortable, and they never interfere with my cheek weld.
Click to expand...

+1 for the Otto's; I have the MSA's as well and will wear the muffs occasionally in the below zero because they help keep my ears warm, but the Otto's are amazing.
 
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#19
Had the same problem with my HLs until I got the gel pads for them. Issue gone. The pads that come stock are just too stiff and too thin to provide seal except in perfect conditions.

Switched back from TEP-100 in ear electronic to my HL with gel pads once I tested that out. Added a padded headband cover and i couldnt be happier.
 
#21
I personally don't care for muffs when shooting, they just seem to get in the way no matter what I try. I sprung for some custom molded in-ear plugs this past summer. They have a filter in them that allows some soft sounds through but blocks sharp, loud noises.
 
#27
A good cheek weld makes my muffs come off my ear. I wear the amplified/active muffs with plugs under them. Muffs are annoying and I'm thinking of ditching them.

VooDoo
 
#29
I run the MSA Sordins with no issues, I can’t say the same for Peltors, because of the bulge on the bottom of the headset. I would like to try out the Silynx Clarus at some point.
 
#30
If you already have the HL Impact Sports try two things. Rotate them forward so the band is going more over the front of the top of your head. Also, try one of the band wraps that is a bit of padding between the band and your head.

I have a smaller head and the HLs would sit down too far. When they were like that they would bang against the stock and recoil would cause the skin on the side of my jaw to get pinched between the stock and the muffs. Since I added the band wrap I haven’t had any problems. Millimeters make all the difference.
 
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#32
have an older pair of 3m ear muffs they are pretty large they bump the stock when i put my cheak on rest from time to time my newer ones are a lot thinner and that almost never happens to me any more , thought about trying the ear bud ones . they are just so small i have a bad habbit of loosing things like that . so for now i'll stick to the earmuffs . they are still cheap enough .
 
#33
Had some Howard Leigh muffs and they don't work well for us (wife and I). We've been using the surefire in ear plugs for a while now. Finally sucked it up and bought a pair of the Peltors and a pair of the Sordins. I'll let you know which ones we like better this weekend.
 
#34
I hate wearing ear muffs with my big noggin, and if Uncle Sam's orange Christmas tree plugs allowed for enough hearing to actually be able to talk to each other normally I would've loved them but I found some plugs that work great. They're E.A.R. Inc. Hear Defenders DF. Custom molded, choice of colors, allows me to hear wanted sound, i.e. conversation, range commands, while suppressing unwanted noise. I love them.

earinc.com

Chameleon Ears™ PRO - HearDefenders®-DF Ear Plugs - EAR Customized Hearing Protection

The HearDefenders®-DF filter provides "variable attenuation" - as the nose level increases so does the noise reduction. Ear impressions are required for your custom-fit and proper manufacturing. Pricing is for a single set. If you are searching for multiple people, please contact us for...
earinc.com
 
#35
If you have ever run the numbers, what is really needed in the way of ear protection is a bit hard to determine. Granted there is a plenty of discrepancy between "qualified" sources of information, but the following seems to a pretty common.

Exposure to sound is cumulative of all the sounds in a day. This is good because based on a Montana State University study, the long side of a gunshot percussion is 12 milliseconds (recalling from memory). However, you can only listen to 115 db for less than 1 minute during the day to avoid damage. Anything louder has a zero threshold. If you take a total shot count of 600 (you plus the shooters next to you), you are talking about 7.2 seconds, meaning you only need 7.2 seconds of protection.

If you shoot a brake, are next to a brake, your being exposed to something in the range of 165 db when unprotected (https://precisionrifleblog.com/2015/08/07/muzzle-brakes-sound-test/ ). Since doubling up on protection is not simply adding both numbers. You only get to take the highest protection, and then add 5 db for the second pair. This makes getting to 115 pretty much impossible. Using brakes of 165 db, Decibullz with 31 db protection, and any muffs for the +5 db protection, you are only down to 129.

So this is where marketing and 'who do you trust' comes in. Decibullz says their Percussion filters are good to 166 db but do not provide any data. i have emailed them asking if their product protects from a 165 muzzle brake, and they have not responded.

I double up with Decibullz + muffs since using only 1 piece of protection (unless you are willing to trust Decibullz currently unbacked marketing) cannot get me to the magic 115. I use the Decibullz because my own experience tells me they protect better, but I am almost half deaf so that may be worth about as much as a rock at the bottom of a 150' cliff. I think the reality is we need better protection than what is currently on the market, or someone needs to step up and provide real data showing how what we are using is enough. Going strictly by NRR / OSHA, we are screwed.
 
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#36
antithesis said:
I think the reality is we need better protection than what is currently on the market, or someone needs to step up and provide real data showing how what we are using is enough. Going strictly by NRR / OSHA, we are screwed.
Click to expand...
On top of that you have the bone conduction which needs attenuation as well.

The future of sound protection:
7042090
 
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#37
spife7980 said:
On top of that you have the bone conduction which needs attenuation as well.

The future of sound protection:
View attachment 7042090
Click to expand...


Don't despair Uncle Sam has some surplus just for your purposes, if it works for the 120mm of an M1 Abrams tank it will work for your Tikka. LOL
To complete the ensemble the famous Goggles, Wind, Sand, and Dust.
 

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#39
I use the 3M Tep-100's - though they have proven a little unreliable of late (mic stopped working in one bud). The AXIL ghost stryke essentials are quite good I've found! The Walker Razor XV's are also really good, and they include bluetooth, but a bit more bulky - more to go wrong.
 
#40
I definitely include myself in this observation, but it has always fascinated me how we as people can spend thousands of dollars on glasses, contacts, optometrist visits, sunglasses, and safety glasses, and still try and make do with ear pro that is either uncomfortable, a nuisance, or performs poorly.

This really hit home to me after I bought some OTTO NoizeBarriers and realized that they DO actually make quality hearing protection. ?
 
#41
I use walkers game ear razor slim lines and decibulz together.... sometimes I have an issue with the cheek weld but I can make a minor adjustment and things are usually good to go.
 
#43
Years ago when I started riding motorcycles again, I went to a large motorcycle show. There were 2 booths that were making custom fitted ear protector "plugs", they mixed up "goo", filled up each ear and I waited a couple of minutes for it to set up, a $40.00 gamble. I was so impressed with how well they worked that I tried them while shooting with a noisy and cheap pair of electronic ear protectors at an indoor range. What a difference, if you can find a show that does this, you will be surprised at how well these will complement any other ear protection that you have.
 
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#44
YF12A said:
Years ago when I started riding motorcycles again, I went to a large motorcycle show. There were 2 booths that were making custom fitted ear protector "plugs", they mixed up "goo", filled up each ear and I waited a couple of minutes for it to set up, a $40.00 gamble. I was so impressed with how well they worked that I tried them while shooting with a noisy and cheap pair of electronic ear protectors at an indoor range. What a difference, if you can find a show that does this, you will be surprised at how well these will complement any other ear protection that you have.
Click to expand...
That's pretty much how I got my E.A.R. Inc. HearDefenders, I got them at the range at a manufacturers range day where other venfdors were also present, only I decided I wanted the version that gave me better protection and had to wait to have them shipped after the guy created the mold with the goo for two weeks. When I received them they also sent back the molds, so now if I want another pair, or a different type all I have to do is sent those back in.
 
#45
I run MSA Sordins for over the ear, never had a problem getting check weld. They are pretty low profile and work wonderfully. Customer service has been outstanding. I did Competition Dynamics a few years ago, with all the fine sand I'm sure the electronics didn't like that. Anyway, sent them for warranty repair, diagnosis "not repairable, sending customer new set" was pretty nice.

I also run Harris & Sons in ear protection. Custom molded to my ears, they are super awesome as well. The Harris have different "profiles", I use their competition rifle & rifle training modes. So comfortable I hardly remember I have them in. Super pricey, but worth it. From that I understand some health insurance will cover these, as they are basically hearing aids with custom software profiles that happen to work for shooting. My PPO does not cover hearing aids, but I was able to use my health care reimbursement account to pay for these with pre-tax dollars, so at least that is a tax savings on the back end. YMMV
 
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#46
I have sensitive ears and use both muffs and plugs. I havent found the perfect muffs that offer enough hearing protection but arent ginormous.
 
#47
asus611 said:
I run MSA Sordins for over the ear, never had a problem getting check weld. They are pretty low profile and work wonderfully. Customer service has been outstanding. I did Competition Dynamics a few years ago, with all the fine sand I'm sure the electronics didn't like that. Anyway, sent them for warranty repair, diagnosis "not repairable, sending customer new set" was pretty nice.

I also run Harris & Sons in ear protection. Custom molded to my ears, they are super awesome as well. The Harris have different "profiles", I use their competition rifle & rifle training modes. So comfortable I hardly remember I have them in. Super pricey, but worth it. From that I understand some health insurance will cover these, as they are basically hearing aids with custom software profiles that happen to work for shooting. My PPO does not cover hearing aids, but I was able to use my health care reimbursement account to pay for these with pre-tax dollars, so at least that is a tax savings on the back end. YMMV
Click to expand...
They look really nice but for that price most would buy another nice rifle, I paid a 1oth of that and my plugs work great, also have not lost any more hearing as my annual test has shown since I had lost some in the service due to riding around in aerial coffee mills with open doors.
 
#48
I started with the HL Impact Pros, then migrated to the MSA Sordin with gell pads which was significantly better. Then I bought the Otto Noizebarrier and those are orders of magnitude better. Seriously. The Otto's are all I am using now under all conditions and I'll use going forward. Yes, the Sordin might keep your ears warm in cold weather but a $12 Baklava from Amazon did the trick for me a month or two ago when I was shooting in sub-freezing weather.
 
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#50
antithesis said:
Rather than start another thread on this, for those that have use MSA, how big of a pain is it to wear a ball cap backwards with the neckband version?
Click to expand...

Diggin this up. Yes and no with the neckband Sordins. It all depends on the angle of the bill as it sits backwards. Do you like to run the hat on your eyebrows? The hat design itself may be self limiting. Just gotta try it out. I've got the weirdest shaped head so I choose to wear my hats forward with my neckband Sordins. I also run a neck gaiter.

Nowadays the big floppy/field covers/ hats are really a good choice too. It won't interfere with your neckband and you get more coverage of the neck.

Which is why also I am doing some digging on custom ear pro. E.A.R. requires a custom mold to already be done unless you find them at a show or something. On their site it states that they can refer me to someone in my area which can send them the mold. But are we talking co-pay on insurance or out of pocket and they charge butt loads for the mold of the ears?

Any advice is appreciated.
 
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