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Ear Protection???


Dabster Dave

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I was wondering what is the best ear protection for CAS?  I'm having trouble hearing the timer beep with the foam and plastic ear buds.  I have read about Pelter's ear buds at about $300, too expensive for me.  Anyone use safariland impulse buds or the decibullz impulse buds?  Or what is a good option to hear conversation but give good protection that is allowed?

 

Dabster Dave

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I have the custom ear plugs by Tego Tactical. They have a small hole for better hearing but still offer protection. I use them for SASS and really like them because they aren't "too" quiet for pistol & shotgun. I have another set of solid plugs with no hole for 3Gun because the AR is an ear buster. 

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"Hold it up close to my ear," lots of pards say at the line.

 

If you are not hearing the buzzer real well, it's probably a sign your hearing protection is working real well......or you have hearing problems.   Second part - no good hearing protection will solve without active electronics involved (meaning beaucoup bucks).

 

It "sounds like" you don't want the best protection, you want a fairly weak protection level.  The custom molded polymer ear plugs that give about a 25 dB reduction level can do that for you.  With some continuing hearing loss, most likely.

 

Good luck, GJ

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We've got shooters who just ask the TO for a shoulder tap with the beep.  Works fine, but not the fastest.

 

I use a pair of 3M Peltor TEP-100's (my main set) and also use Etymotic GunSport Pros if the Peltors are down for some reason.  I don't have hearing issues, but these 2 sets of active electronic plugs work great to hear the TO commands, but muffle the gun shots. 

 

Yes, they are in the $300 range (the Etymotics just a bit lower), but they are worth it to me to be able to hear what is going on all the time with the Posse, not just when I am on the firing line.

 

The Etymotics (when I checked sources this morning) have increased in price to be very close to the Peltor price.  When I bought mine a few months back, they were about $30-$40 less than the Peltors.  Of course I was really lucky a couple of years back when I found the set of Peltors on Amazon at a lightning deal price of $188.  Now they are really hard to find at less than $300, but these (and the Etymotics) are really mid-level active electronic hearing protection, and therefore are substantially less than I have seen for the custom molded version active plugs.

 

Given the choice at approximately the same price (currently), I definitely favor the Peltors over the Etymotics.  Buy once and cry once - to me they are well worth the upgrade from cheap foamies or other non-active plugs.

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i use some peltors that claim to let you hear normal conversations if you insert them correctly (one end has a hole).  But I can't tell the difference.  I find if I leave the ear plugs in, even if I have trouble hearing initially, I will eventually be able to hear just fine.  I never could figure out if that was because my ear was adapting to the lack of sound, or if everyone just started yelling at me. 

 

I can tell you that in high noise areas at work, earplugs help me hear my cow-orkers.  Counter intuitive, but it's it's true and I aint the only one who's noticed it. 

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I utilize custom ear plugs when walking around behind the firing line.  When I step up to the firing line I put on non-electronic ear muffs with the plugs!  I just tell the TO to "make it loud!"  How do I get the muffs on over a wide-brimmed hat?  I don't!  I replace my straw planter's hat with a cavalry kepi (billed hat) for the duration of the stage.  Why go to all that bother?  Because I have to save what is left of my hearing, most lost due to shooting high powered rifles when I was much younger, and using only Lee Sonic Ear Valves, which didn't work!  Of course age will also have an effect.  I can barely hear out of my left ear now, and there is loss in the higher frequencies in the right ear.  I am fortunate that I got my hearing aids from the VA, which saved me about $6,500!

 

Don't scrimp on your hearing protection, pards!  You only get "issued" one set of ears! And even the most sophisticated hearing aids aren't as good as natural hearing! :(

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I wish I could find some muffs that would allow me to still wear my cowboy hat.  I normally use double protection when I shoot.  This is one of the good things about the low power loads most of us use.  The second set of hearing protection isn't needed like it is on a regular range. 

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Quote

 wish I could find some muffs that would allow me to still wear my cowboy hat.

 

Several back-of-head muffs on market.   Get lightest band possible because gravity pulls down on the band on heavy units.

 

 

I don't use muffs because IMHO it's not necessary to add that amount of extra noise reduction when I can get 32 dB with properly inserted foam plugs.   Too much sweat, bulk, weight and hat interference to gain a small and unneeded extra level of reduction.  As I said, just MHO.  BECAUSE - Everybody's hearing problems and concerns tend to be different, just like vision concerns.  And what works for me may not be a good choice for you.

 

Good luck, GJ

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13 hours ago, watab kid said:

always wanted 'fitted' but never took the time to get a pair , i use foam and there are times it is not enough but SASS has not been the issue , 

 

Take the time, they're worth it.  In addition to providing better protection, they're a LOT more comfortable for long sessions.

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On 9/13/2017 at 8:45 AM, H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619 said:

I use foam earplugs that I get by the jarfull at K-Mart.

 

They work just fine.

 

Me too. 32dB of protection. You won't get much better than that because the sound will be conducted through your skull to your inner ear. To hear the stage instructions I loosen one so I can hear what is being said, but I still have some protection from loud noises nearby. When the shooting starts, it goes back in my ear.

 

With the plugs in I can hear the beep just fine, and I wear hearing aides in normal life, so the disposable foam plugs are doing exactly what they are supposed to.

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my current first choice are a pair that I had made at a gun show.  Guy mixes up two color of playdough-like material and put it in my ear.  Works fine for me as most of my friends are discussing what type of hearing aides to get and I still can hear 'OK' with my original equipment.

 

Of course I am the guy that cuts his grass, and the club's range, with muffs on.  3 hours of steady mower engine noise isn't good either

 

cheyenne

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I'm damn near deaf.  I've been wearing hearing aids for twenty five years, and been using amplifying ear plugs to shoot for about 20 years.  I get them from my audiologist.  They are lousy hearing aids, and so-so hearing protection.  Once your hearing is gone, it's gone for good.  Spend what you have to spend.

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If you are not hearing the buzzer, it could be a weak buzzer, you have hearing loss and your current ear protection is doing its job. If you have hearing loss, using  weaker ear protection will just make it worse over time.  Most foam plugs provide a greater DB reduction than the standard set of ear muffs. When there is a weak buzzer, have the RO tap your shoulder or put it right up to your ear.

 

The best of both worlds would be  electronic  ear protection that automatically shunts the gun shots but makes other low level sounds more normal. You will think that everyone else is yelling.

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I have gotten caught a couple times with my ear plug still in my hand as the stage starts, and realized that the loads are apparently so low in pressure, that the gun reports are not really that punishing. Didn't wait for all three guns though. Very basic protection should be fine, I would think. I will get the Tego Tacticals, when they are doing molds at matches in my area in cooler weather.

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Tommy (Tego Tactical) will be making custom plugs at SC match in a couple of weeks, and TN a couple of weeks after SC, and at the NC match and SE Regional in Memphis. There are non-electronic options - like EAR, Inc Hear Defenders.  Tommy can also "connect" a Walker Game ear to a standard custom molded ear plug.  Ask Sixgun Seamus!

 

Scarlett

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