Please share your experience with customised/molded ear plugs.

[Pine Marten]

Hello everyone.

I've just finished my first season using Eley HP 3" steel loads, and whereas they've performed exactly as I wanted them to, that is to say stone dead ducks and no more wounded ones, these things are noticeably louder than my previous cartridges, and I need better ear protection. For the last few years I've worn standard electronic over ear protectors, but they don't fit all that well, I find that after waiting a while on a duck flight they start to press on my upper jaw muscles and be very uncomfortable, and worst of all, it's very hard to wear them under my wide-brimmed hat! So for next season I'm looking into the custom and molded types that perfectly fit into your ear. To that end, can any here please share their experience of these? In particular, is there much benefit to the electronic versions with active noise cancelling, given how much more expensive (and losable) they are? A quick bit of research has thrown these up:

Shooting Ear Protection | Custom Moulded Ear Plugs For Shooting (recommended by the late and greatly missed John Humphreys it seems)

George Digweed MBE - World No.1 Shooter - CENS digital (George Digweed prefers these ones)

Any insight very welcome. Thanks!

 

[old 30-06]

I know all about wearing a wide brimmed hat and normal ear muffs. Its a disaster. However, I know at least three friends who have left CENS and gone back to the conventional over ear protectors, and a flat cap.

 

[ferretmanabu]

I wouldn’t bother with the custom moulds. They don’t offer any better hearing protection and they’re often not great when they get wet as the electronics fail.
Isotunes sport are good for the money.

 

[VSS]

I have custom moulded passive plugs, and they're excellent. Different filters are available to suit your specific requirements.
I put them in at the beginning of a day stalking, and forget they're there.

(I too wear a wide brimmed hat. And I shoot an unmoderated rifle).

 

[Ludders]

I have the standard passive cens. No electronics. I think they cost £99. I’ve been very happy with them for clay and game shooting. My only issue is if it raining or your ears get wet they tend to slip out a bit.

 

[Pine Marten]

I have custom moulded passive plugs, and they're excellent. Different filters are available to suit your specific requirements.
I put them in at the beginning of a day stalking, and forget they're there.

(I too wear a wide brimmed hat. And I shoot an unmoderated rifle).

Yes, I've seen the hat and it's a great one! I also suspect the electronics are probably surplus to requirements. Can you recommend a brand?

 

[Pine Marten]

I have the standard passive cens. No electronics. I think they cost £99. I’ve been very happy with them for clay and game shooting. My only issue is if it raining or your ears get wet they tend to slip out a bit.

Thanks, and also, you can solve the wet ears problem with a proper hat...

 

[Pelyma]

I’ve shot with electronic Cens for over 15 years, during that time one had to be repaired which from memory was about £50 and another has gone this season. I find muffs pinch my face so I will be buying in ear custom molded but as yet I don’t know which make.

 

[Pine Marten]

I’ve shot with electronic Cens for over 15 years, during that time one had to be repaired which from memory was about £50 and another has gone this season. I find muffs pinch my face so I will be buying in ear custom molded but as yet I don’t know which make.

Yes, same, the ear muffs can become quite painful to wear. Although I like being able to hear thanks to the electronics.

 

[308tikka]

From my audioiologist - two types of hearing loss from noise, the sound and bone conduction.

Wear both. I use electronics over mouldies if not on a moderated rifle.

Had professional moulds - ok but not much different to the decibullz type. Stick in warm water, then in ear, leave to harden.

You need to get head neck into shooting position as this CAN change fit in ear from a normal seated position.

Rewarm in water to adjust fit.

I cant hear conversations over background music, this is down to noise damage (and mainly helicopter engine, not shooting). Its frustrating as in silence I can hear the full range. Also mild tinnitus and can be difficult to sleep without noise in background…

Protect your hearing. Its cheap to double duff !

 

[VSS]

Yes, I've seen the hat and it's a great one! I also suspect the electronics are probably surplus to requirements. Can you recommend a brand?

Mine came from Mercury Custom Plugs, but I think all the companies are much of a muchness, to be honest.
Had moulds taken at the Game Fair one year.
The filters they initially supplied me with cut out too much ambient sound and reduced my spatial awareness, so I went back to Mercury and they gave me an alternative set of filters FOC, which are much more suited to my use.

For range use I wear earmuffs over the plugs, just for extra protection in a situation where I'll be firing multiple shots. No wide-brimmed hat on range days!

 

[willie_gunn]

I started with a pair of Emtec passive Noisebreakers, bought from a Game Fair years ago. They were fine, until I lost one in the woods.

I then moved on to the CENS electronic, which I’ve now had for perhaps 7 or 8 years. I prefer them to the passive versions. The only problem I’ve experienced with them is that the internal battery contacts occasionally need to be slightly bent to maintain contact, but that’s the work of a minute or so, perhaps once a season. Never had any issue with water ingress, etc.

I’d never go back to “over the ear” muffs, not that I see any reason to.

Edit: I will add that I find wearing the CENS means I hear birds earlier - and also comments from other guns/ beaters!

 

[jcampbellsmith]

I've obviously shot for a long time. I wish I had found the CENS electronic plugs sooner. To be able to shoot and not have ear muffs bumping into the stock of the gun/rifle is a real bonus. @willie_gunn - his comments are spot on (as usual).

My advice to anyone starting out in shooting is to buy the best hearing protection that they can afford.

Regards

JCS

 

[sh1kar]

I started with a pair of Emtec passive Noisebreakers, bought from a Game Fair years ago. They were fine, until I lost one in the woods.

I then moved on to the CENS electronic, which I’ve now had for perhaps 7 or 8 years. I prefer them to the passive versions. The only problem I’ve experienced with them is that the internal battery contacts occasionally need to be slightly bent to maintain contact, but that’s the work of a minute or so, perhaps once a season. Never had any issue with water ingress, etc.

I’d never go back to “over the ear” muffs, not that I see any reason to.

Edit: I will add that I find wearing the CENS means I hear birds earlier - and also comments from other guns/ beaters!

My experience also. I do find they are quite heavy on batteries
s

 

[willie_gunn]

Thanks, and also, you can solve the wet ears problem with a proper hat...

If you're wearing your normal hat you'll be fine.

When game shooting I wear a tweed flat cap, rather than the Tilley brimmed hat I wear for stalking, and have never any experienced "slippage" problems with the in-ear CENS.

 

[Bell308]

ive two sets of plugs from ultimate Ears custom molded plugs one which are solid 30db rated and one set with a filter for low level sound to pass through. these fit and work well for long period use as i use them on the bike as well. and for .338 i use cans over the top of the plugs...

 

[EdgarF]

I use Swatcom earplugs, custom modded to fit. Very comfortable, effective and do not interfere with gun mount. The only problem with plugs is that you can block your ears if you wear the plugs when you have a build up of earwax. My audiologist recommends spraying olive oil ear spray (Earol) into each ear once a week.

 

[willie_gunn]

My experience also. I do find they are quite heavy on batteries
s

Do yours use the same 312 "hearing aid" style batteries as mine? If so, those batteries typically only have an effective life in hearing aids of 3-7 days. In my syndicate I shoot every 2 weeks during the season, and if I'm lucky I'll get two shoots worth of use from the CENS before the batteries need replacing. I always use Duracell, and buy mine in bulk from Amazon.

Also any moisture can affect battery life, so I remove the batteries from my CENS between shoots, and leave the little battery door open.

 

[Cyres]

I have in ear custom made ones. Rarely use. Son gave me a set of Electronic Impact Sport they are excellent. Either wear over a thin cap or under a Tilley hat. Must say electronic ones are v v good but wish you could have leather or suede covered as they get v sweaty on a long session shooting. Son who is in forces uses his custom in ears and electronics over when shooting or on range days.
D

 

[Rasputin]

I had some custom plugs which were recommended to me by a DJ and Sound Tech ACS Custom Pro Series they were excellent and the only reason I stopped wearing them is my cauliflower ears got so thick they wouldn't fit properly so I had to go over ear. My only gripe with plugs in general is the tendency to lose the bloody things even with the cables attached.