Anyone use in ear hearing protection while stalking?

[Hereford]

Don't like them - always kept falling out including a fairly expensive set I once had, but that was on clays - not really an issue when stalking although on the range I always use over ear ones - have got some Howard Sleight ones now and I really like them

 

[Cris]

Just have a pair of cheep ear defenders when shooting my unmoderated 270. Keep them perched on top of my head and simple to pull down before a shot. Don't use them with my modrted 243.

 

[slider]

Sporttac electronic muff on the clays or pigeons. Don't use anything with my (moderated) rifle but might invest in a pair of moulded in ear jobbies.

 

[ion]

I think it would be interesting to canvass the contributors as to age and level of hearing loss or damage.
For the record - just turned 60 with substantial loss of hearing in left ear and severe tinnitus. Tractors, chainsaws. loading and hereditary hearing problems.
If it was possible to boil it down to a simple yes or no I would say buy the best hearing protection possible and use on every occasion until its second nature. I wear the good Sordins I bought when mowing the lawn. Now when the damage is irreversible I have become quite disciplined about using hearing protection.
Yes I've lost, lent, broken and mislaid everything from foam disposables to the early oversized electronic muffs and gone without far too often, but what I begrudged paying for or using then is a pittance compared to what I'm 'paying' now.
I suspect that proportionally more of us would go out on the water with a good quality life jacket than shoot with good hearing protection.

Ion

 

[Brimfire]

I use ACS Pro Impulse Custom Shooting Protection and they are in my opinion well worth the investment. I went into Boots and had an appointment with the audiologist to discuss my requirements although I knew what I wanted already and we went ahead and made the moulds to send off so the company can manufacture them to my exact fit.

There are no electronics involved with these custom hearing protection and they are comfortable for wear all day. I can give an honest appraisal of these and tell you that even stood behind unmoderated 300 Win Mag or a 308 with muzzle brake your ears are totally protected. The bonus is that when you position yourself to take a shot, there are no bulky earmuffs in the way as your cheek is in position.

 

[Brimfire]

I have asked this question on the forum and got no answer.

With your hearing protection, can you hear well? I mean if you where walking through a wood, would you be able to hear something move in front of you ?

Thanks

I am thinking about the CENS passive, everybody says they are good at stopping the sound of the shot. But what about the noise the rest of the time? Are they good enough to be able to hear something move in front of you in a wood?

I can still hear normally with the ACS that I use, I cannot comment on the CENS. When wearing the custom hearing protection I can still hear birdsong in the background and hold a normal conversation at a club whilst gunfire is going on.

Developed for military use the Impulse filter protects hearing from gunfire, artillery noise and impulse sounds from nail guns, drop hammers and riveting. Designed to allow air to enter the ear, this unique filter technology retains spatiality and sound directionality as required in hunting and combat situations. Unlike competing products this ventilation minimises the occlusion effect and reduces irritation within the ear canal, maximising user comfort so limiting the causes of inflammation and infection

Taken from http://acscustom.com/uk/product/acs-pro-impulse/

 

[roedeerred]

Firmly believe everyone should use them I grew up working in my fathers joiners shop and driving machines before the days of worrying about hearing loss then got some hearing aids at 60 realised what I had been missing now with aids I can hear birdsong and the rustle if grass etc even deer running away! my advice to anyone starting out is buy some decent electronic defenders

 

[welshwarrior]

Cens pro digital stalking and rough shooting, peltor sports tack for everything else.

I've seriously damaged hearing and want to protect what I've got left but please protect yours so you can avoid the constant ringing and strange looks as you adjust your hearing aids etc.

 

[An Taín Hunting Outfitter]

I could never use hearing protection if I was out stalking.

 

[countrryboy]

On a bit of a tangent and mibee a silly question.

Wot do the armed forces use? When doing blank firing drill or even on ranges do they were protection.
I know the H&S implications where 1 of the reason cf moderators were allowed but does army have a duty of care etc to squadies hearing?

Unless ur stalking/guiding an awful lot and esp so with moderated rifles don't think its really that desperate, but zeroing or shotgun shooting it should be

Even the cheap napier ones u can hear conversation and the grouse coming towards no prob's and there really nothing to break/run out of battery on them.
With some of the better battery ones i think they can be turned up to work almost as a hearing aid so u may actually hear more but shuts of the loud noises

 

[Jagare]

I could never use hearing protection if I was out stalking.

Why?

 

[Triumph_Dave]

I have in the past used Auritech plugs for most of my shooting, they are comfortable, simple, last well and do the job exceptionally well for the price. However I have in the last 12 months started using a set of personalized molded fit plugs supplied from Pro Shock for shotgun and rifle work, these are digital/active and have adjustable voice/background amplification but shut down any high Db noise to safe levels.. The molded plugs have taken a bit of getting used to and the battery life is not huge, but they work well. I have some hearing loss and tinnitus, so need to look after the hearing.

 

[stubear]

I use these doobrees;

Acu-Life Sonic II - Shooters Aid Hearing Protection | Uttings.co.uk

They work great, are comfortable to wear, you can still hear fine with them in and are cheap so if you lose one you dont mind to much!

 

[harrygrey382]

I use them all the time stalking, I can't bare the hearing loss after even one shot. I used to use passive intelligent ones (sound waves close a canal) - first peltor ones then surefire. They are ok but don't really let much in when are open - I'd put them in at the start and found it was like using them closed. Now I use in-ear-muffs, otherwise known as banded ear plugs. They are plugs, but have a frame like ear muffs, so I have them round my neck, then when I'm about to take a shot, or think I could have to make a sudden one I put them in. They take probably two seconds or less to put in - MUCH quicker than plugs, way way more discrete than ear muffs. Wouldn't bother with anything else now - don't know you're wearing them when round your neck and they're extremely cheap

 

[An Taín Hunting Outfitter]

Because I was born with really big ears and when I wear them it is like putting an egg cup on cabbage leaves!

 

[Jagare]

Because I was born with really big ears and when I wear them it is like putting an egg cup on cabbage leaves!

Me too. Firkin great big lugs. My mate recons that as your ears keep growing all your life they may have to fold them across my face so that they can close the coffin lid without them hanging out and getting trapped under the lid .

I can use sporttac when shooting shotgun but as i have an adjustable comd on the rifle it pushes the right cup of my ear. I had a pair of in the ear custom plugs made. Cost quite a bit but so much better than muff type ear protection. Plus leaves my superb trophy lugs for all the world to see .

 

[Sellars]

I use hearing protection when stalking, either the Sonic II or Sonic Defenders Plus that have a string to help stop losing them. Easy enough to pop them in before a shot or wear all the time as they do not affect normal hearing. You don't think the wee valves inside do anything until you take a shot without them!

 

[JGR]

I find the peltor very good but only use them if I'm firing a few rounds