Ear Protection, yes or no.

[ChrisP]

As with Ray and others, sadly to late for me as damage already done, that said wear defenders when zeroing and busting clays but not whilst stalking.

 

[Buchan]

I have some hearing loss in my left ear and testing has shown it's due to noise. I took up stalking about 7/8 years ago and have only used moderated rifles and ear defenders with shotguns. I am an occasional user. Hearing loss can happen to anyone, anytime.

 

[Odders]

Do people really think if their only firing one shot it won’t damage their hearing? Think again. Once your hearing is gone it’s gone.

Yep. Anything over 120db does instant damage to one's hearing & suppressed centrefire rifles still produce up to 140db, so when practical, I wear either plugs or Peltor Tac 6 noise cancelling muffs. Centrefire on an indoor range sees me use both, whether rifle or pistol.

 

[mchughcb]

I suggest in the strongest possible terms that if you can afford to buy custom fit electronic ear plugs for shooting then do it. It will be the best investment you can make for your long term health when it comes to shooting.

 

[Co1]

For those that use electronic defenders, do they still retain low level noise of pheasant wings beating and give enough "info" to pin point where the bird is coming from?

 

[Wingy]

Don't use them for stalking as the odd shot in open air isn't too bad I don't think.
Worst one was sat in the pickup drivers seat windows open raised rifle & fired through passenger window at a fox. Ears were ringing for a while after that one.
Wingy

 

[ashray]

dont forget reflected sound,bounce back from trees buidings etc will be louder than the moderated rifle sound. wear ear defenders

 

[Alantoo]

I wear active/electronic Muffs most of the time...too awkward under my hat when stalking but okay in a high seat. At the range I often wear plugs under them.

Prompted by this thread I am researching/working myself up to a pair of in-ear active protection, which I can augment with muffs at the range...I have started a new thread specifically about some models in the Equipment & Accessories Forum:-

Siemens SecureEar @ 35dB - Cens Mino @ 31dB - Cens Proflex 1e @ 25dB SNR - £325-ish

Siemens SecureEar @ 35dB £325, Cens Mino @ 31dB £299, Cens Proflex 1e @ 25dB SNR £325

All the above are in the £300-325 bracket. The Siemens SecureEar has much better passive reduction...has anybody real world experience of any of them...efficacy, comfort, longevity, running costs, ability to wear muffs over the top etc...?

I also looked at Custom Fit Digital at £349 but could not find any SNR rating for them.

The Siemens ones should be available through Specsavers branches which also has advantages.

Alan

 

[Ranger22]

For those that use electronic defenders, do they still retain low level noise of pheasant wings beating and give enough "info" to pin point where the bird is coming from?

Once you get used to them you can tell the direction sound is coming from

 

[potshotpat]

Pardon !

 

[potshotpat]

Sorry tim.243

 

[caorach]

dont forget reflected sound,bounce back from trees buidings etc will be louder than the moderated rifle sound. wear ear defenders

This isn't exactly true, but it has practical implications. The sound bouncing back from trees and buildings will not be louder than the rifle shot but what it may do is extend the time that you are exposed to a high sound pressure level. As discussed earlier hearing damage related to an adequately moderated rifle is related, mostly, to the "dose" of sound received. A rifle shot actually only hits peak sound pressure level for a very, very short time (hence why most people trying to measure it under record it) and so the "dose" is not always as high as you might expect: yes it was very loud but it was also of very short duration. Reflections will increase the time you were exposed to the noise. Sound pressure, in a very simple and limited model, decreases by 6dB as the distance doubles. Given this reflections from significant distance are unlikely to be a big problem but fire a rifle in a closed and acoustically hard space where the sound may reflect many times and where the distances are small and there is potential to greatly increase your "dose" by increasing your time of exposure.

 

[1894]

I wear muffs on my hat ready to deploy if possible. I also have a plug in my left ear in case I can't. I'm very picky on moderators - loudest I have is a Jet Z ie quiet. I wouldn't shoot a CMM4 without muffs.
I used to use electronic plugs but I'd rather shoot 80% with muffs and 20% with a passive left plug than 100% with electronic plugs. I became allergic to the soft silicone ones and their replacement hard plastic ones are much much louder.

 

[Dozycrow]

Have always used ear protection with a shotgun, just recent with rifle shooting

 

[JabaliHunter]

No when stalking, but yes I recognise that it is still loud even with a sound moderator and probably damaging my hearing.
Yes when checking zero, shooting at gongs, etc., even with sound moderator.
Always when on a formal range...

 

[Mr. Gain]

I wear Peltor Sport Tacs for everything except hunting with moderated cartridge rifles. I just don't like the sense of disconnection from the environment I get with muffs or plugs, even electronic ones.

This doesn't bother me too much when decoying or shooting driven game, as the sport is primarily visual and the sound of flushing birds is picked up by the microphones.

When stalking, though, I want clean, natural, all-round sound. It may not give me an advantage, but not to have it detracts from the immersive nature of the sport. I could of course wear some round-the-neck plugs and pop them in just before taking the shot, if time permits. And may do so from now on.

In case that sounds too high-minded, I have to confess that when sitting out for foxes I'll often don the muffs, but mostly so I can plug my phone in and listen to whatever I've saved on the Radio iPlayer.

 

[ileso]

but surely stalking you can put them on just for the shot

 

[rem284]

since using moderators tests have shown my hearing has improved. When I asked how this was possible the nurse said if the nerves were damaged or flattened by noise and the exposure to that noise removed then the nerves could rejuvenate. I would say if its not too late to shut the gate, wear muffs as well.

 

[GSP84]

I wear them for clays, and also for range work because people at my club have some insane unmoderated stuff.

i don’t use them for:-

stalking
game shooting
pigeon shooting
arguing with the wife

as a result of the last one I am almost 40% deaf in my left ear when I did my last offshore medical.

its not smart or clever, but wearing ear defender changes the capability of one of your key senses when Hunting. Sight, smell and hearing. I don’t feel as safe with it on.

i realise the irony of the above sentence, because I risk losing a key sense.

 

[stubear]

With a moderated rifle I dont use ear protection.

Anything unmoderated I do, every time.