Save your hearing

[Ron Goulding]

I was one of these people who hated to shoot with ear muffs,as it never felt comftable especially shooting a hard kicker. But as they say, you only have one pair of ears. So i purchased a pair of ozzito electronic ear muffs about 3yrs back and they did the job but still interfeared with the stock. I was invited to shoot at Malabar on sat just gone, so i had some spare cash and decided to purchase a set of slim dome peltor tactical 6-5 ear muffs. I have to say these are really great, as i now have no problem getting a proper stock weld every time without the muffs wanting to ripp my frigging ear off. I paid $135 and ther worth every penny spent, you may be able to shop around and get a bit cheaper but i needed right then and there. I dont know why i waited so long as i might have been able to hear a bit better had a purchased a few years ago. Ron

[Dr G]

I purchased three sets (for me, foxymel and kev) of Peltor Tactical 7 Electronic Ear Muffs from Sinclairs. I took the plunge after not bringing any hearing protection with me when I took trevort and ogre6br camel shooting. After close to 1000 rnds in three days my hearing was suffering.

They have been great and the amplified sound on these has resulted in several cats getting found when normally they would have been lost after being wounded at long range. The worse thing is you can hear the muttered "I would have got that" should you miss all to clearly.

Wish I bought them ages ago they shit all over earplugs or standard earmuffs and because you can still hear normally they are much safer.

[bushchook]

Been using electronic Peltors for a couple of years and find them good . Prefer conventional Peltor muffs on the range as they are quieter again .

[V|PeR]

after reading Dr G's write up on his i went and got a set and they are one of the best investments i made

[Davyd]

Ditto that

I had hearing damgage diagnosed somewhat over a year ago - and I am a low volume low calibre shooter

So I looked around and ordered the peltor sporttacs for over a year now - possibly the first in Australia to get them. They are the 19NRR shotgun/lowprofile style - like the 6s but with slightly later digital technology. Not sure how much difference it makes - probably quicker response and less dead spot around loud noises

They are clearly a spinoff of the military line - designed for hunters - mine came with interchangeable green and blaze orange covers

They are very good - sometimes too good - acting as hearing amplifiers. I actually turn them down at the range as I don't want to be distracted by surrounding noise too much.

I also hear so much more around a shot that I did not before - I had not realised how often stnadrd .22lr pellets riccochet off hard ground for instance and I had not realised how noisy walking through grass can be. The only downside is they seem to accentuate wind noise

They are good but still only 19NRR so at the range if someone is going off with the big calibres I still wear earplugs as well

[ogre6br]

of the electrical ear muffs around
What is the highest NRR value you have seen them rated at??

I copped the muzzle blast off the windscreen a couple of times during that shoot DrG is talking about-- but I was wearing my muffs at the time

If the feeling on my face was anything to go by i'm supprised your ears weren't bleeding.

I have to admit I checked several times on that drive during/later that day after the bad incident to see if your ears were bleeding.

Putting the stereo up as load as you did seemed a strange way to recover- but i guess you were trying to distract yourself.

I put my muffs on in the back - when the stereo was on- it was even to much for me and I'm an old metal head

I have some 30NRR standard muffs I use now- but I would love to be able to get some 30NNR electronic ones so I can just leave em on all day and not have to worry about moving them on and off- and the likely hood of forgetting and copping an earfull.
My main piss off with these 30NRR muffs is the big dome of the muff prevents you from getting a really good stock hold or if you do push the stock hold correctly the muff is half off your ear and not providing much protection.
If I could get a set of slimline 30's or 29 electronics it would be good.

When stalking I use some 28NRR or 30 NRR ear plugs on a string
I leave them round my neck and have cultivated a way of putting them into my left ear as a minimum as part of my shooting action
makes a huge diffe to things at the end of the day.

an mate uses some of the $20 Bunnings electronic ones- dont know what the NRR rating on them is-
but he has a few pairs scattered in the truck and garage and tool box etc- so there is no excuse to not be wearing hearing protection.
In his spotlighting truck a set lives on the gear shift or the spotlight handle to remind him to put em on.

later
p

[Davyd]

Good question.

I know also know some guys with the bunnings ones and they are quite happy. Thye are simpler mono versions I think.

When I looked around there were only 2 types the 19NRR and 2or 25 NRR - both were basically electonic versions of the low profile shotgun (the 19's) or more rounded 25's. I think you physically need the biggers size to get the noise reduction - the elelctonics is really just a sophisticated mike and headphone system built into them. The electonics does nto reduce noise

Some comfort I got was that while only 19 NRR rated (or wahtever) that is an average/minimum across volume levels and frequencies. It seems that at the volume levels we are talkign about and the frequencies of gun fire they actually perform better than the simple ratings suggest. I hope so because 160db ( a centrefire or shotgun)-19 is not smaller than 100db (level at which impilse damage occurs).


It is clear that the US military is now getting into hearing protection - and it was intersting that Chinese soldiers marching at the olympics opening had ear muffs attached to their helmets - obviously as standard kit

[Rabbitz]

FWIW the el cheapo Ozito electronic ear muffs have the following specs:

PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS
Attenuates noise: >85dB
Power supply: 2 x AA batteries (not included)
Test standard: AS/NZS 1270:2002
SLC80 rating: 22, Class 4, for AUS/NZ

http://www.ozito.com.au/productinfo.aspx?prodid=EEM-959" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Dr G]

I copped the muzzle blast off the windscreen a couple of times during that shoot DrG is talking about-- but I was wearing my muffs at the time

If the feeling on my face was anything to go by i'm supprised your ears weren't bleeding.

I have to admit I checked several times on that drive during/later that day after the bad incident to see if your ears were bleeding.

Putting the stereo up as load as you did seemed a strange way to recover- but i guess you were trying to distract yourself.

I put my muffs on in the back - when the stereo was on- it was even to much for me and I'm an old metal head

They didnt bleed but the damage done combined with several years playing live music means that my hearing will never be great.

The stereo had to go that loud just so I could hear it over the ringing

[ogre6br]

The stereo had to go that loud just so I could hear it over the ringing

I know that
it may have also been what was playing that made it a bit painfull to TrevorT
esp at that volume

ha
ha
ha
ha


P

[Dr G]

[it may have also been what was playing that made it a bit painfull to TrevorT
esp at that volume

ha
ha
ha
ha


P

Yeah pat but you know trevs taste in music is um.......


shit

[Herbs]

I have 2 sets of peltor h7s, one with the band over the head and the other behind the head, the cups are a bit big but they work and they were free.....

[crowbuster]

I had an audiogram a couple of daze ago (full medical every 2 years as an employee requirement) and I was already aware of some hearing loss in my left lug , particularly high frequencies. The bad news from the doc though was that I will probably need some sort of aid within the next five to ten years, and that depresses the hell out of me.
I wish to god I had been more careful with my hearing when I was younger, because as we now know the damage is permanent.
The electronic Peltors are great and I won't shoot any firearm now without them, as I have to save whats left of my dwindling hearing, ......what was that...?

CB