Ear protection

[pengyou]

I just bought a pistol and need to buy some ear protection. I want to learn about ear protection so that I know what kind to buy. Can someone post some urls to help me become educated about ear protection please?

[JamesH]

Buy the best you can afford, consider using plugs as well as external ear defenders.

I use the best I can get = Class 5 so Peltor H7 or H10

For example
http://solutions.3m.com.au/wps/portal/3 ... 4383&rt=r3

Class 5 only attenuates by ~24-36dB, so a gunshot at 130dB is still in the range 94-104dB, ie above the safe threshold, hence plugs and externals are advisable.

[nglitz]

Air pistol? 22? 45? 357 Mag?

Different levels need different protection.
Air pistol nil, more for muting extraneous distractions.
22LR, basic earplugs or muffs.
.45 at a bullseye level, not much different than 22 but most people use plugs and muffs.
Really loud, like a .357 mag or silhouette loads from a CF rifle caliber in a pistol length barrel? Everything available.

[shaky hands]

http://www.uline.com/Product/Detail/S-2 ... lsrc=aw.ds

[Rover]

Cheap foam plugs work extremely well, but I use earmuffs since they are removed between relays.

[abinok]

I use cheap foam plugs under these electronic muffs:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001T7 ... 1_1&sr=8-1

The plugs are (mostly) adequate by themselves, and the electronics allow me to crank up the volume to near normal hearing volume.

[BobGee]

http://www.uline.com/Product/Detail/S-2 ... lsrc=aw.ds

+1

I've used these for motorcycling and for shooting for over 20 years. Can't recommend them highly enough.

Bob

[Jimro]

For air rifle I use cheap foam ear plugs to help me focus.

For high power, I use Howard Leight Impact Sport electronic earmuffs. Very convenient in the pits to hear the commands from the pitmaster.

For work (qualifying with an M4) I use foam plugs. For zeroing a rifle or working up a load, then I double up foam plugs and earmuffs.

Jimro

[Sa-tevo]

I just bought a pistol and need to buy some ear protection. I want to learn about ear protection so that I know what kind to buy. Can someone post some urls to help me become educated about ear protection please?

On the 3m Hearing Protection gear website they had this note with a set of ear muffs:

"Approximately 5 dB additional protection when worn with earplugs"

Plugs and headsets filter out different parts of the sound spectrum which is why 33db plugs and 30db headsets don't give you 63db protection.

As an old jet mechanic I recommend using the best personal protective equipment you can find.

A thread on another board hashes this out pretty well: http://www.thehighroad.org/archive/inde ... 83429.html