dmoore131

I'm heading out west this fall and have been looking at hearing protections. Any suggestions what kind to get? Some of these are so bulky that when shooting your rifle they get to be a pain and some by the time you've been wearing them for a few hours they start to hurt your ears. I'm looking at the Orvis. Any other ideas?

Howler

I assume you'll be hunting elk or mulie, or antelope? In most cases on those animals, a guy would have time to install regular 'ol foam ears plugs in each ear before you take a shot. You could buy some that have the little strap thats holds the two ear plugs together, rap it around your neck so that there are easy to access. You won't be shooting several times, or have shot opportunities over and over, so that's what I'd recommend.
I do use the Walkers quad muffs while calling coyotes. I wear them around my neck while walking from one stand to the next. Before I start calling coyotes, I put them on, turn them on, and go from there. BUT calling coyotes is much different than hunting big game. I may put on and take off my muffs severals times in a day, and being able to hear sounds around me is much more important than when you setting up for a shot on a big game animal. It took a while for me to get used to wearing and carrying my muffs, but I've gotten to the pointnow that my muffs are almost as important as my bino's.

dmoore131

My wife was helping me get some info so she wrote the original post, but we will be hunting elk in Idaho. I also do a bit of shooting here and plan on doing alot this summer. everything from pistols to rifles. WhenI white tail hunt here in michigan sometimesI use my 44mag and its a hassle to get plugs in for a pistol shot on a white tail. Also at the range more time than not my brother is with me and were talking while spoting for each other etc. Probably the biggest factor is I already have significant hearing loss so when I am in the woods I have trouble hearing anyway. I dont mind spending the money I'm just wondering what you guys have found out about some of the models that are out there.
Thanks for the help!

salukipv1

All sorts of options, and anything would significantly help prevent any hearing loss. I've got the foam style/gel style on what looks like a head band......then same style but on a string, could keep in a case on your shirt, if you have time to slide them in great, prior to a shot. Can keep one in the ear closest to the end of the barrel, ie if youre shooting right handed, your left ear would be closest.

drs1961

I too have that hearing loss and the Doc was adament about using hearing protection to lessen further loss. I prefer the thinnest muffs with hearing amplification. They don't interfere withyour cheek rest and the recoil doesn't knock them off. With the sound amp, you can carry on a conversation even whispering thereby leaving them on instead of having toconstantly takethem on and off.

Jeff Ovington

I use Peltor Tac Pros 2..
But man do they take a beating..
I use mine while Glazier and fabricatoring, welding,
Yeah they are bulky but after 3.5 years, of wearing them 12 hours a day 6 days a week cutting Alum on chop saws C&C machines machuine oil getting all over them,, wearing them while installing glass in 40 degree heat and cold,rain sleet snow, these things haven't even started to cackle yet.....
The only thing I do to them is replace the foam and gel pads every month and do my best to air them out when not in use.......
Now mine get used and abused and for the $350 or so I spent on them, I getten my money worths outta them..Its only gonna be a matter of time before I have to replace them, but if I only used them for hunting, considering the thousands of hours I've put on them, they would last me a lifetime...

salukipv1

I bring earplugs, i have plugs ona string, and plugs on like a i cant think of the term, its a place like headband, i wear on my neck and can pop in before i blast, sometimes theres no time, b ut i try to if i can, can keep the earplugs /string version just in your shirt or jacket pocket and just put the one closest to the muzzle in your ear, ie right handed shooters would be their left hear, if you need quicker yet still alot of protection.

bigbulls

Honestly, unless your gun has a muzzle brake installed then I wouldn't worry about one shot out in the open.

beech18

I agree with bigbulls. I never wear hearing protection while hunting. Off the bench or praticing yeah I wear ear plugs. In the field, never.Alot of elk huntingis done in mountainsand good chance you wont have time to put your ear protectionin or onbefore your shot for the elk is gone. A goodshare of the shots are decide now or dont shoot cases. Not taking your good old time. If wearing them all the time, you may miss out hearing the mew of a cow, distant squeel of a bugle, or jumping one ahead of you. One reason why I dont like muzzle brake's is too loud. Cant handle the rifle's recoilwith out, should be shooting a smaller rifle.