Posted on 10/31/2018 3:39:47 AM PDT by JOHN ADAMS
People on this board know everything (or at least everything important). Can you recommend your favorite brand and/or type of ear and eye protection for the range? Thank you so much.
Yep, I love being able to hear range commands clearly. I just wish the manufacturers would find a better way to arrange the battery compartments. I've lost two of the Peltor 6S Tactical slimline muffs due to battery leakage. Put the batteries up on the spring band, or elsewhere that they're easily accessible.
You’re welcome. I’ve been using the Sonic Defenders for years mainly for motorcycle riding. They last a long time and are super comfortable. I can get 6 to nine months of constant use out of one set. Just clean them with soap and water after each use and dry with a paper towel before putting away. I use my older sets for lawn mowing. I have tinnitus from poor safety habits when I was young.
I was a Peltor fan for years. Great product. But, then I got some Leight’s. I double up w/ foamies and muffs no matter what I’m shooting, now. The ‘slimness’ of the Leight’s just seems to work for me, especially when shooting a long gun and battery compartment is on the outside and easy to change.
We use Walker. $20-$25 at Bass Pro.
Muffs indeed can interfere with cheek weld. I gave myself tinnitus and severe hearing loss in right ear decades ago so I’ll put up with the inconvenience.
If you do any teaching of others to shoot, or ever bring inexperienced shooters to a range, then electronic hearing protection for you and them is a safety necessity, IMHO. It is almost impossible to provide meaningful instruction on a loud crowded range without it. I bought a couple of pairs of (I think Cabelas-branded) relatively inexpensive electronic earmuffs. I still double up with military issue rubber earplugs, and crank the volume on the earmuffs up all the way to hear conversations. They cut out a little sometimes, but because I was buying two pairs, I somewhat cheaped out. I think they cost me $25-$30 a pair at a Black Friday sale, but don’t really recall exactly.
I did just come across these, however, and they look interesting, but I want to do a little more research before I buy them.
https://www.decibullz.com/custom-molded-percussive-shooting-filters/
And I like these, but they’re not really enough protection for larger calibers. But they do enable you to hear (although not perfectly) while they’re in, without relying on batteries, so a pair of these resides in my “go bag” and another in my bedroom pistol safe. They’re inexpensive (<$20) so they make good emergency hearing pro, or spares if you’re just shooting a .22 or something similar.
https://otistec.com/earshield-hearing-protection/
Before going prescription lenses, ANYTHING by Oakley to protect the peepers! Most if not all brand name lenses are ANSI and osha etc certified. It just comes down to fit, comfort, coverage and preference. Currently using the Peltor Sport Tactical 500 hearing pro. Battery life is ~ok~ but noise reduction is great, comfort and size also, and the bluetooth connection to the phone is very clever. Price is in the buck-twenty range and well worth it. Looking to upgrade to MSA super-pro-x-whatever when time to replace rolls around.
.02
YMMV
KYPD
Peltors are tougher to get now, though - they've gone more industrial and seem to have stepped away from the shooting sports. New corporate owners and all that.
Off-Topic information concerning noise suppression with Helium gas. An experiment was conducted comparing sound propagation through helium versus air found a 20 decibel reduction in transmission. A thin layer of the gas was sufficient for this effect. Credited to a great difference of mass of the particles, resulting in an acoustic impedance miss-match.
This. Look for "closed cell urethane" ear plugs. You can get them cheaper if you buy online and in bulk. Those yellow open cell foam plugs the military uses are crap.
And inexpensive non-electronic cups are the best value. The chi-chi electronic cups tend not to have as much noise attenuation.
The reason for cups and plugs is not about hearing protection but about preventing flinching. Either one alone probably will be adequate for protecting you from the noise of your own shot, but you can anticipate that and you're not so prone to flinch from it.
Most of my long guns I always shoot suppressed, so either one is more than enough, but I can't anticipate when the people around me will be shooting. Wearing both cups and plugs prevents the shooters around me from breaking my concentration. Especially helpful if the shooter next to you has an effective muzzle brake, which blasts noise and shock wave out sideways.
Z-ratings are not ballistic ratings! For goodness sake, spend the money and protect your eyes using APEL glasses or goggles. This is the mil standard:
http://www.peosoldier.army.mil/equipment/eyewear/
I prefer the ESS crossbow, but any are good.
I never said they were ballistic ratings. They are OSHA ratings for safety glasses.
I will consider that if I am ever in a combat zone again. I hit a landmine and got shot at with a RPG but came out OK.
You’re spot on with the foam padding. That’s why I double up with the foamies. Not sure if you’ve tried them, but if you get the aftermarket, gel padding for Peltors, they are really, really nice. Just mold around your head and the arms of your shooting glasses.
Second the motion. That's exactly what I use. If cheek weld isn't an issue I have an old set of Dillon electronics that are a little deeper and seal very well.
One thing that did help was switching hats from a ballcap to a fatigue hat - the headpiece on the phones was pushing the button on the latter directly down into my head and after a while it hurt.
“Off-Topic information concerning noise suppression with Helium gas. An experiment was conducted comparing sound propagation through helium versus air found a 20 decibel reduction in transmission. A thin layer of the gas was sufficient for this effect. Credited to a great difference of mass of the particles, resulting in an acoustic impedance miss-match.”
Seen some of the informal testing on the utooooobs. Seems instead of running a suppressor wet, it may become preferred to have a source of helium (or other inert gas?) on hand to quell that first round pop.......
Twenty decibels....mighty big chunk o sound.
KYPD
“May I ask if your firearms and tackle bags are orange also?”
Tackle box? Ain’t fishin’! I use a tactical bag, olive green. To big to miss. The weps are subdued black or blued....’ceptin the Hawkins .54, that one is browned with a flamed maple stock.
“....’ceptin the Hawkins .54, that one is browned with a flamed maple stock.”
sniff
“...I hatchet Jack being of sound mind and broke legs...”
Wanted a .54 Hawkin since that movie.
Sounds like a great shootin’ iron.
KYPD
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