Hearing protection?

Well I figure this fits in with Firearm safety.
I'm wanting 'something' better than the 3M corded ear plugs I currently use.
I have 3M ear muffs (class 5), but they are too bulky to allow a close fit against the gun stock.
So I'm looking for a decent set of passive ear muffs that are slim enough to not clunk against the gun stock when I'm shooting (indoor rimfire benchrest only).
A .22 is not too noisy but when you are sitting in with a detail of shooters there is a fair bit of noise.
So...Class 5, slim style ear cups, not made in China rubbish (if possible?).
I see these, and they are Class 5. Any good?
https://www.earjobs.co.nz/collection...32555944149066

Or the Perazzi Peltor maybe?
https://www.reloaders.co.nz/shop/Man...+Earmuffs.html

I don't really have a need for electronic ear muffs.
Just want a set of passive ear muffs that work nicely.
Any other thoughts?
Thanks.

Think outside of the box.

I use Sony WH-1000XM4 noise cancelling headphones for smallbore (benchrest) and fullbore shooting.

Lightweight, comfortable, effective, USB-C rechargeable. Cheaper than proper electronic earmuffs.

You can configure them to be able to hear the Range Officer without compromising their noise cancelling functionality.

I don't use them outdoors if rain threatens.

Head in to a safety shop that stocks a decent range and try and few. The different brands and models do fit differently...

Im using the 3m peltors that you linked,
Ive not encountered any issues with muffs contacting the gun stocks, fairly comfortable, more so than some howard leight muffs brought at the same time which are also larger in the cup and will contact the stock,
Used the peltors with 12 gauge, 303 and 243 all of which I'd consider comfortable noise wise with the muffs,

also pretty sure these are the same muffs, I brought mine from blackwoods
https://nzsafetyblackwoods.co.nz/en/...en-each-410179

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by NAKED_GOOSE

Im using the 3m peltors that you linked,
Ive not encountered any issues with muffs contacting the gun stocks, fairly comfortable, more so than some howard leight muffs brought at the same time which are also larger in the cup and will contact the stock,
Used the peltors with 12 gauge, 303 and 243 all of which I'd consider comfortable noise wise with the muffs,

also pretty sure these are the same muffs, I brought mine from blackwoods
https://nzsafetyblackwoods.co.nz/en/...en-each-410179

---

Yep, these are what I now wear. Slimmer than the big Peltor dark green jobbies, and seem to have more clamping force to keep noise from sneaking in around the sides.

My memory is going...I don't have 3m ear muffs, I have those big fat dark green Peltor H7F.
Yeah, they are a tad big.
Went to Blackwoods this afternoon and the cup size looks to be about the same ear size as the Peltor ones (but they are slimmer).
I grabbed a few Class 5 foam plugs for now.
I did like the look of these. Slim ear cups, and foldable.
https://nzsafetyblackwoods.co.nz/en/...w-each--436026

3M bought up Peltor.

They are the same thing.

Thanks @XR500 that explains why I thought I had 3M muffs.
OK...quick idea...what if I bought these on ear headphones. Nothing fancy. Won't need to listen to music through them. Bung in foam ear plugs, fit these headphones on top and I 'should' be happy with incoming sound levels then? As they are 'on ear' and not 'over ear' then I shouldn't have any clunking issues ('cos they are smaller in size).
https://www.pbtech.co.nz/product/HST...phones---Black
Yeah, those Sony 'phones that @Cyclops has are over $400. I'm OK with something a tad cheaper!

Howard leight and 3m both do inexpensive slim lines.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

howard leights dont last that long- i use to sell em years ago, out of 20 there d be at least 1 return and 1 fix for client, its why i stopped selling them, they were half the price of peltors though with a slimmer fit, ms got 1 pair which is still going 15 years later, if they fail , they fail within 2-3 months, peltor 3m is defn better IMO

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Cyclops

Think outside of the box.

I use Sony WH-1000XM4 noise cancelling headphones for smallbore (benchrest) and fullbore shooting.

Lightweight, comfortable, effective, USB-C rechargeable. Cheaper than proper electronic earmuffs.

You can configure them to be able to hear the Range Officer without compromising their noise cancelling functionality.

I don't use them outdoors if rain threatens.

---

Are they that good?
I would have doubted any consumer ANR headphone would attenuate the impulse noise of a gunshot enough to be hearing safe.

I have a set of custom moulded passive-impulse ear plugs! I got them supplied and the impressions taken by Bay Audiology. They are very good in most shooting applications, and extremely comfortable. I can easily wear them for 8-10ths each day for a couple of days without them getting sore and being flush with your ear they don’t interfere with cheek weld.

The passive filter closes when it is hit with a sudden increase of air pressure, so doesn’t require batteries etc. I find them adequate for magnum calibres even braked when outdoors. Shooting indoors or undercover can be still a little loud with some firearms (mainly pistol). I think they are rated at 33db NRR when the impulse filter closes and about 18db as the baseline.

Attachment 233001

Thanks @Oli1102 I have had my hearing-aids ear plugs cast by Bay Audiology, and those moulded passive-impulse ear plugs may be the answer.
I'd still wear ear muffs over them too.
Just read an interesting article about shooting and ear muffs, etc...a gun shot is about 120 decibels.
Hearing damage/loss can occur >85dB. So take a baseline ear muff giving protection of (say) 25dB, take that 25dB off the 120dB of a gunshot = 95dB that you are still 'hearing'.
Way above the range of the hearing loss damage limit of 85dB.
I'd never really thought about those numbers before, but will be real careful now as I've already lost 30% hearing (thanks to NZ Army, tinnitus, etc).
I'm not an audiologist so I don't know if that is really how dB levels work re ear muffs/gunshots, etc. Maybe one of you can advise?
If that really is how the dB levels work, then most of us are way under in our hearing protection levels.

You have to remember with earmuffs that they go down a rating if not tight to your skin. So class 5 become class 4 if you wear glasses etc.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Happy Jack

You have to remember with earmuffs that they go down a rating if not tight to your skin. So class 5 become class 4 if you wear glasses etc.

---

Yes, quite right.
I see on a US forum that they like the gel pads on the ear cups as they seal better. The old Kiwi normal of soft foam is not all that good at sealing out the sound.
Memory foam may be slightly better, but gel pads seem to be the way to go.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Grey Kiwi

Maybe one of you can advise?

---

@6x47

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Dicko

Howard leight and 3m both do inexpensive slim lines.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

---

Personally, I think you'd be hard pushed to find a worse air muff that Howard leights.
If you really care about your hearing, try some Sordin Supreme Pro-X -
Been using them since 2010, weather proof for hunting, get the gel cup inserts.

Sent from my SM-S916B using Tapatalk

My range experience with the Peltor Sporttac series is they are OK for a limited amount of shooting or hunting, not enough muff for a day of RO duties. These have the same cup seals as the bigger Tactical Pro series from Peltor and same headband setup but way less protection. The Tactical Pros are industrial Grade 5 rated and comfortable for everything being shot on the range while standing behind the firing point as Range Officer. The size of the earmuff cups really affect the sound reduction performance especially with impulse noise.

I have to agree with Brads about Howard Leights. I couldn't resist when I was over in the US grabbing some as they were only about $40. The headband design is their biggest weakness- the yolks tend to splay the earcups so they leak at the bottom. Like any badly-inserted plugs, this totally ruins the protection. A Class/Level 4 device will become a 2 or even 1. I always shake my head when you see closed-cell foam plugs with 2/3 of them visible in the ear as they will be providing sod-all protection. This is why plugs tend to have lower ratings, ie user incompetence. Also, about 1/4 of ear canals are very difficult to seal with plugs from being very oval/hairy/twisty. This applies particularly to flanged designs.

I once had some ? 6S Peltors but they eventually shat themselves when the wiring between the cups failed, a common problem apparently. I thought they were pretty reasonable except for being prone to switching themselves on in your bag and draining the batteries.

These days I use custom electronic plugs built round (expensive) hearing aid guts. These aren't a viable option unless you have industry contacts. I've lost track of the current commercial versions available but decent ones will never be cheap. If you decide to get custom-moulded plugs, either passive or electronic, it is --critical-- that the ear impressions and subsequent manufacturing are of the highest standard. Believe me, it doesn't matter what qualifications or experience the person has, the final efficacy can vary widely for the same product. I've seen some shockers over the years. If gunfire does not sound to be down to a safe level and you experience tinnitus ( ringing in the ears) after shooting, I'd be taking them back for warranty attention.

Agree with others on the Howard Leights, they tend to not seal properly at the bottom. To my ears they are suitable for rifles but no where near enough protection for pistols like this.
I still use them but I use reusable earplugs under them and then turn the volume way up. Protection is excellent and I can hear everything I need to.
Might upgrade eventually as they are not the most comfortable.

In the early 80's I worked in the Aussie mines on compressed air driven rock drills on tracks. 1050 cfm air compressors drove them. The whole box and dice was horrifically noisy. Those of us that valued our hearing wore ear plugs inside our ear muffs. But you had to pull the earmuffs away from your ears every 10 minutes or so to let the sweat drain out. Half the year was 40 ish degrees C, and at Xmas time it was 55 c at the bottom of the pit. Very hot and sweaty and noisy.

Then there were the old timers that didn't wear ear protection. Deaf as posts

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Moutere

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Cyclops

Think outside of the box.

I use Sony WH-1000XM4 noise cancelling headphones for smallbore (benchrest) and fullbore shooting.

Lightweight, comfortable, effective, USB-C rechargeable. Cheaper than proper electronic earmuffs.

You can configure them to be able to hear the Range Officer without compromising their noise cancelling functionality.

I don't use them outdoors if rain threatens.

---

Are they that good?
I would have doubted any consumer ANR headphone would attenuate the impulse noise of a gunshot enough to be hearing safe.

---

Yes they are that good that I can use them for both smallbore and fullbore shooting.
I regularly use them on the range.

Right...I'm sorted.
Bunged in 29dB foam plugs, and then a pair of slim Class 5 ear muffs on top.
Lovely! No more 'Bang'...just a sort of soft 'Floof'.
Could hear the Range Officer at our shoot yesterday (although a tad muted), but all sharp noises were gone.
I'm happy, my ears are happy too.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by XR500

In the early 80's I worked in the Aussie mines on compressed air driven rock drills on tracks. 1050 cfm air compressors drove them. The whole box and dice was horrifically noisy. Those of us that valued our hearing wore ear plugs inside our ear muffs. But you had to pull the earmuffs away from your ears every 10 minutes or so to let the sweat drain out. Half the year was 40 ish degrees C, and at Xmas time it was 55 c at the bottom of the pit. Very hot and sweaty and noisy.

Then there were the old timers that didn't wear ear protection. Deaf as posts

---

In my apprenticeship I worked in a fert works. There a crushing hall with 2 ball mills crushing phosphate rock. The noise levels were extremely high. The company introduced and supplied the operators ear muffs. This was long ago in the days when ear muffs were just being introduced. The mill operators (old timers) refused to wear them and threw them away. They were all already deaf at any rate and said nah, the noise doesn't worry us. I scored a pair and immediately used them for fullbore shooting.

One of our ranges, 600yds, the mound was up against a steep hill. Before ear muffs, after each shoot I went home with a raging headache. I asked the old shooters if they got the same and they said, nah, never noticed it. Mind you they all stopped at the local pub on the way home and medicated.

how do you find these for enhancing noises in the bush?