Hearing protection optional?

[OLDNEWBIE]

What about eye protection? I've got standard single vision (Near Sighted), lenses. All I wear is my regular glasses that I have on all the time anyway.

The good is I never forget them and am always ready.
The bad, chancy when shooting next to others if a major malfunction occurs.

And yes, unlike hearing protection that people always seem to get around to using, I've seen people not wearing glasses.

 

[Dreams of Steel]

I wear my prescription WileyX AirRage sunglasses when shooting outdoors. They were expensive but worth every penny. The frames seem to be near indestructible and the lenses are safety rated so I have no fear about a stray casing hitting them. I have had many instances with my wife's Glock 19 sending brass into my face and they don't show any wear. Indoors I wear my regular progressive lens glasses, since I'm blind without one or the other. Eyes and ears are a requirement for anyone I go shooting with, so I keep extras of both earplugs and basic safety glasses in my range bag.

 

[OLDNEWBIE]

No shortage of exploding firearms vids. Crap happens all the time.

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[F2CMaDMaXX]

.....
Don't want to risk any more damage but the crazy in me wants to at least try 5 or 6 rounds outta my 9mm without protection.

Trust me, you don't. First thing i did when i came to the states was i wanted to experience the real sound of gunfire, not this pansy earplugged version!

One round through my Beretta92 and i slunk back to the gun table and shoved those earplugs all the way in.

Dear Lord! The fast stuff leaves a whine sound, like the movies, only louder, more persistent and painful.

I'll take or leave earpro for a .22 rifle, but nothing else.

 

[NoFlinch]

Here's what I did........
I put my Peltors on, but did not cover my ears 100%.

More like 80%...

One shot was all I needed.......

 

[F2CMaDMaXX]

I use the same ones Hickock 45 uses. They do very well at the range and if I am hunting,it only takes a couple seconds to fit in your ears.If you don't have 2 seconds on a big game animal,you shouldn't take the shot.
No bird hunting,if you don't have the dog to alarm you,it's kinda hard to use protection.
Only guns I won't use protection on are 22 rifles.Even if you think it ain't so bad,it's taking a toll on your hearing.The concussion is damaging also

Care to name them? I'm interested in them myself, currently using and liking the champion orange translucent plugs, very comfortable and good protection.

 

[F2CMaDMaXX]

I have been using Champion silicone corded ear plugs for years. I keep them in the case they come in to keep them clean and in shape. They work very well even when shooting my .50BMG. They don't get stuck in the ear canal like the foamies and are easy to remove using the cord. They are also very affordable. My wife and I both have earmuff style hearing protection that cost 5x as much and we don't use them at all any more.

Same ones i use, honestly the cord just gets in the way, so i buy them for the little case, pull the string, and get refills in the blister pack, so cheap.

 

[Dreams of Steel]

I personally like the cord, keeps me from losing them and they just hang around my neck when I take one or both of them out. The sound protection is really good considering the price. I simply do not like to earmuff style units, they interfere with my glasses and are all around uncomfortable to me.

 

[F2CMaDMaXX]

Eye protection doesn't have to be *that* fancy. Ansi rated is all that's required, and they're super cheap from bimart or amazon.

I regularly forget eye pro, but in the summer/sunny months, i like my Oakley's (ballistic rated) or the tinted versions of regular protective glasses (again, it's ansi rating, no 'shooter' rating)

 

[F2CMaDMaXX]

I personally like the cord, keeps me from losing them and they just hang around my neck when I take one or both of them out. The sound protection is really good considering the price. I simply do not like to earmuff style units, they interfere with my glasses and are all around uncomfortable to me.

Yeah, earmuffs are fine if you're only doing pistol and aren't wearing glasses, go long gun and/or glasses an muffs are a pain.

 

[Burt Gummer]

Tinnitus really, really sucks. I have it bad due to a moron shooting off a .308 near my head when I was a kid.
That one act of carelessness means I get to listen to a screaming tone - until the minute I die. If I drink two cups of coffee it is two times louder.

Luckily, I have the mental strength to block it out, ignore it for the most part. Many cannot and have committed suicide over it, I can say I understand.

To those who shoot w/o ear protection I will say you MAY pay a great price for that at some point. The tinnitus thing just 'happens' out of the blue sometimes. You can blast away with a rifle for days and then pick up a .22 and one bang - then tag you are it for life.

There is nothing macho about shooting without a least a set of earplugs. When I see a person doing it in the words of MR T I pity the fool.

 

[mjbskwim]

Care to name them? I'm interested in them myself, currently using and liking the champion orange translucent plugs, very comfortable and good protection.

Do you know how much trouble this was? Had to find my glasses to see the ultra small print,lol
http://www.howardleight.com/earplugs/qb2hyg
I have used these for years cause in the summer muffs are too warm and on bigger jobs the contractors would make us wear hard hats all the time.These worked in all but the loudest situations.
They hang around your neck out of the way and deploy easily with one hand,one side at a time.
They make replacement plugs for when they get ugly.
Tell y'all what,there is the best selection of hearing protection I have ever seen down in Longview at a safety supply store by the mill.Been 7 years so don't ask the name.I bought a few different styles to try since there was about 20.And these are the ones I kept trying to find.
Obviously,YMMV

 

[mjbskwim]

Eye protection doesn't have to be *that* fancy. Ansi rated is all that's required, and they're super cheap from bimart or amazon.

I regularly forget eye pro, but in the summer/sunny months, i like my Oakley's (ballistic rated) or the tinted versions of regular protective glasses (again, it's ansi rating, no 'shooter' rating)

Well,I tell ya.If you go cheap on eye protection it can hurt your eyes after a while.And it will give me headaches after an hour or so.
I always fought with the safety guys on jobs cause they would give me a $2 pair and I would have them off after an hour.
The Oakleys are z87? rated to take a 17 pellet. And they are optically correct.Most cheap one aren't and distort your vision.
Like Bert was talking about with hearing protection,all's it would take is one time that something hot hits your eyeball.

 

[Sstrand]

mjbskwim
. . . Especially if you are going to be shooting a bb gun . . . I can still hear those warnings after 65 years . . .

Sheldon

 

[Velzey]

Only time I don't wear ear plugs is when I am out hunting. I do carry plugs when hunting and will insert if I have time. Long range shots = plenty of time to insert plugs. But if its a close range shot, nope no time.

Best way to ruin your ears is think nah its ok to shoot this little .380 or 9mm and think its not loud! Wrong!
Later in life you will regret it!

 

[BDA.45]

Only time I don't wear ear plugs is when I am out hunting. I do carry plugs when hunting and will insert if I have time. Long range shots = plenty of time to insert plugs. But if its a close range shot, nope no time.

Best way to ruin your ears is think nah its ok to shoot this little .380 or 9mm and think its not loud! Wrong!
Later in life you will regret it!

For you hunters out there, get some electronic ears. The ones my wife got me a few years ago for Xmas are awesome! Peltor tactical or something. Like stated before they amplify ambient noise and cancel out gun shots. You can seriously hear an animal from a mile away. I let a couple I met this weekend try em out and they were blown away. When a round impacted the berm, you could hear the dirt and rocks raining down around us. They didn't believe me until they tried it themselves. You can hear yourself breathe. It's weird to get used to at first but you'll get over it.
Anyway I still double up and turn off the muff when shooting......

 

[P7M13]

Years of industrial noise and rock concerts have taken their toll on my ears. When my oldest daughter was ~9, she leaned forward in the car and screamed as loud as she could in my left ear. I've had tinnitus and 25% loss in that ear ever since.
When I shoot, I always double up. Plugs and muffs. Plugs whenever I use the mower, blower, chain saw, weed whip, grinder, etc.
I used the 30dB muffs for years. One Saturday, chanced across some H Leight Impact Pro -34dB muffs at Cabelas' door busters for $35. I snatched them then and there. They are noticeably more quiet than any of the non-electronic muffs I've used. Highly recommended. Usually I leave them off because I don't talk much at the range anyway.

 

[mjbskwim]

Has your daughter awaken yet? Find her way home from that spot?

 

[ocarolan]

Yeah, earmuffs are fine if you're only doing pistol and aren't wearing glasses, go long gun and/or glasses an muffs are a pain.

True, glasses with adjustable temples can help though. I use these:

http://www.amazon.com/Radians-T85-C...2835683&sr=1-2&keywords=remington+glasses+kit

Everyone in my father's family has sensitive hearing and I spend maybe 60% of my day wearing hearing protection of some sort.

Office = Bose noise cancelling headphones (no music).
Sleep = Mack's silicone plugs
Shooting = Foam plugs + silicone plugs + 34 dB electronic muffs

You can double up plugs by inserting foam earplugs, layering the silicone plugs over the auricle, then muffs. At that point any sound is only coming indirectly through the eustachian canal. Tighter muffs can pinch that off too but only comfortable for a few minutes.

Remember certain firearms and artillery always cause low-level hearing damage, regardless of ear channel protection. I would probably wear a motorcycle helmet if I had to fire 50BMG or 20mm. 155mm = diving helmet.

 

[Flopsweat]

Thanks for that info.
I'll check them out today.

STRANGE....I was always wondering why my ears were switched on 50% of the time I took them out of the bag, and I SWORE I turned them off last time.

I guess that's why I went thru so many batteries....now they leak acid around the battery poles...i've cleaned them a few times, but one side is completely dead now.

They were shorting out (screaches) after about 3 months of use, but didn't do it constantly, so I never sent them back in.

I e-mailed Peltor, but rec'd no response.

I just went to their site yesterday to see if I could call them..............no phone # listed that could find.

NOT a fan of Peltors

I get a screeching, crackling sound out of my Peltors when the batteries are getting low. I've had them for several years and outside the turning on in the bag I have no complaints. I don't ever put alkaline batteries in them though.