What type of hearing protection do you use while shooting? - Page 2

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - What type of hearing protection do you use while shooting? (Page 2 of 2)

Posted: 4/13/2006 9:04:35 AM EDT

[#1]

Quoted:
Wearing plugs and muffs -does not work.
Sound disapation is a linear equasion. If you wear ear plugs with a 25db(example) rating and ear muffs with a 32db(example) rating, you will only get the higher(32db) disapation coverage. Not a combined (57db) disapation coverage.

- suit on for all the people who are going to say "well, it works for me"

I'm open to new things (I wear both sometimes), but I'm not sure how your example is a linear equation.

Please explain more.

Posted: 4/13/2006 9:08:11 AM EDT

[#2]

TAC-16 and TAC-65

Posted: 4/13/2006 9:10:46 AM EDT

[#3]

Peltor COMTACS outside.

COMTACS + plugs inside.

Posted: 4/13/2006 9:12:31 AM EDT

[#4]

Rubber military plugs with Silencio Magnum liquid-filled on top of that. I can't afford any more hearing loss.

Posted: 4/13/2006 9:14:45 AM EDT

[#5]

For Pistol only, I use pro ears and listen to the Car radio in the background. Rush and shooting just seem to go together naturally.

For Rifle I use the $40 custom fitted plugs from an audiologist who has a booth at the Phoenix gun shows. The have huge noise reduction and I can wear them for 8 hours or more without discomfort. They are also perfect for plane trips. I'd like to do some un-christianlike things to the idiot engineer that installed the crying infant behind my seat for every flight.

Posted: 4/13/2006 9:16:13 AM EDT

[#6]

when i shoot my m4, nothing... when i shoot anything else just plain jane ear plugs

Posted: 4/13/2006 9:16:26 AM EDT

[#7]

silencers

Posted: 4/13/2006 9:17:03 AM EDT

[#8]

silencers

seriously, when not using silencers I use ProEars or Peltor electronic muffs.

Posted: 4/13/2006 9:27:08 AM EDT

[#9]

These, they are molded plugs, fit your ear the best because they are molded to your ears. Feel great even after long times with them in.

Posted: 4/13/2006 10:07:19 AM EDT

[#10]

Quoted:
Wearing plugs and muffs -does not work.
Sound disapation is a linear equasion. If you wear ear plugs with a 25db(example) rating and ear muffs with a 32db(example) rating, you will only get the higher(32db) disapation coverage. Not a combined (57db) disapation coverage.

- suit on for all the people who are going to say "well, it works for me"

Hey,

I responded to your post and IMed you to seek clarification, but I think you are wrong about this.

Here are two sites that say the opposite of you (sort of). I'm still open to hearing how these authorities and I are wrong, but for now I think you were off. The noise reduction may not be perfectly additive, but wearing plugs and muffs is better than muffs alone, usually.

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association

Ear plugs and ear muffs can be used together to achieve even greater sound reduction. Use of ear plugs and ear muffs is recommended when noise exposure is particularly high

Information for hunters and shooters

As shown in Figure 2, the amount of reduction for 12-gauge shotgun using the David Clark Model 27 earmuff is 31 dB, reducing the peak level from 161(red line) to 130 dB SPL( blue line). So, with the earmuff alone, the number of shots recommended by NIOSH would be five per 24-hour period. The addition of a deeply inserted foam earplug reduces another 21 dB, increasing the allowed number of shots to more than 1200 per 24-hour period. A smaller caliber weapon with a lower peak level, such as 0.22 caliber rifles with peak levels of 144 dB SPL, could be fired as many as 63000 rounds per 24-hour period if the shooter were to wear an active level-dependent earmuff along with a deeply inserted foam earplug. The combination of an earmuff and a deeply-inserted foam earplug can provide as much as 50 dB of peak reduction, which is adequate in most cases.

Posted: 4/13/2006 10:12:32 AM EDT

[#11]

Quoted:
Peltor tac 7

+1

Posted: 4/13/2006 10:47:47 AM EDT

[#12]

Quoted:
Wearing plugs and muffs -does not work.
Sound disapation is a linear equasion. If you wear ear plugs with a 25db(example) rating and ear muffs with a 32db(example) rating, you will only get the higher(32db) disapation coverage. Not a combined (57db) disapation coverage.

- suit on for all the people who are going to say "well, it works for me"

Good thing you have the flame suit on, because you are wrong.

db scale is not linear, it is logarithmic. The rating on ear protection is misleading. You can't simply subtract the rating from the db level of the noise. The rating is more a measure of the sound energy that they will block. Keep in mind that every 3db increase is TWICE the energy.

Simplified, your first layer of protection will reduce the noise to a certain level, then the second layer (plugs) will reduce the noise left by the first. The total amount of protection is not simply the two ratings added together, it is more complex than that, but two layers IS BETTER than one.

Posted: 4/13/2006 5:20:00 PM EDT

[#13]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Wearing plugs and muffs -does not work.
Sound disapation is a linear equasion. If you wear ear plugs with a 25db(example) rating and ear muffs with a 32db(example) rating, you will only get the higher(32db) disapation coverage. Not a combined (57db) disapation coverage.

- suit on for all the people who are going to say "well, it works for me"

Good thing you have the flame suit on, because you are wrong.

db scale is not linear, it is logarithmic. The rating on ear protection is misleading. You can't simply subtract the rating from the db level of the noise. The rating is more a measure of the sound energy that they will block. Keep in mind that every 3db increase is TWICE the energy.

Simplified, your first layer of protection will reduce the noise to a certain level, then the second layer (plugs) will reduce the noise left by the first. The total amount of protection is not simply the two ratings added together, it is more complex than that, but two layers IS BETTER than one.

+1 There is a formula for this, But I don't recall it.

A simple (non-calculated explaination is that the protection is more like this :
If we assign the muffs a protection number of 20 and plugs 10, the protection offer by both is more like 20+3 = 23
As stated it is not combined, nor is limited to the larger.

Posted: 4/13/2006 5:22:09 PM EDT

[#14]

for light stuff, I usually use my reusable plugs. For loud stuff, I like to use the plugs and muffs.

Posted: 4/13/2006 5:22:44 PM EDT

[#15]

Peltor Tactical 6S electronic muffs.

Posted: 4/13/2006 5:37:39 PM EDT

[#16]

Quoted:
Wearing plugs and muffs -does not work.
Sound disapation is a linear equasion. If you wear ear plugs with a 25db(example) rating and ear muffs with a 32db(example) rating, you will only get the higher(32db) disapation coverage. Not a combined (57db) disapation coverage.he

You are right in that you won't get the sum of both dB ratings, but you are wrong about everything else. Instead of linear, you meant to say logarithmic. And you will get better than 32dB cancellation when using both. We would all appreciate it if you do the math for us, since you know so much about it

Posted: 4/13/2006 5:39:04 PM EDT

[#17]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Wearing plugs and muffs -does not work.
Sound disapation is a linear equasion. If you wear ear plugs with a 25db(example) rating and ear muffs with a 32db(example) rating, you will only get the higher(32db) disapation coverage. Not a combined (57db) disapation coverage.he

Hey,

I responded to your post and IMed you to seek clarification, but I think you are wrong about this.

Here are two sites that say the opposite of you (sort of). I'm still open to hearing how these authorities and I are wrong, but for now I think you were off. The noise reduction may not be perfectly additive, but wearing plugs and muffs is better than muffs alone, usually.

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association

Ear plugs and ear muffs can be used together to achieve even greater sound reduction. Use of ear plugs and ear muffs is recommended when noise exposure is particularly high

Information for hunters and shooters

As shown in Figure 2, the amount of reduction for 12-gauge shotgun using the David Clark Model 27 earmuff is 31 dB, reducing the peak level from 161(red line) to 130 dB SPL( blue line). So, with the earmuff alone, the number of shots recommended by NIOSH would be five per 24-hour period. The addition of a deeply inserted foam earplug reduces another 21 dB, increasing the allowed number of shots to more than 1200 per 24-hour period. A smaller caliber weapon with a lower peak level, such as 0.22 caliber rifles with peak levels of 144 dB SPL, could be fired as many as 63000 rounds per 24-hour period if the shooter were to wear an active level-dependent earmuff along with a deeply inserted foam earplug. The combination of an earmuff and a deeply-inserted foam earplug can provide as much as 50 dB of peak reduction, which is adequate in most cases.

He's wrong and since he acted so smug about it I'll say what he really is, an idiot. Why do you think he won't come back and post to this thread?

He heard a "fun fact" from someone, he misinterpreted it, and he came here spewing his false knowledge to try and look smart.

Posted: 4/14/2006 3:07:34 AM EDT

[#18]

Bump for Lon_Moer to explain his magic math. Funny, the bioenvornmental engineers in the aF haven't heard of this particular "linear" math. In fact they require us to wear double hearing protection (thats ear plugs plus ear muffs) around extremely high noise environements, like running APUs and Turbine engines. Those guys must not know what they are doing.

Posted: 4/14/2006 5:39:38 AM EDT

[#19]

Quoted:
Bump for Lon_Moer to explain his magic math. Funny, the bioenvornmental engineers in the aF haven't heard of this particular "linear" math. In fact they require us to wear double hearing protection (thats ear plugs plus ear muffs) around extremely high noise environements, like running APUs and Turbine engines. Those guys must not know what they are doing.

Ya and OSHA doesn't know jack either as they CLEARLY state in their safety manuals that double plugging and muffing offers SUPERIOR hearing protection.

Posted: 4/14/2006 6:35:27 AM EDT

[#20]

Peltor M-10,Plugs and muffs when shooting magnums.

Posted: 4/14/2006 6:40:42 AM EDT

[#21]

Custom molded to my ears:

Posted: 4/14/2006 6:50:31 AM EDT

[#22]

I use Caldwell electronic ear muffs, which are sold by Midway. They were $30 on sale a couple months ago, but are now $60

. They are not worth $60...

Posted: 4/14/2006 6:51:08 AM EDT

[#23]

Quoted:
Custom molded to my ears:

photos.ar15.com/ImageGallery/Attachments/DownloadAttach.asp?iImageUnq=43661

Those custom molded things look really....strange. Are they difficult to insert? Do they hold up to cleaning after use?

Posted: 4/14/2006 6:52:15 AM EDT

[#24]

Peltor Tactical 7 Classic

Posted: 4/14/2006 7:16:37 AM EDT

[#25]

I use Pro Ears muffs.

I think some people don't put foam plugs in properly because when I get those all the way in I can't hear a damn thing. They block out MUCH more sound than muffs if you put them in right. I guess maybe some people have a weird ear canal.

Posted: 4/14/2006 7:37:28 AM EDT

[#26]

I usually use Peltor's H-10 muffs. They have one of the highest DB reductions available in muffs.

I have been through lots and lots of classes with those, and have never had a problem. When wearing the muffs I don't notice any degradation in my hearing when shooting handgun or rifle, and I can still hear the instructor clearly.

Posted: 4/14/2006 12:19:09 PM EDT

[#27]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Custom molded to my ears:

photos.ar15.com/ImageGallery/Attachments/DownloadAttach.asp?iImageUnq=43661

Those custom molded things look really....strange. Are they difficult to insert? Do they hold up to cleaning after use?

Yeah, they insert just fine with a twisting motion. They are a 2-part epoxy type of silicone and they clean up easily. Ought to last about 5 years, I'm told. Cheek weld on the stock is really nice without a headset banging around.