[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Ear pro while hunting... (Page 1 of 3)
Posted: 11/14/2016 4:33:45 AM EDT
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Ok, so I don't hunt (just never had the time to get the license) but my girlfriend does. I work--as in, my entire living--in audio, so my ears are my livelihood. I was horrified to learn that she doesn't wear ear pro while hunting. Is that normal?
How do electronic muffs do while hunting? Trying to figure out if they might be a good Christmas present. |
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http://ads.midwayusa.com/product/527700/peltor-comtac-iii-hearing-defender-electronic-earmuffs-nrr-20?cm_mmc=pf_ci_google-_-Shooting%20-%20Ear%20%26%20Eye%20Protection-_-Peltor-_-527700&gclid=CjwKEAiA3qXBBRD4_b_V7ZLFsX4SJAB0AtEVbZnT8F92t5BicYHNx5NHlA4rgPUw2w1wS4aAebbI_xoCKiHw_wcB
But yeah.. the few shots fired while hunting will not kill your hearing. |
| I'm an avid hunter and do not use ear protection while hunting. That wouldn't make me feel like as big a pussy as, say, wearing a helmet while riding a bicycle, but it'd be close. Most of the hunting I do (deer) is overwith after only one shot so I don't think the effects would be all that bad. |
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Quoted:
http://ads.midwayusa.com/product/527700/peltor-comtac-iii-hearing-defender-electronic-earmuffs-nrr-20?cm_mmc=pf_ci_google-_-Shooting%20-%20Ear%20%26%20Eye%20Protection-_-Peltor-_-527700&gclid=CjwKEAiA3qXBBRD4_b_V7ZLFsX4SJAB0AtEVbZnT8F92t5BicYHNx5NHlA4rgPUw2w1wS4aAebbI_xoCKiHw_wcB But yeah.. the few shots fired while hunting will not kill your hearing. Sorry, but that's just not true. I (among other audio services) mix and master audio for a living. You would be amazed at how differently you start to hear things after going into that line of work; you start to notice frequencies you never even knew were there, and your hearing becomes much more sensitive. During a hot summer day at an outdoor range, I used my shoulder to get a gnat off my right ear and knocked one of my plugs lose. The guy beside me fired a single shot with an AR with a standard A2 birdcage flash suppressor. I have noticed a slight loss in the higher frequencies (10k and up) in my right ear since then. So yeah, every shot you take does have an effect, and even if it's a small effect...it's permanent. |
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Quoted:
Sorry, but that's just not true. I (among other audio services) mix and master audio for a living. You would be amazed at how differently you start to hear things after going into that line of work; you start to notice frequencies you never even knew were there, and your hearing becomes much more sensitive. During a hot summer day at an outdoor range, I used my shoulder to get a gnat off my right ear and knocked one of my plugs lose. The guy beside me fired a single shot with an AR with a standard A2 birdcage flash suppressor. I have noticed a slight loss in the higher frequencies (10k and up) in my right ear since then. So yeah, every shot you take does have an effect, and even if it's a small effect...it's permanent. Quoted:
Quoted:
http://ads.midwayusa.com/product/527700/peltor-comtac-iii-hearing-defender-electronic-earmuffs-nrr-20?cm_mmc=pf_ci_google-_-Shooting%20-%20Ear%20%26%20Eye%20Protection-_-Peltor-_-527700&gclid=CjwKEAiA3qXBBRD4_b_V7ZLFsX4SJAB0AtEVbZnT8F92t5BicYHNx5NHlA4rgPUw2w1wS4aAebbI_xoCKiHw_wcB But yeah.. the few shots fired while hunting will not kill your hearing. Sorry, but that's just not true. I (among other audio services) mix and master audio for a living. You would be amazed at how differently you start to hear things after going into that line of work; you start to notice frequencies you never even knew were there, and your hearing becomes much more sensitive. During a hot summer day at an outdoor range, I used my shoulder to get a gnat off my right ear and knocked one of my plugs lose. The guy beside me fired a single shot with an AR with a standard A2 birdcage flash suppressor. I have noticed a slight loss in the higher frequencies (10k and up) in my right ear since then. So yeah, every shot you take does have an effect, and even if it's a small effect...it's permanent. If your field requires that level of hearing, ok, protect it at all costs. For most of us, my earlier statement is true. I have cleared many rooms with live rifle fire, had grenades explode in the next room, flashbangs, blah blah blah. And surprisingly my hearing is still very good. One thing to keep in mind, the good electronic ear pro will be very uncomfortable after a few hours. |
I went without ear pro until 4 years ago. A single shot from a 5.56 rifle with a muzzle brake while out hunting gave me tinnitus in my left ear. (Or was the last straw, i dont know) my left ear now has slightly worse hearing then my right. My right ear is like super hearing, and my left is now just average  now I just carry plugs that I can quickly pop in as soon as I see a deer.
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| Leaving your ears unprotected while hunting can damage your hearing. If you don't believe that do a quick google search. My left ear has noticeably more hearing loss than my right for just that reason. It's less behind the noise of the muzzle blast. I use hearing amplifying ear protection. It allows me an early warning when deer are headed my way and alerts me to deer coming in from behind. There's more than one nice buck on my wall that I very well might not have got but for having the super hearing these hearing protector muffs have provided. |
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Quoted: If your field requires that level of hearing, ok, protect it at all costs. For most of us, my earlier statement is true. I have cleared many rooms with live rifle fire, had grenades explode in the next room, flashbangs, blah blah blah. And surprisingly my hearing is still very good. One thing to keep in mind, the good electronic ear pro will be very uncomfortable after a few hours. Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: http://ads.midwayusa.com/product/527700/peltor-comtac-iii-hearing-defender-electronic-earmuffs-nrr-20?cm_mmc=pf_ci_google-_-Shooting%20-%20Ear%20%26%20Eye%20Protection-_-Peltor-_-527700&gclid=CjwKEAiA3qXBBRD4_b_V7ZLFsX4SJAB0AtEVbZnT8F92t5BicYHNx5NHlA4rgPUw2w1wS4aAebbI_xoCKiHw_wcB But yeah.. the few shots fired while hunting will not kill your hearing. Sorry, but that's just not true. I (among other audio services) mix and master audio for a living. You would be amazed at how differently you start to hear things after going into that line of work; you start to notice frequencies you never even knew were there, and your hearing becomes much more sensitive. During a hot summer day at an outdoor range, I used my shoulder to get a gnat off my right ear and knocked one of my plugs lose. The guy beside me fired a single shot with an AR with a standard A2 birdcage flash suppressor. I have noticed a slight loss in the higher frequencies (10k and up) in my right ear since then. So yeah, every shot you take does have an effect, and even if it's a small effect...it's permanent. If your field requires that level of hearing, ok, protect it at all costs. For most of us, my earlier statement is true. I have cleared many rooms with live rifle fire, had grenades explode in the next room, flashbangs, blah blah blah. And surprisingly my hearing is still very good. One thing to keep in mind, the good electronic ear pro will be very uncomfortable after a few hours. All of the science says you are a bit wrong, mostly because hearing loss is often gradual, and sometimes the actual loss is subjective. If you went to an ENT or audiologist years ago and established a benchmark for what you hear, you WILL see a difference in what your response is today. That fall off in mid/high frequencies (4kHz and up) will worsen over time. When the hearing loss gets in the 2kHz range (typically in the late 40s to mid 50s for those who were exposed to high SPL events) hello hearing aids. |
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Never have but honestly never hear or feel the shot. Youngest son killed a buck Saturday and said his ears were ringing afterwards. I was right next to him and am fine.
Or maybe already deaf. 
ETA Few years back had a hearing test. Doc said I still had better ears at my age than most people were born with and I have shot a LOT |
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This is just one of many reasons the HPA needs to get passed. I am looking forward to being able to hut without ear pro this year because I will have a can on the front of my rifle. Any yeah, it only takes one time to permanently mess up you hearing, ask me how I know.
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Clarus Pro. I've been looking and haven't pulled the trigger yet, but want them for hunting.
www.silynxcom.com/store/headset-systems/clarus-pro/ |
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I never used to, now I do.... Bit the bullet and bought custom made ear plugs that are tweaked for my hearing loss... My kids shoot 100% of the time with ear pro..
Cuz let me sing you the song of my people,,,, eeeeeeeèeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeEEEeeeeEEEEEEEeeeeeEeEEeeeEE |
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Hearing loss is cumulative. Every shot you take without protection does damage your hearing. The effects of each individual shot may not be noticeable but do it enough and eventually it will catch up to you.
Thus is why the hearing protection act is SO important. |
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The Walker Game Ears or Howard Leight electronic muffs block the shot but can be turned up to where the ambient sound is amplified. 
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I wear my Howard Leight electronic hearing protectors for three reasons.
1- for hearing protection when I shoot. 2- it enhances my hearing. I can hear deer waking through the dry grass and stomping around outside my blind. 3- it keeps my ears warm. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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Hearing loss is cumulative. Every shot you take without protection does damage your hearing. The effects of each individual shot may not be noticeable but do it enough and eventually it will catch up to you. Thus is why the hearing protection act is SO important. X eleventy billion! Back when I tried hunting, I picked up a Taurus Raging Bull in .44 Mag. I never pulled the trigger, but came close once at a squirrel that had been making noise all around my stand and he finally jumped up on the edge of it. I had a clear shot in his face from 6" away. I was about to pull the trigger then it dawned on me I would lose hearing over this.
At this point I bought a set of the Peltor muffs. I used them for a while, but gave them up since wearing them long term while in the stand gave me a headache. I did hear some creepy shit in the woods with them turned up all the way though. Even the redneck a mile away in his driveway vacuuming out his car/truck with Freebird cranked up on the radio and him trying to sing to it. LOL!! You could even make out a snake crawling along the ground under the stand. No shit, I heard it, saw it and prayed like a mad man he didn't decide to come up in the stand with me. 
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Quoted:
Ok, so I don't hunt (just never had the time to get the license) but my girlfriend does. I work--as in, my entire living--in audio, so my ears are my livelihood. I was horrified to learn that she doesn't wear ear pro while hunting. Is that normal? How do electronic muffs do while hunting? Trying to figure out if they might be a good Christmas present. I use electronic muffs while hunting......if I'm using my AR, or a handgun to hunt with. But for a standard bolt action hunting rifle I don't. |
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I don't even notice when shooting a deer. But on the range it hurts.
I wish I would have had plugs or muffs growing up. I can remember shooting an 03A3 prior to deer season when I was 11 or 12. My grandmother would stand behind me and cover my ears.
I didn't start using ear protection until I was 18 or 19. Yep, I'm almost deaf and have dealt with titinnus since I was 13. I started carrying the HL muffs last week. The amplification stinks in a blind though, as I can't hear exterior sounds all that much and I hate hearing my wife breathe.
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Coming from someone who has bad ears.
Wear them. The electronic ones pic up sound great. I'd wear them all day but then I look like I needed a helmet, knee and elbow pads to. So, I just ask people to repeat themselves a lot. Hearing not bad enough to need hearing aids. ( yet anyway  )
Protect your hearing whenever possible. |
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Most of the time I don't-but deer hunting with a ported .45-70 pistol...yes I do. I've had two people tell me they shot deer with one, using no earpro and ruptured eardrums. My biggest mistake was shooting around 30 rounds out of a braked Contender in 44 Mag while wearing no plugs or muffs. |
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] Quoted:
My biggest mistake was shooting around 30 rounds out of a braked Contender in 44 Mag while wearing no plugs or muffs. Quoted:
Quoted:
Most of the time I don't-but deer hunting with a ported .45-70 pistol...yes I do. I've had two people tell me they shot deer with one, using no earpro and ruptured eardrums. My biggest mistake was shooting around 30 rounds out of a braked Contender in 44 Mag while wearing no plugs or muffs. Yeah, .44 is no fun either-but I've done it for a round or two. a 4" .357 my dad had is what made me insist on plugs or muffs for handguns though. very little experience with them, he bought the gun and we decided we had to try it out immediately. I couldn't hear for two hours, and everything was muffled for 2 days. |
| I use a pair of Howard Leigh Sport muffs. I can crank up the mic and hear amplified wood sounds all around me. I can also listen to audio books when things get slow. I think I might buy 13 Hours to listen to this season. Last season I listened to Band of Brothers. |
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Absolutely imperative to protect your hearing. I have damaged my hearing from hunting. Shoot a .300 Weatherby magnum out of a deer blind. Especially one with a brake. Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.
My son and I carry hearing protection when we hunt. We don't wear it the whole time, if we are going to shoot we put it in. And no, I don't feel less "manly" for wearing it. That's a ridiculous "macho" excuse. |