How well do these work? What kind of NR do they provide? What do they cost?
Any preferred providers of these?
Thanks for any info!
I had custom ear plugs made a number of years ago for about $60 from a local hearing aid provider. He did a great job and I’m never without them on the range. Let me dig around to see if I still have the company name.
Are you in Northern VA? If not, check you Yellow Pages for hearing aid providers and call.
Sometimes, you will see firms at the shows. I have a pair that are about 12 years old, I don’t know where they are. They fit great when new, I’m guessing after a while you should have a new set made, maybe the ear canal area changes? I just use standard rubber inserts(reusable) and muffs.
Ultamate Ears… They make Pro Audio In-Ear Monitor Systems, but also make custom molded Ear plugs!
You also have the choice to get “Pads” in three different db levels,
I have 2 sets of filters (1x-15db, and 1x-25db), and 1 set of plugs, it just depends on what i’m doing…
Here’s a link: LINK
Hope this helps
Thanks for the feedback. I found a local ear doctor that sells Westone brand plugs, so I’m going to check them out.
no problem, westone makes great plugs too, I’m just partial to UE
Yes, i was looking at these:
http://www.westone.com/index.php?load=content&page=index&page_id=205
but I would like to get more info before I decide. They are valved to allow non-harmful sound pressures. I don’t know much about these, but I’m really getting sick of ear muff type protectors.
Is 25 dB reduction enough? I was hoping to get 29-30. Westone doesn’t list dB numbers on their website.
25 is good, but I still wear muffs on top, you see, I’m an audio engineer by trade (shooter by choice), so my ears are my money maker!
if you contact UE you can have them make your molds solid instead of hollow with a filter, so they block out ~ ALL ambient sound. I know muffs are a PIA but theyre very effective for what they do, because they seal around the ear. IMO both is the way to go. The other thing is, if you have both, and your done shooting at the range, you take off your muffs, and leave your 25 db plugs in, when the person in the next lane starts, your still good!
I have a damaged ear from a memorable shooting event in the early 80’s. I would say the 25 db is borderline if your going to be around handguns in calibers like 9 or 45 ACP.
I use the Insta Molds and find that on indoor ranges when someone fires higher calibers and I dont have them screwed nice and tight, I get a flare up of tinninus ( that damn ringing ). I love the Insta Molds shooting handgun matches because of the flexibility they afford you.
If your shooting carbines ( this is a Carbine board) on a firing line outdoors and the guys next to you have a comp break that redirects everything towards you sideways, your going to get your bell rung. Actually, it happens with a standard A2 break as well but not as bad.
I switched to Sordins so I can also crank up the gain and actually hear people talking without scruntching up my face to hear them. These DO effect the cheek weld but it not a deal breaker.
I think I remember reading that sound pressure can damage your hearing even if it doesn’t enter through your ear canal, that it can go through your skull around your ears…have you heard anything like that?
Thanks, guys, for the insights. You’ve brought up things I hadn’t thought about.
Almost all of my indoor shooting is pistol only, so muffs aren’t as big a deal, and it seems being indoors, and much closer to other shooters, doubling up with plugs and muffs would be a good idea.
Much of my rifle shooting is done outdoors, alone (or at least a little further away from other shooters). This would be when I would like to use just the in-ear plugs.
Again, thanks for helping!
A little pricey…
I have to wear a hearing aid in each ear due to some loss of hearing, so when I go shooting I wear both ear plugs and ear muffs to protect what I have left. I learned the hard way that you do not shoot indoors without ear protection!!