I’ve always faced a hearing protection dilemma. On the one hand, my right ear’s ear canal is so crooked and small that both custom and regular ear inserted protection are a pain to use. The customs take forever to work into place. The store-bought never seem to go in far enough to protect very well.
Meanwhile, because of where my ears are in relation to my cheeks and eyes, ear muffs are always banging against the stock. I can get around this by craning my head down into an uncomfortable position, but it certainly doesn’t put me in anything like a natural stance.
I’ve fought this stuff for a long time. On hunts or long private range sessions I usually use the custom plugs and just deal with the long, uncomfortable insertion.
When shooting with others I risk missing range commands.
I use “shotgun” style ear muffs which are a lot thinner than standard muffs but still give good hearing protection…at least Ive never had ringing while using them, and they work for me while not banging into the stock.
MSA Sordin Pro X for the win :D. You can hear range commands and they are slim which allow good cheek weld. The only thing that sucks is the price tag.
I’ve been using the Surefire plugs and love them. Several classes down and I’m not sure why I have thrown down hundreds for elctronic ear pro in the past. Don’t get me wrong I still like my tried-and-true Peltor ComTacs, but the Surefire work for me.
You ain’t kidding, man! My SF EarPro has been my favorite for around 6 months now, ever since I bought my first pair. They’re so comfortable that I sometimes forget they’re in until I keep saying, “What?” to people after the range is cold and we move off the line. They tame the dB levels on even the nastiest-sounding SBRs… like my 11.5" BCM with SF muzzle brake that I’m running in my carbine class this weekend:D Hope my fellow shooters have some good earpro too, or I’m not gonna make many friends!
As for the OP’s dilemma, I sometimes have to cut a 1/4 inch or so off of foam plugs (the end that sits outside of your ear) to make them work for me without working themselves loose or falling out while firing. I’ve always assumed that my ear canal was a little oddly shaped as well, but I’m not sure if I’m just a weirdo who has problems putting ear plugs in or something.
I hate, repeat hate, foam ear plugs, but I loved not having to mess with head gear. I hated having something in my ear canal as well, but the Surefire is soft enough that I don’t notice it.
Retreat, you going to be in the Houston Magpul class on the 10-11? I was signed up for the class but had to cancel out do to being summoned to court to testify. I have to say I’m jealous and you must take many photos!!!
Hopefully I can make it down there and get some trigger time with you soon.
Ah, that sucks, brother!! The suspect better get some damn jail time if he (or she) is making you miss the class!
Yeah I’m taking the weekend Magpul class here in Houston. I was supposed to go up to Oklahoma a few weeks ago for the class up there (I have family up there too, so two birds one stone), but when I was at my Trident Concepts carbine class down here last month, one of the LEO’s affiliated with the range told me that Magpul was coming down here in Oct. The range it’s being hosted at is a concrete range, which is obviously GREAT for a wheelchair! When I called Jill at Magpul to ask if I could switch, there was one slot left, so it was meant to be!
I’m definitely planning on taking a lot of pics, and video (as long as the instructors are cool with it anyways). There’s 20 students and only 15 “lanes,” so that means we’re going to have relays, which should give me plenty of opportunities for snapping some really great pics! Hopefully I’ll get another chance to train with you in the future, bro!
They come in different sizes (small, med, and large type of deal) so that you can find the one which fits your ear best. However, I still don’t know if I’m even using the correct size or not. I buy Mediums just because that’s what most companies offer. If you buy direct from surefire though, you can purchase whichever size you want.
I guess the best way to go about it, albeit an expensive way, would be to purchase one of every size in order to figure out which size of SF EarPro is actually best for you. Of course you would be stuck owning all of them though, as I’m assuming you couldn’t exactly send the used ones back for a refund for obvious reasons.
They have a size chart on Surefire’s website, which might help you out as well.
