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MULEPACKHUNTER

Hearing Protection

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My rifle has a muzzle brake. Pretty hard on the ears. I have a pair of Silencio ear plugs that I carry with me, and put in if I have the time. They are filled with some sort of gel that mold nicely to the contours of the inner ear.

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I think everyone should use hearing protection whenever they can. With coues hunting, you generally have plenty of time to put in ear plugs. I used to not worry about it, but I wised up and at one of the hunting shows years ago I had some custom formed ear plugs made for me. They just stay in my pack until I need them. I have seen other people use those orange ones that just stay around your neck so they are ready at a moments notice. Mine have a string connecting them so I can have them around my neck and ready if need be.

 

For turkey hunting, I use Walker's Game ear muffs. That way I can hear the turkeys coming, but as soon as I shoot, then muffs silence the sound and protect your hearing. Those have worked great. You can see that I wore them on my turkey hunt in Mexico. Look at 4:34 minutes or so you can see me taking them off.

 

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My hearing has been affected from years of shooting without protection. I now try to have hearing protection anytime I shoot. I use muffs at the range and the foam plugs on a string while i'm in the field. Unless I have to take a quick shot, I put my plugs in before shooting.

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I had a brake on my 7mag, and had always managed to put plugs in before shooting.., until last fall when I jumped a buck in thick stuff and had a split second to shoot. My left ears has been ringing for the last 9 months, and I dont expect it to go away. The brake is now off my rifle, but the damage is done. I wish I had let the deer walk, I can always kill another deer, but will never get my hearing back.

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My rifles have muzzle brakes on them so I always wear plugs. I accidentally shot without them once while doing some practicing. It reminded me of a concussion grenade going off. I literally had to sit there for a minute to get my bearings.

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I've never used any on hunts. Ear pro only at the range. I think I might have to consider using some on hunts but may interfere with communicating with the spotter.

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EAR brand Chameleon Acoustical ear plugs. As a safety manager in mining at work I push hearing protection all the time, I would not feel right if I did not follow my own advice. I use the brand and style listed above which lets in any sound up 85db and reduces anything above down to 85db. I can also plug my hunt radio into them to listen if my partner calls me on the radio and still hear all outside noise at safe levels. I use them all the time for hunting.

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EAR Inc for me. Can communicate as well as have enhanced hearing and be protected at all times in case of a "oh SH-T, gotta shoot now" moment. I can wear them all day hunting and be completely comfortable. I still carry a few cheap foam ones in the pack for friends or if I lose my electronic ones. The foam works just fine for protection. Heck, I even put them in when I'm shooting with my suppressor attached.

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Shot a lot without hearing protection when I was young. I am a tradesman, literally everything around a tradesman is noisy all the time. My hearing was OK through most of it although I wore protection intermittently. As I approach old age my hearing degrades annually. Tinnitus is present at all times (sometimes it literally roars). Protect yourselves or you'll pay the price later in life.

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i recently had a brake put on my gun. my range finder failed me on my last elk hunt, i held high and let her fly. 6 shots later, the elk was still standing there and my ears rang for a month. (i was way off on my yardage guestimate, so i wasn't even close to hitting him) i have permanent loss, i'm afraid, from that incident. what'sworse, i went in there the next morning and shot said elk three times untill he wasn't moving any more. (this time, i was on the money, as i borrowed a range finder) so i took 9 shots w/out hearing protection.

 

big mistake. will never do that again.

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