How Many Double Up Ear Protection?

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Cosmoline

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I'm curious as to how many people shoot with double layers of ear protection. I try to, but today I couldn't find my plugs so I went with muffs only. After a few hundred rounds of 54R plus a few hundred more .357's I've got ringing and high level loss. I noticed nothing at the time, because the muffs masked the worst of it. This stuff can really sneak up on you, so be careful out there.
 
Depends on...

Whom or what I am shooting next to. I like to only wear the muffs, but when the big boomsticks come out I add the plugs. I love to turn the boom to a poof. :D
 
Indoors I always double up. Outdoors only if I'm next to the guy with the big boomer, or if that guy with the big boomer is me.

jm
 
I have been stationed next to a .338 Winmag, and the little orange foamies I always use worked just fine. :) Comfortable, too. Tried one of the blue-with-white-tip types, with the baffles and valve system. Most danged uncomfortable thing I've ever worn (next to woolen thermal underwear).

I hate to say it, but muffs have never done anything for me. They never fit me right, they don't deaden the sound (really just change the frequency), and they ruin my cheek weld. I have tried doubling up before, and it sounded identical to using only foamies.

Others on this board who know me know that when I go shooting, I shoot an obscene amount. 200 .380, 250 .45 ACP, and 200 7.92x57 from an M48 is a normal day for me. Afterwards, when I take out the foam, I have no ringing whatsoever.
 
Are things quieter to the shooter than when you're next to a guy shooting a boomer? I remember last time I was at the indoor range, this guy against the wall seemed to be shooting a really loud gun and I wanted to double up on hearing protection. Later talked to him and found out we were shooting the same caliber, .357 mags. He had a smaller gun at 4", mine was 6", but ported. It didn't seem nearly as loud to me when I was shooting my own gun, and I was shooting fairly hot loads, 158 gr @1350.
 
I never used to but it seems my ears have become more sensitive as I age. I will do it when target shooting, especially indoors. Only using one or the other I will sometimes give the results you experienced. Sometimes not though. Depends on the caliber, how much shooting I do, and the quality of the protection.
 
I just use the muffs just fine. I took my wife for the first time and she so hated the noise she had on muffs and ear plugs. She was so scared of the pistol she actually cried but she did shoot it once and then split. She is a girly girl and actually gave me a sense of security she is too scared to shoot :)
 
I have been using plugs and muffs for a while, and life is good. Much better than just single, but if you are going to just use single use a good set of foamies. Foamies don't care if your glasses are under the collar, they don't care if your hair is getting too long, they seal no matter what.

That said, a GOOD pair of electronic muffs and foamies really is the best of both worlds. Extra protection and I can still hear what is going on around me.
 
ALWAYS...double, sometimes tripple

ALWAYS...double, sometimes tripple. I have the following:

1) cone-shaped orange plugs internal (Howard Leights Hearing Protection)
2) my Remington headphone type protection

When I am near the big-boomers, .44 Mag revolvers, etc, I use the following:

1) cone-shaped orange plugs internal (Howard Leights Hearing Protection)
2) flat synthetic plugs over the ear canal
3) my Remington headphone type protection

When I use the tripple protection I cannot hear any firearms booms. :neener: Peope can call me paranoid if they like, but when I'm 90, I'll still hear as well as when I was 21.

Right now I am out of the flat ones, so I can't post the brand name. I can repost when I buy some new ones.
 
Afterwards, when I take out the foam, I have no ringing whatsoever.
Click to expand...

Even if your ears don't ring, you could still have suffered hearing loss.

The *presence* of the "ears ringing" sensation is a pretty good sign you've suffered damage. But, the *lack* of ear ringing does not necessarily indicate a lack of hearing loss.
 
I almost always double up. I use the highest rated muffs I can find and I vary the plugs. I've actually found the cheap yellow cylindrical plugs work the best for me, even though they aren't as highly rated as some of the other plugs. I find it easier to insert them correctly though and I think that makes the difference.

For muffs, I just switched from Peltor HD10A's rated at 30 db to a set of Pro ears rated at 33 db. I just ran a CCW class wearing just the Pro Ears, without plugs underneath, and I *think* I could tell the difference between just the Pro-Ears and just the Peltors.

The Peltors and Pro-Ears are both very high quality, very comfortable muffs. I still reccomend the Peltors, I just switched because I wanted to find the absolute highest rated muffs possible since I'm at the range running classes so frequently.
 
Quote:
"Whom or what I am shooting next to. I like to only wear the muffs, but when the big boomsticks come out I add the plugs. I love to turn the boom to a poof. "

This is what I do as well; I couldnt have said it better!
 
I always double. I, too, am a musician. I lost a lot of hearing and also set the stage for bad tinnitus back in the early '70s playing in rock bands without ear protection. Even double protection won't completely save your from danger. The hearing loss and ringing in the ears may not show up for many years when the aging process takes it's toll. It's sort of like smoking. When you are smoking at 21 years old, you don't notice your skin wrinkling but check it out thirty years later. Amazing how wrinkled a smoking woman looks in her fifties. There are just too many variable to be careless. I am going to try the triple. Doc2005, is that synthestic plug you mention those silicon sleep plugs available from drug stores?
 
I used to double up religiously with ear plugs and muffs until I got a pair of electronic ear muffs.
 
Always. And I put my first set in my ears when I'm still inside paying. That way as I'm walking to my lane, I'm protected.
 
I find that I have to tailor my hearing protection to whatever I'm doing.

Pistol shooting - Foam plugs and muffs (usually electronic).

Rifle shooting - Foam plugs and muffs.

Shotguns - Custom-molded in-ear silicone plugs.

Hunting - Plugs for most bird hunting. I will admit that when I'm deer hunting, I don't use hearing protection.

I'd like to double up when using a shotgun, but I can't find anything that doesn't bash on the stock when I mount the gun.
 
I didn't used to but I am now 62 years old and have some hearing loss so now I always double up .......plugs and my high quality muffs. I can no longer afford to lose anymore of my hearing.
Of course I have worked in construction my entire life and that coupled with my shooting fetish have not been kind to my ears.
PROTECT YOUR HEARING>>>>>>DOUBLE UP NOW!!!
 
I now always double up. When I started, I was just using the muffs provided by the indoor range, but I quickly realized my ears were ringing after that. Their muffs are really cheap and probably have like 5 dB NRR ratings. I've since started doubling up with JoeSolo's customizeable ear plugs b/c they're so comfortable and easy to wear (www.earplugsthatfit.com). I have also doubled up with the foam ones before, but they're less comfortable.
 
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