Eye and ear protection for range shooting?

Hi jfindon -

I use earplugs as well as over-the-ear earmuff style protection - I hate headaches and ringing in my ears after a few hours at the range.

I would go to a reputable shop and try on the over the ear styles, as some fit me and some are not as comfortable. Maybe ask your buddies as the range to try their stuff so you can pick some out. It will be hard to pick some just by asking other peoples opinions.

For eye protection, I like a light-weight, cheap pair of safety glasses, and I prefer the yellow tinted ones - they make the range appear remarkably lighter than the ambient light is actually providing. Again - a personal preference and you should try on a few pairs of glasses to see which one's fit best to your head.

If you buy a couple of sets of either protection and then don't like them, at least you will have extra's for your friends and family when they join you at the range.

best regards -

mqqn
 
The slimline design of the Caldwell E-Max headsets are ideal for rifle and shotgun shooters as they don't interfere with cheek placement.
However, IMO they are not the most effective at dampening noise, especially on indoor ranges, where the sound bounces around more than outdoors.

Most ranges have a number of different types of hearing protection available to rent, why not try some different brands to see what suits your type of shooting and budget?
 
I use earplugs as well as over-the-ear earmuff style protection -
Click to expand...

Me too. Especially when shooting 44 mags. Tried a lot of things over the years and found the foam plugs plus a muff work best for me. Never found a muff which, by itself was as good.

I have prescription safety glasses (have to, for work), so I can't help you much with that.
 
after almost 30 years of competitive shooting I have some hearing loss in the 4000Hz range... that being said, I use the custom molded silicone plugs that enter the ear canal....when I RO someone shooting a 9x25 I'll borrow a set of muffs...I wear a wide brimmed hat in summer, and I still use a pair of the Peltor's made for Dillon that have the neck support wire... regular Peltor's for shooting on a traditional shooting line

for glasses, I wish I could wear polycarbonate wrap arounds, but with a 3.75 diopter astigmatism, and trying 3 or 4 attempts to get the correct optical density of the polycarbonate, including a pair of inserts, just wear the largest titanium framed, spring loaded ear piece I can find... with the need for bifocals, I had my optician make my entire dominant eye lens to my near prescription, and move the bifocal line up a couple of millimeters on the non dominate eye... I tried several pair with the near prescription in different locations but did not work out...

I hope this helps you older shooters... It takes about 30min to adjust to wearing the monovision lenses... and I don't use them for aerial birds
 
Had single vision shooting glasses made up w/dominant eye focal point set for handgun front sight and another pair for rifled scope..and non-dominant eye corrected for distance only...not bad price wise..I don't shoot very well with my otherwise loved progressive lens and never could wear traditional lined bi-focals.

Best hearing protection is the foam plugs...almost always the highest NRR. I've worn Peltor Tactical 6S [behind the head band] electronic hearing protection for years..mid-priced..and less than $60 on sale..from time to time will wear plus plus muffs if around boomers for extended periods..had custom molded in-ear plugs when shot Cowboy Action..easy in and out [they hung on a vinyl string] but ears tired by end of day.

I was in the old Army back when Custer was a butter bar..range officers would tell you "your ears will quit ringing in 3-4 days"...huh? Hearing loss is incremental and nothing to mess with..get something that you will wear every timer..and use it. Be the enforcer with new shooters in your group on eye and ear
protection..stuff has to last you for whatever time you have.
 
I have a couple of pairs of these and I've been very pleased with them so far. :)

http://www.amazon.com/Peltor-97010-...98WO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322406806&sr=8-1

My only gripe is that they aren't really adjustable and they fit your ears quite tightly(be careful if you wear hats a lot....they may or may not fit ok with a hat). That's not really a huge problem though because they make a good seal around your ears. The only other thing I can say is that they dampen the sound quite nicely outside(haven't tried them indoors) but with such a tight fit they will probably make your ears sweat if you wear them outside during
the summer.

jc
 
I also like to use plugs plus muffs. After a very short time you will be perfectly comfortable and less likely to flinch when the guy next to you fires his .44 mag or .50 cal Desert Eagle. Better safe than sorry when it comes to your hearing as well as your vision.
 
I use the electric muffs in the OP, they work. I have shot 20 or 30 rounds of 7.62x54r with no ringing at all.
 
It always bugged me that the yellow foam earplugs only came in one size. I have small ear canals, and the plugs (as purchased) get uncomfortable after a while. Experimenting, I discovered that I could squash the foam cylinders into a disc and trim them to a smaller diameter. After the smaller discs morphed back into cylinders, they were much more compfortable to wear.
 
tiguy7 said:
It always bugged me that the yellow foam earplugs only came in one size. I have small ear canals, and the plugs (as purchased) get uncomfortable after a while. Experimenting, I discovered that I could squash the foam cylinders into a disc and trim them to a smaller diameter. After the smaller discs morphed back into cylinders, they were much more compfortable to wear.
Click to expand...

You might want to try the pink ones that are wide at the base and taper at the top. They seem smaller than the yellow straight cylinder ones. I've seen both at Wal-Greens for the same price.
 
I've been using a set of those Caldwell E-max low profiles for the last (iirc) 2 years. I wear them a lot, between shooting and hunting and am only on my second set of batteries. I generally double plug, but that's more due to being over protective of my hearing than necessity. I doubt you will regret the purchase if you do get them.

As for eye pro, I use Revision Sawfly's. I have the shooters kit which has clear, amber and gray lenses for any lighting situation.

I highly recommend both products, especially Revisions. They have great customer service.


Edit: You should also try the surefire Ep-3 or especially Ep-4. not only do they do a great job of blocking sound but they are very comfortable. I now wear them whenever I'm shooting, at a concert or even the odd time I go to a club.
 
tiguy7 said:
It always bugged me that the yellow foam earplugs only came in one size. I have small ear canals, and the plugs (as purchased) get uncomfortable after a while....
Click to expand...
I know what you mean about that style of ear plugs. I get a splitting headache after about 15 min. of wearing them :(

I recently was given some that are much better. They are a much softer foam, that expands with a lot less pressure. Some taper and a rounded end make inserting them easy. The first time I wore them, I had them in for an hour with no pain at all :) They are EAR brand Soft Blasts. The pack I have says regular size, I think that large is the other size offered. They also have flames on them:D If you ever get a chance try them, you'll like them.

Bruceter
 
I tend to use ear plugs. I am totally deaf in my left ear and have about 70% hearing in my right ear. Even when shooting a high powered rifle, all I hear is a dull thump.
The only problem is that I can't hear the range-master's commands.

I also have high end electronic ear muffs. They work, but rifles are still pretty loud.

By the way, you can have earplugs made to fit your ear canal.
 
Earplugs. They have worked fine for me so far. It's been 2 years about. Then again I shoot during off peak hours. Lots of times I'm in there by myself with only my brother. I dislike muff style because they feel awkward especially when trying to get a cheek weld on a rifle stock. Also, my ear plugs have higher NRR than many muffs. I buy a bulk pack of 200 and put on a new pair each range visit, which is weekly.
 
I use a cheap set of electronic ear protectors similar to the ones in the original post. The ones I use aren't even sterio but are perfectly satisfactory. Once you use the electronics on the range, you'll never go back. Normal conversation and range commands are loud and clear between shots. For eye protection I also cheaped out with +2 diopter safety glasses and clip on sun protection. Total for all was around $30. I need about +1 in one eye and +2 in the other so the glasses were a compromise but a good one. I shot 600+ rds on a line of 15 or so at Front Sight with no problems outside the occasional hot case down the shirt. I tried a pair of $300 ear protectors and sure enough, they were better but not much. I shot a 9 but often there were .40's and .45's next to me. The cheap ear and eye protection and a ball cap were fine.
 
peltor ear pro. electronic super hearing and wicked sound supression, and wiley-X eye pro... even look good on the way to the range.
 
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