Ears ToYou!
Ah, the joys of getting older. If we're lucky, the kids are out of the house. There's a bit more disposable in- come. We aren't bothered by a lot of the little things anymore. Like the other day... I've got one left in the nest. She walked in the door, gave me that teenager look and said, "Can't you hear that alarm clock?" I hadn't been bothered by it a bit. My wife is bothered by the dogs barking at night. Not me. She worries about little noises the car makes. Runs like a kitten. No, sir, you and I aren't bothered by a lot of those little things.
For most of us, the abuse started when we were much younger, back when real men didn't plug their ears. We didn't plug our ears because there weren't any ear plugs around, if for no other reason. Add the damage done shooting to the normal degradation that time brings, and we are a happy bunch of hunters and shooters who just have a hard time hearing speech in crowded rooms and annoying little sounds. We all know better now and wear some form of hearing protection any time we shoot. Well, at least the clay shooters do. There are still some hunters out there hammering their hair cells once or twice a bird.
If you've never seen a picture of hair cells-the ear's clever gismos that sense vibrations so they can be brain-translated into sound-they remind me of a short section of the pipes of an organ, rounded on top. When they are damaged by loud sounds, they start to take on the appearance of a pipe organ after a Kenworth has driven through the wall of the church. And they stay that way. There's no cleanup crew from FEMA. Just a mess on the surface of the cochlea until death do us part.
So the game we play today with our ears is simply to keep the damage from getting worse, because there is no getting better. No matter how much we protect our ears while shooting, we are likely going to experience a bit more sensory degradation as a gift of Mother Nature due to aging, but protect we must to minimize the effects.
Now confusion comes into play, and it has nothing to do with getting older. It has nothing to do with hearing loss but everything to do with sensory overload. There is a pot-load of hearing protection devices (HPDs) on the market from a variety of manufacturers. Sorting them out based on any single criteria can be a perplexing task.
There are no mysteries surrounding their effectiveness. They all operate on the same principle: Keep the loud stuff out of the ears. Plug 'em. That's no easy matter. When things got a little slow at church today, I started checking out ears. Wow! There was one fellow with ear canals big enough to park a small car in. There were "average" size ear canals. There were small canals. The auricles were incredibly different, not just in size but also in shape. It quickly became obvious that a one-size-fits-all approach will work in HPDs the day after it works for shoes.
Although we like to think the world revolves around shooting, the rest of the world doesn't agree. We are a small school of fish in a great big industrial pond. Hearing protection research is done in the workplace, not at the range. Shooters are a spin-off market. Hence the evaluations of products center on work-related noise-which is a steady noise versus the short-duration impulses of shots being fired. That makes a difference.
"Loud" is measured in decibels, hereafter known as db. The frequency, or pitch, of sound is measured in hertz, hereafter known as Hz. We tend to think and evaluate hearing protection based on db levels, but Hz do come into play, perhaps more in understanding hearing loss than protection. A "good" ear can recognize frequencies from 20 Hz (20 cycles per second) to 20,000 Hz. Most speech ranges from 300 to 4,000 Hz, with 500 to 2,000 Hz being the critical range. (Gunfire falls in the 500- to 1,000-Hz range.) Hearing loss occurs first in the higher frequencies-the 4,000 Hz range. Women's and kids' voices have a higher frequency. Combine this with the fact that consonants have a higher frequency than vowels and that most words have more consonants than vowels, and it becomes much easier to understand why we innocently tune out our wives and kids. We hardly can understand a word they're saying. My wife always sits on my right side if she wants to talk to me. My daughter simply asks which is my good ear before she whispers. Now if they crank up the volume, things get better.
The Occupational Safety & Health Administration's (OSHA) exposure limits require protection from noise of 90 db after eight hours a day. When the level is increased to 100 db, the tolerance time is reduced to two hours; 110 db, 1/2 hour; 115 db, 15 minutes. Anything more than 115 db can cause damage without protection. These limits are for sustained sound. The problem in translating sustained information to impulse information is that there isn't a formula, but OSHA workplace rules state that exposure to impulsive or impact noise should not exceed 140 db. If you don't have your sound meter along, a simple rule to follow is that if a noise creates discomfort, your body is trying to tell you something. Tolerance to sound is not universal. Some ears are more sensitive than others. One of the best defenses is simply distance.
Enter the hearing protection device. Remember our ultimate goal: We want to block the loud stuff-the stuff that hurts, literally and cumulutively. This is measured with the NRR (Noise Reduction Rating) scale. The methodology and formula are specified in law. The formula scared the heck out of me, but I suppose it makes sense to those of higher mathematical inclinations. The rating is calculated using the mean attenuations and standard deviations from the tests. If you look at the figures for db reduction printed on the packages of some HPDs, you'll see that they may indeed be higher than the overall NRR ratings for the devices, due to using the mean attenuation and standard deviation part of the formula. I think. The fly in the NRR ointment is that there is no monitoring of the validity of the figures. We are dependent on the virtuous nature of the manufacturer that the figures are accurate. There is no minimum standard either, just the requirement to list the calculated NRR.
The basic measurements seem straightforward enough. Put a microphone outside the device to measure the sound level and put a microphone "inside" the device to hear what gets through. This is one chink in our hearing systems, as the testing is done with sustained noise. The effectiveness is more efficient (or the sound that gets through less damaging) with impulse sounds because of the short duration, but I couldn't find a formula or figures that say exactly what we can expect. An NRR rating of 30 db is getting pretty darn good, and a few plugs and muffs offer slightly higher. It would be nice if it were just this convoluted, but the truth is that HPDs have different efficiencies (db) based on Hz. E.A.R. Insta-Mold plugs provide this example:
The NRR rating starts dropping off again after 4,000 Hz. On the package we simply see one NRR listing. Plugs have a slight efficiency advantage at the lower Hz, muffs at the higher. Are you still with me? Alas, all is not as it seems, according to OSHA.
Remember that we just want to block sound. In the lab, the tests assume that all is perfect. OSHA assumes that in the field all is not perfect. The NRR rating means that the HPD is blocking at 100 percent of the device's ability in the lab. The four-letter word that comes into play here is "seal." Whatever the HPD-plug, muff or any derivative thereof-its ability to reach its NRR potential is limited by how good the seal of the device is in or on the ear. During NRR testing, by dictate, the subject cannot put on the HPD. That must be done by the person conducting the test in order to eliminate variables. OSHA must figure that this makes a difference. At any rate, OSHA says HPDs are half as good in the field as in the lab. Ouch.
Muffs usually get the credit for being the most effective, but that isn't necessarily born out by the NRR ratings. You can get equally good sound-blocking performance from some of the foam earplugs as anything, if they fit-and you can stand to wear them. If they aren't in your ears, they don't work for beans. We are looking for the best seal we can get that is comfortable to wear in a device that offers the level of protection we need. For the record, a combination of plugs and muffs adds 10 to 12 db to the maximum efficiency of either one alone. (Another interesting tidbit: The reason your "front" ear's hearing is not as good as that of the ear against your gunstock is that the protection offered by the "shadow" of your head is about 3 db at 1,000 Hz.)
Foam Plugs
I think most of us have had the opportunity on the range to try to get the utilitarian foam plug rolled up tight enough to fit in a kid's or lady's ear, only to have it expand right back out. Any HPD has to be sized and sealed correctly to work. That doesn't mean only ladies and kids will have problems. I've seen some ear canals on men that would hardly let daylight through. The other part of the equation is that not all ears match their partners. It's entirely possible that any shooter may need a different-size plug for one ear than the other to get the best results. The good news is that foam plugs are made in different sizes. The bad news is that most ranges and stores only have one size. The alternative is the Internet. Net stores offer an infinite variety to anyone with a shipping address. Some even offer sample packs of different sizes. Locally, you may have a greater variety available at your industrial supply store than your gunshop.
Howard Leight foam plugs top the NRR scale at 34, when they fit. The NRR drops slightly as the plugs go to smaller sizes, because there is less foam in the way. Just to keep this from getting too simple, a 3- to 5-db difference probably can be ignored, according to the experts. Get plugs that truly fit your ears and you can't do much better-unless you, like me, can't stand the plugged up feeling you get with these inexpensive little marvels. They are also inconvenient to take in and out. And let's not forget that they can make it difficult to hear people talk. Some shooters can stop their HPD search here and be satisfied; others would rather move along.
Banded Plugs
Banded plugs-a set of earplugs with an attached headband-typically aren't quite as effective, with NRRs in the mid-20s, but they can be put on and taken off easily. Some shooters like them; others feel the headbands are trying to push the plugs into their ears until they meet in the middle. Overcoming the plugs' awkwardness with removal and reinstallation would seem to be their forte.
Today reusable plugs abound, and they are made from several materials. Most are flanged to help get a good fit. Effectiveness again comes down to just how good that "crushed" fit is. The largest flange should completely seal the ear canal for maximum efficiency. If you look around the range, you'll likely see shooters with the top flange barely touching the ear. They aren't getting the protection they need.
Pre-Molded Plugs
Many pre-molded plugs have stems to make inserting and removing them simple. Silent Ear plugs from the Ear Plug Store (www.earplugstore.com) are pre-molded plugs that aren't flanged in the traditional sense but have silicone gel inserts inside silicone rubber shells that shape themselves to the ear canal. They have flanges around the outside edge to assist in pulling them out. Available in three sizes, they cost about $9 per pair and are reusable.
Another pre-molded plug that caught my eye is the combat plug from Aearo. This is a two-ended plug, where one end gives constant suppression for steady noise environments and the other end operates on a valve system so the wearer can hear normal sounds but be protected against impulse sounds. The NRR is 22. Aearo plugs are issued to our troops in Iraq. They seem to be a viable option for hunters who don't want to spend a lot of money, who need to be able to hear from a safety standpoint, and who want protection in the field. They cost about $12 per pair and are reusable.
Given the variety of pre-molded plugs on the market, one should be able to find something that fits well and gives good service-but here comes the comfort factor again. Other than the few with valves, all pre-molded plugs block the ear canal, and some folks find this feeling intolerable for extended periods. Vented plugs allow the pressure inside and outside the ear to equalize. The sampling of vented plugs is much smaller. A relatively new offering is plugs with noise filters. The filters divert some of the sound back out away from the ear. Manufacturers say they work wonderfully.
Custom-Molded Plugs
When it comes to custom-molded plugs, if they are properly fit, they offer a perfect seal in both ears, and the price is reasonable given their durability. They don't expand, so the pressure sensation is greatly reduced. Although they typically offer no great advantage in maximum sound-blocking efficiency, with NRRs edging toward the upper 20s, because of the perfect seal, the NRR you see is what you get. They also offer greatly increased comfort for many folks. I'm on that list.
The process of being fitted is simple enough. A tuft of cotton on a thread is inserted in the ear to keep the molding material from running into the ear canal. A syringe is filled with a two-part mixture resembling Silly Putty. The material is injected into the ear, lightly tamped into place and allowed to set up. A coating may be applied to the outside to seal it, helping to keep dirt from embedding in the plug. An experienced, conscientious applicator can be of some advantage. The process is far from rocket science, but common sense always helps. These inexpensive plugs (typically $30) can be used as impressions for molding the more durable and quite a bit more expensive custom plugs.
Earmuffs
Earmuffs. There are over-the-top-headband and around-the-back-headband models. The sizes of the cups from brand to brand differ slightly both in circumference and thickness, with some variation in materials used. The inescapable fact about muffs is that increased NRR means an increase in the amount of material used in the cup. Effectiveness cannot be totally divorced from bulk. Weight can become an issue for some shooters with some muffs, especially those with the highest NRR ratings of about 40. If they weren't so big and bulky, we might all want to wear them. Unfortunately, they are much better suited to handgun use than repeatedly mounting a shotgun stock to the face. That said, several manufacturers claim to have taken shotgunners' needs into account when designing the size and shape of their muffs' cups.
Regardless of construction, muffs are every bit as dependent on the quality of the seal to achieve their NRR rating as foam plugs are. Break the seal; reduce the rating. Temples of eyeglasses can break the seal. Hair can break the seal. Hats can interfere with the headband and break the seal. Head shape can prevent a good seal. Perspiration can cause muffs to slip and break the seal. Critically important for shotgunners, the butt bumping the cup during the mount can break the seal. Not only is the sound-dampening quality reduced, but also the shot-delivery quality is reduced. Nothing happens to the butt of the gun that doesn't happen to the muzzle. If you can hear the tink of the butt hitting the muff, you can see the "dink" in the movement of the muzzle. I've watched shooters miss targets because they lose the coordination of their eyes and hands, hence muzzles, because of the "tink-dink." Some shooters can wear muffs and not have this problem. Some manufacturers advertise cutouts for gunstocks, but the issue with muffs bumping stocks seldom has to do with the thickness of the cup. It is the top-to-bottom size of the cup that is the gremlin.
The Electronics
Almost every configuration of passive HPD is now available with electronics that amplify softer sounds and suppress loud ones. Some electronics even use replaceable foam plugs as seals. One misconception is that the electronics are more effective at reducing sounds. In fact, they amplify soft sounds. They compress loud sounds to a preset level using suppression circuitry. They let us hear with our ears plugged. Seems a trifle contradictory.
Electronic HPDs offer target shooters the opportunity to hear the traps, the range calls and even the birds singing. They are vented, so pressure inside the ear and out is equalized. They may even have greater value for hunters. The increased safety factor can't be overstated. You can hear the dogs work, birds flush and other hunters as they walk and talk. Every facet of normal hearing is there for your enjoyment and safety.
A quick word on types of circuitry. The first electronic HPDs were muffs. The circuitry wasn't small enough to fit in plugs. That came a few years later. The circuitry of those early muffs shut down when sound exceeded the threshold level-hence the name "peak clipping circuitry." After a predetermined period, the circuitry would reactivate. On a clays range that reactivation often would occur just as another shot was being fired, in which case the muffs wouldn't always shut back down and a great deal of protection would be lost. Current technology offers sound compression. Sounds over the threshold are reduced by a device's electronic capabilities, but one is able to hear the entire time. Trust me on this. If you are considering a device that shuts down, repent and find one that compresses sound.
There are inexpensive electronic muffs with circuitry in one ear for $20 from Harbor Freight all the way up to digital custom plugs for $2,000. Some muffs have one microphone delivering sound to both cups; some have microphones in both cups. At least one model has two mics in each cup so you can hear things coming and going. There are in-the-ear plugs that use foam plugs for seals; silicone seals shaped like simple passive flanged plugs; and behind-the-ear devices that use a piece of plastic wrapped around the ear to carry sound from the body of the unit to the connecting plug in the ear canal. Regardless of the price or style, the crucial feature with electronics is no different than with passive HPDs: They have to fit. That means some shooters can receive full benefit from mass-produced behind-the-ear plugs or soft, pre-molded plugs. Muffs will work for others, but some shooters will bump the ear cups with their gun butts, breaking seals just like with passive muffs. A rule of thumb to follow is that if you don't like a particular configuration in a passive HPD, electronics aren't going to make it more comfortable. If you've found a particular type of passive HPD comfortable and effective, then looking at something along the same lines in electronic devices makes sense.
The second requirement for electronics is the threshold. My 10-year-old ESPs have a 90-db threshold. Some newer electronics that sell for considerably less have a 115-db threshold. Now I would rather pay the price of the 115-db models, but you can never buy back your hearing. In the long run the extra protection of the ESPs and others of similar quality becomes the bargain for me.
The third requirement for electronics is service. Everything in that plug is little. If you wear plugs a lot and keep them long enough, they will require service. Make sure you know what the warranty terms are and what the costs for rebuilding will be. Remember: It isn't "if" but "when." Realize, too, that not all companies make the electronic components for their plugs. They are often sourced, just as computer companies buy circuit boards from certain suppliers. That means that the quality from one brand could equal the quality from another brand because the components are the same. Or not. Of course, if HPD suppliers are sourcing components, then it's pretty safe to assume that gun companies that offer HPDs aren't making their own components either. Their HPDs are sourced from companies that make HPDs. No gunmaker's name on a muff necessarily makes the unit better than another, but the muffs may be priced in proportion to the company's guns. Check the features.
How much do you have to spend for efficient, basic hearing protection? The cost of foam plugs. Buy them in large quantities and they get pretty darn cheap. If that's all you can afford, you aren't hurting. A variety of reusable, pre-molded plugs are available for less than $15 and most less than that. Electronic muffs at $20 are not going to compare in utility to those with individual volume controls for each cup that can run from $100 to $400. Behind-the-ear analogs are in the $150 range, with digitals coming in around $425. Custom-molded plugs of the same body quality as custom electronic plugs are in the $125 to $150 range. Injection-molded plugs available at some gunshops, ranges and shoots likely will run around $35 to $40. Custom electronic analogs are in the $800 range, and digitals are about $2,000. Digitals don't protect the ears better, but the sound quality is better. Whether it is $1,200 better is in the mind and wallet of the beholder.
It would be nice to be able to nail this down for you and give solid recommendations with a few choices in each area, but the reality of the HPD market is that there is considerable overlap between brands, styles and features. Comfort considerations vary considerably from person to person. HPDs have to fit your ears, your wallet and your lifestyle. There's one out there that will do that, but only you can decide which one.
Dave Holmes, of Traverse City, Michigan, is a former police firearms instructor, sporting clays range owner, guide, outfitter and shotgun shooting instructor. He has worked in the custom gun trade and with several gun companies. His articles have appeared in several sporting publications, including ClayShooting USA and Shotgun Sports.
For most of us, the abuse started when we were much younger, back when real men didn't plug their ears. We didn't plug our ears because there weren't any ear plugs around, if for no other reason. Add the damage done shooting to the normal degradation that time brings, and we are a happy bunch of hunters and shooters who just have a hard time hearing speech in crowded rooms and annoying little sounds. We all know better now and wear some form of hearing protection any time we shoot. Well, at least the clay shooters do. There are still some hunters out there hammering their hair cells once or twice a bird.
If you've never seen a picture of hair cells-the ear's clever gismos that sense vibrations so they can be brain-translated into sound-they remind me of a short section of the pipes of an organ, rounded on top. When they are damaged by loud sounds, they start to take on the appearance of a pipe organ after a Kenworth has driven through the wall of the church. And they stay that way. There's no cleanup crew from FEMA. Just a mess on the surface of the cochlea until death do us part.
So the game we play today with our ears is simply to keep the damage from getting worse, because there is no getting better. No matter how much we protect our ears while shooting, we are likely going to experience a bit more sensory degradation as a gift of Mother Nature due to aging, but protect we must to minimize the effects.
Now confusion comes into play, and it has nothing to do with getting older. It has nothing to do with hearing loss but everything to do with sensory overload. There is a pot-load of hearing protection devices (HPDs) on the market from a variety of manufacturers. Sorting them out based on any single criteria can be a perplexing task.
There are no mysteries surrounding their effectiveness. They all operate on the same principle: Keep the loud stuff out of the ears. Plug 'em. That's no easy matter. When things got a little slow at church today, I started checking out ears. Wow! There was one fellow with ear canals big enough to park a small car in. There were "average" size ear canals. There were small canals. The auricles were incredibly different, not just in size but also in shape. It quickly became obvious that a one-size-fits-all approach will work in HPDs the day after it works for shoes.
Although we like to think the world revolves around shooting, the rest of the world doesn't agree. We are a small school of fish in a great big industrial pond. Hearing protection research is done in the workplace, not at the range. Shooters are a spin-off market. Hence the evaluations of products center on work-related noise-which is a steady noise versus the short-duration impulses of shots being fired. That makes a difference.
"Loud" is measured in decibels, hereafter known as db. The frequency, or pitch, of sound is measured in hertz, hereafter known as Hz. We tend to think and evaluate hearing protection based on db levels, but Hz do come into play, perhaps more in understanding hearing loss than protection. A "good" ear can recognize frequencies from 20 Hz (20 cycles per second) to 20,000 Hz. Most speech ranges from 300 to 4,000 Hz, with 500 to 2,000 Hz being the critical range. (Gunfire falls in the 500- to 1,000-Hz range.) Hearing loss occurs first in the higher frequencies-the 4,000 Hz range. Women's and kids' voices have a higher frequency. Combine this with the fact that consonants have a higher frequency than vowels and that most words have more consonants than vowels, and it becomes much easier to understand why we innocently tune out our wives and kids. We hardly can understand a word they're saying. My wife always sits on my right side if she wants to talk to me. My daughter simply asks which is my good ear before she whispers. Now if they crank up the volume, things get better.
- Let's get some reference points:
- Softly rustling leaves: 0 db
- A whisper: 20 db
- Normal speech: 60 db
- Chainsaw: 110 db
- Rock concert: 110 db
- .22 LR: 155 db
- 12-gauge shotgun: 165 db
- .30-06: 170 db
The Occupational Safety & Health Administration's (OSHA) exposure limits require protection from noise of 90 db after eight hours a day. When the level is increased to 100 db, the tolerance time is reduced to two hours; 110 db, 1/2 hour; 115 db, 15 minutes. Anything more than 115 db can cause damage without protection. These limits are for sustained sound. The problem in translating sustained information to impulse information is that there isn't a formula, but OSHA workplace rules state that exposure to impulsive or impact noise should not exceed 140 db. If you don't have your sound meter along, a simple rule to follow is that if a noise creates discomfort, your body is trying to tell you something. Tolerance to sound is not universal. Some ears are more sensitive than others. One of the best defenses is simply distance.
Enter the hearing protection device. Remember our ultimate goal: We want to block the loud stuff-the stuff that hurts, literally and cumulutively. This is measured with the NRR (Noise Reduction Rating) scale. The methodology and formula are specified in law. The formula scared the heck out of me, but I suppose it makes sense to those of higher mathematical inclinations. The rating is calculated using the mean attenuations and standard deviations from the tests. If you look at the figures for db reduction printed on the packages of some HPDs, you'll see that they may indeed be higher than the overall NRR ratings for the devices, due to using the mean attenuation and standard deviation part of the formula. I think. The fly in the NRR ointment is that there is no monitoring of the validity of the figures. We are dependent on the virtuous nature of the manufacturer that the figures are accurate. There is no minimum standard either, just the requirement to list the calculated NRR.
The basic measurements seem straightforward enough. Put a microphone outside the device to measure the sound level and put a microphone "inside" the device to hear what gets through. This is one chink in our hearing systems, as the testing is done with sustained noise. The effectiveness is more efficient (or the sound that gets through less damaging) with impulse sounds because of the short duration, but I couldn't find a formula or figures that say exactly what we can expect. An NRR rating of 30 db is getting pretty darn good, and a few plugs and muffs offer slightly higher. It would be nice if it were just this convoluted, but the truth is that HPDs have different efficiencies (db) based on Hz. E.A.R. Insta-Mold plugs provide this example:
| Hz: | 125 | 1,000 | 4,000 |
| NRR: | 25.1 | 34.2 | 40.1 |
The NRR rating starts dropping off again after 4,000 Hz. On the package we simply see one NRR listing. Plugs have a slight efficiency advantage at the lower Hz, muffs at the higher. Are you still with me? Alas, all is not as it seems, according to OSHA.
Remember that we just want to block sound. In the lab, the tests assume that all is perfect. OSHA assumes that in the field all is not perfect. The NRR rating means that the HPD is blocking at 100 percent of the device's ability in the lab. The four-letter word that comes into play here is "seal." Whatever the HPD-plug, muff or any derivative thereof-its ability to reach its NRR potential is limited by how good the seal of the device is in or on the ear. During NRR testing, by dictate, the subject cannot put on the HPD. That must be done by the person conducting the test in order to eliminate variables. OSHA must figure that this makes a difference. At any rate, OSHA says HPDs are half as good in the field as in the lab. Ouch.
Muffs usually get the credit for being the most effective, but that isn't necessarily born out by the NRR ratings. You can get equally good sound-blocking performance from some of the foam earplugs as anything, if they fit-and you can stand to wear them. If they aren't in your ears, they don't work for beans. We are looking for the best seal we can get that is comfortable to wear in a device that offers the level of protection we need. For the record, a combination of plugs and muffs adds 10 to 12 db to the maximum efficiency of either one alone. (Another interesting tidbit: The reason your "front" ear's hearing is not as good as that of the ear against your gunstock is that the protection offered by the "shadow" of your head is about 3 db at 1,000 Hz.)
Foam Plugs
I think most of us have had the opportunity on the range to try to get the utilitarian foam plug rolled up tight enough to fit in a kid's or lady's ear, only to have it expand right back out. Any HPD has to be sized and sealed correctly to work. That doesn't mean only ladies and kids will have problems. I've seen some ear canals on men that would hardly let daylight through. The other part of the equation is that not all ears match their partners. It's entirely possible that any shooter may need a different-size plug for one ear than the other to get the best results. The good news is that foam plugs are made in different sizes. The bad news is that most ranges and stores only have one size. The alternative is the Internet. Net stores offer an infinite variety to anyone with a shipping address. Some even offer sample packs of different sizes. Locally, you may have a greater variety available at your industrial supply store than your gunshop.
Howard Leight foam plugs top the NRR scale at 34, when they fit. The NRR drops slightly as the plugs go to smaller sizes, because there is less foam in the way. Just to keep this from getting too simple, a 3- to 5-db difference probably can be ignored, according to the experts. Get plugs that truly fit your ears and you can't do much better-unless you, like me, can't stand the plugged up feeling you get with these inexpensive little marvels. They are also inconvenient to take in and out. And let's not forget that they can make it difficult to hear people talk. Some shooters can stop their HPD search here and be satisfied; others would rather move along.
Banded Plugs
Banded plugs-a set of earplugs with an attached headband-typically aren't quite as effective, with NRRs in the mid-20s, but they can be put on and taken off easily. Some shooters like them; others feel the headbands are trying to push the plugs into their ears until they meet in the middle. Overcoming the plugs' awkwardness with removal and reinstallation would seem to be their forte.
Today reusable plugs abound, and they are made from several materials. Most are flanged to help get a good fit. Effectiveness again comes down to just how good that "crushed" fit is. The largest flange should completely seal the ear canal for maximum efficiency. If you look around the range, you'll likely see shooters with the top flange barely touching the ear. They aren't getting the protection they need.
Pre-Molded Plugs
Many pre-molded plugs have stems to make inserting and removing them simple. Silent Ear plugs from the Ear Plug Store (www.earplugstore.com) are pre-molded plugs that aren't flanged in the traditional sense but have silicone gel inserts inside silicone rubber shells that shape themselves to the ear canal. They have flanges around the outside edge to assist in pulling them out. Available in three sizes, they cost about $9 per pair and are reusable.
Another pre-molded plug that caught my eye is the combat plug from Aearo. This is a two-ended plug, where one end gives constant suppression for steady noise environments and the other end operates on a valve system so the wearer can hear normal sounds but be protected against impulse sounds. The NRR is 22. Aearo plugs are issued to our troops in Iraq. They seem to be a viable option for hunters who don't want to spend a lot of money, who need to be able to hear from a safety standpoint, and who want protection in the field. They cost about $12 per pair and are reusable.
Given the variety of pre-molded plugs on the market, one should be able to find something that fits well and gives good service-but here comes the comfort factor again. Other than the few with valves, all pre-molded plugs block the ear canal, and some folks find this feeling intolerable for extended periods. Vented plugs allow the pressure inside and outside the ear to equalize. The sampling of vented plugs is much smaller. A relatively new offering is plugs with noise filters. The filters divert some of the sound back out away from the ear. Manufacturers say they work wonderfully.
Custom-Molded Plugs
When it comes to custom-molded plugs, if they are properly fit, they offer a perfect seal in both ears, and the price is reasonable given their durability. They don't expand, so the pressure sensation is greatly reduced. Although they typically offer no great advantage in maximum sound-blocking efficiency, with NRRs edging toward the upper 20s, because of the perfect seal, the NRR you see is what you get. They also offer greatly increased comfort for many folks. I'm on that list.
The process of being fitted is simple enough. A tuft of cotton on a thread is inserted in the ear to keep the molding material from running into the ear canal. A syringe is filled with a two-part mixture resembling Silly Putty. The material is injected into the ear, lightly tamped into place and allowed to set up. A coating may be applied to the outside to seal it, helping to keep dirt from embedding in the plug. An experienced, conscientious applicator can be of some advantage. The process is far from rocket science, but common sense always helps. These inexpensive plugs (typically $30) can be used as impressions for molding the more durable and quite a bit more expensive custom plugs.
Earmuffs
Earmuffs. There are over-the-top-headband and around-the-back-headband models. The sizes of the cups from brand to brand differ slightly both in circumference and thickness, with some variation in materials used. The inescapable fact about muffs is that increased NRR means an increase in the amount of material used in the cup. Effectiveness cannot be totally divorced from bulk. Weight can become an issue for some shooters with some muffs, especially those with the highest NRR ratings of about 40. If they weren't so big and bulky, we might all want to wear them. Unfortunately, they are much better suited to handgun use than repeatedly mounting a shotgun stock to the face. That said, several manufacturers claim to have taken shotgunners' needs into account when designing the size and shape of their muffs' cups.
Regardless of construction, muffs are every bit as dependent on the quality of the seal to achieve their NRR rating as foam plugs are. Break the seal; reduce the rating. Temples of eyeglasses can break the seal. Hair can break the seal. Hats can interfere with the headband and break the seal. Head shape can prevent a good seal. Perspiration can cause muffs to slip and break the seal. Critically important for shotgunners, the butt bumping the cup during the mount can break the seal. Not only is the sound-dampening quality reduced, but also the shot-delivery quality is reduced. Nothing happens to the butt of the gun that doesn't happen to the muzzle. If you can hear the tink of the butt hitting the muff, you can see the "dink" in the movement of the muzzle. I've watched shooters miss targets because they lose the coordination of their eyes and hands, hence muzzles, because of the "tink-dink." Some shooters can wear muffs and not have this problem. Some manufacturers advertise cutouts for gunstocks, but the issue with muffs bumping stocks seldom has to do with the thickness of the cup. It is the top-to-bottom size of the cup that is the gremlin.
The Electronics
Almost every configuration of passive HPD is now available with electronics that amplify softer sounds and suppress loud ones. Some electronics even use replaceable foam plugs as seals. One misconception is that the electronics are more effective at reducing sounds. In fact, they amplify soft sounds. They compress loud sounds to a preset level using suppression circuitry. They let us hear with our ears plugged. Seems a trifle contradictory.
Electronic HPDs offer target shooters the opportunity to hear the traps, the range calls and even the birds singing. They are vented, so pressure inside the ear and out is equalized. They may even have greater value for hunters. The increased safety factor can't be overstated. You can hear the dogs work, birds flush and other hunters as they walk and talk. Every facet of normal hearing is there for your enjoyment and safety.
A quick word on types of circuitry. The first electronic HPDs were muffs. The circuitry wasn't small enough to fit in plugs. That came a few years later. The circuitry of those early muffs shut down when sound exceeded the threshold level-hence the name "peak clipping circuitry." After a predetermined period, the circuitry would reactivate. On a clays range that reactivation often would occur just as another shot was being fired, in which case the muffs wouldn't always shut back down and a great deal of protection would be lost. Current technology offers sound compression. Sounds over the threshold are reduced by a device's electronic capabilities, but one is able to hear the entire time. Trust me on this. If you are considering a device that shuts down, repent and find one that compresses sound.
There are inexpensive electronic muffs with circuitry in one ear for $20 from Harbor Freight all the way up to digital custom plugs for $2,000. Some muffs have one microphone delivering sound to both cups; some have microphones in both cups. At least one model has two mics in each cup so you can hear things coming and going. There are in-the-ear plugs that use foam plugs for seals; silicone seals shaped like simple passive flanged plugs; and behind-the-ear devices that use a piece of plastic wrapped around the ear to carry sound from the body of the unit to the connecting plug in the ear canal. Regardless of the price or style, the crucial feature with electronics is no different than with passive HPDs: They have to fit. That means some shooters can receive full benefit from mass-produced behind-the-ear plugs or soft, pre-molded plugs. Muffs will work for others, but some shooters will bump the ear cups with their gun butts, breaking seals just like with passive muffs. A rule of thumb to follow is that if you don't like a particular configuration in a passive HPD, electronics aren't going to make it more comfortable. If you've found a particular type of passive HPD comfortable and effective, then looking at something along the same lines in electronic devices makes sense.
The second requirement for electronics is the threshold. My 10-year-old ESPs have a 90-db threshold. Some newer electronics that sell for considerably less have a 115-db threshold. Now I would rather pay the price of the 115-db models, but you can never buy back your hearing. In the long run the extra protection of the ESPs and others of similar quality becomes the bargain for me.
- Shooters interested in learning more about hearing protection or researching specific devices should visit the following Websites.
- www.aearo.com: AO Safety, E.A.R., Peltor, plugs, e-plugs, muffs, e-muffs.
- www.bsaltd.com: Deben e-muffs.
- www.earinc.com: E.A.R. plugs, e-plugs.
- www.earplugstore.com: Lots of brands, lots of information.
- www.espamerica.com: ESP plugs, e-plugs.
- www.hearingportal.com: Bilsom muffs, e-muffs, Howard Leight plugs.
- www.howardleightshootingsports .com: Howard Leight plugs, muffs, e-muffs.
- www.jacksonsafety.com: Silencio plugs, muffs, e-muffs.
- www.noisebrakers.com: Hocks Noise Brakers plugs.
- www.napierusa.com: Napier muffs, e-muffs.
- www.northsafety.com: North Safety Products plugs, muffs.
- www.northernsafety.com: Lots of brands, lots of information.
- www.nuhear.com: Nuhear e-plugs.
- www.peltor.com: Peltor muffs, e-muffs.
- www.proears.com: Pro Ears e-muffs.
- www.radians.com: Remington plugs, muffs, e-muffs.
- www.zemzone.com: ZEM banded plugs.
- www.sordinearmuffs.com: B&P is supplying these electronic muffs from Sweden.
- www.sportear.com: SportEAR plugs, e-plugs, e-muffs (coming soon).
- www.walkersgameear.com: Walker's Game Ear e-plugs, muffs, e-muffs.
How much do you have to spend for efficient, basic hearing protection? The cost of foam plugs. Buy them in large quantities and they get pretty darn cheap. If that's all you can afford, you aren't hurting. A variety of reusable, pre-molded plugs are available for less than $15 and most less than that. Electronic muffs at $20 are not going to compare in utility to those with individual volume controls for each cup that can run from $100 to $400. Behind-the-ear analogs are in the $150 range, with digitals coming in around $425. Custom-molded plugs of the same body quality as custom electronic plugs are in the $125 to $150 range. Injection-molded plugs available at some gunshops, ranges and shoots likely will run around $35 to $40. Custom electronic analogs are in the $800 range, and digitals are about $2,000. Digitals don't protect the ears better, but the sound quality is better. Whether it is $1,200 better is in the mind and wallet of the beholder.
It would be nice to be able to nail this down for you and give solid recommendations with a few choices in each area, but the reality of the HPD market is that there is considerable overlap between brands, styles and features. Comfort considerations vary considerably from person to person. HPDs have to fit your ears, your wallet and your lifestyle. There's one out there that will do that, but only you can decide which one.
Dave Holmes, of Traverse City, Michigan, is a former police firearms instructor, sporting clays range owner, guide, outfitter and shotgun shooting instructor. He has worked in the custom gun trade and with several gun companies. His articles have appeared in several sporting publications, including ClayShooting USA and Shotgun Sports.
- By: Dave Holmes
