Hearing Devices / Protection ?

[Deep C]

Getting old sucks... Used to be I could sit in front of a mountain of speakers at a rock concert or get right up on tunr one wall at a NASCAR race for hours on end with no ill effects. To throw a couple boxes of 3" mags at quackers was childs play.

A couple years ago I slung three regular brass at a woodcock and it felt like somebody put the muzzle in my ear. This year I tossed a 3" at a deer and again it rang my bell. I switched over to 223 and 45 this last season and really had no problems with either. Then last week unloaded the clips on both while running back from the Bahamas and I havn't been right since. Usually it takes a day or two to get right but I'm here at week with hurt hearing. Some sounds are painful, almost static sounding. The tinitus (ringing) has been full volume with no let off.

So I'm wondering what to do. Ear plugs will stop the noise. Thats not an issue. Plugs though cut out most of my game when hunting the swamps where hearing is everything. Any of you guys use any of the hearing enhancers that become protectors when shooting? Any reccomendations?

[NY Bearhunter]

WALKERS GAME EAR, WE USE THEM HERE AND THEY ARE GREAT.

[fishinmagician_IV]

I have 60 % hearing in the left ear and 40 in the other and bought the power muffs two years ago. They work very good on calm days. IF the wind is blowing you have to turn them WAY down to reduce the "noise" of the wind but I lose the hearing that I had with them. BUT, they do help!!!!!!!!! just drive you nuts with the wind noise.

[Deep C]

Great... Two nods for walker products... Remington makes one wondering if any input on those... Keep em comming guys... I'm listening... well kind of...

[TITLEWAVE]

I have a pair of E.A.R.S. inc hearing/ear protection.

these are the best money can buy on the market.

they increase a humans hearing to 20 fold, giving me cat like hearing in the woods.I hear deer , turkey and any animal moving through the woods before they ever get into shooting range. I too had ruined my hearing with outboards , diesels , hunting and just plain getting old. I can now say that i hear better than any human who is not wearing these . I got mine from a real ear doctor here in Atlanta , and they are not cheap .

I paid 750$ buck for the pair plus a hearing test , but they are real deal. Walkers ears do work , but suck for directional sound and pinpointing the actual location , where mine are just like having bionic ears.


Good luck.

[Big Red]

Walkers power muffs, I use them hunting everything and use them in the yard cuttin the grass. Been conducting kids shooting events for the last month, I can hear the kids questions no problem and still blocks out the shots.

[captnemo]

WHAT?

[weekender]

having the same issues, I haven't gone full tilt to get the good stuff yet but my wife bought me some cheap ones for about $15 bucks each. Walmart I think. I was frustrated elk hunting when she kept hearing distant bugles that I could not hear. We had an elk respond to my calling that came running in and I never heard it. It stopped at 10 yds, my wife had heard him coming but I never heard anything. I wasn't ready and blew the chance. I actually bugled with my call while the elk was standing at 10 yrds behind me. EMBARASSED, belittled. I borrowed a Walkers from a friend and I couldn't tell the difference in the hearing from the cheapos. My friend just had the "out of box model", not the kind that is made from a mold of your ear. I can hear good with the cheapo's, but as mentioned above, wind noise, walking in dry crunchy terrain and traffic noise are bothersome to say the least. They do have volume control. The only real issue I have with the cheapos is the ear piece won't stay in my ear if I am moving. I need some ideas on a material to use for the ear piece. I am not ready to shell out the $750 for the real thing. Any ideas would be appreciated. The cheapos came with small soft plastic cups and actually had 3 sizes but none of these will stay put while moving.

[weekender]

solution for cheapos maybe, the Walkers out of box model comes with soft foam ear pieces and I just remembered that I ordered a few extras from Walkers to give to my friend for loaning me his. I also ordered me a few and just tried them in place of the cheapos plastic cups. I think the Walkers foam will stay in much better. Bottom line Deep, for around $50 bucks you can get a real good idea of what wearing hearing assistance is like without jumping full tilt if you are concerned.

[weekender]

I might add that wearing only one aid totally disables you from coursing sound, but while wearing one in both ears, you can do pretty well.