HI all, I have I guess what is a silly question regarding the actual hunting with a short gun. When hunting, do you wear earplugs, earmuffs or since you are all so good

only worry about the one shot you are going to take. I have noticed that some of the hanguns I am considering taking this fall are teeth ratteling loud. I found this out the other day while I was working with loads for my comped 45 super. After getting up for a minute I sat back down and just as I squeezed the trigger something didn't seem right. Oh yea, I forgot to put the muffs back on. So after I regained my senses I began to think how I would actually do this in the woods. So far I think I would keep a set of plugs around my neck and if time would allow slip them in before the shot. I just wondered what everyone else does in an actual hunting situation. Thanks

I wear a set of pro ears predator gold muffs when I'm hunting and shooting as well. I like those over others because I can tell direction of a sound and they are pretty good in the wind, which we have a lot of here in TX.

I don't typically use hearing protection when I hunt. I only really felt the compulsion when I was testing/hunting with a .460 XVR -- ouch.

I wear Radians electronic ear muffs. Several years ago while deer hunting with my wife, I shot a doe with my 50 AE. My wife had taken her fingers out of her ears because I said I wasn't going to shoot. Well, I changed my mind and her ears rang/buzzed for a couple of days. She will never forget that.LOL Once you loose your hearing, it's gone. Who want's to wear a hearing aide when you get older if you can prevent it?

Amplified muffs discombobulate me. I will stick in earplugs when on a stand where time is not problem, but most of my hunting is done on foot and you don't get time to stick stuff in your ears when a buck busts cover. But, last year I released the power of my Bisley 45LC in heavy cover and I felt it for a while. I am now looking at a couple of passive plugs that let sound in but close with heavy pressure to keep loudness out, no amplification. Will report after I've done some testing.

Walker Power Quad Muffs - since it's usually very warm in the early season, I keep them on my head above my ears and deploy (slide down and turn on) when I hear or see game approaching. I have a couple of revolvers and single shots I would not shoot without ear pro, regardless of how big the ___ is. But like several of the other posters, I prefer to use my natural hearing to locate game.

If I'm stand hunting in an area with limited visibility, sometimes I'll get them ready at "prime time" if I expect to be surprised. But as an avid bowhunter, if I can draw a bow on game, I can get these muffs in place before I take a shot. Just part of the hunt.

I use a set of low profile Caldwell's. They aren't the best in the wind. I shoot right handed. On the stand I wear it on the right side and slightly off the left ear. Haven't lost a shot yet due to
slipping the left side on. Fired my .460XVR once without. Will NEVER do that again. Save your hearing!!!!

I always wear hearing protection when hunting.

I use ear plugs EVERY shot...I have found that the plugs with a hard stem are easy and fast to put in. I even include them and a case with every chest holster that I sell because I think plugs are as important as ammo.

The plugs with the string can be quicky pulled from the little harness case and installed. I consider it as important as cocking my gun. If the animal doesn't give me time for the plugs then I figure I just didn't have enough time.

On an Illinois hunt 2 years ago, I mistakenly left my Walkers Power Muffs in my truck. Decided I would just hunt without them instead of going back to retrieve. 10 minutes later I cracked down on a nice 9 pt. with my .460. Couldn't hear out of my left ear for 3 days and the ringing subsided another couple days later. Yes, I always use them, and I never leave them in the truck--they stay in my pack.

I love that feature of your chest rigs -- great idea!

Hey Freedom 475, not to derail the thread, but what kind of holster is that, and where'd you get it?

i dont and i dont do well with changing things ive done for years. if i was starting all over again you bet your... i would.

I wear power muffs as I can no longer hear a deer walking or a squirrel cutting a nut anymore,unless they are very close.The constant ringing and chirping in my ears [tinnitus] never stops, and never will ,it will only get worse.I have never lost a shot at game because of putting on muffs or plugs,but if I do it was just the games day and not mine. Protect your hearing at any cost.

Thanks all for the input. I also don't have the best hearing to begin with, and starting to hunt with a handgun certainly won't improve that. I will have to look for some of the hard stem ear plugs that were mentioned and give them a try. Great idea of a pouch on the chest rig so that they are always there. I like to still hunt after the first morning so that is where the jump and shoot situations tend to come up. I guess if nothing else I could wear one in my left ear while I walk since I usually shoot with a hard weaver stance.

Boot, he produces them:

http://www.7xleather.com

Thanks Whitworth. I checked his site, wow. Thats some nice stuff! There may be a new chest rig in my future, before deer season starts. As to the O.P., it never occurred to me to wear plugs/muffs while hunting. I always wear hearing protection while practicing though. I only have a 44, which doesn't seem quite as ear splitting as some of my buddies 454, or 500s&w. They don't hunt with their handguns though, and I've only got to shoot them at the range a few times. I suppose though, that even a little 44 can be damaging my hearing one shot at a time, while hunting.

I hunt with a horse show style set that stays around my neck. I have also been known to wear a pair of muffs that rust just above my ears like users stated above.


As a professorially paid Military Musician I am going to say that Junebug is 100% right on! I lived with foam ear plugs.

I can't even begin to contemplate the ammount of hearing damage I suffered from concerts in my misspent youth......

Ya... I spent a Brass Band concert in between a snare drum and a bass drum in a school auditorium. I was wishing I had two sets of plugs for that gig... ouch...

I will have to admit that I don't wear any hearing protection while hunting, but will not shoot otherwise without. I just had a set molded to my ears that I take with me everywhere in my backpack that doubles as my briefcase at work. They work really well and wish I would have done a set of them earlier.

As far as shooting without when hunting, my area that I hunt is very wide open and the sound does not seem to bother me with nothing around for it to bounce off and come back at me or to capture all that sound. I'm sure, however, that part of this is due to the fact that my hearing is worse than I had ever hoped and that I have "conditioned" myself with an ever present ringing.

Wear them, I am from here out as I'm starting to miss some of my daughter's conversations...

PH

Shooting, yes, always.

Hunting, If I have time... I ALWAYS have them along, and will deploy them if there is time, but in quick situations, and on a big boy, not always.

I also don't hunt with guns that have brakes, and I think that makes a huge difference. My power ported 629 was ear splitting loud as I found out on a hunt once. I would not shoot that one without plugs again. Don't have that gun anymore anyway. My 15 inch 7 08, and 7 1/2 inch 45 colt are not too bad. I figure one or two shots every couple years are worth the freedom of hunting with my ears open. Tried electric muffs, and didn't like em.

MN

Not one single shot on the range without muffs.
But a shot when hunting does not bother me. Even the .500 JRH or .475 has not made my ears ring.
I do not know why.

I always wear my Impact Sports electronic muffs while hunting and practicing.

I always used hearing protection at the range, sometimes muffs over plugs. I won't send a round downrange without them.

That being said.... I have never used hearing protection while hunting. Like some others have said; I know I'm exposed to the same noise in the woods as at the range, but I've never had an issue with a shot fired at game. No ringing, nothing.

I shot a deer with my 45 colt (hot handload) out of a box stand that had a roof on it a few years ago. I was not wearing hearing protection then, and dang! that rung my bell.

Since then I have used earplugs on the strings. I am always on the look out for something better. I think a set like s4s4u had mentioned may be the ticket...

I always wear my Walker Ear Muffs at the range and sometimes if I'm on a stand. I've tried the plugs on strings and plastic but the problem is where I hunt at shots come on and dissapear too fast to mess with putting something in my ears. I've had one gun make my ears ring shooting at game and that was my 460XVR. I fired three shots at a coyote at full throttle and each shot was more painfull than the one before. I don't even remember hearing the shots from any of the deer or elk I've shot including the last bull I took with my Encore in 300Win with a brake.

When I first hunted whitetail deer years ago I started out with a Model 29 and a Model 27. After cracking off a few rounds from those (particularly that 4-inch Model 27) I decided that I was tired of waking up the next day with drainage from my ears onto my pillow.

Since then I have worn some type of ear protection every time I fire a gun - at the range or hunting. My son and I have had a good experience with Radians that cost me about $90.00 each. They can get a little uncomfortable after a while and sometimes I reach up and pull them off my ears to get a little fresh air and to let my ears relax. That said, at least for me, to know my ears are protected allows me to shoot with more confidence.

I suppose there is an upside to wearing earmuffs on a cold day. If its cold and windy you cant hear anyway

And they keep your ears warm!

The trouble with shooting without muffs or plugs is every shot takes a little hearing away, even the ones that don't hurt at the time. You will never get it back once it's gone and the ringing never stops.The first time I wore the power muffs it took a while to figure out what I was hearing in the woods,the woods can't be that noisy early in the morning. I was hearing birds and the normal sounds of the woods waking up that I hadn't heard in so long I had forgotten them. And one shot does do irreparable damage. The ability to hear your childrens and grandchildren's voices would be a terrible price to pay for our sport.{We all make our own choices and have to live with them,}but no game animal is worth loosing any more hearing to me, I will wear my muffs or plugs! If he's chewing on your carcass, or is about to[bear or anything big with teeth],or jumping up and down on you moose, elk, horse,2 legged idiot or [range bull my personal favorite] ,all bets are off and you do what you have to do, that is the only time! IMHO