Pros & Cons Of HD Shooting Using Ear Protection

D

Doublea A

New member
So I did a testing today using my Field & Stream Sportsman Ear Muffs in which the goal was detect whether I could hear i.e. an intruder footstep when they are walking around the house. Using my wife who weighs approximately 120lbs and me 200lb as rotation we put this scenario into action. My house is over 55yrs old and we have the original hardwood floor therefore even when you are upstairs you can easily hear somebody walking on the main floor. This is a benefit because you can hear somebody coming up the stairs as well because of the squeaky noise. Anyway, here is our conclusion.

Pros of wearing ear protection:
Preventing hearing loss when discharging a firearm in a closed area like a house, room etc.

Cons of wearing ear protection
It was very difficult to almost impossible to hear the footsteps of the i.e. intruder even for a 200lb person walking on a squeaky flooring. I had to really concentrate to hear a little bit.

My question is that have others done this testing? If yes, what were the results?

Obviously I am not saying this is an empirical study but I wanted to share my results and see if others have tried this testing with different ear protection devices.
The best solution is to be able to hear the footsteps and at the same time offering ear protection during the discharging of the firearm.
 
I second the electronic ear muffs.
I have been known to refer to mine (inexpensive Howard Leights) as my "super ears". The only downside with them would be that it would be one more thing to remember.
 
The best option would probably be to use a silencer, but I feel like that might open up legal problems if you were to use it for home defense.
 
Cons: it might be difficult to talk to the 911 operator while wearing muffs. Even electronic ones!

pax
 
If you ever find your self in a real shots fired situation, most likely you'll not be wearing hearing or eye protection.
 
I do have electronic muffs but I would not wear them as the wife does not have or would not wear a pair. Putting on the muffs is one thing extra to do and in an emergency my only thought would be to grab my pistol and stop the threat.
 
That's an interesting question for home defense. You should have enough layers to avoid someone materializing above your bed.

Alarms, dogs, good locks, bedroom locks (hmmm!). You would have eough time to grab the glasses and muffs (next to the bed, next to the gun, next to the light).

I'm going to try to use the phone with mine to see if Pax is correct. Empirical question.
 
Dr. Science report:

I put on my Peltor electronic muffs. I then called my voice mail systems at work and could clearly hear the conversational level computer lady voice.

Science report over.
 
If someone broke in my house asleep or not the LAST thing would be doing would be looking for would be safety glasses and ear muffs or plugs!
 
If you stage your materials well - then if we are talking about the bedroom defensive position - it probably takes as much time to rack your shotgun to scare away the BG.

Since I have crappy vision - going to the glasses is a must. BTW, a wife shot her hubby coming out of the can and claimed it was her vision. He looked like a monster. A colleague of mine used modulation transfer function testing of her vision to demonstrate that she could see the guy. Ooops!
 
Could there be a legal problem? Like hot ammo lawyer tricks?
"You put on earmuffs! That means you wanted to shoot!" Type thing ?

Also, I had an incedent many years back. My attackers were canines of the pit bull persasion. Luckly, dogs are a bit more sensitive to warning shots then humans, so I didn't have to kill a dog.
However, two shots out of my model 19 and I will say that I would not have been capable of holding a conversation on a phone (actually, I wasn't capable of holding much of one in person for about 20 minutes) had I needed, too.

I think electric ear muffs by the bed are a GOOD idea.
 
They may be a good idea in theory. And getting them turned on. Glasses on the other hand if needed are a Must I do keep a ultra fire flashlight next to the .45 though on nightstand. Behind the door is a HD shotty with pressure pad activated light. In a perfect world or scenario you'd have eye and amplified ear protection, shooting gloves Kevlar , etc If waking up from a dead sleep, you're doing good to become alert as to what is going on.
 
I keep a set of electronic ear protection next to my bed and my nightstand gun. I already have tinnitus in my left ear (constant ringing) from firing a single .357 magnum round indoors with no ear protection, so I would like to minimize the chances of further damage. My bedside gun is also Beretta M9 loaded with standard pressure 9mm, I actually find the Beretta and it's long barrel to be a soft shooting gun noise wise compared to say a 357/38, or even my Sig .380 for that matter.

Could there be a legal problem? Like hot ammo lawyer tricks?
"You put on earmuffs! That means you wanted to shoot!" Type thing ?
Click to expand...

If the jury or judge has a problem with it, ill suggest sticking them in a room for an hour with a simulation of what tinnitus sounds like and see how much they enjoy it. I guarantee one hour of it and they will agree that hearing protection is a damn good thing.
 
I'll pass, seconds count. My ears are FUBAR anyway, I've already reconciled myself to the likelihood of having to have hearing aids by age 30. There's a freight train slamming on its brakes inside my head as I type this.
 
I trust my ability to decide in the moment whether I have time to put them on. Truthfully, I've never kept them by my bed to this point, but I'm beginning to think it's a good idea.
Since every time I've ever had to go check out a noise it's been a critter, having super hearing, and not being deafened by my shotgun seems like it would be a good thing. If I was woken up by my front door getting kicked down, I could always just grab the gun and go.
I also keep a vest tucked behind the night stand. Not that I put it on every time I check out a noise, but it does no harm sitting behind the night stand, and if I ever did think I needed it and have time to put it on it's nice to know it's there.
Better to have more than you need than less right?
Plus, I have to keep my ear muffs somewhere - why not there?
 
Electronic ear muffs, which may amplify and enhance sounds, are going to impede your ear's often times very subtle aural direction finding ability. I will pass on the electronic ear muffs.
 
Ear muffs would be very last on my list. I couldn't imagine hearing a noise then putting on ear muffs.

A bad situation happens shooting someone should be last resort. Before that point lots can go on, when it is dark you need your ears, you also need your ears because you cannot see through walls. Can you hear others talking or noise signals, cars outside, door latches, windows, A fight for life or death ringing ears afterwards would not be much of a worry to me.

I have read new stories of people mistakenly shooting drunk college girls who are lost and kids playing pranks. having all your senses could really help avoid a horrible mistake also.
 
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