Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Hearing Protection while hunting deer

I got my new 6.5CM X-bolt sighted in on Sat and found that my Leight L3 muffs worked very well to muffle the sound off the Hawg brake, but we’re a PITA hitting the stock. I put about 50 rounds through the gun and my crappy shoulder really enjoyed the low recoil, but I’m gonna need something that works with the stock and does a decent job for sound reduction. I made the mistake of forgetting to put them on once after changing targets and I won’t ever make that mistake again. Flared my tinnitus up bad.

I’ve been looking at the Decibullz percussive as well as maybe the Axil GS without the Bluetooth. A set of skinny muffs would be fine as long as they’d work with the brake and not hit the stock. 9/10 I’m gonna be in a ground blind or sitting on the ground so I could slide them on quicker than trying to shove in foam earplugs. I’m not interested in a suppressor, fwiw.

Any recommendations.

I recently got the Oto Pro Impulse. They work well and later they'll let you upgrade the device to the custom fitted version.

Thanks. I’ll check them out.

Is the brake really needed when hunting? They're loud and a 6.5 CM isn't a heavy kicker. I wouldn't consider muffs and would go with an in-ear solution. If not looking for amplification, look at SureFire EP4. Also, maybe consider banded ear plugs. Quick and light.

I used the in-ear Caldwell Emax Shadows last year. Only a few hours but they worked great. $75 on amazon.

No, but I plan on using it for target shooting as well and I don't want to have to take it on and off, adjusting my POA/POI each time wasting ammo. Even without the brake I'm gonna need HP in the blind, so might as well use the brake. That and the reason I got it with the Hawg brake was because my shoulder is complete [bleep]. Honestly, I'll be lucky to get the opportunity to even take a shot at a deer given my usual luck. Not looking for amplification, just something that would be quick and effective, but the ability to be able to whisper to the person next to me or hear the crunch of leaves would be nice.

I use something like this. https://silencerco.com/silencers/harvester-evo

Works great!

That'd be nice, but I don't have an extra $700 laying around I'm looking at the $200 or less at this point. Maybe next year after I hopefully get a bonus.

How do those do with the skinny little barrels like my X-bolt has? I'd think it'd cause issues.

I carry lightweight muffs to the stand and sometimes amplified muffs if I want to hear. I don't like carrying them but I recently bought an Area 419 brake and it's fantastic, don't want to shoot without it and muffs are a good idea anyway. I bought this: https://silencerco.com/silencers/harvester-evo in February, just got approval TODAY!

You would love it. I use the same one on sporter barrels and no problems. You might have a poi shift but I wouldn’t know. I had my barrels cut shorter when I had them threaded so I assume that could have changed poi too. I haven’t had a desire to shoot them without it either.

It’s silly what they cost and the hoops you have to jump through. Not to mention the wait. That said I don’t know anyone who regrets the purchase and everyone says we wished we’d got them sooner.

https://www.amazon.com/Otis-Technology-Shield-Hearing-Protection/dp/B00VU4OT7A/ref=sr_1_4?crid=3HGS45YOFKX7X&keywords=otis+ear+shield+31db+hearing+protection&qid=1667407535&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIxLjU4IiwicXNhIjoiMC44MSIsInFzcCI6IjAuNTMifQ%3D%3D&sprefix=hearing+protection+ear+shield%2Caps%2C135&sr=8-4

I have been using these for years and they are perfect. Slip on top of my hat and can cover my ears in less than 45 seconds

I am legally deaf in my right ear although some sound filters through. Speech in that ear, what little gets through is seriously distorted. My left ear still has about 60 percent hearing left.

I bought a pair of the Pro 300 muffed which are electronic and work like hearing aids for me. I've been using them on my hunts for quite a few years now, IIRC, the first time was my antelope hunt in 2012. Price was something like $120 IIRC. They weren't in too much of the way with my rifle's stock and they t sound quite well. I use them at the range as well. A side benefit was on a 14 degree day on an elk hunt they did a nice job keeping my rears warm. I even could hear birds sing which hasn't happened in more years that I can count. Back when I first started seriously shooting, 1954, we didn't know about the damage loud noises did.
PJ

I’m sorry to hear that. I have a good case of tinnitus from too many loud concerts and playing in a rock band for years without protection. I’m 53 and most of the 80’s and 90’s were very loud exposure times. Lots of shooting guns when I was a kid. No one I new wire protection. I had a friend crack off a 7mm Mag about two feet from my left ear twice in a row 20 years ago and that is what really gave me the super annoying ringing now. I’ve always wore my L3’s for the last 15 years or so shooting pistols, but besides hunting with a borrowed rifle three years ago this is really my first step back into center fired rifles in a good 40 years.

My shoulder are pretty sensitive to any recoil now due to wear and tear so that’s why I got the 6.5 CM. It happened to come with the Recoil Hawg brake so that’s how I’ve sighted it in. I put 50 rounds through the gun in one day and never got the slightest twinge. But it is loud as heck for sure. I can double up and deal with my mugs hitting when target shooting, but I’d like something for hunting that doesn’t interfere with my cheek weld and isn’t time consuming to use.

I've used Peltor 6s for decades. If you adjust them so the sound level matches ambient, you can still tell what direction a sound is coming from. They are slim line and do a great job of taming my 20" turkey shotgun's BOOM into a faint, faraway boom.

Walker Razor and Impact Howard Leight work but wind noise is pretty bad, especially with the Walker. Went to the MSA Sordins - better resolution and wind noise suppression.

Using various .300s and lately a braked 20" .375 R. Quiet enough that I don't develop worsening of tinnitus. Like many here, my ears are toast. Cannot get directionality, but learned to be dead still and locate visually.

ETA, if you get the Walkers or Impact a set of gel ear cushions are worth the expense. Far more comfortable when sitting for hours.

I hunt out of shooting houses, where I stick my rifle out the window and shoot. One, or two shots a years does not bother me, and I don't use hearing protection while deer hunting. Same for coyote hunting. Otherwise, any other time I am shooting, I use ear plugs.

Splooge,


Huh! What'd you say?


LMAO

Has anyone used these for hunting ear pro?


https://goaxil.com/products/gx-extreme

I took one shot with the brake on without grabbing my muffs and I’m still paying for it two weeks later. I developed my loud tinnitus after my Buddy took two shots with an unbraked 7 mag about 25 years ago. Pretty much turned me off hunting with a rifle at that point. The only way I can deer hunt now is with a rifle as all my archery ground is gone. That and my shoulders can’t take the pulling any more.

I have one of those plastic bands that wraps around and has 2 foam rubber ear buds. Wear it around my neck and put buds in ears prior to shooting.