Probably one of the dumbest threads ever if you've never shot high volume varmints.

Got a few questions for the veterans though.

Problem number one is ear protection.

I've used a set of Howard Leight Impact Pro's for a few years and a few sets of Peltors prior, and they have all gotten to where they physically hurt my ears after a few hours/days of shooting. I've heard about gel replacement ear cups and will most likely grab a set, but curious if anyone here has a recommendation for which ones to get?

Problem two is even more lame. Elbows.

My elbows always get sore when shooting from a bench for several days. It kinda sucks and I've been thinking about glueing some foam mats to the top of the bench or maybe even wearing elbow pads. Anyone have a suggestion?

I can come out and we can swap shooting.

I shoot 2x and you 1x. Should help with your white people problems!🤣🤣

I will even provide my own rifles, ammo, ear protection and elbow salve!

You want to rub my elbows with salve?

Like button gone!

Not a high volume shooter, unless we go by body weight, but I have had similar problems with thick 32db muffs. I've switched to Walker Razor Slim 23db electronic muffs, and foam plugs if needed.

The Walker Razor Slims, for whatever reason, are much more comfortable on my head. And I have a big misshapen mongoloid head like the gimp in the Goonies movie, so if they feel okay on my watermelon noggin I imagine they would be fine on a normal head.

Ma Deuce took my hearing 50+ years ago, cheap electronic earmuffs so I can turn up the volume. Everyone is used to asking me the same question at least twice.

Carpet stores have samples with nice bound edges, the last club I belonged to had a pile of them for on the benches.

I always keep a set of elbow pads in my shooting kit. Mostly for prone/bipod shooting, but they should work for sore 'bench elbows' too. I've also used a rear beanbag or folded up jacket or towel under my elbow on a shooting bench or table, to give a little padding.

I’ve gotten a couple of ProHear gel cushion replacements for my Howard Leights. I really like them. I have a high db pair of muffs for indoor shooting and a more comfortable thin pair for outdoor. Replaced the cushions on both sets. The original ms we’re getting hard and uncomfortable plus we’re not sealing as well.

I had some really thick socks that lost their elastic and I cut out the toes to slide over my arms to protect my elbows without adding too much bulk. Not much I can do for your ear protection.
kwg

I'll order some of the ProHear gels then. Thanks.

And yeah, they started out fine but the ear cups have gotten hard and start to wear on ya after awhile.

Yeah, I've resorted to the folded up jacket etc. on many prior outings. LOL

Kinda thinking about glueing a piece of neoprene to the back half of the table top.

A long-sleeved cotton shirt, white or red to reflect the heat, is your friend when bench shooting all day. I have never had chaffed elbows when wearing them.

Hig is white??

Invite me and I’ll bring along some fresh clubbed baby seal pelt for your tender extremities

The gel wrist pads for a computer desk save elbows on the bench for me

Pure Mexican! LOL

Cali Crew needs to meet up and show the OR boys how to shoot squirrels.

Maybe they can give us tips to keep our elbows from bruising!

Bret, thanks for the heads up on the ProHear gels. Amazon just dropped em off and I installed them. Pretty huge improvement in comfort.

Think I'll wear em all evening to break em in!

Maybe a plain color kitchen or bath mat on the bench , the gel squishy type ? Non slip on the bottom. Cheapish at Walmart.

my suggestion is, to make the rear of the bench narrower (like 10" or a tad less...), Then your elbow hangs over the edge and can't get sore. And you can kinda 'grip' the bench to lock your arm in.....

Wish I had,
1, opportunity to shoot like that,
2, the attention span to take advantage of the opportunity.

Used to shoot a little skeet, 2 rounds and I'd go load the traps or pull
for the other guys. Couple rounds later, back to shooting. The other guys would burn 175 rounds, maybe 75 for me.

Snicker.....

other than that Jose.... you're welcome up this way any time I can fit you in my schedule...

as far as Ear Protection, spending much time will serving in the military, I've spent a lot of time on the range being med support in case any one managed to hurt themselves, if its a problem, for any reason, I just put in an ear plug, on my shooting side ( the right).. and then put on my ear muffs... doesn't seem to be a long term problem...

I tend to use the hood of my Toyota Truck for a shooting bench... I put an old sleeping bag or a moving blanket on the hood, and then some sand bags to hold it down from the wind blowing.... so sore elbows ain't an issue...when its chilly in early season, its also not an issue...wearing a sweat shirt....

I haul along a shooting bench at times, but then half the time I don't even unload it...the hood of the truck is serving the same purpose just fine.

you California boys are over thinking this a little aren't ya...

of course being a military trained medical type ( 91 Bravo, 91 Charlie, 91 Sierra) and a West Virginia Hillbilly by birth, probably stops me from overthinking it...

too bad you aren't closer....

would be happy to take you out shooting... some years its great, this year, so far just two outings and the mom's and pups weren't out yet..
then we've had never ending rains.. which makes the alfalfa grow like weeds, but sure makes the fields muddy, which the farmers don't want folks out there chewing up the ground with their Mud Terrain Tires or getting stuck and needing to get pulled out of the mud...

But I've had evenings where I have burnt up 1100 to 1200 rounds of 22 LR in about 90 to 120 minutes...when the squirrels are all out..
that was just using the 10/22 Ruger, with 5 or 6, 25 round mags... and keeping shots at 75 yds or under... probably having 90% hit ratio....

or with the 223 bolt action, single loading a bolt action... have had days of 500 to 700 rounds in a 5 to 6 hour afternoon afield...

shots sat 3 every 2 minutes, using a Sporter Weight rifle barrel, and using Blue Dot loads... never heating it up enough to have to put it down to cool.
once again, 85 to 90% hit ratio....keeping shots from say 150 yds or closer....

ya even learn when they line up just right, you can blow up 3 or 4 of them with one shot... using a 40 or 50 grain V Max or Ballistic Tips...

I'm a Virginia boy, so yeah, not much like this back east....prairie dogs in Montana etc, are high volume shooting.. but not abundant like Sage rats..

only they are smaller....

Appreciate that Seafire.

I know my attention would fade out, but it sounds like a blast.

I assume you don't grow roots?
Shoot awhile and then move a bit?

How in the heck is there any alfalfa at all with that many rodents
running around?

With all due respect, driving 1,300 miles to shoot for 3-4 days is a much different situation than going out your back door in the evenings.

Last time we got into em thick, my fingers were sore from moving the heavy rifle around on the bench. My buddies were so tired of loading .17hmr and WSM mags they were wishing they had single feed sleds because their fingers were so wore out.

Maybe it's all in my head though and the pain is just in my fallopian tubes.

Common is 10 hours of shooting a day, with breaks for beverages and eats.

Ears? I switch between muffs and soft ear plugs.

Elbows sore? Never heard of it...Cali ballers best move is wearing knee pads when gunning with Oregon.

Sunscreen is a good thang, unless you’re Higgy.

😳🦫

I keep a very thick stocking cap in my range bag.
1. For cold days to keep my head warm
2. For load workup on big boomers I fold it and put between stock and shoulder
3. For under my R elbow when not needed for 1 or 2

I too have had elbow problems. Found some knee pads the girls had for volleyball. Placed one strategically on my elbow and pretty much solved the problem. I wear the HL banded ear plugs. The ones you see them wearing on the starting line next to top fuel dragsters. Never have found muffs that allow me to get a good cheek weld.

Higginez: I know the solutions to those two problems - they are simple but have worked for me and I have been shooting "high volume Colony Varmints" for nearly 60 years now.
Quality (but thin style) elbow pads will eliminate the elbow pain from the sustained weight on them.
Then find, buy and use a set of custom fit "ear plugs" - I have had mine so long I forget the brand name - I think I got them fitted to me at the Portland, Oregon gunshow long ago.
Other malady's that have befallen myself and my numerous hosted Varmint guests so far this season are - wind burn, sunburn, cactus punctures, sore neck muscles, eyestrain and eyestrain caused headaches, altitude headaches, sore thumbs from reloading magazines continuously and ticks!
Another malady/condition caused from high volume Colony Varmint shooting is the onset of "jerking" the trigger! This becomes evident when a novice Varminter has come to the "end" of his magazines capacity and he does not know it and the muzzle of his firearm actually is jerked to one side by the "trigger being pulled/jerked" on an empty chamber.
He-he.
One of my "peeps" (brethren Colony Varminters) lives in Sequim, Washington (at sea level - and under cloudy skies most all the time) got a severe case of sunburn/windburn last week - we were Hunting at 6,200'+ elevation and the air/atmosphere is only 85% as dense at that altitude thus letting through more of the bad rays from the sun!
Lesson learned there.
Acquiring a wider rimmed hat and more sunscreen eventually helped a bit.
Real Aspirin helps with many of the malady's that befall us when out for a long days/weeks shooting including the aforementioned sunburn/windburn.
Thankfully the Rattlesnakes are not quite out at that altitude yet.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I've checked out the Volleyball kneepads. No go due my HUGE biceps!

Wife gave me a few Maxipads and long Zip Ties.

I should be able to rig something up!

🦫

Except I'm Mexican...

Balaclava under the Leights.

Isn't that a Greek pastry?

Ya big dummy!

Roughly 4,600 rounds for 4 guns.

Hope I don't waste too many.

Remember your ShamWow towel for the barrels.


https://www.shamwow.com/


🦫

Have to grab a few of those for my sensitive elbows!

Sinclair sell elbow pads for BR shooting.

I got her dicked.

Do they make fuzzy ones, for when it's cold out?....

Would this work?
Elbow warmer

Just saw these advertised.
https://godagrip.com/bench-pad/

Click on my link^^^ and tell me which is better?

Winner!

The 5x7, 6x8 or whatever bean bags are to handy not to have more than one around.

For the butt buy it self or to raise a bag. Velcro straps & carabiner loop.


Using one to support my wrist for consistent trigger control, & have used them for elbow padding, forearm support, etc. x10.

For elbows

https://protektormodel.com/products/18-pillow-bag

I bought the gel ear cups for my Howard Leigh muffs and it made a big difference. As far as the elbow, I have a "leather brick" that I use and depending will sometimes use an elbow pad. Sometimes I will use both once again depending on volume of shooting and which gun.

Oregon people KNOW how to shoot squirrels...

you put them in the cross hairs and pull the trigger.....

so simple even California guys should be able to figure that one out...

For elbows, get some mil surplus elbow pads from midway.
My 416 was tough on my elbow when shooting from the concrete shooting benches at the club, elbow pads fixed it.