Hearing protection and glasses

[Laura M Hayes]

I 've used about every kind I can find.  Muffs, the cheap moldable ones from Walmart, the kind you make yourself that look like silly putty (ouch!).  But I'm looking for yet a new version. 

Conditions:

a) they aren't bright orange and glaringly stick out and look out of place as I'm wearing an authentic cowboy or Rev War outfit
b) I won't go deaf shooting 44-40 or cannon. 

And no paper- cotton- dirt or other suggestions.   
 

On a side note I know there are no authentic safety glasses, so I'm looking to upgrade from my cheap Walmart kind to some tactical googles or something similiar.   

Thanks,
Laura

[Pancho Peacemaker]

Ears:  I use Surefire Sonic Defenders

Eyes:  Wiley-X. Model XL1

[Laura M Hayes]

Thanks.  Those are the ones I was looking at.  Good to know they work and no one else uses hearing or eye protection.   

[Tascosa Joe]

Pancho gave good advice.  I wear custom made ear plugs the army issued me on retirement.  I cant hear voices very well with them but they cut out the big bangs.

[Rowdy Fulcher]

Laura
Wish I would of used hearing protection 30 years ago , but I wear it faithfully now when shooting .

[Ima Sure Shot]

I wear hearing and eye protection whenever I shoot now.  I like, Rowdy did not when I was younger.  I have lost a lot of hearing over the years and wish to protect what I have left. As to eyewear, I also have to wear glasses anyway.  I just have my regular prescription done in safety glasses and add the side sheilds when I shoot.Celeste

[pony express]

I use the yellow foam ones, I don't know how noticable they are, but theyre cheap! Maybe you could get some of the custom moulded ones in a flesh color?

For many years, I have just worn my regular prescription glasses when shooting. But increasing splatter, from ever closer targets convinced me I needed something better. I haven't settled on a permanent solution yet, for now I'm wearing some of those oversized sunglasses that fit over regular glasses. I know they're not as impact resistant as real saftey glasses, but they do wrap around the sides and will offer some protection against shotgun splatter from the next stage over.

[OklaTom]

Laura,
I went to my audiologist and she took a mold of my ears and had their lab prepare custom fitted ones by Westone in a nearly invisible flesh-tone material.  One of my requirements was also that it not stand out if photos were being taken.  When they came in, we measured the attenuation.  They measured at 30dB of sound attenuation.  Important since I shoot "boomer" black powder most of the time.  For reference, she told me that the commercial versions that state around 26 dB really measure in practical use closer to 15 dB, which the doc told me was not enough.  The custom ones were only $99.  My ears are worth that to me.

Glasses - I like period as much as possible.  So, I bought period frames and had my optometrist put my bifocal prescription in them formed from impact resistant polycarbonate lenses, the material used in safety glasses.  I have some clear plastic side shields I can slip on over the temple pieces on the line.

[Major 2]

Laura

I've worked in a industry were hearing protection was needed and all to offen not heeded.

Stage, theather & film !   when I was young and bronky Rock 'N' Roll roady decibels ( dB) levels were always in the harmful range.
in access of 120 dB and often 150 dB.
With this in mind, understand a Jet engine at 100' is 140db and shotgun is 165 db !
Pain begins at 125 dB and premanent loss begins at 140 dB and death of hearing tissue @ 180 dB.

The product used in hearing protection is measured in NRR the higher the NRR , the lower the heard dB and pressure.
Generally, an NRR of 28 or higher is recommended for shooting sports.

However, recent National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health studies show
Sound levels from weapons, have shown that they range from a low of 144 dB  for small caliber weapons such as a 22 caliber rifle to as high as a 172 dB  for a 357 caliber revolver.
They recommend double ear protection for shooters, combining soft, insertable ear plugs and external ear muffs.


For my Shop I provide Howard Leight products  by Honeywell for my crew.

http://www.howardleight.com/earplugs/super-leight.  and  http://www.safetyglassesusa.com/cep001-t.html

Eye protection is mandtory in my shop , and here I don't scrimp either http://www.safetyglassesusa.com/shooting-glasses.html
I buy some with bi-focal lens ( Magnifiers + 1.00 to 2.5) very handy

Personally I have several pair, though my favorate are a set of Round wire frames with balistic inpact glass and folding side guards.
these are as (NCOWS) PC as I've found in true Safety Glasses. I have two pair of these, one in clear & one in smoke.
I'll try to remember, who my vendor was ...

[Laura M Hayes]

Thanks so much!  I'll def be hunting some of these down.


Laura

[Major 2]

Here are my favorites,  this pair and a pair in cool gray/green tint
closest I've found to PC, for NCOWS and still modern balistic inpact glass and side protection.

http://www.shadowsofthewest.com/auction_details.php?name=RETROSTYLE-COWBOY-ACTION-SHOOTING-GLASSES--GOLD-FRAMESGREY-LENSES-NEW&auction_id=114285

[Daniel Nighteyes]

Laura,

I second the opinion on safetyglassesusa.com.  They've got good stuff at reasonable prices.  Rather than their "shooting glasses" I opted for their "ballistic safety glasses" with wrap-around lenses.  The ones I got are polarized.  Besides being extremely effective, they're really cool-looking.  I keep a pair in my Explorer all the time, in case I forget or misplace my regular prescription sunglasses.  (And by the way, they're generally less expensive than regular "shooting" glasses while affording all the protection.)

http://www.safetyglassesusa.com/dakurapolsub.html

For the longer-range stuff I just wear my regular prescription sunglasses.  They're aviator-style [LEOs sometimes refer to them as "motor glasses" because of their popularity with motorcycle officers], and are safety-grade.  Since they're polarized, my vision with them is extremely sharp.

Of course, I don't shoot NCOWS matches, but SASS and Western 3-Gun.

[Mr. D]

I use Sonic Defenders as well. If you use the clear ones, their not very noticeable at all. Just remember to put the plugs in the little holes when you use them for shooting.

I am nearsighted, so I wear period prescription glasses. They offer enough protection that I'm comfortable using just them when I'm not on the firing line, but when I'm shooting, I put on a pair of over-prescription protective glasses.

~D

[Professor Marvel]

Regarding Eye Protection, I offer for your consideration the fact that goggles were available and in use at the time:

http://www.eyeglasseswarehouse.com/pages/military-goggles.html
http://www.eyeglasseswarehouse.com/pages/cinder-goggles.html

http://www.eyeglasseswarehouse.com/pages/french-indian.html
http://www.eyeglasseswarehouse.com/pages/civilwar.html

for provenance here we have
http://tuesday-johnson.tumblr.com/post/14589687055/ca-1870s-portrait-of-a-gentleman-with-goggles

and snippets of ads for "dust goggles" from the
Wanganui Herald >
24 February 1870 >
Page 3 >
Page 3 Advertisements Column 4

http://tinyurl.com/goggles-for-dusty

yhs
prof marvel

[Laura M Hayes]

Very cool and Historic.  Thanks so much.