Hunting with a muzzle brake, ear protection

[buckbrush]

For you guys that hunt with brakes, I assume you use ear protection. I was thinking that it would be no issue when you have time to set up and range a long shot to slip on a set of ear muffs. What about if something pops out at 200 yards and you have to make a quick shot?

Any advice? I am thinking about hunting with my 300 WM this year but it has a brake on it. I'm already a bit hard of hearing and don't want to make it worse.

Thanks.

 

[Sendero_Man]

I have a pair of Howard Leight earmuffs.

Low profile, battery operated.... heck, I hear better wearing them while hunting and they shut down when you shoot.

You can still have a great check weld, hear great, lightweight, well priced....

just my $ .02

link here...

Cabela's -- Howard Leight Impact™ Sport Earmuff

 

[SBruce]

Normal rifles without brakes have always been bearable for me when hunting.

But I am getting a 300 WSM built with a brake, and intend on trying some type of automatic hearing protection when I use it. I think Walkers Game Ear makes some of these? Probably some others that do to.

Reason I plan to use something, is just what you mention..........the close unexpected shot is way more likely for me when hunting Muleys or Whitetail in the area where I hunt. Reason 2 is that I once forgot to put in my earplugs with a 357 revolver. One shot was all it took to remind me, and my left ear still isn't right. anymore, even shooting a .223 rifle from the bench hurts my left ear unless I've got protection in..............357's are brutal, and I think braked rifles would be just as bad.

 

[FEENIX]

All my hunting rifles have MBs ... no doubt hearing protection is a must. Most of the time I just use those cheap foam ear plugs since I always wear another layer on my noggin for warmth but also serves as another layer of ear protection. Below is with my trusty old Savage 111F in .300 WM with last year's antelope harvest.

It's no excuse but have to admit I have taken shots without ear protection afield ... and it wasn't too bad ... as long as it's only one shot. Multiple shots without protection is a bad juju. Blast and noise level from the direction of the ports angles are worst.

Good luck and happy safe hunting.

Ed

 

[Nomosendero]

Well Ed, I needed that pic. It's about a 100 degrees here right now with 70% or so humidity.
gonna be over 100 all this week.

 

[bigngreen]

I've never hunted with ear protection because it never seemed to be loud but your ear still does all the work even though your brain don't register it, hence my hearing is not what it should be for my age. I finally just broke my self to wearing the Howard Leigh low pro muffs and now I can't hunt without them and have totally adjusted to them, nice not to have that ringing in my melon while walking back to the truck.

 

[300 ultra]

I dont wear ear protection while hunting and I shoot a 300 rum with a break on it. I shoot my animals under 300 yards also. Its not that noticeable unless you unload the magazine on a running animal which I have done and then its definetly unpleasant.

 

[angus-5024]

I shot a whitetale buck at about 50 yards on my way to my long range ambush spot. I took the shot quick and the thing that I remember most about the hunt is how deaf i was for the next 4hrs. Get a set of electronic muffs, your hearing is worth $100. The rifle was a .338 RUM with brake.

 

[FEENIX]

Well Ed, I needed that pic. It's about a 100 degrees here right now with 70% or so humidity.
gonna be over 100 all this week.

LL! IIRC, that day was 5 below with the windchill factor ... but I do know what you mean by the the heat and humidity ... stay cl!

Ed

 

[J E Custom]

If you use a muzzle break you need to ware ear protection !!!

With the ears ,what you lose you never get back.

I can't comfortably wear ear muffs so I wear a ear plug in the right ear and just pull the
ear muff down over the left ear. (Take the right muff off so it won't interfere with the cheek
piece.

The best way is to purchase a pair of walkers game ears and you can hear better and when
the rifle goes of they crop the sound. (The best of both worlds).

Some just buy one and plug the other ear.

It is true that most hunters don't notice the muzzle blast when shooting at game , "BUT THE
EARS DO" And are damaged each time because on the DBs are much higher than our ears can
handel.

I have done it in the past and lost some of the hearing in the left ear because of muzzle blast
and the last time my ears rang for two weeks. so now if I am not prepaired for a shot I don't
shoot untill I put some type of hearing protection on.

J E CUSTOM

 

[LRSickle]

This spring my son and I went to Alaska and we both used my 338 Edge to shoot our bears. I put my foam earplugs in before we even started the stalk on my bear. I had no problems. He, however, didn't put his in and after the shot on his bear he hurredly handed me the rifle and clutched his ears. He said the muzzleblast was actually painfull. Now he's a convert to hearing protection.

 

[Nape.270]

This is what I use when hunting with a brake I just wear them around my neck.

Amazon.com: HOWARD LEIGHT QB 2 QUIET BAND EARPLUG: Health & Personal Care

 

[AJ Peacock]

I use the Walkers Game Ear Quads when hunting with my braked guns (338AM and 338Edge). I passed up a shot at a nice cow elk 2 years ago when she walked up to our hide and I didn't have my ears on.

Muzzle braked rifles are just TOO loud to shoot without protection.

When practicing, I use the foam plugs under the Electronic muffs. I turn the muffs up and I can hear the same as with no protection, I can easily hear others around the firing line.

AJ

 

[Chas1]

While it may not be painfull to some and not to others the affect is cumulative and over time both groups will suffer similar hearing loss.