Custom Molded Ear Plugs

[SaltyNC]

Have any of you tried the Radians custom molded ear plugs? Most of the time, I shoot outside, but I wanted some for use when shooting indoors to wear in addition to my electronic ear muffs. I ordered a pair and the molding process was easy and they worked great for me.

For those unfamiliar with them, you mix together two materials before molding much like two-part epoxy. The material is very soft and pliable and somewhat oily. You press this repeatedly into your ear canal, then press and smooth to fill the indention in your outer ear. Once that operation is complete, you just leave them in for 10+ minutes, and try to avoid chewing, talking, etc, so the seal doesn't break with your ear. After a few minutes, it begins to sound like a bowl of Rice Crispies in milk--a little sizzling, popping, and cracking. :) I left mine in for about 20 minutes before removing. I then had two perfectly formed ear plugs. I let them sit on aluminum foil overnight to finish completely curing.

I tried them out the next day, and I'm very happy with their fit, feel, and performance. They seal perfectly without that stuffed up feeling you sometimes get with foam earplugs. I'm not sure how long they will last, but they seem durable.

Anyone else using these? Good/bad experience?

SaltyNC

[muggsy]

You'll have to type bigger, Salty, I can hear you. You see, I used to do a lot of shooting using molded ear plugs. I let them cure too long and now I can't get them out. Other than that they work great. :)

[GROTMAN]

Might have to get those for my wife, because you know the ear muffs kind of muss up her hair, or so she says. :(

[Longitude Zero]

Never have. I use electronic muffs and love'em.

[knkali]

Never have. I use electronic muffs and love'em.
Same here but sometimes when running and gunning and going to my AR I get a little lift off the ear muff when establishing a quick cheek weld.

[Tilos]

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Radian%20ear%20plugs

the best foamies
http://www.ebay.com/itm/271099115593

jmo

[TucsonMTB]

Yeah, I molded up a set of those several years ago and was reasonably happy until getting a set made by an audiologist at a local gun show. When someone with lots of experience makes them in your ear with slightly tougher, professional material, the performance is hard to beat.

I originally got the molded plugs so that I wouldn't have to carry a bulking set of electronic muffs on my mountain bike when I bike over to the range, which is more often than not except when shooting the Garand. Over time I stopped using my fairly pricey electronic muffs at all.

Last weekend, I put in a fresh set of batteries and used the electronic muffs while shooting with my wife. To my great surprise, they were way more noisy than my molded plugs, even when I turned off the electronics.

Last Sunday was pretty cool here with temperatures barely above 60, so the muffs were not uncomfortable to wear. During our warmer weather, I would not even consider using them. But, hey, that's just me. JMMV

[Jeremiah/Az]

We have people that do this fittin' for a livin' at our gun club for most regular tournament. I've had a pair, made about ten years ago, that work very well yet. They are a bit pricey now, about $50 a pair. I am a sportin' clays shooter & we shoot thousands of rounds a year, for which they work fine. I cannot use muffs with a shotgun, as the stock hit them when I mount the gun.

[muggsy]

When I wuz in the Navy I'd stuff the filters from my Marlboros in my ears when they fired the big guns. We wuz men back then and we could take it. Sometimes we leave it, but mostly we just took it. Times were tough.

[SaltyNC]

My grandfather was in WWII and had hearing aids as a result. My good friend shot big bore guns at steel targets and has hearing aids as a result. I already can't hear well, so I'm gonna try to keep what I have left. :)

I don't usually use plugs, but use over the ear muffs, because shockwaves can also be transmitted by the bones around the ear. I only bought the plugs to wear in addition to the cans when shooting indoors.

SaltyNC

[knkali]

I had good results with these:


http://www.surefire.com/tactical-equipment/hearing-protection/hearing-protection/ep7-sonic-defenders-ultra.html

[mr surveyor]

When I wuz in the Navy I'd stuff the filters from my Marlboros in my ears when they fired the big guns. We wuz men back then and we could take it. Sometimes we leave it, but mostly we just took it. Times were tough.



so that explains your asbestosis of the brain :D

[bob98366]

Whatever type, just wear hearing protection that is effective. My dad, grandfather, mother-in-law and wife all had/have to wear hearing aids because of repeated exposure to loud noise. It wasn't fun for them or those around them. And they're expensive.

[SaltyNC]

Whatever type, just wear hearing protection that is effective. My dad, grandfather, mother-in-law and wife all had/have to wear hearing aids because of repeated exposure to loud noise. It wasn't fun for them or those around them. And they're expensive.

And they whistle in the wind! I was fishing in Yellowstone with a buddy that wears hearing aids. It was really windy, and his hearing aids were whistling, so he got tired of it and turned them off. As he was walking away from me, I managed to hook a !MASSIVE! rainbow trout in Slough Creek--fish of a lifetime. I kept hollering for him to turn around. I didn't have a camera with me, this was before smartphones, and I knew he would never believe the size of the trout without seeing it firsthand. I hollered until I was hoarse, and he never heard a peep.

SaltyNC