New Shooter Safety Gear?

[erwos]

So, as a new shooter, what eyes and ears protection gear do you guys recommend? I'm not looking to spend a ton, but I do want stuff that works at least reasonably well.

Also, if there's some other bit of gear you want to recommend, feel free.

 

[HoCoShooter]

For ear protection, these are great and the price is hard to beat. I use these and / or disposable ear plugs depending on what I'm shooting and what others around me are shooting.

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=214443

 

[wlc]

I always double up on ear protection when at indoor ranges, use the plugs and muffs.
Any cheap brand will do when you are using double

For glasses, get what ever is comfortable

 

[DZ]

These are great for pistol work, but a bit bulky for rifle/shotgunning:
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/t.../search-box.jsp.form23&_dyncharset=ISO-8859-1

 

[Spot77]

Good question!

You only get one set of eyes and one set of ears. I don't mean to sound like I'm preaching, but I try to spend the right amount to get the most protection I can. I'm already blind in one eye, so I can't afford not to protect at all costs.

There's a balance between comfort, protection and cost taht varies from person to person.

I bought a case of protective eye glasses at Sherwin Williams so I'd have extras, and they do eventually get too scratched up to see clearly through so having extras handy sure saves a lot of time and frustration. Ask the store manager to cut you a deal on a case (6 to a case now I think)

I have a friend who who works for a huge printing company and they give away foam ear protection like it's cheaper than toilet paper so he gave me a bag of about 200 pairs. I wear them underneath of my heavy duty ear protection. You never know when recoil will knock the earmuffs loose, or some schmuck fires off a round after you've taken them off, etc.

Other safety gear might include a few chamber flags for your firearms. Some ranges require them; most don't.

Don't forget to wear appropriate clothes for shooting. Don't wear anything loose or baggy, and definitely no tank tops. A piece of hot brass down your shirt is no fun. I'm sure there's a ton of videos on youtube showing some idiot letting his girlfriend shoot with a skimpy top on and dancing around sweeping everybody with the gun's muzzle as the hot brass gets lodged against her breast.

And now that the warm weather is here, don't forget sunscreen when shooting outdoors.

 

[RobMoore]

Don't forget to add "brimmed hat" to the list of safety equipment, and snug crew-neck t-shirts. Hot brass sucks, and the two worst places to have it land are down your shirt or between your eyes and your glasses.

On that note, hot brass (unless its .223) is BEARABLE. If people are prepared for the possibility of it, there is no reason to let muzzle discipline go out the window. Its just shocking the first time it happens to you.

 

[Russ D]

Ever see the vid of the big guy on the aircraft carrier dancing around when the hot brass goes down his pants?

 

[Shooter1]

!

hot brass sucks, i have two burn marks on my neck from .223 rifle qual

 

[hole punch]

Ever see the vid of the big guy on the aircraft carrier dancing around when the hot brass goes down his pants?

 

[jwalker3181]

hot brass sucks, i have two burn marks on my neck from .223 rifle qual

Yeah I had one go in my BDUs in college ROTC (shooting prone) I'm just glad I didn't scream like a little b*tch like some classmates did

 

[Terminator870]

on a training exercise which involved my whole company, my platoon was picked to be support by fire element. So basically we had all the big guns, about 12 of us had M249s and 8 had M240's and had extra guys and others from the other platoon to act as AG's and such. In having all the big guns on a line, I was next to a saw gunner with my 240, needless to say, as soon as we heard the artillery simulators stop going off and the flare to signal, we opened up a firestorm... not only did the brass pelted me, also i had my sleeves rolled back since it was damn hot(fort benning) so brass went inside my sleeve and burning the hell out of me


i sure learned something that night, i love shooting till the barrel glows!

 

[RobMoore]

^ I've done the exact same thing. Sleeves rolled once, 240 brass inside, down the the elbow.

 

[erwos]

Thanks for the recommendations, folks. I've made appropriate purchases (I hope!).

 

[Luke 12:49]

Ear protection? What are you talking about, I can't hear you!?

 

[newshooter]

anyone have a rec on retailers of prescription eye protection?