Am I the only one?

Am I the only one who has a hard time with bad scores at indoor matches ? Outside I can shoot high 280's with RF and low to mid 270's CF. Once I get indoors and shoot matches I drop about 10 points in RF but my CF tanks and drops to  240 and sometimes lower. I know that the noise and blast indoors effects me, not so much with RF but CF I find that just as I'm about to let the hammer drop the guy next to me fires and I end up blinking while my shot goes off. Doesn't make for good scores when ones not looking where ones shooting. Outdoors I never experience this, indoors it's a nightmare. Any suggestions as to how to overcome this indoors would be appreciated. I double up with plugs and Howard Leight muffs but this doesn't seem to be enough for me to stop flinching when someone else shoots. Any secrets other than stop shooting indoors?


Virgil

A range we shoot at in Alabama has a low metal roof and if I set up next to a guy who likes to load heavy I get a sound wave burst every time he pulls the trigger, I too use ear plugs and the best muffs but it doesn't help. So I try to not set up next to those guys. No advise except look for a different person each time till you find one who doesn't disturb the most.

I use the plugs and muff, when im shooting my 22jet indoors. I pity anyone near me. You feel the percussion more then hear it!!

Even though I have a severe hearing loss:US Army...hearing aids since age of 22, I'm not fond of shooting indoors. Really hurts. So what I normally do when CF match starts is to let other shooters start shooting and then acclimate myself to the noise. Then I can handle the noise. Just takes a minute :p)
Jon

Jon Eulette wrote:Even though I have a severe hearing loss:US Army...hearing aids since age of 22, I'm not fond of shooting indoors. Really hurts. So what I normally do when CF match starts is to let other shooters start shooting and then acclimate myself to the noise. Then I can handle the noise. Just takes a minute :p)
Jon

Jon, I'm going to try that. I have a match tonight and I never take the full 10 minutes in slow fire so I'll try waiting and getting acclimated to the noise.

I too have some hearing loss from Uncle Sam sending me on my senior trip to S.E. Asia. Sometimes I think it's because of this and the fear of loosing more hearing that I flinch so bad indoors.

Thanks for the tip.


Virgil

Plugs and muffs, Wear eye protection with good side shields.  Shooting specific glasses are a good way to keep the concussive pulses from you and other shooters down.

Virgil Kane wrote:I double up with plugs and Howard Leight muffs but this doesn't seem to be enough for me to stop flinching when someone else shoots. Any secrets other than stop shooting indoors?

Either that, or shoot indoors more. Having shot exclusively at the NRA HQ Range in Fairfax, VA for the past few years -- next to the people who are more interested in turning money into noise (especially around this time of year, the holidays) -- has helped me not flinch from others shooting during matches (indoors and outdoors).

Also, the indoor range(s) where you're shooting might have poor sound baffling, and that could be contributing to your flinching.

Wear the best plugs and muffs you can find.  Spent 12 years on the flightline with the old F4 Phantom and another 8 years part time to finish my 20 in addition to that.   Spent my time away from the flightline  those 20 years on the shooting range.   Luckily my years in high noise areas came after we recognized the need to wear ear protection.  Currently work part time in an indoor range.  Plugs and muffs all day every day.  Wife says I can't hear...  I think I can..

From the time I started shooting pistols in 1981 I have always used both plugs and muffs.  Even with that I'm wearing $6000 worth of hearing aids as I type this.  Be careful.  If it really bothers you it may be hurting you.

Dr.Don wrote:From the time I started shooting pistols in 1981 I have always used both plugs and muffs.  Even with that I'm wearing $6000 worth of hearing aids as I type this.  Be careful.  If it really bothers you it may be hurting you.

Me too on the $6K hearing aids but it was trapshooting since I was 9 (1962) and I always wore hearing protection, unfortunately it wasn't as good as it is now.  Also a guy shooting next to me had his gun blow up, my ears rang for 2 weeks after that one - even with the hearing protection.

If it's uncomfortable double up, best foam and muffs.  The best electronic muffs you can find might run you $350 which is a lot less than the $6K I paid for aids.  Be careful what you buy just because they cost more doesn't mean they are better!

- Dave

Axehandle wrote:Wear the best plugs and muffs you can find.  Spent 12 years on the flightline with the old F4 Phantom and another 8 years part time to finish my 20 in addition to that.   Spent my time away from the flightline  those 20 years on the shooting range.   Luckily my years in high noise areas came after we recognized the need to wear ear protection.  Currently work part time in an indoor range.  Plugs and muffs all day every day.  Wife says I can't hear...  I think I can..

The Phantom... A beautiful bird

I am lucky..from farm machinery in the 1950s to the military, early 60s, which did not issue hearing protection in those days of 30-06s and 308s, C-119s, C130 Turbo props,  then to 20 years in the steel mills in the Pittsburgh area..a constant, incredibly load atmosphere, then on to 13 years, daily, at a large indoor police range, with .357 Sigs.. A very!! loud pistol..plus I have been a "very" active shooter all my life...I am definitely hearing impaired, but getting along pretty good without the assistance of hearing aids.
But to the point, the indoor range never bothered me much.. Maybe because I was already impaired..
What did bother me greatly, when I still worked the streets, loud disorderly gatherings, or loud domestic arguments/fights were very disorienting. I could not filter/identify multiple sounds.