Electronic Ear Protection for all Day Comfort

[razorback2003]

What are some good electronic hearing protection that goes in the ear that folks like for hunting. Something that actually works, comfortable, that you can wear with a hat or ski cap when it is cold. That is the problem I have with getting electronic muffs is wearing them with a hat. I need something that will cut out deer rifle noise.

 

[bergmen]

Have you tried using a silencer? 100x better than headphones.

Not legal in California.

Dan

 

[hso]

What are some good electronic hearing protection that goes in the ear that folks like for hunting.

You can get custom molded electronic plugs, but they're expensive. http://www.espamerica.com/c-5-custom-ear-plugs.aspx

 

[rodregier]

A suppressor is wonderful solution.

Alas, not all jurisdictions permit silencers/suppressors. Cost and practicality to equip all your firearms with same come into play too. Not permited for most hunting usage either.

 

[msmp5]

Sorry if reviving this old thread is a Forum Faux Pas, but it's the same topic, so........ I was curious if anyone had any recent experiences with electronic ear muffs? I'm interested in getting another set, want something moderately priced and comfortable for several hours on the range in the summer sun. Suggestions?

 

[Drop45]

I just purchased the Gold Ear Pros and I am very impressed with them. The only chance I had to use them was today and they are very comfortable. I think I am still going to double up with some sort of ear plugs on busy range days, however today I had the whole place to myself. I could hear the birds chirping in the background between shots.

 

[Drop45]

HaHa.....Pro Ears Gold

 

[natman]

I've used a set of Peltor 6 electronic muffs for almost 20 years and have hundreds of hours with them. They are rated at "only" 19 NRR, but my turkey gun is a 20" barreled 12 ga with a ported choke (believe me, it's LOUD). They reduce the shotguns BOOM to a faraway boom. I have zero ringing (at least zero new ringing) in my ears afterwards when wearing them.

Considering that in hunting you might fire once or twice in a day, they are a good choice.

For those who want to wear a hat, they have a behind the head version.

But none of this addresses the OP's question of what to use during warm weather. The Peltors are great for keeping your ears warm when it's cold, tolerable when it's in the 60s and uncomfortably warm if it gets over 75F or so.

Has anyone tried the Allen / Sens Gard plugs?

 

[Sheepdog1968]

Unfortunately the dB rating of the electronic ones is usually not that great.

My Howard Leight's are rated at 22dB. My Remington non-electronic muffs are rated at 32 dB.

I wear the in ear foam kind with the Peltors turned up so I can hear range commands in firearms classes. The combo works well. I can hear well and I still get increased hearing protection.

When hunting I just wear the Peltors as hunting is mostly a walking in the woods affair with few shots being fired.

 

[Tirod]

Surefire makes some non electronic ones I have found nice. The issue there is having something shoved into your ear correctly. I worked a CNC shop for two years where ear plugs were mandatory - summertime temps were over 90 degrees on the shop floor right up to midnite on the late shift. Ear pro plugs aren't as hot as muffs, by a long stretch, but you can tell the difference in body heat with and without.

Our neck and ears are the #1 release point of excess heat so blocking any part of that surface area is going to make you warmer regardless. It's something we just have to get used to.

As for suppressors, electronic muffs are highly competitive as an alternate method of sound control.

Cheaper. You could buy four $200 muffs for the price of one suppressor and another set for the cost of the Stamp. And you can buy the muffs in a matter of hours rather than months.

Suppressors still require hearing protection.

Suppressors only reduce the report of one firearm. Muffs reduce the report of ALL firearms regardless of proximity.

Suppressors only reduce the sound level of the blast. Muffs can do the opposite - amplify the lower decibel noises in ambient sound to a level you can hear them - like footstep in leaf fall. One user noted he could hear a windmill pumping water for a stock tank a quarter mile away. A significant advantage hunting any species.

Suppressors are about at the end of their development cycle, buyers aren't seeing improvements much at all now. Muffs are still improving and the price curve for the circuitry is fast falling - muffs that were $250 are now private labeled at $125 to generate sales volume without sacrificing the Brand's market position.

A suppressor only fits one caliber. Muffs fit everybody and all calibers.

Suppressors require registration, government oversight, a legal trust to accommodate property transfer, and a background investigation to approve you. Muffs just need cold hard cash and a source, it's nobody's business what you buy.

Special small unit teams use both - but the muffs can have communications built in, another plus if you need to coordinate out of sight or normal hearing range.

Suppressors are banned in some states, banned for hunting in others, and even banned on some ranges. Muffs are legal anywhere except driving as the cops may interpret them as stereo music devices.

And I'm going to suggest there are more muffs sold every year than suppressors. Seems like an easy decision when you look at ALL the facts.

BTW, has anyone ever considered using antiperspirant on their ears to reduce sweating? What's your favorite non sticky formula? Seems like a dry roll on unscented would be the answer to hot weather.

Sometimes the answers are not inside the "box" of truths we drag around all day.

 

[Schwing]

Surefire makes some non electronic ones I have found nice.

I purchased a pair of these and found that they muffled everything a little too much (Talking etc.) and didn't offer quite the protection I was hoping for. My solution was to wear these under my Howard Leights. The Howard Leights amplify stuff enough that I can hear talking and the Surfires add just enough extra protection that the guy shooting his canon next to me is still comfortable on my ears.

I have found this combination to be excellent and the Surefires can be found for less than $20.

 

[hso]

Plenty of discussions on electronic hearing protection in Gear so I've moved this there so the OP can scan for some of those.

I'm a safety professional, provide support to local ranges on EHS and I recommend getting electronic muffs from companies that produce hearing protection from industry and not just the recreational communities. I was at NRA this weekend and had a discussion with 3M/Peltor about their newest electronic muffs as was very very impressed with their evolution in technology to address shooting both outside and indoors. They have a new muff with adjustable delay to handle reflection and reverberation from indoor ranges that you don't encounter when shooting outside. Nice product and very comfortable.

ALWAYS double up with plugs under muffs so you get the most protection possible and I recommend electronic muffs so you can hear commands through your muffs and plugs.

 

[Tirod]

Thanks for the lead on those new muffs. I caught the distinction about "indoors" and "reflected."

No doubt if on the range - especially a covered one - or inside a building - the reflected waves are an issue.

The more I look into the pros and cons of one or the other means of dampening sound waves, the more I realize that once again the ingenuity of man has completely sidestepped the politicization of an object and making it controlled or even illegal. If we can't reduce the sound emitted by a firearm (which is bluntly, pretty stupid when we pass out tickets for cars without silencers,) we can at least prevent the hearing damage and even enhance what we have left.

 

[RainDodger]

I've got a set of Pro-Ears. I like them. They're pretty comfortable for a long time, as well. As pure noise protectors, they do not work as well as dedicated ear muffs though. I think they're something like 25db. The Pro-Ears have the ability to move a jumper on the circuit board, which increases the amplification of normal sounds. Essentially, you can wear them if you're hunting, and you've got super-human hearing... and they DO effectively mute gunshots. It's pretty amazing. One plus for the Pro-Ears - they utilize a system that does not cut out ALL sounds when they sense a gun shot. They ONLY cut out the gun shot.

With lower priced units, when a gun shot is sensed, ALL sound is clipped, including talking. With the Pro-Ears, only the gun shot is clipped, so you continue hearing everything else. This is important at a range, as there are gun shots going off all over the place. With the Pro-Ears, you can continue to have a conversation with someone, without having them clip the vocals all the time. Very nice. They're also sort of expensive.... in the range of $275, depending on model.

 

[GBExpat]

Are there electronic muffs intended to be worn indefinitely for comfort?

I don't know about which ones can be worn "indefinitely for comfort", I can only speak to one that cannot.

I have been using a Peltor Tactical 6-S headset for over 10 years. 30-45 minutes represents the max time that I can wear it continuously without it causing my head to ache.

I solve this by taking them off whenever I have to reset the target and/or CHRONY. During an extended range visit, even a few minutes off is a real relief.

BTW, I do not think that this is a Peltor-specific Issue, I think that it is a headset-specific Issue ... the constant, unrelenting minor pressure eventually requires attention.

 

[brutus51]

Just purchased a pair of Peltor SV tacticals from Amazon but where do you go for the gel pads

 

[hso]

http://www.amazon.com/3M-Peltor-Camelback-Sealing-HY80/dp/B00DHVXKVA

 

[Skoghund]

I've used Peltor Sport tac ear protectors for years. I have a large problem with them, my ears. Now i have very large but cuddly ears and that means the muffs sit very low on my head. Also often my ear lobes stick out the bottom of the muffs like a pair of chickens wattles, not makeing for a good sound proof seal. I have a adjustable comb on my rifle and that tends to push up the right hand muff when i mount the rifle.
So at great expence I've invested in a pair of custom moulded in the ear plugs.
I've used then down the range, running moose range where the shooting point is in a hut. So far I'm very happy with them and they are very comfortable to wear. Being a bit deaf i can turn the volume up and for the first time in many years i can hear bird song.

 

[TAC]

I'm surprised no one mentioned MSA Sordin Supreme Pro X muffs. I've tried many, and these are top notch (for me anyway). Peltor Tactical Sport is my second choice, if you find Sordin's too expensive.

 

[DocUSMCRetired]

I agree with TAC. MSA Sordin Supreme Pro X Neckband. I wear Oakley Flak Jackets under them, no problem. The neckband makes it so that nothing interferes with them. Hat, beanie, whatever you wear wont make a difference. They work great, and they are designed so that the cheek weld is not an issue. That was the difference between the Howards, or the 3M etc. Is the MSA do not interfere with the rifle. The Howards did for me, and the 3M did as well.