Shooters Hearing Protection

[Corey]

What have you found to work great both at an indoor and an outdoor range?

When shooting my AR15 outdoors, plain old Peltor muffs work for me.
When we shot our hand guns last Saturday at an indoor range, I was cautioned to wear both foam earplugs and the Peltors.
It was still pretty loud in there with both on.

I have heard of the electronic muffs that can amplify speech so you can hear an instructor or talk to others in your group, but once a shot is fired, the muffs cancel out all of the noise.

I called the shop where I bought my Glock 21SF at, and they recommended the Peltor 97044 Tactical 6S Active Volume Hearing Protectors.
They were out of stock, so I checked Amazon, and they have them.
[ame="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00009363P/ref=oss_product"]Amazon.com: Peltor 97044 Tactical 6S Active Volume Hearing Protector: Home Improvement[/ame]

The reviews look pretty good on them, so I ordered them, and they will be here Friday.

I also read about this model there.
Howard Leight R-01526 Impact Sport Electronic Earmuff
[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Howard-Leight-R-01526-Electronic-Earmuff/dp/B001T7QJ9O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1297987311&sr=1-1"]Amazon.com: Howard Leight R-01526 Impact Sport Electronic Earmuff: Home Improvement[/ame]

They have pretty good reviews too, and some say they are better than the Peltor 6S ones, and the reviews for the Peltors some say they are better than the Howard Leight ones.

I will post back next time I shoot with the new Peltors to as if they work like they claim.

Anyone else using an electronic muff, and if so, does it work as described?

 

[Riptide]

I have a pair of Peltor Tactical 7 Classic electronic muffs that I took with me to a recent handgun course. I absolutely loved them. In fact, if you crank up the sensitivity, you dang near have bionic hearing. I was really surprised.

I like the concept so much that I'm going to get a few more of the slimmer models, and keep them in the bedrooms. The much-improved hearing, and protection against the sound of a shot fired, could make the difference in an encounter at home...

 

[squatch]

Iam in need of some new shooting muffs as well. thanks for starting this. would like something that fits with my oakleys. my old silencio muffs do not fit with shades nor protect my punk rock damaged ears!I always enjoy your reviews!

 

[Corey]

Thanks Rip, that is good to know.
I would be tempted to wear them at work too when I walk around our twp onds at work with all the wildlife out there.

squatch, you are welcome.
I would go shooting this weekend and try them out, but I am buying a safe tomorrow, so that ties up my Saturday pretty much.
Maybe I will be able to get out the following weekend to shoot.

 

[02TahoeMD]

I have the Peltor electronic hearing muffs myself, and they work great. The only thing is - double and triple check that they are off when you are done shooting or they will eat your batteries in about a day.

Otherwise.....great item to have on the range.

 

[targa88]

Corey,
I have both of the electronic muffs that you have posted. They both work equally as well.
There is a nice little feature on the "impact" muffs that you can plug an Ipod in...
In terms of shooting indoors/confined spaces, where the noise is amplified and reverberates, I use custom made ear plugs - which I wear inside the electronic muffs. When I am shooting outdoors the ear plugs are more than sufficient.
Worth the money for the custom plugs (IIRC $50 @ Costco), since I figure I only have one set of ears.

 

[ScottReb]

Best thing I ever did was get a set of custom fitted plugs. Excellent protection and no problems with glasses. I also use the Howard Leight muffs. Have had Peltor 6. I thought they were just as good.

 

[cnynrat]

I have a set of custom fitted ear plugs. I really like them, especially when shooting rifles as muffs always seem to be in the way. I use them alone when shooting outside, but will often put a set of plain old non-electronic muffs over them when shooting at an indoor range.

 

[AmericaOverland]

I turn my hearing aids off. I have to watch the line very carefully to make sure I don't fire after a cease-fire call. Since I can't hear the call to start shooting again, the range officer will give me a hand signal to do so.

 

[cbradley]

I have a pair of the Howard Leight electronic ear muffs and love them. They amplify speech sufficiently and are relatively low profile so they don't get in the way of a good rifle cheek weld. That said, I do double up with foam plugs when around centerfires. The price can't be beat as well. I think I got them for about $60 on sale at Midway. They go on sale frequently.

 

[Corey]

I have the Peltor electronic hearing muffs myself, and they work great. The only thing is - double and triple check that they are off when you are done shooting or they will eat your batteries in about a day.

Otherwise.....great item to have on the range.

Thanks for the battery tip, I would hate to have to replace them, see below...

Corey,
I have both of the electronic muffs that you have posted. They both work equally as well.
There is a nice little feature on the "impact" muffs that you can plug an Ipod in...
In terms of shooting indoors/confined spaces, where the noise is amplified and reverberates, I use custom made ear plugs - which I wear inside the electronic muffs. When I am shooting outdoors the ear plugs are more than sufficient.
Worth the money for the custom plugs (IIRC $50 @ Costco), since I figure I only have one set of ears.

OK, they came today, they work great.
But...I thought I was going to bust them pulling them apart to put in batteries.
My fingers are already cut up some from working outdoors in a damp cold environment wearing gloves that suck all of the natural oils out of my hands and fingers.
They do this every year.

Pulling these ear muffs apart made the right index finger crack open and bleed some.

Other than getting to the batteries being a major PITA, I like them.
Put them on with the local news on, and it was kind of like wearing the regular Peltors, it was hard to hear.
I turned on both volume knobs and the sound came in nice and clear.

I went out to the porch and it picked up a jet flying overhead and local traffic, and both were way louder than normal

For kicks I clapped my hands real loud and hoped the neighbors did not see me , and the muffs canceled out the clap.
There was a slight delay before sound resumed again.

I read on Amazon that the Howard units do not have as much as a delay as these.
I will have to read up more on them, as I may buy them too, especially if it is easier to get to the batteries.

Besides the new muffs, this was also waiting for me when I got home.
http://www.sgammo.com/product/winchester/500rd-45-auto-acp-winchester-230gr-fmj-usa45avp

I think I will order up another 500 pretty soon to stay stocked up.
The price on these is the same as what my friend paid for them at Walmart, so it is a very good price.
I would much rather pay a little extra on shipping than step into a Walmart

 

[Corey]

I have a pair of the Howard Leight electronic ear muffs and love them. They amplify speech sufficiently and are relatively low profile so they don't get in the way of a good rifle cheek weld. That said, I do double up with foam plugs when around centerfires. The price can't be beat as well. I think I got them for about $60 on sale at Midway. They go on sale frequently.

I think I read too that they may work better with a rifle than the Peltors.
My rifle has a different stock on it, so hopefully these do not interfere with it.

 

[autarkus]

Like they mention earlier in the thread, I'd suggest wearing both ear plugs and over ear protection. The most common issue people have with ear plugs is not properly inserting them. They must to be rolled tightly and fit into the actual ear canal to get a seal, not just lightly wedged in.

Over that, the Howard Leight Impacts are so popular that you'll find them on most ranges. They are still a great, inexpensive option. During cease fire, I usually take off the over ear protection and leave the plugs in.

 

[LRNAD90]

I wouldn't think that the Peltor ANC isn't going to make it quieter than you experienced with the over-the-ear and foam combination, I'd expect it to be louder..

With an NRR of only 19 ("Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) of 19dB") I certainly would want secondary in-the-ear protection, either foam plugs or custom fits. Most over-the-ears offer NRRs in the vicinity of 30 or more. The better foam in-the-ear plugs (when used properly) should get you NRRs in the 35-38 dB range, or roughly twice the reduction of the Peltor actives..

I hear Apple Air Pod Pros (ANC) have been tested to have an NRR around 25-27, which is better than the Peltor's alone..

My understanding has always been that every 10 dB increase represents roughly doubling the volume level. While the frequency plays a big role in the scale and actual doubling of the sound level, going from an NRR of 19 to an NRR of 38 should be roughly four times quieter..

 

[BritKLR]

I have the Peltor electronic hearing muffs myself, and they work great. The only thing is - double and triple check that they are off when you are done shooting or they will eat your batteries in about a day.

Otherwise.....great item to have on the range.

And take the batteries out when stored for long periods otherwise they may corrode and damage the headsets.