Electronic ear defenders

[Steyr]

Looking for a set of low profile ear defenders principally for range rifle and clay busting occassinally

Looking for a balance of decent protection, good sound rendition and not too silly on the $ bill count.

Any recommendations of make and model and where best to purchase said cans would be gratefully received.

Thanks in advance

 

[FBecigneul]

You said electronic so let me address you with my thoughts on the electronic models. If you are using these muffs for use in matches and if you are disturbed or disrupted easily by people chattering behind you, stay away from the electronic models. Deaf shooters tend to talk loud and can distract you while you are shooting. If you are shooting big loudenboomers, the muffs are the better way to go. If you are shooting matches with 6mm or .30BR, the way to go would be to go to a place that builds hearing aids. Most also sell custom molded earplugs. I believe mine are 31 db noise retentive and I got them from an hearing aid place close to home. Quite often at some of the bigger BR mathes there is someone at the match that will mold them on the spot. Nancy Scarborough will be at the IBS 100-200 Score Nationals in Holton this year. There is always someone at Camp Perry for the service rifle and high power matches and making custom earplugs while you wait. Like tattoos you must be present for those. Last but not least, if you are working in an area where the wearing of hearing protection is mandatory, you might check with your insurance and also the tax man in April as they are then a tax deduction.

 

[Ackman]

Electronic muffs are great except as FB said, not at the range. They switch off with every gunshot, not just yours.....at the range they're going off and on all the time. It's distracting.

 

[Steyr]

OK - just to clarify, I am UK based so I will be getting a friend to bring them back.

I am an experienced shot and actually train deliberately in noisy ditracting backgrounds. I positively encourage people to try and break my concentration so that is absolutely not an issue for me. I saw this once in an archery comp - a lass was completely zoned in and focused then someone walked in front of her field of view, broke her concentration and the wheels didnt just fall off, they went into orbit LOL

I am more hunter than target but I beleive that for every shot taken at a pulsed target, there should be a big multiplication of shots taken at a pulped up tree.

I also dabble a little in shotguns (as I would become very competitive if I lost my self control) and try to give George Digweed and Richard Faulds a run for their money

However, as there is a plethary of kit out there and I have no idea as to what is good bad or ugly, I am looking for a bit of feedback on how peeps rate which make model and how good value they are.

I am looking for strong ear protection and very clear speech recognition as some big calibres are used where I shoot often without any moderation or compensators are used which are not earole friendly at the side.

I am not a fan of inner ear devices as I suffer badly with ear infections (been hospitalised twice due to swimming alone) and I beleive that the lack of an over ear muff can expose you to hearing damage through the skin and bone around the ear if an inner ear device only is deployed. They are also very expensive and contrary to what I want at the mo.

Hope this assits to clarify some of my requirements.

Many thanks

Si - UK (near where the Queen lives)

 

[lightman]

I have worn a set of the Peltor tactical muffs sold by Dillon for several years,and have no complaints,even at matches.They are not really low profile and I wish that I could wear a hat with them,but it does not work very good.Hope this helps, Lightman

 

[JCummings]

A high quality set of electronic muffs do NOT cut out with gun shots. I have a pair of Pro Ears Gold. The sound level is essentially level with no loss of sound with gunshots. In essence,it is almost as if you hear normally but no shots. Cheap muffs like the Peltor tactical are a completely different world. I got the Pro Ears specifically for the range because you can clearly hear the range commands without the gunshots. They're expensive, but, once again you get what you pay for.

 

[hawghunter]

Leight electronic muffs R W Hart sales them or Peltor 6 back band if you wear a hat

 

[normmatzen]

First, let me say I am an electronic engineer and, as I worked in the hearing industry the last 10 years of my career, I attended the audiology masters program at a local university. So, I believe I can talk intelligently about ear protection. The company I worked for made hearing aid amplifiers as well as ear plugs and I was the company expert on wind noise protection for motorcyclists. I also did some research in gun shot noise protection. In a different life, I was called "The Ear Plug Guy."

The best hearing protection you can use, without regard for hearing local speech is the old "yellow foamie." If the foamie is inserted correctly (that is, so far into the ear canal you are afraid you won't be able to get it out), the noise attenuation is approaching 40 dB. That is an important number as with perfect ear canal blockage, you will still hear outside noise reduced about 40 dB due to bone conduction through the mastoid bone. The much reduced "NRR" number listed on the container takes into account the average error in insertion of any ear plug. They must be inserted correctly if you are to protect your hearing! The popular passive ear muffs are no better than well fitted foamies. It is also popular to use foamies under muffs. Still no better than just well fitted foamies due to the 40 db limit of the mastoid bone.

A good alternative would be either a set of hearing aid type "hearing protection" or a muff with this same circuitry built in. These devices work on a deficiency in normal hearing aid circuits. The average hearing aid amplifier cannot produce a sound louder than about 115 dB SPL, which is below the threshold of pain (125-135 dB SPL). So, the volume can be adjusted to comfortable reception of speech and when your range neighbor touches off his 7mm Magnum, the hearing aid saturates and limits the 160 dB SPL blast to less than 120 dB, don't forget the 40 db of mastoid attenuation, with perfect ear canal plugging, subtract the 40 dB of the mastoid bone from the 160 dB SPL blast and you will still hear 120 dB SPL!

Sorry, the above is clinical test results and not based on anecdotal evidence!

 

[Steyr]

Sorry but a foam insert is just not my friend so it is over the ear muffs for me.

If you rely on just a faom insert, does this limit noise traveling through skin and bone or have I missed the point of your post ?

 

[Steyr]

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000RMJ2F0?&tag=shopwiki-us-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325

Seems a good price if pukka !

 

[normmatzen]

Steyr,

No, If you had a perfect plug in your ear canal, the outside noise suppression or attenuation would still be around 40 dB ( factor of 1/100) due to sound conduction through your mastoid bone. So, the 38-40 dB measured with properly inserted foam or plastic 3 rib plugs is nearly perfect as the bone conduction limit has essentially been reached. Good muffs also do this, but good means expensive and must conform to the shape of your head.

 

[xtightg]

Hi we both use Peltor Sport Tac for full bore and clay busting, best I have used in 30 years of shooting. They don't cut out or make a noise when filtering gun fire top kit. We purchased ours in UK several years ago 100.00 UKP although I did see some silly advertised prices. We both cant fault them.

 

[JabaliHunter]

I found that I didn't get the noise reduction I was looking for with the Peltor SportTac (slim) muffs and swapped them for the Peltor ProTac2 - much thicker and perfect for rifle range work. The electronics these days are much improved and the noise filtering should be virtually undetectable. I would use the SportTac for clays, but for game I use in-ear electronic plugs. The Peltor website gives data on relative protection levels and noise cancelling for all their muffs. Pay the price and don't look back. Hearing is too valuable for cheap muffs. JMHO

 

[Rustystud]

Protecting Your ears..

I wear both custom made ear plugs the $200 plus dollar type and electronic ear muffs. A great deal of the bang goes directly into the mastoid bone and into the interear nerves causing damage. You need protection to the ear canal and to the bony protrution behind your ears.

I have sever hearing loss from years without adequate protection. I try to protect what little hearing I have left.

Nat Lambeth

 

[JCummings]

I Agree.
You never get back what you loose.
I wear plugs with the electronics over them.

 

[normmatzen]

Nat and JC,

Re-read my first reply above. My reply is based on clinical measurements and peer reviewed publications.

Electronics over plugs does NO better than well inserted plugs.

The $200 plugs mentioned above are probably Etymotic ER-25 musicians ear plugs. These are great, I use them riding my motorcycle. But, they only afford 25 dB attenuation. That is why I use plastic 3 ribbed or foam plugs for 40 dB attenuation when shooting. And, I don't use noise protection when deer hunting as a single ot two shots will not do damage. And those neat hearing aid noise protectors/amplifiers do diddly squat for listening to game sounds. The electronic noise of the inexpensive microphones used is above the ambient noise of the out doors and it actually masks "game noise."

And,And, the 40 dB attenuation of the mastoid bone cannot be improved with an ear muff as the FRONT of your skull still transfers sound to your inner ear by conduction!

And,and,and, if you have 40 dB of attenuation, the ~160 dB impulse noise from a 7mm Magnum is reduced to 120 dB and due to the fact it is an impulse with low duty factor, it is not hearing damaging!

STAMP OUT ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE! Called the BUBBA effect!

 

[Steyr]

Thank you for your input gentlemen. I will look at some decent kit. I prefer slimline and usually shoot with a mod anyway to reduce potential hearing issues and to absorb some of the recoil too.

 

[JCummings]

Good, then I can stop using the foam. They hurt my ears anyway. thanks!

 

[kemen4]

There is a field test comparison of various hearing protectors here -
http://www.shootforum.com/forum/articles.php
I suppose, if read alongside Normmatzen's posts, you can have both fact and opinion....?
Apparently no Mammoths were harmed or malnourished during these tests.
My choice would be anything that blocks my tinitus ... wishful thinking.

 

[dreever]

Google Howard Leight Electronic Ear Protection. You can buy these for less than 50 bucks and they work great.

http://www.bigrivertactical.com/HowardLeight.html

Danny