Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters The Best Hunting Hearing Protection

FWIW, the electronic muffs most popular among the tactical guys I work with are Sordin. They are light, flat-profile, and have the best electronics I know of. I tested a pair at a carbine class in May and was very impressed. They don't interfere with my cheek weld with either shotgun or rifle. They cost about $300 with the gel earpads.

http://www.csuk.us/sup_pro4.php#cutoff

Thanks for the reply. Thats what I use them for. I am thinking of some sort of protection for hunting though.

Chris

In my hearing aid office I charge a patient $50 ea, a non-patient $75 ea.

This is fairly typical.

Thanks for the confirmation, BB. Feel free to correct anything I may have said in error up above, if you know otherwise.

I purchased EAR digitals the top of the line, $2,500. The next one down for ONLY $2,000 would probably be just as good for me. This digital was programmed for me based on a hearing test. I can hear much BETTER with them in.

I put regular Peltor muffs over these at the range when I am shooting or when anyone near me is shooting. Otherwise, the echo off the roof is annoying.

I just returned from 16 days hunting in Namibia and Zimbabwe. I wore them all day every day and they work like a charm. Your ear is occluded and your own voice sounds funny but this is not too bad for me.

My .416 Rigby has a Vais muzzle brake which the EAR silences well. Maybe it helps that my mouth is shut when I clinch my teeth ;-)

Rocky and Oldcoyote,

I just went through my hospital audiologist for an audiogram and sure enough I had some but thankfully not too much high frequency (neural) loss; I intended on sending the audiogram to E.A.R but found out they (my hospital) have their own units available from STARKY. I can get their high end $1900, digital model for about $1200 with my med staff discount.

For that kind of discount I'm going to have to go with them. 45 day trial with satisfaction guaranteed; compression sound protection with "very good sound resolution" and general ambient sound magnification. From the EAR and ESP websites, this product sounds comparable as far as technical capabilities go. Will find out.

Oldcoyote, I just came back from Namibia also. Where did you hunt there?

Gdv

Starkey was the source of EAR electronic plugs for many years. My own plugs were Starkey-made. Starkey is one of the top providers in reputation over decades. They are indeed good plugs, and you're getting a very decent price.

Be sure to let us know how you like them - which I think I can confidently predict will be a LOT.

goodnews

Gras Ranch south of Windhoek. Great fun!

Rocky-

I should get them in about two weeks; will try them out and give a report. I'm a little concerned about getting used to having them in my ears as I'm sure there's a little adjustment there.

Gdv

There is. It will take some adjustment. Fortunately, getting used to the somewhat unnatural sound takes only a minute or two (don't crank up the volume at first. That helps.) THE most unnatural sound will happen if you first wear them indoors. WAY too many house sounds, echoes and stuff you don't hear normally will suddenly become REALLY noticeable. Oddly, wearing them outdoors isn't nearly as disconcerting.

They may be a bit painful after a while. Your ears will adjust to them if you wear them enough, but if only worn for occasional shoots, they may always be a bit tender after a few hours. Take them out for a few minutes at a time, or simply wiggle your outer ear a bit to "seat" the plugs better. Try rubbing just the barest whisper of petroleum jelly on the plugs or inside your ear to slicken them up.

"Entertaining" sounds: drinking a Coke will sound like you're under Niagara Falls; potato chips will sound like a wildfire; you'll actually hear your knees, hips and spine grating as you walk!

That's funny. I already have a slight bit of arthritis in my cervical spine and can now without magnification hear the slight grinding, cracking when I turn my head in just the right way.

So when wearing those it's going to sound like I'm cracking a broom stick in half??!! That's great!!

Really, thanks for the pointers. It's just something I've got to do.

Gdv

I'm pleased to state that I've lost all of my hearing in one particular frequency range. That's the frequency range that women speak in...