Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Good hearing protection

I currently use the little plunger-style plugs and sometimes regular muffs but I'm kicking around getting a nice set of electronic muffs. Currently, I'm looking at Peltor SportTac 6S, Tactical Pro and the ComTac II. I can't afford top-quality in-the-ear type plugs but don't want to throw money at an inferior product that could damage my hearing either. I would ideally like to find some good quality muffs that would give me the best protection possible for under ~$250 (hopefully well under ).

My criteria for weighing the choices are:

#1 - Good hearing protection
#2 - Durable
#3 - Comfortable
#4 - Hearing amplification

Peltor is about the best of all the muffs brands that I've tried. You can choose between the 6 and 7 models to suit your wearing style, but both are fine. No muff is as good as molded in-ear electronics, but if you can't afford them, you can't.

You should buy the best ear protection you CAN afford, though. They don't make replacement parts and hearing aids don't give you back any hearing, they only amplify what little you have left.

Molded in electronics....please advise?

I've got custom molded plugs for years, not with electronics... could be worth the effort, the molding part isn't that expensive anyway.

Being able to hear while protected dove and duck hunting would be super!
I hate muffs
Jeff

See the line of products at www.earinc.com for molded in-ear and other types. To be honest, plugs by rival company ESP are probably as good and comparably priced.

While you can still get analog circuits, they are disappearing fast and may be unavailable even while purchased units are still in warranty. So for the last year or so I was a dealer, I recommended that people strongly consider getting basic digital units. Those start at about $1400 per pair. More advanced digitals run up to $3000. If you have a hearing loss and provide a hearing test printout, digitals can be tweaked to suit your loss. That doesn't make them full-time hearing aids, but does make them a lot better for longer-term wear.

By way of comparison, digital hearing aids of the same quality run two to three times the prices quoted above.

Molded electronics beat muffs in every way: better protection, MUCH higher sound quality, much reduced wind noise, no interference with hat or glasses, more comfort and far superior warranty.

Nebraska,

I use the MSA Sordin.

http://www.tacticalcommand.com/

I get them from Tactical Command...jim

I'm not a gunwriter, but I think I can save you some frustration.

I've owned both the Peltor 6 and 7S. The model 6 is small with a low rating. It is light and would be fine for duck hunting or a shot at a deer. But they are not enough protection for competition or lots of rifle shooting. Plus they didn't fit around my ear. They just press your ear against your head.

The model 7-S used to be rated at 24NRR, and they fit well and seal good over most shooting glasses. I've used them for six years in competition and hunting. But they do look kind of out-of-style. Pro-ears look much better, and I hear that Walkers are also good.

If you need muffs to do everything, get big ones with the highest rating. You can always buy the Peltor-6 for $69.00 for a light pair to take hunting.

+1. I'm not a gunwriter either, however, I probabely shoot an unsuppressed M4 indoors more than most scribes. Hearing loss with the 10.5" uppers and no can is both immediate and bewildering. Peltor is the weak brother of Sordin...imo.

Regards, Matt Garrett.

good post........

woofer

Those Sordins seem okay (haven't tried any, so can't really say). The NRR of 21 is only average for muffs, but they do say they use a compression circuit rather than simple clipping, which is good. The fidelity (sound quality) of the circuit will still suffer from "seashell effect" which is endemic to any muff.

Molded electronic plugs have an NRR of 28 when turned off, by way of comparison. Powered up electronic circuits don't have an NRR because they can't be tested for sound reduction when the amplification is on. (duh, huh?) So both the muff and plug NRR numbers were obtained when the units were "off."

NRR ratings are tricky, even when the testing is done per published standards. Some muffs and plugs have ratings far above what they actually deliver. Some makers test muffs after shaving the heads of test subjects. Because most real-life people have hair (not to mention the temples of shooting glasses) the earpad seal is much less complete - and so actual sound reduction is less than the NRR would indicate. Foam plugs can also be deceptive if they are tested with the plug fully inserted into the ear canal. Unless you insert them so deep you have to remove them with forceps, you are getting less protection. If there's enough foam plug to grab with your fingers, the effective rating is about HALF what the claimed NRR says. All bets are off if the plugs are reused, as they do not seal as well after the first use. Custom-fitted earmolds can have an NRR up to 31 - and actually deliver that level of protection because they fit and seal perfectly, and are made of highly sound-absorptive materials. Good molded plugs are often quieter than foam plugs and muffs together.

Midway sells an electronic muff called the ES-85. Regular price is $49.95 this month they are on sale for $19.95. Bought a set and wore them at the Knob Creek machine gun shoot last Friday. They worked just fine and are certainly superior to a regular set of muffs costing 20 bucks.

Liked them so well I bought another set to give away as a Christmas gift.

If a guy doesn't need electronic muffs, just good protection for a reasonable price...where should he go? Thanks.

Honestly, I'd get those in my earlier post. That's about the same price as a good set of 'regular' muffs and, when not turned on, they work just like normal muffs.

I have been considering getting their E.A.R. Mini-Canal digital. Their website has the price at 900 a pair, 140 extra for custom ear mold. Those are lower than your 1,400 bottom end, is there anything wrong with this model?

It's probably not necessary to mention it since you all are hear at this thread but do something now. We all will spend $500, $1000, or much more for a rifle or fine shotgun, or good optics but seem reticent to spend that amount on protecting our hearing.

The thing is we all shoot and hunt and you lose it slowly, insidiously, but most surely over the years if you do not protect yourself. One day you realize that your first response to about every question is, "huh", "what" and then it's too late.

Inner ear conduction problems can be corrected to a lesser or greater degree but not the neural damage resulting from repeated, loud concussive noises.

Buy the best you can afford now.

Gdv

WHAT????

Seriously, thanks for those who have posted info. PROTECT YOUR EARS! A dear friend of mine shot trap since he was a teenager and he has a terrible time. He cannot get out of jail duties (a patrolling deputy) as a law enforcement officer because of it. He's 32.

Does someone make good, affordable molded ear protection. Something non-electronic to keep costs down???

Good question....

To answer the above several posts... (I've been off-net for a week)

I chose not to mention the EAR Mini-Canals simply because it would have confused the issue a bit. They are excellent units. They are "semi-generic" in that they come with replaceable rubber tips to fit most ear canals. The tips can be exchanged in seconds, allowing Mini-Canals to be shared - or resold. The other advantage is that they can be ordered without the need for a custom impression mold, if there is no suitable dealer near you. They can also be used with a custom mold to replace the generic tips, for those who can't get a decent fit with the standard tips (like me) or for those who want more comfort. Great option.

Standard custom molds are the best non-electronic hearing protection you can get. They are AT LEAST as quiet as foam plugs worn under muffs - and usually significantly better. They run anywhere from $50 a pair to $150, depending on the material selected and the source. EAR dealers can make room-temp-setting silicone in hours (for about $50) or can order them in laboratory (oven-cured) materials for $75 to $100. Any ear doctor or hearing aid provider can order the same type of lab molds, but charge more ($150 or so).

You can even get molds with non-electronic filters that provide protection but allow normal speech to be heard (NON-amplified). Those run about $100-150.

One caveat: you will see plugs advertised with "valves" that supposedly close at the gunshot. Those are NOT the same as filters and do NOT provide much protection, if any. No such "valve" can close before the first and most damaging sound wave can get past it because the valve cannot move faster than sound. If it doesn't have an acoustic filter (using that EXACT language) it is not safe to use for shooting.

Confused enough now? If so, PLEASE feel free to PM or email me, or talk to the very nice people at EAR. There are MANY options to suit any shooter's needs and budget, but only a true dealer who works with shooters can walk you through the thicket of all the options.

Rocky,

Thanks for taking the time to answer all our questions. One quick question though. Can I assume that the oven-cured materials offer better protection?

Thanks,

Dan

Nope. They offer the same protection levels, but are more or less permanent. They simply never wear out. Made on the spot molds should be treated with a protective coating, and should be re-treated periodically. Most EAR dealers and the company itself will do re-treats free and forever - provided the plug owner remembers to send them in every year or so. Lab molds need no coating and no followup service, ever.

I've had people use earlier, less durable on-the-spot plugs for more than 20 years. Today's third-generation chemical formulation is MUCH better even that that. But I told people to expect five to ten years life out of them in recreational use. (In heavy industrial use worn eight hours a day five days a week in harsh environments, they last about a year.) Lab molds last virtually a lifetime in either type of use.

Even if you only get five years, you're only spending $10 a year on them; and still getting much better protection than disposable foam plugs and muffs which will cost you more.