Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Ear protection / sound amplifiers

Thanks, not too costly, gonna have to give them a shot.

I use Peltor. They work great. I shoot better with muffs on.

You guys don't have trouble with the wind noise in amplified muffs?

Some cut out wind noise better than others. The best I’ve used in this regard is the Sordin Supreme Pro-X.

I am going to hunt with them next year. See how it goes.

I bring a set of amplified muffs to the stand with me. I put them on right before I shoot. I don’t like wearing them the whole time.

I like electronic muffs at the range. I hate them in the field. Some ITC stuff is good for hunting, but not shooting, and vice versa....of those I’ve tried. I hate the behind the ear stuff, too. I still think itc is the way to go, but I’m looking into shells or custom molds, because it’s a pita to get foam ones inserted just right, and the silicone can get uncomfortable after several hours. I have peltors and walkers razors on hand. I’ve had Caldwell and Howard light......both of those were wimpy in design (muffs) and broke the extensions....too much plastic. I don’t know what’s ‘best’, because I haven’t been up to spending more than $250-$300 on any, thus far. Some don’t amplify enough for me for some hunting, and the ones that do often have NRR or shutoff issues for gunfire. Battery life, fit, longevity, etc....I’m sure the $1-$2K stuff would be a huge leap up, but my cheapskate side insists that somebody HAS to be able to get there under $400 these days.

I use Leights (sp?) muffs and I keep them clamped on my leg until I see some activity and I’ll either put them on correctly or on the top of my head where I can place them quickly if I need to. If there’s no activity, I’ll generally put them on near sunset and crank up the volume so I’m ready to go if something shows up. The amplification can help sense movement or a change in the woods noises that may give me a heads-up that something’s moving.

We generally hunt from box stands and several years ago I popped a coyote with one of my 700 carbines In 30/06 with a 20” barrel and that convinced me I needed some protection for my ears. 😳

I have been using them on my elk hunts for several years. My hearing is so impaired that I cannot really tell how much noise I am making, as well as not being able to hear elk moving in the woods around me. The muffs have increased the quality of my hunts (I can actually hear bird calls again) and I don't have to worry about suffering additional hearing loss when I shoot.

My deer hunting is all open country, but I still use them to enhance the hearing that I have left and to ensure that I don't lose any more. These days, I wouldn't be able to hunt turkeys without them, either.

I use Leights. They work well for me and I don't sweat loss or damage as they aren't that expensive to replace.

YMMV.

Thanks to years of shooting without hearing protection my ears ring constantly. So now i use walker Razor XV, the ones with retractable ear buds. I hunt in duck blind or deer tent so wind doesn’t normally bother me. Work great to hear everything but block out those gunshots when needed. I also use them on walks around the neighborhood with my dogs because they pair with my phone and I can listen to podcasts. This is when noise really gets me.

I wear hearing aids and when I first got them about 15 years ago I thought the Dr said I could wear them while shooting as they will cut off at a certain decible which the do. Although they worked perfectly the next visit the Dr said I wasn't to wear them. I still do when unplanned shooting is needed around the fields here.

Bought a set of -30db Howard Leight muffs in hopes of using them to listen to music while mowing, but alas, they clamp the music too. I wore them to the range and they worked well there, but when my neighbor unlimbered his braked .338 Lapua, I doubled up with foam plugs. The concussion was still considerable, but the noise was well-controlled.

Not worried about one or two shots a year at deer, but will try them for small game and definitely doves.

Always keep your mouth shut to avoid brake concussion

Depending on how much you want to spend ESP makes an excellent electronic ear plug that works very well and does not interfere with your cheek weld. They are also rated for indoor range use. The thing I like about them is they are tunable for your specific hearing problem just like hearing aids to optimize the frequencies you can hear. They are also waterproof. A lot of folk shooting USPSA and IDPA wear the black or green series due to their programing ability. I especially like them during the summer as they are not as hot as the ear muffs. I was initially worried about their durability but I talked to several folk that have been using them for 4-5 years.

My ears are pretty much worthless aside from holding my glasses up so I started using Howard Leights this turkey season. I was amazed by how noisy the woods are between the blowing wind and the noisy brook. I can also hear how noisy I am while walking through the woods. I'm pretty much deaf in my left ear so I still can't determine the direction of the sound but I've had no problem hearing both gobblers and hens talking. I plan to use them for deer season too.

I know this is a slightly older post, hope it’s okay to bump it.
The plugs the op is talking about are referred to as impulse plugs. They filter out higher decibel noises while allowing lower decibels in.

For hunting, I use a pair made by Rooth C&P (not sure if I’m allowed to link it, but you can find em on amazon). They’re the 2 sided plugs- half yellow, half olive drab.
Stick the yellow side in and they allow some lower noises to come through. Turn em around and stick the green side in your ear and they work as “ear plugs”, blocked all sounds(up to 25db I think it said).

They work pretty well, imo. Better than nothin’