Hearing protection reccomendations

[ShootALot523]

Looking for suggestions for electronic muffs under $200. I'm not crazy about Peltor. Had a pair that stopped working after a year. Also looking for a pair of regular (non electronic) ear muffs. I'm dealing with tinnitus, so I'm trying to avoid further hearing damage.

 

[cavman]

Howard Leight

I have had these for a couple of years and they have been great. I always double up with plugs as well and being able to hear through the plugs when not shooting is great.

http://www.amazon.com/Howard-Leight-R-01526-Electronic-Earmuff/dp/B001T7QJ9O

I have tried some others and one pair of a Peltor series, I think it was ~$200+, appeared to have a slightly more muffled report then the HL but that may have been due to their much larger size as well.

Highly recommend.

 

[GURU1911]

David clark "straightaway" muffs---have had mine for 35 years with no regrets. Contact "gil hebard guns" & buy a pair.

 

[onthecount]

Not trying to Hi Jack your thread but how exactly do electronic hearing protection work? I've always wanted a set but dont know too much about them. How do they block out the loud noises our guns make yet allow us to hear people around us. I'm always worried that I'm gonna throw on the ear protectors and they'll magnify the gun shots and I'll end up deaf.

 

[cavman]

I am not exactly sure how the electronics work, but I have never heard of any of the guys who use them (nearly all use them who I shoot competitively with) ever have a 'bang' amplified.

What they do is amplify sound (really cool when you are wearing plugs and can't hear anything). If you are outside wearing plugs and the muffs with the muffs turned on, you can hear a squirrel and leaves rustling in the distance.

Then whenever a sound is encountered that is too loud (you can trip them with a loud clap of the hands), the electronics are turned off and then you get the sound muffling of the muffs as well as plugs.

I always use them. Unless I am alone and am shootings my .22 only. Then I might use one or the other of plugs or muff.

 

[Thlax]

I assume the electronics are similar to how my Bose noise canceling headphones works. Theres some degree of like white noise and it may change per surrounding dB? Just a guess.

 

[Fargazer]

Roughly speakiing, there are two basic methods:

• Clipping - the microphones work like normal (allowing volume control) until a sound louder than a certain threshold. When that loud noise comes in, the mikes either cut out for the duration of the sound, or drop the volume. Peltors use this method.
• Compression - the individual sounds are processed, and only the loud sounds above the threshold are reduced in volume. Pro Ears use this method

Clipping is cheaper, but may make conversation choppy because the sound will cut out every time there's a shot. Compression takes more sophisticated electronics, but allows a normal conversation without drop outs.

 

[Remmy700]

Hearing Protection

Have got 3 sets of Peltor tacticals and will never get anything else. Very compact and lightweight and come in headband type or behind the head type. And you can get them for very reasonable prices. The not only block loud noise but they also magnify so if shooting at metal targets it blocks the shot noise and then magnifys to help you hear your hit. Link below. 60 at opticsplanet.
http://www.opticsplanet.net/peltor-tactical-hearing-protectors.html