Best hearing protection while hunting?

I don't wear hearing protection for hunting, but frankly I should. Those who say even one shot will damage your hearing are correct. I have tinnitus in both ears, very severe on the left side. The issue I have with electronic muffs is that while they amplify sound, I find it very difficult to judge distance and direction of sound with them on.

I'll never know what it's like to not have ringing in my ears again.
 
trebor2880 said:
Never worn hearing protection while hunting, and my hearing is still fine after 45 years.
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This! Unlike a range, there's nothing out there large enough to reflect the sound back at me. Mind you, I've never had occasion to use big-bore or magnum rifles so I can't attest to noise levels in the bush. I've never had the ringing in my ears after taking down a deer.
 
When i am hunting i like to wear the Surefire Sonic Defenders. They aren't super good noise reduction (25ish nrr if i recall), i wouldn't wear them for an afternoon at the range, but pretty good for an occasional shot while hunting.

The thing that i like best about them is that you can put them in and they hook into the top of your ear as well, so you can then pull them like half way out. This lets you hear whatever is going on around you, but then when you want to pop them in they're right in place and a gentle nudge and they're in far enough to take a shot with them.

Like some of the others have said, i wouldn't want to walk around with full ear pro while hunting, but this is a good compromise for me, after years of loud music, heavy machinery and unprotected shooting i already have tinnitus and don't want to lose what hearing i have left.

This is all with the plug in them though, i tried one shot using their "noise reducing baffles" that are supposed to let low noises in but not loud ones. They may have dampened it a bit, but the ringing in my ears told me that it wasn't enough.
 
I generally wear the valve type or baffle type ear plugs at all times when hunting. Several different brands. They don't get in the way, they do reduce peak impulse noise appreciably, and I can hear most other sounds without too much trouble. I wear electronic muffs while goose and duck hunting or shooting varmints. They provide better protection and are necessary since the volume of shooting is much higher than big game hunts.
I'm concerned about the level of ignorance displayed by some who have posted previously. I certainly would not use hearing protection if it wasn't so important. It's inconvenient. But every shot damages your hearing to some extent. it is cumulative and irreversible. You can't judge the damage or the long term effects until it is too late. Not only hearing loss, but debilitating tinnitus and even balance problems can and will result. I know this from studying the subject and from personal experience.
 
I didn't use ear pro while hunting until i starting hunting with a rifle and had a muzzle brake. Now its pretty much mandatory, one shot without protection from a braked 300 win and my ears ring for days, its not pleasant. I use the howard leights and no complaints. I probably need to replace them now after 4 years of hard use(getting a little buzz when turned up) but it was $65 well spent. I picked up camouflage Walkers Game Ear ones from Canadian Tire as a spare set for anyone that comes along but the electronic amplification from those is not as clear as the Howards.
 
1899 said:
Modern electronic hearing protection can amplify sounds so you actually hear more than without it- and then shut the noise off when you shoot. So why not wear something like that?



Exactly. Don’t kid yourself- shooting without hearing protection causes permanent hearing damage.
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This.

Anyone who thinks it is no big deal is going to suffer permanent hearing loss. Period.

I use Howard Leight Impact Pro ($72 on Amazon.ca) and they are fantastic. Possible to enhance your hearing and protect it all at the same time, with the bonus that your ears are warm.

A very small price to pay for all these benefits.
 
I wear hearing aids due to not wearing hearing protection in he past. This includes 35+ years in a power station, racing motorcycles, chainsaws and on occasion a woman.
When I got them I asked the audiologist what happens when I shoot with them and he was not sure???????????
So I tried them and fired a rifle on an open range and they actually shut the volume down so that it was about normal or perhaps less.
I did in fact fire a full load .357 in an enclosed area and that was a mistake but it probably would have been just as bad for a person with normal hearing.
So I wear the aids while hunting because I don't want any critters sneaking up on me and I hope that i get to hear a rifle blast.
 
I used the Howard Leight electronic muffs for a few years. They work pretty good.

I have Walker Razer muffs now and definitely prefer them. Less noise from wind with the Walkers.
 
I use a set of Howard Leights electronic muffs for most large game hunting. While sitting in a stand, the amplified sound helps me pick up sounds I wouldn't have otherwise heard. If it's too loud and I can't tell what direction/distance the sound came from, then slip the muff off your ear or turn down the volume. This works great for slow walks in the bush, or while in a stand.

For duck/goose hunting and at the range I use a set of moulded plugs that I had made to fit my ears, they still allow a fair bit of low volume sounds to come through (i.e conversation), but cut out the high decibel sounds quite well. Hearing birds a ways off suffers a little. If the range is busy, I will double up, using the plugs and muffs, makes for a good combination of protections, but still allows conversation.

I have been pretty good about hearing protection, but on ONE occasion I was out for a goose hunt and forgot my hearing protection. Thought I would be fine, ended up shooting off about 25 rounds of 12 ga. The ringing in my left ear has never gone away since. That was about 6 years ago. Mild-medium tinnitus in that ear. I can ignore it for the most part, but when I think about it, it's incredibly annoying. Plus it masks any natural high pitch sounds. Don't join this club, wear your hearing protection!
 
cbh560 said:
I use a set of Howard Leights electronic muffs for most large game hunting. While sitting in a stand, the amplified sound helps me pick up sounds I wouldn't have otherwise heard. If it's too loud and I can't tell what direction/distance the sound came from, then slip the muff off your ear or turn down the volume. This works great for slow walks in the bush, or while in a stand.

For duck/goose hunting and at the range I use a set of moulded plugs that I had made to fit my ears, they still allow a fair bit of low volume sounds to come through (i.e conversation), but cut out the high decibel sounds quite well. Hearing birds a ways off suffers a little. If the range is busy, I will double up, using the plugs and muffs, makes for a good combination of protections, but still allows conversation.

I have been pretty good about hearing protection, but on ONE occasion I was out for a goose hunt and forgot my hearing protection. Thought I would be fine, ended up shooting off about 25 rounds of 12 ga. The ringing in my left ear has never gone away since. That was about 6 years ago. Mild-medium tinnitus in that ear. I can ignore it for the most part, but when I think about it, it's incredibly annoying. Plus it masks any natural high pitch sounds. Don't join this club, wear your hearing protection!
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Want some good news?

If you ever lose enough hearing to make hearing aids necessary, they have the technology now to "tune out" your tinnitus with the hearing aids. They can quite easily figure out the frequency of your tinnitus, and then they program the hearing aid to produce the same frequency but with reverse polarity - effectively, it is noise cancelling for tinnitus. My dad loves his!

BTW, I have tinnitus in both ears, worse in my left. Also, my left ear is not as good as my right.

This is all from shooting without protection. I should have got my electronic muffs years ago.

The young bastards should pay attention to this.
 
ironsighter said:
Want some good news?

If you ever lose enough hearing to make hearing aids necessary, they have the technology now to "tune out" your tinnitus with the hearing aids. They can quite easily figure out the frequency of your tinnitus, and then they program the hearing aid to produce the same frequency but with reverse polarity - effectively, it is noise cancelling for tinnitus. My dad loves his!

BTW, I have tinnitus in both ears, worse in my left. Also, my left ear is not as good as my right.

This is all from shooting without protection. I should have got my electronic muffs years ago.

The young bastards should pay attention to this.
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Yeah, it's actually shocking that people don't realize how much, and how quickly, report from a firearm can damage your ears. As mentioned already, by the time you notice it, it is too late.

I think I will give either the Peltor Tep-100 or MSA Sordin Supreme Pro-X a try. I'm also going to get a set for my 11 year old boy so that he gets into the habit of protecting his ears. Up until now I've just had him wear passive hearing protection - even while hunting.
 
ironsighter said:
Want some good news?

If you ever lose enough hearing to make hearing aids necessary, they have the technology now to "tune out" your tinnitus with the hearing aids. They can quite easily figure out the frequency of your tinnitus, and then they program the hearing aid to produce the same frequency but with reverse polarity - effectively, it is noise cancelling for tinnitus. My dad loves his!

BTW, I have tinnitus in both ears, worse in my left. Also, my left ear is not as good as my right.

This is all from shooting without protection. I should have got my electronic muffs years ago.

The young bastards should pay attention to this.
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thing is, younger people always think they know more than older people. Told my brother just the other day that the older I get the smarter my father was.
They should listen, but won't.
i'm in the same boat, 48 and the hearing loss I've noticed in the last 3 years is very disappointing. mostly in my left ear as the right get protected some when shooting by your shoulder and stock. Glad to hear they can now program out Tinnitus, as it gets annoying.

For me is walker electronic ear buds. Although I agree it is hard to identify direction with them.

FishHog
 
Hearing loss from hunting is why we should be allowed to use silencers.
That we have laws stopping the use of a health aid causing irreversible hearing damage is criminal.
 
1899 said:
I think I will give either the Peltor Tep-100 or MSA Sordin Supreme Pro-X a try. I'm also going to get a set for my 11 year old boy so that he gets into the habit of protecting his ears. Up until now I've just had him wear passive hearing protection - even while hunting.
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I've been using MSA's and they're great. They were recommended to me years ago by Swedish hunters. They're made there but still a rather unbiased opinion as everyone there wears hearing protection for all hunting, so they don't only use those.

I have tinnitus in both ears due to having both eardrums punctured/blown out from guiding hunters with brakes (Dr. confirmed).

And before anyone chimes in on brakes, you can say whatever you want about noise levels and brakes, it will fall on my deaf ears. They are much louder for everyone involved than unbraked guns, even the shooter. I hate them and won't take guys out that have them anymore. Rant off.

The only downside with any over the ear muffs is that you'll sweat on warm days. The clarity of the sound amplification on the MSA's is superb, as is battery life.

Get the MSA Supreme X with gel caps, you won't be disappointed.
 
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