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Are you using electronic ear protection/ sound enhancer?

MattMan81

MattMan81

Well-Known Member
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Jan 13, 2020
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The Mitten
Is anyone using in a hunting scenario electronic ear protection?
New gun is substantial louder and don't know if I want to hunt it with out ear muffs. Ear muffs take time to put on, and is movement.
Wearing ear muffs blocks closer noises..
Electronic stuff is expensive, but so is wrecking your hearing.
Is there decent stuff out there for a good price? Or do you have to spend 200+?

Talk to me while I can still hear...
 
Haven't used them while hunting yet, but I definitely wear them for all other range/shooting activities. I'm a big fan of the hearing enhancement feature and can definitely see the value of using them while hunting. Just haven't done it yet.

I've used two brands so far, Walkers and Axil. I didn't like the muff style because of bulk, so I tried some of the Axil wired earbuds. They worked great, but the wire became quite annoying.

I'm currently using the Axil XCOR wireless earbuds. They work very well but they aren't cheap. However, the Axil website currently has them at $120 off MSRP.

goaxil.com

XCOR

AXIL XCOR Earbuds: All-in-one for shooting hearing protection, enhancement, Bluetooth streaming, water-resistant, touch control, compresses noises over 85db.
goaxil.com goaxil.com

Sent from my SM-G998U using Tapatalk
 
Follow-on comment. I've used the Axil XCOR for shooting everything from 22 LR to 300 Norma Magnum with a muzzle brake. The "sound" setting allows me to hear ambient noise and conversations, but significantly reduces the decibel level of gun shots.

Sent from my SM-G998U using Tapatalk
 
The least expensive emuffs I’ve used that work well are the Howard Leights. I’d start there and see if you like it. I also have some Walker digitalis that fit in the ear and had custom molds made for them. The sound is much better but they’re also 4x the cost. All in all I really like the technology even though it’s extra kit. One of my favorite things is to go in really early and just in the dark listening to the sounds in the woods you can’t otherwise hear.

When it comes to hunting the trick for me is to not overdue the volume. If you turn them up too much you can’t gauge where animals are and how far away they are. An Armadillo can sound like an elephant and have you spinning around in the stand :D
 
MattMan81 said:
Is anyone using in a hunting scenario electronic ear protection?
New gun is substantial louder and don't know if I want to hunt it with out ear muffs. Ear muffs take time to put on, and is movement.
Wearing ear muffs blocks closer noises..
Electronic stuff is expensive, but so is wrecking your hearing.
Is there decent stuff out there for a good price? Or do you have to spend 200+?

Talk to me while I can still hear...
Click to expand...
1695226128259.png
Wont hurt your ears at all.
 
I have several walkers electronic muffs for the range but haven’t worn them hunting. I’ve thought about it but they’re bulky and I figure one shot won’t do any damage I didn’t already do in the army. Curious too about the in-ear style
 
Never brought them in the woods, but I do have a set of Walker's I use at the range. The work well for what they are but I like to be able to hear what's going on around me in some detail. A friend of mine keeps a set of standard muffs on his head while he hunts and just pops them in place before shouldering his rifle. I'd be more inclined to loop a pair of Surefire earplugs around my neck and install if I had time before a shot.
 
I have Howard Heights and they were maybe $50. I haven't tried them hunting but it's an interesting idea for gun season
 
Always if my rifle has a muzzle brake. My .338-378 Weatherby Mag holds roughly 2.5X the powder of the already loud .30-06. Combine that with the brake and it's permanent hearing loss with even a single shot. I don't wear them on stand but hang them right on the tree ready to go soon as I spot game. I don't find them comfortable enough to wear long term tho they do improve hearing quite a bit.
 
BTaylor said:
Do you lose directional hearing with the Walker's and others? That would be my biggest issue. I hunt nearly as much with my ears as I do with my eyes.
Click to expand...
Big time. You keep left/right stereo, but that's pretty much it. You can't differentiate between something behind you or in front of you. For that reason I would keep them handy, and practice donning them with minimal noise and movement. They'll also pick up and amplify wind noise, and if you're wearing a hat or hoodie on a cold day you'll hear it brushing against your collar all day. Definitely something to experiment with while scouting. Which is not to dissuade you or anyone from using ear pro; we have to protect our hearing; just be mindful of the tradeoffs.
 
I definitely use some kind of hearing protection when gun hunting. My hearing is much more valuable than any deer.

I always carry around wireless earbuds everyday anyway and they have noise cancelling function built in, even tho they’re not marketed for hunting/shooting. sometimes I’ll just have those in and make sure the noise cancelling function is off, so they’re basically just normal ear buds. (The noise cancelling function can sometimes shoot some loud cracks into the ear if they pick up a quick super loud sound). But the pads cup in the ear canal pretty well and offer some pretty good protection, though not as good maybe as actual ear plugs. In a pinch I will just run them this way though.

Otherwise I try to have some kind of proper protection on me to begin with and will keep one in and the other at the ready to throw in quick (assuming I get a second to do so). Maybe the second one is hanging just out of the ear but held in place by a beanie and then I just press it in all the way quick when it’s go time.

These are usually the standard scenarios for me.
 
I have these:

Trophy Ear - Online Store

www.trophyear.com www.trophyear.com

The bluetooth portion isn't something I actually use, so I'd probably just get the regular ones if I were to buy again. But I was able to use FSA/MSA money to buy these and wear hearing aids in my day-to-day life, so this was a really nice upgrade for me.
 
I have a pair of etymotic gunsport pro. I tried the electronic muffs for two years but got tired of messing with it. Last year I put these in before I left the house and took them out when I was done. Big improvement in usability for me.
www.etymotic.com

GSP-15 GunSport-PRO Electronic Earplugs

GSP15 Electronic Earplugs are ideal for gun sport enthusiasts who need protection from firearm blasts, and for people who need protection from loud continuous noise. GunSport Pro allows natural hearing when no background noise is present, provides sudden impact protection from muzzle blasts and...
www.etymotic.com www.etymotic.com
 
One thing... talk to your health insurance carrier. I know people who got 'hearing aids' covered. What if you're hard of hearing and in an loud industrial environment but need to be able to hear safety information? My insurance won't cover it unfortunately but it's worth a conversation.
 
Howard Leight Impact Sports for duck hunting. Suppressor on my deer rifle, an Omega 300 makes a .30-06 much more pleasant to shoot. Before I had my suppressor I wore the Impact Sports during deer season for years.
 
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