This brings up a question driving me nuts. I bought earmuff protection. Whatever they’re called. But what’s wrong with the earplugs issued to us in the Army? We hired 8” cannons with them. You don’t know loud unless you’ve fired a cannon.

 

From what I've seen at ranges, 1/2 of the electronic hearing protection is a mishmash from different companies.

All the rest? Howard Leight hearing protection. They seem to be the best value - go much cheaper and, well, you get cheaper.

Nothing wrong with ear plugs, they work best. But if you want to be able to hear range commands, electronic is the way to go... and today's electronic muffs are pretty darn good.

Many people, my son included, wear ear plugs AND electronic muffs. Turn up the volume on the muffs to hear people talking "through" the ear plugs, then excellent sound reduction when you shoot.

 

Many people, my son included, wear ear plugs AND electronic muffs. Turn up the volume on the muffs to hear people talking "through" the ear plugs, then excellent sound reduction when you shoot.

I do that, too. Works really well!



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Walker's Razor. Better and cheaper than all of my Peltors.

 

Walker Razor and Howard Leight Impact Sport are both in the same price ball park, probably made using the same internals, have some minor external cosmetic differences. Both get the job done well. Both have earpocket spaces that are way too small for my ears, but so far I've just put up with it. It's a big jump in $$ to get an appreciable improvement.

 

I agree. Howard Leight Impact Sport are a great low price point entry. Just 22NRR (so for louder guns, wearing plugs under may be wise), but pretty solid. They have directional sound, function well, and are relatively slim. For under $60 they are tough to beat in my book. They are not a premium entry with better electronics and higher NRR, but I like them for what they are.

 

The only way to go with these is foam plugs plus wear the Howard Leights with the internal sound turned all the way up. With that arrangement, you can hear conversations in the next booth, but gunshots clip out.

 

I like the Walker Razor. Bought a few so talk to kids at range without yelling.

Been testing a set with Bluetooth from Mpow. They feel kind of cheap, but work ok so far.

 

I am now using the Howard Leight Impact Pro Electronic Earmuffs they have a 30 dB NRR. Used to have Peltors before that.

Impact Pro Electronic Earmuff | Howard Leight Shooting Sports

 

These are good earmuffs, and I do like them, as well. They cost a bit more, so they aren't the most economical choice, but are a great product. Even though I love the added NRR, the issue I have is the occasional leak around the arms of my eyeglasses, which causes me to add plugs. If not for that, the 30NRR would be adequate for anything, and be a dream. But since I double plug anyway, the smaller, thinner Howard Leight's usually go in the range bag. But for those willing to pay a bit more, the dB reduction in these is great. Really good gear!

 

I've used Pro-Ears Gold for probably 15 years without any issues in fact I'm on my second pair after breaking my first ones. For hunting I wear just the muffs but for range use I wear both foam plugs and the muffs. These don't clip the sound, they compress it to a safe level. Many times it's possible to actually hear the bullet when it hits the deer.

 

Those are probably really good ones, but for my anticipated usage the Pro-Ears Gold seems like budget overkill. If I were on the range or in the field every day training it would be a different story. Based on suggestions and some preliminary research, If I had to choose right at this very moment it would probably come down to two finalists: the AKT1 ($92) and the Walkers Razor ($47). If I weren't shooting a rifle as much as a handgun I'd probably be all over the Howard Leight Pro's which are selling dirt cheap in a few places. But the profile on those would almost definitely make contact with my rifle's buttstock. I did get to try on some AKT1's for a few seconds and found them comfortable but can't report more than that.
Thanks for your input.

 

The Howard Leight are good for the money but the NRR is lacking for indoor ranges with loud guns. I wear plugs underneath them indoors.

I can still hear the microphone through the plugs. But it’s not ideal. I wish they had a higher NRR.

 

Howard Leight's or Walker's, which ever one pick up a set of gel ear pads. Much more comfortable and better seal around the glasses.

 

I have two Caldwell's and one Walker's. I like the Walkers better. All of them have been purchased on clearance from Midwayusa. There are some Walkers right now on their website for 50% off. ffr1910

 

I have MSA Sordin Supreme Pro X for most of my shooting needs.

I have Leights and Peltors as additional ear pro at work and around the house.

I found this product which are replacements for the ear cups and have a channel for eyeglass arms. This helps so the ear cup doesn’t create an area for sound to leak in.

They are really comfortable in heat/cold. I’ve trained with them indoors and out. A couple of times I had them on during breaks forgetting I had ear pro on. The product adapts lower priced ear pro to higher priced items like the MSAs.

Noisefighters | Hearing Protection & Night Vision Accessories

Noisefighters delivers premium hearing protection and night vision accessories to those serving on the front lines.

noisefighters.com

 

Another vote for Walker’s Razor. Excellent value.

 

Sad to say, I have not found a muff whether small, slim, or scalloped that my cheek weld on a rifle or shotgun does not bump loose. So it is foam plugs for long guns.

I have HL Pro for pistol shooting when I care what is being said and consider it the minimum. Usually I don't care much about the chit-chat and just wear good passives. They are quieter, lighter, and cheaper.

 

Here's the thing guys, you shouldn't really be trying to save 20 bucks when it comes to your hearing. These off name brands are not even tested half the time. Glocks webpage sells the AKT1 Sport earmuff. I am pretty sure they wouldn't do so if they were not legit and a quality product. I have a pair that are Glock logo myself and I am here to tell you, I can wear them all day and my ears don't hurt and are protected Comfort is key in protection. Again, you buy the cheapest thing you can find, and thats what you get, but we are talking about your hearing so are you really ok with that? The Walkers are ok, but uncomfortable after about 30 min, same with the impact sports. The AKT1's are the only ones I have found that I can wear for hours, hear the range commands, and be protected when someone rips off a random round that I wasn't prepared for... Protect your hearing because when its gone its gone.....

 

You're right about the AKT1 muffs. I borrowed a pair from my buddy. And though the electronics aren't the loudest in the world, they are super comfortable and block a sufficient amount of hearing destroying noise. If you search you can find them on open box specials for $68. One day I'll pick up a set of the AKT1's.

For me? I have a pair of professional musicians ear plugs that I wear inside of whatever headset I'm wearing at any given time. Though I am a musician and wear them alone for musical stuff, I never wear them alone when shooting even though they have -25db attenuation. While they were costly, using them in conjunction with a headset gives me all the protection I need for any circumstance. I've always worn ear plugs, even in my 30's and I truly believe my hearing is still decent at an older age.

I'm a bit of a cheapskate and chronic DIYer. I have some old passive Peltor -30db muffs from the old days that work, but I wanted electronics and needed another headset for the times when my kids wanted to go shooting with me. So I got a set of cheapies from Harbor Freight for $15. I stuffed the innards with cotton and covered the exterior plastic with gaffers tape to eliminate sound vibration/transference. The mods really made a big difference. Other than the electronics being mono and a bit under-powered, combined with my Musicians plugs they work great and are pretty good without the plugs as well. I figured for $15 what did I have to lose?

I don't recomend the set I have and posted below, unless you're willing to mod them and wear some foam plugs too. If I were to be on a firing line on an outdoor range listening for commands, I'd buy the best headset available, regardless of the cost.

 

"Off name brands"? I would hardly call Peltor, Howard Leight, Walker, etc "off name brands", lol!

From what I can tell, isn't AKT1 a relatively new company? Wouldn't that make it the "off name brand"?

 

"Off name brands"? I would hardly call Peltor, Howard Leight, Walker, etc "off name brands", lol!

From what I can tell, isn't AKT1 a relatively new company? Wouldn't that make it the "off name brand"?

Off name means brands from Harbor Freight, and MPOW, Awesafe, stuff like that, I didn't mean to offend your obligation to stand up for big companies. The point is, allot of people buy the cheapest thing they can find. That's exactly the wrong thing to do when you are talking about safety equipment. Obviously Howard Leight and Peltor are good names from big reputable companies, but the rest, especially when you don't see them at any trade shows or used by any of the professionals, yeah, they are off name. You take a look at what Colion Noir is wearing and it is the AKT1. Take a look at what USCCA and Glock have on their website for sale and it is AKT1. If an industry professional and an insurance company are both selling the same thing, along with Glock themselves, that should tell you all you need to know that AKT1 is far from a new comer. However, they are the only brand that focuses exclusively on shooting sports. Did you know Howard Leight is Honeywell and Peltor is 3M? 3M's hearing protection division is filing for bankruptcy for what they did to our military guys hearing. I am here to tell you that those big companies are way more interested in profit than giving you the best for the money......

 

AKT1 nrr is 25 dB. I'd have to double up. As I said before, I use the HL Pro (not Sport) when I need to hear range commands or want to converse while not shooting, otherwise 30 dB passive.

 

You are right that 30 dB is better for on range and the HL PRO is unmatched when it comes to electronic earmuffs NRR and probably wont be honestly matched by anyone else that is telling the truth about their NRR, as long as you are good with that huge cup that keeps you from firing a rifle then, yes, I agree.....but,, most people will take the comfort of the AKT1 because 25 NRR is still damn good, electronics are more natural, and they just look way better.....just sayin.....

 

If I wanted something nice, I would get the quietest thing Pro Ears puts out. I have one of their passives and it is comfortable on the head. Looks? I don't care if they are made out of coconut shells, as long as they are comfortable and quiet.

I usually wore foamies for long guns.