I decided to try a new pair of electronic ear-pro. I purchased a pair of Walker's Razor Slim and compared to my old pair of Howard Leight Impact Sport I'm pretty happy with them. First off they handle sound differently, the HL Impact seemed to cut out the loud noise and anything else at that instant where as the new pair lowers the loud noise. It leaves the rest which is nice in a range scenario with multiple shots going off at once you can still hold a conversation. The pads on the new pair seem a little thicker and more comfortable, I like the on/off & volume dial more and the audio jack is also positioned in a better way plus has a rubber boot. The new pair also seems to cut out more noise overall. Both pairs are a slim fit so they do not interfere with a rifle cheek weld. Only time will tell if they hold up as well as my old pair but given that the price is only $40-50 even if they only last a year or two I'll happily pick up another pair.
Protecting your hearing is extremely important. You’ve only got one set of ears and if you’re into shooting on a regular basis it’s a good idea to try and provide the best protection you can for your hearing. Once you start down the path of hearing damage, it’s almost always un-reversable. As for the many, many hearing protection options there are, some are on the cheaper side and provide good protection whereas some are much more expensive. Does the price spent indicate the amount of protection provided? Not always the case.
So I used to always use regular old over the ear hearing muffs or foam/gel ear protection…the throw away kind. Some years back I started to use electronic hearing protection so that I could hold a conversation and be able to better hear the commands given by the range safety officer. Brownells sells a set of re-branded Walker Razors and I’ve probably purchased a half dozen or so of these over the past few years. They’re reasonably priced and as such I keep an extra set inside each one of my range bags. These offer a 23DB noise reduction which is pretty decent by today’s standards. They use AAA batteries and I’ve been able to use these for an entire day without changing them out, but I do carry a spare set just in case. While they do offer a considerable value in today’s electronic ear pro arena, they aren’t without some drawbacks. The foam ear pads for example can get uncomfortable when wearing them all day long. I’ve found that you can purchase a replacement set that are made out of a more comfortable gel type material. I only wish they came this way from the factory. In addition, I always wear a set of foam ear plugs when shooting under cover or at load events with a ton of shooting.
On the pricey side of things there is Axil. They’ve been around for a number of years now and my wife picked me up a set of their electronic ear plugs. They come with a variety of plugs that provide different levels of protection. What I’ve found though with my ears is that many times they will break seal and allow sounds past them. Although I’ve tried different plug sizes, this always seems to happen especially with moving around. The other issue that I’ve experienced is the amplifying of sounds that aren’t hearing safe such as nearby gunfire. I was attending a carbine class and this happened to me. Due to the issues I’ve experienced and the price being roughly 4-5x that of the Brownells hearing protection, I will opt for the Brownells ear pro each and every time if given the choice.
So at the end of the day, hearing and hearing protection are an important aspect of shooting that we must pay close attention too. These are just 2 examples of hearing protection that I’ve used in recent years and have lots of experience with. Make sure whatever you choose, ensure that it works for you and provides the protection you need.
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By Dale W. Swanson Painless, Progressive, and Permanent. That is the reality of hearing loss over time. Although hearing aids can make a difference in many lives, the sound quality is not the same as natural hearing, which can’t be recovered once lost. However, hearing loss is preventable in many cases through the use of ear plugs and ear muffs. Even when you’re not shooting at the range,…
Eyes and Ears, the two must need items at the range. I never understood people who got fancy guns, or just a lot of guns, and never bought a decent set of eye and ear protection.
I’m going to miss my Glock, well the top half of it. I just sent the slide, the RMR i got last week, and my magwell to DP Custom Works. They’re going to do some mill work, mount the RMR, and Weapon Works is doing the cerakote for the slide and magwell. I’ve had the G17 for a little under a month, i’ve fired 1,200 rounds through it so far. I needed to get some time in with it before i sent it off for work.
Chest rig is a G-Code/Edge Works Contact Series 2x2 Micro Chest Rig.
