It’s also possible to have too much hearing protection, and it could be dangerous if you can’t hear what’s going on around you. Can ear defenders really protect hearing against the noise of gunshot? The Peltor SportTac are hearing protection headphones developed for shooters and hunters. These headphones provide optimum protection against harmful decibels. They are very comfortable, thanks to large distributed pressure pads. This allows you to wear them for a greater period of time whilst still being able to benefit from their attenuation function. If you enjoy shooting, you definitely need proper hearing protection. Guns are extremely loud—even .22 rifles are capable of 140 dB.

MSA are a company with a great reputation for their hearing protection products. Their ear defenders are trusted by hobbyist shooters and soldiers alike. Look after your ears, a little bit of research can be very valuable, and it never hurts to ask why Peltor are world leaders in this field!

BLUETOOTH

Ear defenders vary greatly in price. While you can’t put a price on your hearing, you want to make sure you’re getting value for money. In addition to shooting and hunting, Peltor Sportac Electronic Ear Defenders can be used in the workplace and for other purposes where you need to protect your hearing. The attenuation level of these ear defenders appears to be higher than the MSA Sordin Supreme PRO X ear defenders, but this is partly because the SNR (single number rating) is measured differently to the NRR (noise reduction rating), and SNR values are typically higher. Most people agree that electronic ear defenders are the best option for shooting since they offer good hearing protection while allowing you to hear what’s going on around you. I never shoot without ear defenders and, although they can feel bulky, electronic ones like the ProTacs with high-quality shielding and stereo control often benefit users in the field; you remain more integral to your surroundings and others around you, rather than being a little shut off and secluded ‘in your own world’. I can shoot a shotgun in defenders of this size, although some can’t and, although they look bulky, they are comfortable all day and that extra air volume within the shells does seem to stop your ears getting too hot. You can hear beaters, vehicles and quarry moving that you might not have been able to hear before.

Shooting noise is intermittent rather than constant, so it’s less damaging to the hearing than constant noise of the same volume would be. It’s a bit like how you can put your hand on a hot radiator for a second without it hurting too much, but leaving it there would cause a burn. Mark Heath, Instruction Manager at West London Shooting School agreed: “When teaching I prefer electronic ear defenders normally Peltor Sportac, these give excellent protection and enable conversation to continue with clients. When game shooting I will often wear the Sportacs. Given that I am around shooting most day of the week I consider it important to protect and to wear appropriate protection to try and preserve my hearing. Some of our older clients who didn’t wear protection in their early shooting years are invariably suffering from some hearing loss.” The 3M Peltor SportTacs offer a cheaper option with a higher attenuation rating. They’re slightly bulkier than the MSA Sordin ear defenders, but still remain comfortable. Ear defence is rated in Single Number Rating (SNR), meaning it is an average over all frequencies. I have a theory that some electronic defenders still broadcast sound through them so loudly that these alone can give you some slight tinnitus after a long day, and I now regularly turn off entirely if I’m suspicious that they are. After all, it’s no different to wearing earphones with music blasting in!

Best of the rest

They don’t offer more hearing protection than regular ‘passive’ ear defenders, but they amplify quieter sounds such as conversation and sounds of birds and wildlife, which is very useful when shooting. Electronic ear defenders amplify quiet noises, meaning you can hear birds and beaters better than without them on if you’re pheasant shooting. They’re also great for clay pigeon shooting and other shooting sports. state that they were designed specifically with hunters and marksmen in mind. The unique sound circuitry that stops the abrupt noise cut-off is certainly a nice feature.

Standard ear defenders will do the job, but if you want to step up your hearing protection then it’s worth investigating electronic ear defenders. According to NoiseHelp.com, you can expose yourself to sounds of 127 dB for 1 second without causing permanent damage, but at 140 dB immediate nerve damage can occur, so you shouldn’t expose yourself to this level of noise for even an instant.In this article, we’ll be weighing up the differences between them so that you can choose the pair that’s right for you. Whilst both products are comfortably on the high end of the market, the price difference may be significant to you. A. Yes. The active facility allows un-harmful noises into the user but will shut down immediately on high impact noise levels. A pair of ear defenders with an SNR or NRR of 30 dB should reduce the volume of loud sounds by roughly 30 decibels (dB), though in practice the real level of noise reduction can be quite different, and is often lower. Which type of hearing protection is best for shooting? The electronic components of the defenders don’t offer your ears any additional protection, but they make the shooting or hunting experience much better as you can hear what’s going on around you.