Hearing impaired shooters seem to be a staple at every shooting club due to years of blasting away sans the appropriate protection. With electronic muffs now priced for every budget and application, there is no excuse not to don the headwear that at once blocks the dangerous decibels and allows for normal conversation.
What, why, and how of electronic muffs
Simple disposable earplugs generally do not block enough sound, especially when shooting the big guns. Regular passive muffs work, but they block out all sound and I find myself continually taking them off to be able to hear things like range commands, conversations and scores called out on the firing line.
The premise of electronic muffs is quite simple. While the passive muff provides hearing protection, battery powered electronic [amazon asin=B001B8ONZI&template=*lrc ad (left)]components inside the electronic muffs include microphones, amplifiers and speakers that gather, amplify and transmit low volume sounds — like voices — inside the earpiece.
Price differences in muffs generally dictate quality of components and advanced capabilities. For instance, lower cost muffs may have only one or two microphones and a basic stop-type amplifier that simply shuts off upon high decibel sounds. This type of shutoff causes split second time lapses before the amplifier resumes and low tones are again transmitted to the ear. Cheaper muffs with fewer mics often make it difficult to ascertain the direction of the sounds as well. Higher end models use more advanced technology that allows the continuous flow of low volume sounds while at once blocking dangerous noises. They also contain multiple mics and speakers, making it easy to determine the direction and distance of the sound, which is crucial in hunting, tactical and competition applications.
NRR Ratings[amazon asin=B001T7QJ9O&template=*lrc ad (right)]
All hearing protection gets a Noise Reduction Rating. The general consensus is that hearing protection for small caliber arms requires a NRR of 20. Long guns and normal handguns should have a NRR of 25, while magnum arms and indoor shooting dictate a NRR of 28 to 33.
Remember when shooting indoors, it is often best to double up on hearing protection, with plugs under muffs, especially when shooting the big guns. And if you are worried about dead batteries, most electronic muffs strive for a battery life of around 500 hours.
While the saying remains true that buyers get what they pay for, shooters have different needs when it comes to hearing protection. Some of the higher end muffs provide features — like auto shutoff or auxiliary jacks — that may not justify cost for casual shooters.
Best buy under $30: Caldwell EMax[amazon asin=B000Q04MRG&template=*lrc ad (left)]
The Caldwell EMax brand is the electronic muff that I’ve seen the most shooters wearing around the range because they are just plain affordable and available. They come in both standard and low profile, with NRR’s of 25 and 23 respectively.
Though there is a split second gap of shut off time following a shot and the sound quality is merely average, they work just fine for casual shooters.
Caldwell provides color choices of dark green, pink, or camo. Though they retail around $35 to $40 depending on profile and color, EMax’s are available online for $25, but do not include with the necessary pair of AAA batteries.
Best buy under $60: Howard Leight Impact Sport[amazon asin=B003U5VE98&template=*lrc ad (right)]
The low profile Impact Sport muffs carry a decent NRR rating of 22. In spite of a lower price point, these have multiple directionally placed microphones and an auxiliary jack for MP3 players and the like, in case you were wearing them on the lawnmower, for instance. They have a long runtime on two included AAA batteries. Soft, snap in ear cushions are easily cleaned or replaced as needed.
Though they are only available in olive drab, of all the muffs I’ve tried, this one cannot be beat at its price range. In fact, I would rather have these Howard Leights than some higher dollar muffs not mentioned here.
They sell at online retailers like Bass Pro for $59.99. Unlike the Impact Sport, the Impact Pro model is large profile and costs $20 to $30 more, but provides an NRR of 30 with all the same features of the aforementioned Sport version.Though they are only available in olive drab, of all the muffs I’ve tried, this one cannot be beat at its price range. In fact, I would rather have these Howard Leights than some higher dollar muffs not mentioned here.
