It doesn’t matter how old you are it’s important to always wear hearing protection while shooting. Anybody who’s ever shot without ear plugs can remember the sound of their ears ringing. That’s the sound of permanent hearing loss because you didn’t wear hearing protection. Whether you’re target shooting or shooting skeet at the range you need to find some ear protection.
Scroll Down To Best Ear Muffs For Shooting
Scroll Down To Best Ear Plugs For Shooting
What’s The Best Ear Protection For Shooting?
Best Ear Muffs For Shooting
1. Howard Leight Impact Sport Sound Amplification Shooting Earmuff
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Millions of shooters agree that the Howard Leight Impact sport electronic ear muffs are the best in the industry. Howard Leight has long been the leader in shooting ear protection. With the very best in electronic sound amplification technology these are well worth the price. You’ll be able to hear your surroundings without worrying about damaging your hearing.
Howard Leight has a wide selection of Electronic Ear Muffs with various color options. Surprisingly they’re really not all that expensive for what you get. With built-in direction microphones you’ll be able to easily hear ambient sounds in between shots. Running off 2 AAA batteries these ear muffs actively listen and automatically shut off amplification over 82 dB. You’ll be able to easily hear range commands and providing more natural listening and enhanced communication. Offering a low profile design the headphones shouldn’t get in the way of your rifle stock. With an external 3.5mm audio jack these earmuffs will do double duty as headphones for listening to music. The telescoping headpband is padded for comfort offering a versatile and comfortable fit. Designed specifically for shooting you can’t go wrong with the Howard Leight Impact Sport Ear Muffs.
2. Peltor Sport Tactical 100 Electronic Hearing Protector
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Peltor’s Sport Tactical Electronic ear muffs are another option for the professional shooter. Peltor’s Earmuffs are priced similarly to the Howard Leight Ear Muffs and offer many of the same features. The main advantage with the Peltor Headphones is its quick boot up time. For additional options try the Peltor Sport Tactical 300 and the Peltor Sport Tactical 500 which offers bluetooth technology.
Peltor’s Tactical 100 headphones use their proprietary 3M technology to suppress gunshot noise while amplifying low-level sounds. Tactical 100 is ideal for both indoor and outdoor shooters and hunters. With Peltor’s adaptive frequency response you won’t have to worry about static and background noise. You’ll be able to have clear conversations while being able to hear safety commands. The variable suppression time feature completely eliminates echos in indoor shooting ranges. These Ear Muffs double as music headphones by including a 3.5mm audio input jack.
Peltor’s Ear Muffs are by far the most comfortable hearing protection on the market. With its soft ear cushions and padded headphones you can comfortably wear these on long shooting days. Using a durable padding and recessed microphones improves the durability of these ear muffs. Running off 3 AAA batteries and a 2-hour auto shutoff feature gives these ear muffs a long battery life.
3. OPSMEN Amplification Shooting Electronic Earmuff
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Opsmen’s High Amplification Electronic Shooting Earmuffs are an affordable option for serious shooters. With many of the same features as more expensive ear muffs, Opsmen is a serious contender. With built in microphones and a intuitive design these headphones are extremely easy to use.
Using a rugged utilitarian design these earmuffs look just as good on the battlefield as they do at the range. You can choose between 6 available color options to suit your needs. Opsmen’s Earmor hearing protectors suppresses all sudden noises over 82 dBA without affecting lower volume noise. You’ll be able to easily continue conversation after firing without adjusting anything on the earmuffs. There’s 3 different volume levels to adjust the ambient sound to your liking. With a quick bootup time you can easily turn on/off these headphones with a flick of a switch. The on/off switch reminder tone is especially helpful for conserving battery life. With over 350 hours of operation on 2 AAA batteries you’ll get a lot of shooting time in. If you want to save a little money buy the Opsmen Earmor Electronic Headphones.
4. Howard Leight Leightning Ultraslim Earmuffs
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If you don’t shoot frequently or shoot alone you probably don’t need to spend the extra cash on electronic earmuffs. Howard Leight’s Ultraslim shooting earmuffs are an excellent option at an affordable price. The Ultraslim design stops these headphones from interfering as you shoulder a rifle or shotgun. If you only ever shoot pistols you can save a little money and purchase their Leightning Ear Muff which is a little bulkier.
Howard Leights Ultraslim folding earmuffs really are the only passive earmuffs I would recommend. There is cheaper ear protection available, but for the extra couple dollars it’s worth buying the best. With an ultralight design weighing 40 oz you’ll barely notice these headphones while shooting. With a slim design these ear muffs shouldn’t interfere while your trap or skeet shooting. The slim padding is comfortable and breathes well on hot days. Featuring air flow control technology to reduce sound across all frequencies without increasing the ear cup size. You can even choose between three sound reduction levels to suit different shooting environments. As far as passive ear muffs go the Howard Leight Ultraslim Earmuffs are as good as you’re going to get.
2. Best Ear Plugs For Shooting
1. Decibullz Custom Molded Earplugs
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If you’ve never tried custom molded Earplugs you’re really missing out. Decibullz custom molded earplugs give you a comfortable fit at an affordable price point. You no longer have to go to a gunshow to get custom molded headphones. With the Decibullz system you’ll have comfortable Earplugs in minutes.
Decibullz uses their easy shape system to give you custom hearing protection at home. Just like shaping a sports mouthpiece, you can easily and quickly shape it to your ear. Simply heat the Decibullz thermoplastic molds in boiling water, let them cool for a minute and shape them to your ears. If you don’t get the perfect custom fit the first time they are re-moldable. Decibullz are perfect for shooting, traveling, construction, concerts and warehouse work You can even choose between 5 colors to add a little style to your shooting. Since these headphones are adjusted with heat you shouldn’t leave them in the car on hot days. You’ll have to remold them when they eventually melt in the hot car. You should only need to buy shooting earplugs once, so you should buy the best and get the Decibullz Custom Molded Earplugs.
2. SureFire EP7 Sonic Defenders Ultra filtered Earplugs
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Surefire makes a complete line of best in class hearing protection. Surefire Ear Plugs incorporate cutting edge designs without jacking up the price. They deliver superior comfort a durable design and significantly protect against hearing loss. For professional hearing protection you can rely on the SureFire Ep7 Sonic Defenders.
The Ep7 Sonic Defenders provide a comfortable all day hold. Made out of a soft and durable medical grade polymer these headphones will last up to 6 months or more of daily use. What’s really nice about the surefire ear plugs is their retention rings. The retention ring molds up into the outer lobe of your ear to provide a sturdy hold. You won’t have to worry about your earplugs slipping out in the middle of a competitive shooting match. If the retention ring doesn’t get a good grip there are 7 other grab points to ensure a reliable fit. The earplugs fits flush with your ear which allows them to be worn under a helmet, earmuffs winter hat or even while using a phone. You can choose between multiple sizes and color options for a tailored fit. Most of the time you aren’t going to need complete hearing protection. With the Surefire earplugs you can choose between filtered protection where you can hear ambient sounds(great for concerts) and complete isolation for ultimate protection. For the price it’s hard to beat the Surefire EP7 Sonic Defender Ear Plugs.
3. Titan Tactical 29NRR Reusable Shooting Ear Plugs
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Titan Tactical’s Reausable Shooting Earplugs look basic, but they’re actually an impressive design. These are the perfect ear plugs for on the go shooters. With a compact and portable carrying case these are the perfect earplugs for shooters on the go.
Titan Tactical’s Shooting Earplugs are perfect for stopping at the range on the way home from work. Simply click the compact waterproof carrying case onto your key ring so you’ll always have these ear plugs.With a High NRR Rating of 29DB these are the ideal solution for both indoor and outdoor ranges. These protect your ears from loud noise damage while allowing you to hear voices clearly for safety. You can change the ambient volume by removing or inserting the removable filter. By inserting the filter you can reduce the noise from 29 to 20DB. While these reusable earplugs won’t last forever they should last through 6 or more months of daily use. For the price it’s going to be hard to beat the portability of the Titan Tactical Shooting Ear Plugs.
4. Howard Leight Banded Earplugs
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Throughout the course of their life every competitive shooter will eventually buy a pair of the Howard Leight Banded Earplugs. It doesn’t matter how careful you are you’ll eventually forget your hearing protection on the way to the range. You can either be like me and pay 20$ at the range or buy a pair ahead of time to keep in your car.
Howard Leight’s Banded earplugs use a no frills design that simply works. With a durable polymer design and foam plug these ear plugs are comfortable and durable. It really is all about the little things that make your shooting session easier. Being able to take out your earplugs and place them on your neck is an absolute blessing at the range. When the shootings done you won’t have to worry about where you placed those small foam earplugs. After you buy the Howard Leight Banded ear plugs you’ll never buy another set of basic earplugs again.
What is The Best Ear Protection For Shooting?
While everyone agrees that shooters need hearing protection it’s tough to say what’s best for most shooters. Choosing between Ear Muffs or earplugs is really going to come down to personal preference and shooting style. For the majority of my range time I’m going to use a good set of electronic Ear Muffs. I switch over to Earplugs for tactical shooting sessions and trap and skeet shooting. If you’re looking for ear muffs you should buy the Howard Leight Impact Sport Electronic Shooting Earmuffs but the Peltor Sport Tactical 100 Ear Muffs are a close second. While there are more expensive ear muffs on the market most shooters will never need the advanced features. You can save some money and buy a pair of passive ear muffs like the Howard Leight Ultraslim Shooting Earmuffs. When it comes to the ear plugs there’s really no competition. You are going to want a pair of custom molded Decibullz Ear Plugs. The custom molded design makes them by far the most comfortable ear plugs o the market. When you need to be able to hear ambient noise try the SureFire Sonic Defenders or the Titan Tactical Ear Plugs. At this low price there’s really no reason not to buy the best hearing protection you can afford.