When hunting with a large caliber revolver such as a .500, hearing protection recomended. Anyone have experience using electronic muff's while hunting?

I have an old set of Dillon electronics that I use for range work and a few years ago I started using them while predatory hunting with a rife, they work fine and actually help me pick up on sounds I wouldn't hear otherwise, since I'm half deaf from many years of shooting without hearing protection in my foolish youth.

It's bad enough with a rifle, but with pistol your just asking for hearing loss, especially as you age and it ain't worth it, by all means get some and use them.

Just last night the wife was squawking about me being deaf...huh?

Mine still work fine, but one of these days I'm going to pick up another pair, a different brand to see if the technology hasn't improved.

Excellent question "mkane" as I've been wondering the same thing. "Jitterbug" offered a good answer and I'm looking forward to what others have to say.

I wear Peltors when big bore handgun hunting, all the time.

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Sure you did

I tried the Walker Game Ear or whatever it's called, and didn't like it --- fit poorly, amplified wind noise &tc., found it distracting. Tried the Surefire plugs without satisfaction. Now, I just drape conventional plugs around my neck on a lanyard, and put them in place before firing. That's what I'll be using on my upcoming handgun javelina hunt, using a .223 Contender with optics, which permits staying at a distance, and buys time. Might make another choice if using a revolver...

Yes, I wear electronic hearing protection while handgun hunting.
My first set was a pr of Action Ears I bought about 20 yrs. ago.
Recently upgraded to a pr. of Peltor tactical 6 range muffs.
They took a little getting use to at first, If you have them turned up
too high, small noises sound like something big coming. But if you have
one ear with some hearing loss you can turn that side up to equalize
your hearing.
You will be glad you tried them.

vic3620

I use Howard Leight electronic muffs, they work very well. Don't really amplify wind as bad as some others I've tried. IMHO if you're going to only take shots you have time to wait on until you put on protection before you shoot, you're going to be passing a lot...at least where I hunt.

I hate the electronics....just not natural sound. Between wind, static, and anything that brushes against the mic (like your collar)...just way to annoying

I made a little case that fits right on my chest holster harness to carry ear plugs. I like the plugs with the string because I can very quickly pull them out and put them in before I shoot.

You can see the little case in this pic

My Howard Leight electronic muffs work well but can overly amplify the boots-crunching noise if you are moving. I have had them amplify wind noise as well. One cool thing about electronic muffs is hearing things in the distance while wearing them which I never would have heard without. My son, who still has perfect hearing, has noticed this as well.

These muffs do provide some passive as well as electronic reduction, however at the range with a lot of firing around me I will use standard plugs under the electronic muffs. I also do this under my standard passive Peltor muffs as well. While hunting where I'll only make one or two shots I go without the extra plugs.

I also have a set of the Sonic ear plugs with the auto-closing capsule in them and find they work OK for the not so loud calibers. The down side is they also provide some restriction to the non-gun sounds as well. This may limit you from hearing a deer sneaking through the woods.

Edmo

What type of hunting will you be doing?

If you are hunting from a box blind you don't need electronic muffs...just use regular ones, keep them perched above your ears until you need to shoot, then ease them down and take the shot. This works equally well when hunting from a hasty ground bind.

If you are stalking the electronic muffs will be helpful but they take some time to get used to. Even now while stalking I use regular muffs and keep them above my ears til needed.

I have electronic muffs but rarely use that feature any more.

I've been using the Walker muffs for about 5 years. Makes
my hearing like it was as a kid. I can hear things I've been
missing, plus they've got, I think, 4 microphones, that let you
know where the sounds come from. Unless you put them on reversed,
then everything is 180 out. Volume control, too.
True sound w/o distortion. Not cheap, new, but they are worth
every penny I paid. Great for hunting or range! TACC1

I keep a pair of the "ear plugs" on the string around my neck, stick them in before I fire, not 100% effective, but OK for 1 shot. At the range I were them under my ear muffs.

but I never liked the electronic option because things that have batteries or need to be recharged can die, break or for any reason become less than servicable very quickly. So I use NON-electric head sets while hunting with my 500. What I do is put in on so its protecting the right ear, but off the left ear. That way I can hear normally out of the left ear and the cup is right there so I can quickly pop it over my ear if Im geting ready to fire. My plan if I need to fire more quickly is to hold my left hand over my ear and make a one handed shot. Its mostly for this reason I practice one hand double action firing with my 500 just in case........and its sure fun!

I use electronic headsets for everything, bullseye, trap skeet, hunting, etc. Great protection ( I already have enough hearing loss), and by varying the volume can enhance the sound to fit the situation. Wouldn't be without them.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

I'm a Walker Game Ears fan, too. I have the ones with four microphones ("Quad-something") and find I can adjust the volume so unimportant noises are not distracting. A lot of people seem to believe that in the heat of the moment of a hunting shot, your hearing can't be impaired because of adrenalin or something. I think that's a lot of bull.

I can't see myself replying upon ear plugs I had to insert or muffs I had to put on before taking a shot at a game animal in Pennsylvania's woods. By the time I got them in place, the opportunity would be lost or the game would have been spoked by all the movement.

But from someone whose ears ring 24/7/365 from shooting and sprint car engines, use something!

Ed

I have been using the Howard Leights for about 5yrs now and love them. At the range when there are a lot guns with brakes, I'll double up on protection. The best thing about electronic muffs...if batteries run out, they still work. I haven't hunted with a long gun in about 8yrs, I always use ear protection!

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USAF AMMO Retired!

Another Howard Leigh Impact Sport user. This is probably the most used head set at our range for Rifle and handgun events.

I mainly handgun hunt from a tree stand. I use a 480 Ruger Super Redhawk with 30mm UltraDot. The second Sunday of the Missouri Deer season I heard deer running on the opposite hill side late in the afternoon. I was set up for the shot when the first deer ran into my valley clearing. The first deer a large doe stopped facing my direction. The second doe ran up beside the first one and stopped. The first one cuts back to my left along the small stream bed. I am tracking it in the scope. It stops with 3 trees between us. It takes off again and turns away from me on a trail going back the way it came from originally. The second doe takes off following the first one. It stops broadside at the trail. I fire one shot aimed behind the front shoulder broadside at 50 yards. It bounces sideways and runs off down the trail. I see movement to my right, and figure it is the yearling I have been seeing with two does. When I look, I have a head full of antlers. I swing the Super RedHawk back on target. The buck stops in the same location as the first doe with 3 trees between up. It takes off again and stops at nearly the same location as the second doe. I fire one shot behind the front shoulder broadside. He bolts about 10 yards and stops quartering away from me. I fire again raking him from the side.
When everything is dead quiet for a few minutes, I get out of my ladder stand and head to the house to get my Ranger UTV and a little help. I have a full size doe down, and an 11 point buck. The Impact Sport electronic hearing protection worked fine.

If you are shooting full house 500 S&W, especially with a muzzle brake, you will probably need plugs, and the head set. I do not own a 500, but from what I understand they are very loud with a brake.

Bob

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ICORE MO2908

I now wear DOUBLE hearing protection when at the Range. A set of ear plugs followed up with a set of Peltor Ultimate 10 Muffs. When in the field Pheasant hunting I wear the plugs only. Unfortunately for me, it's like closing the barn door after the horses ran out, because I've already lost a good portion of my hearing. Now I try to preserve as much as possible. My wife has been after me for years to get a set of hearing aids, but I'm just not ready for them yet. I think that day will be coming soon.

In a relatively quite room while having a one on one conversation, I am OK........ but put me in a noisy restaurant, a party room, or wedding and I just sit there, smile and shake my head...... Can't hear squat!

Chief38

I use a pair of Pro Ears electronic muffs. When hunting, they will pick up wind if it is really windy but the vast majority of the time they work really well. Turkeys can be heard gobbling much better. As stated before, if turned up to much, a squirrel in the leaves will sound like a bull moose charging. You just have to adjust your volume to your liking. Get the ones with mics and volume adjustment on both sides, they work alot better. BTW, I tried Peltor's and much prefer the Pro Ears for hunting. The Peltor's are excellent range muffs but they picked up the wind too much and were more of a distraction out in the woods with all the amplified noises in my experience.

I want a set of Pro Ears, but I'm using some plugs on string for now. I hunt from a blind so I can get away with some motion as long as I'm quiet about it.

I can't even hear the squawking anymore, as good a reason as any to not use hearing protection.

I routinely wear a pair of plain Jane G.I. ear plugs while in the fields and woods. As I am right handed, I keep the right plug pushed fully in place but keep the left plug only inserted to the point that I can still hear clearly. If there is a need for a "snap shot" I can at least push that plug in before shooting. If I am using a rifle, I use the same procedure. If the day comes that I can afford them, I'll get a pair of the electronic ear muffs for use on a stand, etc.

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<><

When I was younger I was FORCED to discharge a Mdl. 29 inside a car..twice in rapid sucession..didn't notice much then, now I have 96% loss in one ear and 97-98% loss in the other....the most frustrating thing at this point is not being able to understand what my three year old grand daughters are trying to tell me while we are coloring etc......

WEAR SOMETHING even if its just a couple of cartridges stuck in there

Another howard leight user, the electronic ones work great, I just put them on, crank them all the way up, then turn them down until there is no ambient wind noise or anything. I can still hear stuff I wouldn't otherwise. I only deer hunt with my .460 occiasionally, but I didn't want to hunt without protection and these work great. I think they are the best bang for the buck, no pun intended.