Electronic Hearing Enhancement with Protection

[MWalker]

I have seen several types of electronic hearing enhancement devices that are supposed to be effective against muzzle blasts.

If anyone has tried any of these devices, I would appreciate any input on how well the devices worked for you.

Woodland Whisper NRR unknown
Walker Game Ear NRR 29db
Walker Game Ear Power Muff NRR 24db
Magnum E.A.R NRR 27db
Custom in the ear NRR 18-26db
Game Finder MegaEars NRR unknown

[cowboyhat]

I have used the Game Ear II for 8 years and love it. I have a hearing deficit in both ears and since using it, I can hear duck coming in, deer in the woods as well as turkey.  I also shot a lot of sporting clays and it works well there as well.  I did have an ear doctor make me a set of custom plastice ear  pieces.  I then drilled a hole through one and insert the plastic feed tube into and it works great.  Tried the muffs.  To me they feel bulky and also get in the way when shouldering a shotgun.

[Zachary]

I'm a little confused.  If these things are supposed to enhance your hearing by amplifying sound, then what happens when your gun goes BOOM?  Is there a special switch or something that you use right before you shoot?  How do these things work?

Zachary :?

[cowboyhat]

When a certain decibel level is reached, the units cut off, so you do not get the noise blast.  This is only a few miliseconds, but enough to protect your hearing.

[41MAG]

:grin:  I have used a walkers game ear for some time & its great I can hear squirrels going up trees again. & deer walking in the leaves, They shut down when the gun goes off then right back on. If you still hunt with on you will quickly realize just how much noise you make & it will slow you down fast. My next on will be the muffs. They werent offered when I got my ear. Give them a try you will be amazed at how much you have been missing. Also the back round filter works great

                                                             41 mag

[HappyHunter]

I have used a Remington ear muff type.   They work great but amplify t he wind to an irritating degree...I will not use them on a windy day.

One huge advantage is they will keep your ears warm.  I used to freeze my ears out hunting.  I would not cover my ears so as to hear better, these "hear" muffs solve that problem.

Over all I think well of them. :sniper:

[Graybeard]

Twisted Texas. You have to be registered and logged in to edit your posts. If you are registered and logged in when you post then to eidt just click on the eidt button, make the changes you want to make and tell it to post it.

GB

[Lloyd Smale]

I bought a two of the woodland wisper enhanced model the new one. this year and they seem to work I havent ever tried the walkers so I dont know how they compare. but at $50 each the WW sure are cheaper.

[Zachary]

That sounds (no pun intended) kinda cool that the walker's game ear shuts off right when you shoot your gun.  I think that I'm going to look into buying one of these.  

Which is better the ear plug type or the muffs?  I find the muffs to be a little to bulky, especially when you want to wear a hat, but it might be a good idea when its cold outside - keep your ears a bit warmer I would imagine.

Zachary

[Charlie Detroit]

I have a set of Pro-Ears (2 sets, really...got some for my wife, but she has too much tremor [tardive dyskinesia, for you medicine fans] and can't shoot fer beans anymore, now my daughter uses 'em). I like 'em a lot, but they have two major faults:
        1) I can't wear a hat; in winter this is not fun. Worn behind the neck
            or under the chin, they don't fit, and the ear cup is too big
            anyway...still can't wear a hat.
        2) In the summer, they make my ears sweat; I'm a slimy mess. (no
            smart remarks!)
BUT...they work really well; I can hear the guys talking on the next range (about 100 yd. away) like they were next to me, but I don't have any problem from muzzle blast. Only time I had trouble was when a guy shot off his FA .454 Mag about 3½' from me last fall...didn't really hear it, but it made my ears ring. So I got behind him and used HIS dumb head (he's one of those guys who thinks that if he can't hit with one gun, what he needs is a bigger one) to block the shockwave.

[crawfish]

I have the walker game ear and the power muff, i don't do any kind of shooting with out them now. I got the power muff because i fine it easier to shoot from the bench with them because of the way they are cut. :grin:

[varmint101]

I'm glad I finally took the time to check! This is the same question I've been pondering for a while. I've been debating on whether or not I want to get the Walker's Game Ear 1 or 2 (not really sure of much difference) or the Peltor Tactical 6 which come in the earmuffs that are regular and one with the backband for the hat wearers.  They both seem nice, but I just can't decide!  I'll probably end up with the Game Ear though because it's smaller and seems less intrusive. Anybody tried the Peltor Tac. 6?

[S.B.]

I've borrowed several different types of these things and all seem to work very well. Especially for us people with hearing loss. Just haven't bought my own yet, but will in the near future.

[globemountain]

For those of you who haved used these devices for hunting...do you have trouble telling from which direction sounds are coming from?

[5shot]

The pro ears and the game ear seem to be quite popular, how do these two work in the wind? I'm talking about a 15 to 20 or 25 mph wind? in our part of the woods it is pretty common to have these kinds of winds it's alittle tough to get out of it with no trees ya know. It would be most frustrating if they amplify the wind noise.
5shot

[hans g./UpS]

Varmint 101:I find the Peltor 6S comfortable to wear under a hat.They're light weight too.
Getting a good fit could be a problem if you wear prescription glasses [less of a seal].
They don't seem to magnify sound like some of the others,but the "under the hat"capability is to-me-a worthwile trade.

[Duffy]

In reply to the above posts, Yes it is sometimes difficult to tell where the sound is coming from. I have the W/game ear #1. The microphone is mounted up on top so birds and airplains are picked up quite well but direction can be difficult. It also only picks up higher pitched sounds like grass and twigs crunching/snapping and not so much of the lower freq. like deer grunts/farts and the such. It makes you sound like your walking in cornflakes with snow shoes on in the dry grass. The game ear II is suppose to have a better tone quality for lower freq sound. If you get one, and really like it I suggest getting a form fitted earpiece for it because the ear plug gets old really quick.
On the wind problem usually what I do is just turn my head or move your hat around to help block it. It can get pretty noisy at times but usually just for short intervals. I just wear one and plug the other ear but one in each ear (stereo) would be better if you can afford it. If you crank it up all the way I think you could hear a mouse fart at 100 yards.