SoundGear in ear vs over the ear for high volume shooter

[atepointer]

Are there any folks here who do a lot of shooting that use in the ear like a Sound Gear setup? I'm at an outdoor range and most of us are suppressed, but sometimes the muzzle braks show and when they do I put orange squishy 3M in plus my Howard Leight electronic over the ear. I shoot probably 60x/year and when we do we are 3-4 hours on average.

I was unaware of these SoundGear plugs and as dad just struggles so much which ear muff interference on the butt stock he wanted to know if they would be sufficient for him to use already with very bad hearing. He uses Phonak bluetooth hearing aids and takes them off to shoot and uses Howard Leight.

1. I have read, but am unsure of the validity of the statement that over the ear muff protect the bones of the ear better than in the ear/canal? Can't recall where I read it, but some we forum at some point.....no idea, but I'm sure someone here is an ear pro and can educate me.

2. Would you recommend any particular model of the Sound Gear? The 'industrial' has my eye.

3. Regarding the 1 year warranty. If anyone here has had a pair for a year or more and could please expound on the reliability, durability and cost of repair if needed please. At $400 entry price I would like to see some kind of toughness if they are built like most everything else in this world of electronics....built to last just long enough to beat the warranty by 48 hours then fall apart!

Thanks

 

[Jeff Heeg osoh]

This is what I have been using for a while and wished I had these years ago, ear protection thats very responsive, adjustable hearing volume for safe sounds and blue toothed for phone and or music. Good battery life that you just recharge at night after a long day at a shooting event.

Axil, GS Extreme 2.0

 

[cohunt]

Look at the nrr rating-- it will tell you how well they work--- I have etymotic in ear plugs-- I use them a lot but when muzzle brakes are there I use muffs over plugs as the in ear electronic don't do a good enough job for me-- they are great for hunting though

 

[Coyote Shadow Tracker]

We use Walkers electronic plugs and also Walker Low Profile Muffs. NRR is most important.

 

[blackburbot]

I have the phantom in the ear model. Love them. Wore them on lots of range sessions with multiple 338LM, 300NM and 375enablr on the line. Worked great, was able to deaden the noise where you weren't having ringing. Plus you were able to listen to range instructions

 

[Warrenoliver]

I use the Etymotic electronic in ear device with the foam inserts that I get from Amazon. Very effective. when shooting at the bench, I do use my headphones also if a guy with a brake is next to me.
I'm also a hearing aid user with the Phonak hearing aids and want to protect what little hearing I have left.

Warren

 

[Reelamin]

Hearing loss due to shooting with hearing aids needed/used in early 50's. Bad enough I cannot hear two bulls fighting even 300yds away, or pin point bugle location without them. Shooting guns since I was 8. Upland hunt a lot and not much hearing protection 50/50 used until mid teens. Wore muffs as much as possible and expanding foam plugs if no muffs. Never use during hunting including upland to date. Use Peltor and Walker electronic muffs. Ear Dr is not a big fan of electronic muffs/plugs as no matter how fast you think it is the sound hits you before it can be reduced. He tells me electronic is better than nothing (use in any stationary hunting), plugs with muffs are best, muffs second, and foam plugs last. As said he suggests the highest possible NRR you can get. I cant wear muffs shooting trap due to them cutting my cheek by pinching every time so foam plugs. I don't shoot a lot of trap only 100-300 shots a week, and yes I am still loosing over the last six years, and no I will not stop shooting.

 

[Coyote Shadow Tracker]

The "Hearing Act" was supposed to be passed for "Suppressors" used on firearms to reduce noise and protect hearing. The Politicians didn't pass it due to the Billions $$$s in TAX revenue from the TAX Stamp $200.00 for each suppressor.

 

[Netz]

Are there any folks here who do a lot of shooting that use in the ear like a Sound Gear setup? I'm at an outdoor range and most of us are suppressed, but sometimes the muzzle braks show and when they do I put orange squishy 3M in plus my Howard Leight electronic over the ear. I shoot probably 60x/year and when we do we are 3-4 hours on average.

I was unaware of these SoundGear plugs and as dad just struggles so much which ear muff interference on the butt stock he wanted to know if they would be sufficient for him to use already with very bad hearing. He uses Phonak bluetooth hearing aids and takes them off to shoot and uses Howard Leight.

1. I have read, but am unsure of the validity of the statement that over the ear muff protect the bones of the ear better than in the ear/canal? Can't recall where I read it, but some we forum at some point.....no idea, but I'm sure someone here is an ear pro and can educate me.

2. Would you recommend any particular model of the Sound Gear? The 'industrial' has my eye.

3. Regarding the 1 year warranty. If anyone here has had a pair for a year or more and could please expound on the reliability, durability and cost of repair if needed please. At $400 entry price I would like to see some kind of toughness if they are built like most everything else in this world of electronics....built to last just long enough to beat the warranty by 48 hours then fall apart!

Thanks

Most important feature is the Noise Reduction Rating (NRR). According to my Audiologist, the minimum rating is 23 decibles - NRR 23. Hope the information helps.

 

[Varmint Hunter]

My audiologist says that sound also enters your audio canal and reaches your ear drum from the area around your ear, not just through the opening. For that reason, muffs provide more comprehensive protection than ear plugs of any type.

NRR rating can be misleading. If they reduce noise that is not at the frequencies generated by gunfire they can have a high rating and not be protecting you that way that you think. A NRR for shooting muffs "should" only reflect the reduction at the appropriate frequencies. NRR rating are a bit like statistics, they can be rather misleading.

Buy the best over-the-ear protection that you can afford.

 

[SEGARE]

If you are shooting unsupressed CF, you need to double up. The best in-ear combined with the best muffs only attenuate sound about 40-45db (you don't get the full value of each device's attenuation- the second one only adds about 5-7db of reduction). That still leaves you receiving well above 100db. Continued and long-term exposure to noise at this level will take a toll. Another factor, especially with braked guns, is that the concussion received through the bone conduction aren't reduced by muffs/plugs, and this just as damaging as sound entering through the ear canal.

 

[Taylorbok]

I use the sound gear platinum, I use them every week at sporting clays 100 rounds from the shot gun. I've also used them to shoot Night Force ELR 150 rounds in 3 days from 300 RUM with a brake, they seem to be enough for me. YMMV

 

[wyosteve]

I have Sound Ear industrial and have not been happy with them. They don't seem to fit well or lessen the sound when the gun goes off. Next, I tried Otto Noizebarriers, they were even worse. Have some Howard Leight muffs that seem to work fairly well and recently got another set of amplified muffs I believe are Sound Pro. At the range I double up with foam plugs and non-electronic muffs over them. I don't like to wear the muffs hunting upland, but do because it beats the negatives. I have moderate to severe high frequency loss combined with tinnitus so am trying to protect the little I have left.

 

[SteveBurton]

At the range I use small foam plugs and either leights or Walker electronic muffs. My Walkers are BT so I can listen to tunes while shooting.
I can't find any electronic in-ear plugs that are comfortable due to very small ear canals.