Electronic muffs

[hogie]

Originally Posted by Dean2

Excellent info but the Honeywell muffs still out score the MSA Muffs across all of the frequencies. I had looked at the test chart results before commenting above. The Honeywells significantly outscore the MSA in the 200-1000 HZ range where braked Magnums are a problem. All in however the MSA look like great muffs and very well built. It appears many of the major armed forces use this product and that is a solid recommendation on all its own.

Gunshot Noise Characteristics





Honey Well


APPROVAL - SLC80
Tested according to AS/NZS 1270:2002 at Michael and Associates, Inc.
SIZE RANGE: Small, Medium, Large
Headband Force: S=13.4 N, M=12.4 N, L=10.3 N
Frequency in Hz 125 250 -500 1000 2000 4000 8000 SLC80
Mean Atten, dB 19.5 22.9 30.6 35.9 37.8 38.5 --39.4
NRR 31 dB
Class 5 Standard Deviation, dB 4.9 3.6 4.6 4.1 3.7 4.3 4.6
Mean (-) Std Dev., dB 14.6 19.3 26.0 31.8 34.1 34.2 34.8
Attenuation data - AS/NZ (SAA)
Tested


APPROVAL - SNR
Tested and approved in accordance with the PPE directive 89/686/EEC, and applicable parts of European
Standard EN 352-1:2002, EN 352-4:2001, EN 352-8:2008, ISO 4869-1:1990, ISO 4869-2:1994, ISO 4869-
3:2007, at PZT GmbH, An der Junkerei 48 F D-26389 Wilhelmshaven Germany.
 Frequency in Hz 63 -125 --250 -500 1000 2000 4000 8000 SNR
 Mean Atten, dB 21.1 22.6 26.9 32.0 37.1 -33.8--35.6 38.0 33 dB
H: 32 dB
M: 31 dB
L: 26 dB
 Standard Deviation, dB 5.5 3.5 2.3 1.8 1.7 3.6 2.9 3.2
 Assumed Protection, dB 15.6 19.1 24.6 30.2 35.4 30.2 32.7 34.8
➎ Headband



MSA

Shooting any rifle with a brake I double protect my ears. Foam plugs and ear muffs. Most of the time I double up at the range if there are other shooters around. Can turn up the volume on muffs and still hear with earplugs in.

The MSA with gel cups are really comfortable. Low profile is nice for getting proper cheek placement on rifles. A friend let me try his before I purchased my own set. That sold me on them.

[Cross Eyed Cowboy]

Noise reduction ratings come from measurements done in a controlled enviroment usually on a static model of a certain size and shape.

Essentially if any over the ear hearing protection device does not fit properly and securely over the indivduals ears the noised reduction ratings are more or less useless.

I was involved in real world testing of over the ear hearing protection in extreme noise enviroments that would equal any rifle blasts braked or unbraked.

Pressure & noise measurement devices where incorporated within the the cavity of the muffs at a distance that would approximate center of the cavity and ear.
Similar measuring devices where located outside the hearing protection.
Tests were recorded for 12 hour shifts. Test subjects wore different models each day.

Some conclusions were that safety glasses interfered in a proper seal around the head and ear, the models with the larger amount of gel seal appeared to perform better than the slimmer models though test subjects complained that they bulkier the muff the more uncomfortable they felt.

So if the muff doesn't fit to your form of head and ear the stats are useless.
Add the fact most everyone wears some form of eye protection while shooting only adds to the comfort and sealing factor.

After the testing was done, stats anaylized, test subjets interviewed it became mandotory to wear double hearing protection in most areas of opertation. Most test subjects agreed a lighter muff with foam type ear plug was the route to go with regards to comfort and protection.

[Dean2]

Originally Posted by hogie

Shooting any rifle with a brake I double protect my ears. Foam plugs and ear muffs. Most of the time I double up at the range if there are other shooters around. Can turn up the volume on muffs and still hear with earplugs in.

The MSA with gel cups are really comfortable. Low profile is nice for getting proper cheek placement on rifles. A friend let me try his before I purchased my own set. That sold me on them.

I agree. I usually use double protection all the time but for sure with braked rifles around.

Cross Eyed Cowboy

All excellent points about fit, glasses, hair, hats impacting the actual suppression and your recommendation to double protect is spot on too. Big difference between the Lab and real life.

[bat119]

Gel ear pads upgrade for the Honeywell Impact Pro might help for the muzzle brakes

https://www.amazon.ca/BJKing-High-De.../dp/B07TZ78TD4

[Twisted Canuck]

I have custom fitted, molded Silicon plugs (thanks WCB) that I usually wear under my MSA muffs when shooting indoors or at the range. With the volume on the MSA turned up I can still have conversation, but am well protected. It's an effective combination, but not inexpensive. You don't realize how valuable your hearing is until it is already permanently damaged. I have chronic tinnitus, and need to wear a good quality hearing aid just so I can manage to have a conversation.

[6.5 shooter]

Originally Posted by chuck

If I could afford them, these would be the cats PJ’s.

https://www.espamerica.com

They are great and should be used in conjunction with good muffs...(something about the small ear bones still get rattled with just the ear buds).

Howard Lights are junk in my opinion.. I Had two sets, both failed in about 3 months. I now have Walker Quads (if it is a long day in the gopher patch) I use them in conjunction with "ear buds" made by a guy who was going to the local gun shows here in Alberta.. nice product and about $80 bucks. The buds are nice but hard to hear range instructions so I use the Walkers alone on the range.

[Arty]

Peltor Tac Pro on the range, Etymotic electronic ear plugs hunting which work quite well.

The Peltors are very wide at the base and can interfere with a cheek weld. Also, recoil from most of my rifles will knock the pinched Peltor back before the sound shockwave has dissipated. So I use conventional safety ear plugs now too. Too bad, the electronics are good.

Some other muffs have a little cutout at the bottom which would be a good solution, but the ones having as good an attenuation as the Peltors were prohibited export from the US when I bought them.

[sk270]

Originally Posted by Arty

Peltor Tac Pro on the range, Etymotic electronic ear plugs hunting which work quite well.

Which Etymotics do you have? I have Walker Silencers and the sound quality is much worse than I expected.

Thanks.

[bat119]

I have Etymotic GunsportPRO Earplugs I bought a Las Vegas gunshow a few years back, they have clear sound with 5X amplification only problem I have is I found them uncomfortable to wear.
I wore foam plugs at work for a long time these are harder just didn't feel right, they use hearing aid batteries that go dead after a short time not really a big deal the batteries are cheap.

[sako75]

Basic Walker Razor for me as well. Not expensive, but they work quite well. The problem with so many of these is the bulk in front of the right ear. I wish they could bevel them out or something, so that there is little body of the muff in front of the portion over the ear. Most of the time, I keep pushing the darn muff further and further back on my head when trying to get a decent cheek weld on the stock. By the end of it, the right muff is only half covering my right ear.

[Arty]

Originally Posted by sk270

Which Etymotics do you have? I have Walker Silencers and the sound quality is much worse than I expected.

Thanks.

Not sure anymore. I'd have to dig through old invoices, if those still exist. But I believe those are not in production anymore. The closest would be gun-sport pro, but it's probably not those.

[Arty]

Originally Posted by sako75

Basic Walker Razor for me as well. Not expensive, but they work quite well. The problem with so many of these is the bulk in front of the right ear. I wish they could bevel them out or something, so that there is little body of the muff in front of the portion over the ear. Most of the time, I keep pushing the darn muff further and further back on my head when trying to get a decent cheek weld on the stock. By the end of it, the right muff is only half covering my right ear.

I think most of those fat-bottom ones are made for indoor hand gun ranges. Where there are lots of shots reverberating off the walls all the time, but lots of close conversations and comments you might want to know about too.

Protection from lots of shooting with rifles/cannon like in a military fire-fight would give you a decided advantage, especially over a long period of time. So I could see why the good electronic ones are generally prohibited. Those are probably standard army issue by now.

For hunting, the electronic ear plugs are way lighter, much less likely to hang on stuff, and will easily fit when wearing a cap. (A toque is not so good, as the amplified rubbing of the cloth on the plug would drown out everything else). It's unlikely you'd have to endure more than a few shots. They also have a nice amplification feature, making it more likely you'll pick up on something moving around in the bushes.

So it's the rifle range muffs which are the biggest problem. Depending on the range, if I did it again it would be high-attenuation non-electronic muffs with the concave bottom together with a set of normal safety earplugs. More effective and much cheaper.

[Dean2]

Muffs showed up today. Look good, now to try them out.

[Twisted Canuck]

Without reading the whole thread again, which did you get Dean?

[Dean2]

TC, this is what I bought. So far they are very comfortable, fit well and the amplification feature works good, also doesn't pickup wind noise at all, unlike a couple of other electronic muffs I tired.


$100 same protection as passive muffs

The Howard Leight by Honeywell Impact Pro Sound Amplification Electronic Shooting Earmuff offers a high 30 dB Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) -

https://www.howardleightshootingspor...uff-black-grey


They have a Sport version but they are only 22 DB reduction rather than 31+ DB the Pro model provides.


Gunshot Noise Characteristics





Honey Well


APPROVAL - SLC80
Tested according to AS/NZS 1270:2002 at Michael and Associates, Inc.
SIZE RANGE: Small, Medium, Large
Headband Force: S=13.4 N, M=12.4 N, L=10.3 N
Frequency in Hz 125 250 -500 1000 2000 4000 8000 SLC80
Mean Atten, dB 19.5 22.9 30.6 35.9 37.8 38.5 --39.4
NRR 31 dB
Class 5 Standard Deviation, dB 4.9 3.6 4.6 4.1 3.7 4.3 4.6
Mean (-) Std Dev., dB 14.6 19.3 26.0 31.8 34.1 34.2 34.8
Attenuation data - AS/NZ (SAA)
Tested

[bat119]

I tried mine out last week with a .280, worked perfectly as Dean said they work well in the wind. The gunshot sound was the same as the Leightning passive muffs I usually use, being able to hear without removing the muffs is big bonus.

[Twisted Canuck]

I may have to pick a set of those up as a spare guest set for the range bag. My cheapie Bushnells only work one side now, these might be a good replacement.