Ask a group of hunters about hearing protection, and you may get some strange looks. Ask the same group for advice on a recommended rifle or shotgun, and they'll talk your ear off. Although hearing protection is vitally important; it's one of the most overlooked and underused items of shooting gear.



According to the American Academy of Otolaryngology (AAO), exposure to sounds at or above the 80 to 85 decibels (dB) range can produce injury to the ear. The damage itself comes about when the loud noise injures the sensitive nerve endings in the inner ear. The louder the noise or longer the exposure to the sound, the more damage takes place.

Since hearing protection is so important, it's equally important to understand the different styles of hearing protection that are currently available today. From a price perspective, hearing protection can vary substantially. It can run anywhere from a few dollars up to a few hundred dollars.

You would think buying some type of hearing protection would be pretty easy, but there are a number of different types of hearing protection available along with different levels of coverage. The focus of this article is to provide some introductory information on the assorted types of hearing protection, along with some recommendations.

For the most part, ear protection for shooting sports can broken down into a couple of different categories: passive ear plugs, passive hearing protection, and electronic hearing protection.

Let's a take a moment to review each one of these different types of hearing protection in detail:

Passive Ear Plugs - These are basically soft plugs that are usually made from plastic or some type of foam material. These plugs are placed into the ear opening and they help to dampen any high volume noise that the ear is exposed to. They are referred to "passive" because these plugs don't utilize any electronic technology that damper noises. Ear plugs are by far the least expensive form of hearing protection, but do they actually work well? The noise is suppressed a bit, but can still be quite loud. When I was a kid, I can remember using ear plugs of this type when dove hunting; and I can still recollect how bad my ears rang after a entire day of hunting. I'm sure the plugs helped out some, but they really didn't protect my ears as well as they should have been protected.

Passive Hearing Protection - This style usually is comprised of ear muffs that have a cup which encompasses the entire ear. The muffs are usually attached by a headband or headpiece of some type. Like the passive ear plugs, this style won't have the electronic noise dampening device. The ear muff style design is nice as the cup has a seal that protects the entire ear from the noise versus the ear plugs which only partially protect the ear canal itself. Most ear muff models have the ability to be adjusted, although some of the less expensive ear muff models may not have this feature. Unfortunately, ear muffs of this design dampen all sound, so the wearer can't hear anyone talking or any other important sounds.

Electronic Hearing Protection - This design contains an ear muff design and incorporates it with electronic technology that reduces the noise down to a level that isn't harmful to the human ear. The entire sound dampening process takes place faster than the blink of an eye as the suppressed sound is transmitted to the wearer almost instantly. The best feature of electronic hearing protection is the ability to hear everything that is going on around you while you are shooting. In many situations, such as on the range, during training, or while hunting; this can be a tremendous benefit. Of course, due to the technology required, electronic hearing protection tends to be the most expensive all the hearing protection devices. Several of the higher end electronic models may have other features such as a separate volume control for each side of the ear muffs, enhanced adjustability, a battery saver feature to conserve battery use, and ambient sound magnification. The ambient sound enhancement is a great benefit for hunters as it augments noise to a degree that is far greater than the naked ear can hear. At the same time, the augmented sound is immediately dampened when a shot is fired.

So how do you choose which model to buy? Evaluate your basic requirements and match that up to the most appropriate above. On a personal note, I wouldn't suggest the basic passive ear plugs. Although they are certainly better than nothing, they supply only minimal protection. If you only shoot occasionally or don't have the demand for the additional capability of an electronic model, basic passive ear muffs will most likely work just fine. If you are a active shooter or hunter, the electronic models can be a great investment with all their added features. After I tried the electronic headphones, I never went back to the passive version. At the end of the day, the choice really comes down to your own personal preferences and needs.