Amplified plugs or muffs while hunting?

[Skippy00]

Does anyone wear them while in the woods? Do they help hear moving critters better?

Asking because I put a brake on my 300wm this season and can't imagine what it would do to my hearing if I wasn't wearing some sort of protection after pulling the trigger.

 

[TreeStandAthlete]

I hunt a ton of upland and this has been something I've been looking into for years. I don't necessarily want to hear better I just don't want to give up the hearing I have. The best I've found is the SureFire Sonic defenders, which aren't electronic, but they allow you to hear clearer and only block out very loud noises. I went to the audiologist last week and have a set of ESP Elite Classics on order, they are expensive but from what I've read they last forever. Will update when I get those out in the field.

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[DRUSS]

Interested in this.....
Hopefully more have experience on these types of options

 

[RMM]

I can speak to the walkers game ear razor muffs. Theyre great for at the range or shooting clays, but no way I would wear them in the woods. You can hear well with them, but I have a hard time telling the direction the sound is coming from

 

[Dcrafton]

I’ve done it, not again. Squirrels moving sound like elk moving.
You can hear ever leaf and twig that a squirrel moves.
Cool, but not while hunting again.


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[DaChank]

Wind is also super annoying

 

[Skippy00]

I can speak to the walkers game ear razor muffs. Theyre great for at the range or shooting clays, but no way I would wear them in the woods. You can hear well with them, but I have a hard time telling the direction the sound is coming from

I have the Howard Leight muffs. You can definitely distinguish in which direction sounds are coming from with those. Never wore them out hunting, though.

 

[Northernpiker]

For hunting I hate muffs and earplugs, I use Suppressors now and wonder why I didn’t do it sooner.

 

[*zap*]

The H. Leights are pretty good and offer volume control.

 

[mwf008]

I used soundgear by starkey last season. When hunting timber I knew I wouldn’t have a chance to throw ear plugs in as a shot might need to happen in an instant. They’re great for what they are but it’s annoying having something in your ear. And you hear every little thing- makes you think a grizzly is stalking you every time your pack makes a squeak or the wind blows.

 

[Jim2914]

Following looking to get a good pair of plugs

 

[graf]

I second for suppressors, having one has eliminated the whole issue for me. That is, if your able... I was all in with a thunderbeast for 1K and a 6mo. wait. To me though it's a life long investment.

 

[tdot]

I've been using plugs for a couple of seasons now. Really enjoy them in the woods, I shot a buck that crossed a ravine 100' behind me. Wouldn't have heard him without the amplified sounds. That was in 6" of snow and sleet/snow falling so lots of ambient noise, but it was worth it for me. I've taken them on a couple mountain hunts and while I'll wear them below treeline, the wind & rain noise was a bit too much above treeline.

 

[ZDR]

i turn my hearing aids up when bow hunting and it really works well. Not for use with a gun though…

 

[Antares]

I’ve worn the Howard Leights for years while rabbit hunting. They work great and have held up to a lot of rain. I like to turn the volume way up when I’ve lost the dogs and I’m trying to hear their bells.

 

[Gatorgrizz27]

The muzzle brake/noise thing has never made sense to me.

99% of them are removable.

Use it when you are sighting in and practicing off the bench. That’s when you take abuse and develop flinches. Wear earmuffs.

Take it off when hunting. You’re not going to feel the difference when shooting an animal. Save your hearing.

I’ve recently invested in suppressors and wish I’d done it sooner, but I’m not sure I’d use one on certain backpacking hunts.

 

[gearguywb]

I am not a fan of the muffs as they are way to hot.

I shoot a lot of sporting clays and have some in ear electronic plugs. I use those same plugs for big game and waterfowl hunting. Absolutely love them.

I don't use them to hear game better, rather to allow me to hear the person I am hunting with and to block the noise from the shots.

 

[Antarctica]

The muzzle brake/noise thing has never made sense to me.

99% of them are removable.

Use it when you are sighting in and practicing off the bench. That’s when you take abuse and develop flinches. Wear earmuffs.

Take it off when hunting. You’re not going to feel the difference when shooting an animal. Save your hearing.

I’ve recently invested in suppressors and wish I’d done it sooner, but I’m not sure I’d use one on certain backpacking hunts.

Removing it will change POI...

 

[Muddler]

I use a pair of razor electronic muffs. I won't gun hunt anything without them. It is a little harder to figure out where the noise came from, but in my experience I hear it "sooner" and it gives me time to look around and see where the noise was. If it's windy I just turn them down a bit and it doesn't bother me. Gun hunted for years without protection and my hearing has been damaged some from it. Never again.

 

[JeffP_Or]

They do help amplify and hear - but at some point, just like with any amplification, they can be too much.
Though primarily looking for protetion over amplification, I started using the H Leight Sport Impact Bolts a number of seasons ago [after starting with the foam plugs]. First while duck hunting to hear the calls better [than with foam plugs], then predator hunting for the same reason [calling] and now also in the big game woods and upland fields. I like that my ears no longer ring after shooting like they use to.
I try and adjust the sound level to just about what my normal hearing level is. However, it is easy to turn up the volume if I want to hear something better - and I have done this effectively [waterfowling to hear other guys across the lake; also, to better hear approaching crunching sounds in the BG woods]. I find that I can concentrate on my shotgunning better without reacting to the shots as much since I don't 'hear' them.
I think they are a very good option for the price and work phenomenally. Battery life is good but obviously impacted by colder temps. I find them acceptably comfortable and they do not interfere with the gun. I find they work well for direction overall; there have been some specific instances where direction was tough to immediately discern [but I think it would have been regardless].
I cannot compare them to Walkers, others or even other H Leights muffs as this is the only pair I have used [bought them since they are the only pair I found that published reaction time, NRR and other performance specifics].
I do believe I will probably shell out the $$$'s for an ITC pair down the road when these wear out but these have been a great intermediate step.
That said - Drawbacks:

Blowing hard highball/goose calls will shut them down [they cut to 82db so there is still sound].​

Wind OCCASIONALLY causes issues; it is a combination of direction and wind speed thing.​

They are hot when hiking or early season birding; conversely, late season and waterfowling, they keep the ears toasty [when hiking especially in non-birdy areas or when humping back to the truck - I move them off my ears].​

I recommend them as much as I can to others - regardless of whether you are loking for amplification or protection. I actually recommend anything as being better than nothing. Ear buzzing, ringing and saying 'huh?' the rest of my life will not be fun - protect what you have.