We Shoot 100,000 Rounds Per Year. Here’s the Ear Protection We Wear

The OL staff spends a lot of time at the range shooting handguns, shotguns, and rifles. Through our extensive gun reviews, preparing for hunts, and competitive shooting, our round count easily hits six figures. After all that trigger pulling, we’d have serious hearing damage without the use of our favorite ear protection. These six top picks have survived abuse, protected our ears, and are comfortable for all-day use.

I’ve been wearing the Peltor Sport Tactical 500 for shooting and cutting grass for long stretches to test comfort and noise protection. The muffs have a nice seal on them, and they effectively reduce noise, even in loud indoor ranges. I like that electronic ear protection allows you to hear conversations at a normal level. It’s a great feature if you want to hear people talking around you, but I always end up in a bay next to loud talkers that I’d prefer to drown out. The Sport Tactical 500 have a feature just for such an occasion. There are two large arrows on the muff that control the volume of sounds that enter the internal speaker. With the volume down, voices are reduced to a low rumble. If you want to drown out the world around you even more, you can connect the ear protection to your phone via Bluetooth. Podcasts and music are great to listen to, but I especially like the Bluetooth feature for using a shot timer app I have on my phone. A standard shot timer won’t work at an indoor range, and using the par timer on my PACT is obtrusive around other shooters. So, instead I set the par timer on my shot timer app, and the sound feeds directly into my ears only. 

The cups that come on the Sport Tactical are comfortable and nearly as good as the best gel cups I’ve used. I don’t think you’ll have to upgrade the cups unless you want maximum comfort. One area that does need improvement is the headband. After a few hours, the top of the band creates a pain point right at the top of my head. A cushioned band like the one on the Sordin Supreme Pro, would be ideal. — Scott Einsmann, gear editor

Read Next: Best Bluetooth Hearing Protection

The Gun Sport Elite in-ear buds, from Etymotic research are far-and-above the best in-ear electronic hearing protection I have used. These tiny ear buds come in a hard carry case which acts as a charging platform and also holds an extra set of foam or rubber ear pieces and a cleaning kit. Each ear bud has an on/off power button which is also used to toggle between enhanced volume levels. For maximum sound protection, I mostly use the foam ear pieces, which crush down nicely and rebound slowly for a secure fit. Over several months of using them, I’ve had no trouble or discomfort from leaving them in my ears all day long. I can’t say the same for any other popular ear bud.

This ear pro has great natural sound with minimal distortion and, unlike many other electronic hearing protection, doesn’t generate much wind noise in a stiff breeze. The active hearing protection blocks out harmful impulses, but in a seamless manner. Most electronic ear pro will cut all sound at a gunshot but, with these, sound is kept at safe levels without audible disruption.

Another great quality that the Gun Sport Elite buds can brag about is their low profile. They work wonderfully under over-ear muffs when shooting with or around muzzle brakes. These don’t feature bluetooth connectivity but, in many circumstances, this is a plus. They have up to 16 hours of batter life per charge and, unlike many bluetooth buds, don’t beep or connect and disconnect. In a recent NRL Hunter match, shooting editor John B. Snow and I noticed that his periodically beeping in-ear bluetooth buds were potentially disruptive to communication and distracting.

If you shoot a lot, great hearing protection is worth the money, and there’s not a set of in-ear shooting hearing protection that’s even a close second to my recommendation for the Gun Sport Elite. –Tyler Freel

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Pros

• Compact
• Recharging case
• Versatile

Cons

• Don’t fit comfortably under some over-ear muffs

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Key Features

• 
  Decibel Reduction:

  
  23 Decibels

• 
  Recharging case

• 
  Extra ear tips

• 
  Control buttons on both buds

• 
  Can be used together or independently

Axil’s XCOR Pro are in-ear buds that provide great sounds suppression with all the functionality of non-protective ear buds such as Air Pods. They come in a recharging carry case and include a variety of foam and rubber ear tips. For shooting, I prefer the seal of the foam tips, and when inserted correctly, the body of the earbuds sits in the concha, or bowl, of the ear. For shooting muzzle brakes, it’s nice to double up and some over-ear muffs don’t fit comfortably over the XCOR Pros, but many do.

Each bud has its own control button and they can operate in several different modes of sound enhancement. You can expect 5 to 13 hours of battery life per charge, and the carry case is good for about three full charges. While shooting you can listen to music, podcasts, or other media via bluetooth, and they’re also functional for everyday use answering phone calls. The buds can even be set to operate independently and connect to different devices.

I have used the XCor Pro a lot and they’re not too irritating to wear for a whole day at the range. For a shooter that wants bluetooth connectivity and a lot of flexibility in a small package, these are the ticket. –Tyler Freel

Read Next: Best Electronic Hearing Protection

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Pros

• No batteries
• Very light
• Can be warn under muffs
• Secure
• Comfortable

Cons

• Not ideal for indoor ranges, unless worn with muffs

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Key Features

• 
  Decibel Reduction:

  
  24 dB

• 
  Includes noise filter caps which can be opened to allow low noise levels into the ear canal or closed for complete silence

• 
  Price:

  
  $21

• 
  Available in clear, black, and orange

I’ve been through a ton of ear plugs searching for one that I could recommend in good faith. From minimalist designs that disappear in your ear canal to custom molded options, I’ve tried them all. But I can finally recommend a set of ear plugs that are better than disposable foam, but don’t have the bells and whistles — or price tag — of electronic ear buds. The SureFire Sonic Defenders are comfortable enough to wear all day and provide everything you need from a good set of ear plugs. Like electronic, active shooting ear protection, they allow low-level noises like voices and ambient sound to be heard, but block out the report of a firearm. If the voices around you are distracting, you can close off the filter cap and go full silent mode. I think these are ideal for hunting as well because they’re so easy to pop in and out and they don’t block out all of your hearing.

I always double up on ear pro when I’m in an indoor range and the Defenders are comfortable with muffs over them. While you could wear the Defenders and nothing else, the added level of protection from the muffs makes indoor shooting more enjoyable.  — Scott Einsmann, gear editor

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Pros

• Slim earcups
• Comfortable for long shooting sessions
• Can be used with radio/comms
• Great battery life

Cons

• Expensive
• Battery removal can be difficult

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Key Features

• 
  Decibel Reduction:

  
  21 dB

• 
  Batteries:

  
  two AAA batteries

• 
  Removable overhead plastic band with cloth wrap, can be used with a helmet

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  Knurled battery compartment cap

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  Wind-resistant microphones

• 
  Replaceable gel cups

• 
  Price:

  
  $308

Sordin makes some of the best electronic hearing protection on the market, and the Supreme Pro-X is a great option for anyone who wants the best in performance, comfort, durability, and versatility. This ear pro is made in Sweden and comes with a five-year warranty. It has slim ear cups that don’t interfere with your rifle stock, and is powered by two AAA batteries. There is a knurled cap on the battery compartment and, aside from a small diagram on a sticker, battery orientation isn’t that intuitive. Also, removing the second battery can be a challenge. The good news is that they offer excellent battery life. Sordin claims 400 hours on the two tiny batteries. I’ve been using them for several months in 0- to 30-degree temperatures, and have yet to exhaust the batteries that came with the unit. 

Despite that, this is an excellent set of ear pro. The gel cups are comfortable to wear for long periods of time and replaceable if they get damaged. The Supreme Pro-X has a foam-covered microphone on each ear and provides good-quality sound. Sound levels and power can be toggled on the left-side keypad, which can also toggle between different modes for varying levels of background noise. Like other quality sets of ear pro, these provide enhanced sound, but cut out loud impulse noises. The microphones don’t get too noisy in windy conditions, but they tend to squeak when putting on or removing the ear muffs while powered up. Over all the indoor and outdoor use, we have found a lot to like about the Sordin Supreme Pro-X, and very little not to like. –Tyler Freel

I tested the Exo Pro at our annual optics test and at my home range in Virginia. At the optics test we spend 8 hours on the range shooting and need to communicate while shooting is going on. The Exo Pro muffs were comfortable, although they were a little tight on my big head, and the gel ear cups are luxurious. The Exo Pro electronic hearing protection allowed me to hear people talking while cutting out the blast from loud rifles. 

At my hot and humid home range, the gel ear cups really shined. They kept my ears cooler and cut down on sweat while I ran drills. If you’re a USPSA shooter or you enjoy dynamic shooting you’ll appreciate the Exo Pro’s secure fit that doesn’t shift when you run. I also appreciated the low profile of the Exp Pro muffs while shooting rifles on the bench, prone, and on the run. — Scott Einsmann, gear editor