Hearing Protection / Electronic Earmuffs

Electronic Earmuffs

      I've tried several different brands of electronic ear muffs, and this is absolutely my favorite.   This is the Peltor Tactical 7S, sold by MidwayUSA.   I originally wanted a smaller set, but I found that only the larger units did a good job at reducing loud noise.   The main reasons I prefer this particular make and model are listed below.

  • They're the most effective at reducing the sound of gunshots.
  • They're as comfortable as any set of ear muffs I've ever tried
  • They do the best job at amplifying low level sounds (great for hunting)
  • They use a common 9V battery
  • The cost was a bargain at $115

      There's usually a trade-off in features when you decide on one brand over another.   Before I decided to purchase electronic earmuffs, I had the opportunity to test several different brands in a side-by-side test.   I usually shoot for long periods of time, and it's not unusual for me to wear earmuffs continuously for 6 - 8 hours.   I was determined to test every model electronic earmuff that I could get my hands on, before deciding which brand to buy.

      You can easily find a cheaper set of electronic earmuffs that may look exactly like this set, or you might find a pair that's a bit smaller, or maybe another set has a cool looking camo pattern.   I'll take a pair of these Peltor Tactical 7S electronic earmuffs any time.   Some units on the market use a "new and improved" technology that reduces ONLY the loud sounds, without ever loosing the background noise.   However, I noticed that they didn't reduce gunshots anywhere near as well as the Peltor Tactical 7S.   The Peltor Tactical 7S earmuffs completely lose ALL sound for almost a second during and after a shot.   At first, I thought this would be a drawback.   It seemed like a bad idea at first, but not after testing them.

      This set has (2) stereo microphones that provide direction-sensitive sound that requires no balance adjustment.   They just have one volume adjustment for easy operation.   The only modification that I had to do to my set is stretch them out just a little bit wider.   These earmuffs increase safety when introducing new shooters to the sport, and they're great for hearing range commands in competition shooting.   If you spend much time at public ranges, you'll enjoy using electronic earmuffs.