By Dan Kidder
Managing Editor

You only get issued one set of ears in life, so it is important to protect them whenever you are shooting.

As a firearms instructor, I am amazed whenever I see parents at the local range who think just because they are shooting a .22 LR they, and their kids whose spiral ganglion cells are still developing, don’t need hearing protection.

What most shooters don’t realize is that sudden impulse sounds of sufficient frequency cause permanent hearing loss by damaging these cells, even from small caliber rounds like the .22 LR.

According to audiologist Amin Musani, “sounds over 140dB can cause pain, and prolonged exposure to noise over 85-90dB can result in permanent hearing loss. Gunfire may be categorized as an impulse noise, which has the characteristic of an explosive burst. Impulse noise of sufficient intensity and pressure is often a cause of acoustic trauma. Generally, studies have shown that such impulse sounds may result in the shifting, skewing, bending, swelling, bursting, tearing, fusing and/or severe mechanical damage to the inner ear cells, structures, and auditory pathways. That is, short-duration sounds of sufficient intensity (e.g., a gunshot or explosion) may result in an immediate, severe, and permanent hearing loss, which is termed acoustic trauma. The degree of hearing impairment seen after acoustic trauma varies and may range from a mild to profound hearing loss.”

On our range, hearing protection is required at ALL TIMES no matter what kind of firearm is being fired. Without exception, our instructors use Pro Ears Pro 300 digital hearing protection.

The Pro Ears use DLSC Technology to reduce sound without “cutting out” so you never lose awareness of your surroundings. They provide 15dB of amplification during normal use and offer a 26 Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) when shots are fired to protect your hearing. Additionally, they offer wind abatement programming, which keeps the howling wind in Southern Utah from roaring in our ears.

The Pro 300s are available with a standard headband, but we have opted for the behind the head headband so the units do not interfere with the hats we wear to keep the sun off of our heads.

The Pro 300s also features individual circuit boards on both ear cups. This eliminates wires and provides individual control, which allows the user to adjust the volume in each ear cup. The N size batteries last a long time —  a really long time. I recently thought that I had turned off one of the earcups and left it on in the range bag for an entire week. To my amazement, they worked fine and are still going strong.  The Pro 300s also allow you to change batteries easily without tools and without cutting into the leather ear cups, which would lessen the sound attenuation.

All around the Pro Ears Pro 300s are a great value for electronic muffs. They allow shooters to remain aware of their surroundings, speak in normal tones, and also provide unparalleled protection for your irreplaceable hearing.

Always make sure you protect your hearing whenever you shoot. As instructors, we always do, and we use the Pro Ears Pro 300.

Pick up your pair of Pro Ears Pro 300 electronic hearing protectors at your local Sportsman’s Warehouse store or click here to buy them now.