I though I had heard of hearing aids that work both ways on here. Does anyone have a favorite product. this should probably be on another topic but i fiqure most guys that hunt africa are like me losing hearing. Thanks

I use Magnum Ear, from Eden Praire,MN. They function both as a "hearing aid", but cut out for example as the shot is fired to add hearing protection. So in other words, you get hearing protection and environmental awareness. They are custom fit devices and have 3 programs, hearing aid battery operated. Two of the individual programs are suppose to help temper the wind noise, however, I can tell you that if you are in windy conditions, they amplify wind noise almost to the point of being very annoying, however, you can turn them down which helps. The other problem is stalking. Because they provide such a high degree of environmental awareness they pick up every sound so if you're trying to be quite what you hear is every little thing you step on or bump into amplified. Perhaps this is good because if you don't hear anything then you're being really quite and you never know what an animal hears. They work well for me at the range because I can hear range commands and they cut out as shots are fired, same goes for a hunting situation. There are other products out there, this is just one example.

Gerry,

I have prescription hearing aids from Siemens that have a setting specifically for enhanced hearing and loud noises. You screw the actual hearing aid part into custom ear plugs giving you enhanced hearing for the surrounding enviroment and hearing protection for shooting. Works amazingly well.

Mark

I have a custom set from Sport Ear. They work very well but as Kambaku stated, while stalking, they amplify everything making it sould as if you are a bull in a china shop. Very annoying at times. Still worth the money IMO.

I have my second pair from Ears, Inc of Boulder, CO. I was fitted at SCI in Reno a few years back. They have volume control, so you can amplify or not, and they are tuned to my prescription. Mine also have a switch so i can tune them forward if I'm in a high background noise setting like a restaurant so I can hear conversation. I can wear them all day, and regulary do while hunting here in NM, and have worn them in Zimbabwe and Namibia.

Love them.

I also have a pair of the EARS. They work great and I wear them on all of my hunts. In fact I wouldn't hunt without them.


Doug

Gerry…I use the Electronic Shooters Protection (ESP) line of electronic hearing protection. The model I use is the ESP Dynamic and have found them to work very well. Here is a write-up I did about them a couple of years ago:
http://diizchesafari.blogspot....n-while-hunting.html

Give the owner of ESP, Jack Homa, a call and tell him I sent you. He will be happy to answer any of your questions and will take good care of you.

Here is a link to their Website.

Best always,
Shawn

Mine are Phonak,
script and matched to my deafness.
Just turn them off and they're like ear plugs.
BUT, on the really big stuff they don't do as well.
I have a bullet trap welded up in the brick shop and shoot the big bores and 45 colt out there at times. Sure can get LOUD w/o protection.
George

WHAT?

I need some of those!

ESP America products are awesome!

I have used several brands over the years as a professional competition shooter and instructor.

ESP have survived washer/dryer and my abuse for years. I have had other brands physically break, electrically fail where the ESP plugs just keep going and going and going...

I use some custom moulded E.A.R., Inc. hearing protecters. Mine aren't made specifically to replace hearing aids but they do make those as well for more money.

I've used mine for a braked 460 S&W Magnum and they work well for that. If they'll work for that, I doubt you'll find anything they won't work for short of something huge made by Saeed to scare Walter.

quote:

Originally posted by Grumulkin:
I use some custom moulded E.A.R., Inc. hearing protecters. Mine aren't made specifically to replace hearing aids but they do make those as well for more money.

I've used mine for a braked 460 S&W Magnum and they work well for that. If they'll work for that, I doubt you'll find anything they won't work for short of something huge made by Saeed to scare Walter.

Are they electronically baffled? I've seen some studies on the Net that say for indoor or range work, no ear plugs fully attenuate the number of decibels created by loud cartridges – so you have to use both high quality plugs AND muffs. Most use something less than that for actual hunting.

All the old shooters, meaning much older then me (and mostly dead now) that I have known were pretty much deaf as a coot. I've noticed that my hearing is not what it once was either, so I'm interested in what people say about the options.

Muffs are great, because they cover the ear and a portion of the head surrounding the ear that also conducts sound.

I make a living on ranges where many students shoot very loud guns due to short barrels or high intensity cartridges. Plugs and muffs for me while teaching in these environments.

Indoor ranges... I will do almost anything to avoid them!

When I am shooting by myself or with a few people, ESP earplugs for me!

Hunting dangerous game, you can turn up the ESP volume. You can wear them all day to listen to your PH's whispers in Africa.

Not using hearing protection will have you saying "what?" many times...

quote:

Originally posted by Anjin:

quote:

Originally posted by Grumulkin:
I use some custom moulded E.A.R., Inc. hearing protecters. Mine aren't made specifically to replace hearing aids but they do make those as well for more money.

I've used mine for a braked 460 S&W Magnum and they work well for that. If they'll work for that, I doubt you'll find anything they won't work for short of something huge made by Saeed to scare Walter.

Are they electronically baffled? I've seen some studies on the Net that say for indoor or range work, no ear plugs fully attenuate the number of decibels created by loud cartridges – so you have to use both high quality plugs AND muffs. Most use something less than that for actual hunting.

All the old shooters, meaning much older then me (and mostly dead now) that I have known were pretty much deaf as a coot. I've noticed that my hearing is not what it once was either, so I'm interested in what people say about the options.

Over the years, I've tried various types of hearing protection. What I noticed after using electronic ear muffs, was that I had tinnitus after shooting big bore handguns. I believe the reason is that the electronics aren't fast enough to shut down the noise before it becomes too great. I haven't had this problem with my E.A.R., Inc. hearing protectors.

Other things I have used include ear muffs over foam ear plugs which works well and even ear muffs over the E.A.R., Inc. hearing protectors. In the latter case, noise reduction is incredible; something like Hollywood's version of using a "silencer."