Never again while hunting will I have to hear my young son or daughter ask, “Dad, did you hear that?” and have no idea what they are talking about.
I grew up shooting and hunting and gun safety was pounded into my head. However, so was the noise from high-powered rifles and shotguns. I put hundreds of .270 Winchester rounds down range and never wore any kind of hearing protection. Back in the day, it just wasn’t popular. Lots of time spent on a tank range did my ears no good either.
I’m not saying I can’t hear, I just can’t hear like I used too. And, there’s that continual ringing that never goes away.
Hearing protection is a must but I loath ear muffs. For that reason I’ve been using rubber ear plugs for many years. But, if I spend all day on the range my ears get sore. And, I have to keep asking folks, “What did the range master say?”
Fortunately, at SHOT Show I met up with the smart guys from Wild Ear and they build custom fitted earplugs. Now, this is nothing new but Wild Ear incorporate electronics into these form fitted plugs. They shut down when shots are fired so your ears are protected.
They have become a constant range companion and I can’t wait for hunting season so I can hear like a kid, hear a kid, and not worry about getting my ear drums busted at the shot. When that Mossberg in .375 Ruger goes off on Vancouver Island this spring, my Wild Ears should silence the boom, but amplify the crash of Sasquatch hitting the ground.
The real question is how these things will hold up. I’ve broken every electronic ear protection device I’ve ever owned. Wild Ears come with a two-year warranty; if I break them I’ll let you know. If they hold up they’ll be worth every penny!
