I've tried several different brands of electronic ear-muffs,
and this is absolutely my favorite. This is the Peltor Tactical 7 Classic, 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.
There are usually trade-offs in features when you compare one brand (or model) of
electronic ear-muffs over another. Before I decided to purchase this particular set of ear-muffs, I had the opportunity to test several different
brands in a side-by-side test. I usually shoot for extended periods of time, and it's not unusual for me to wear ear-muffs continuously for 6 - 8 hours. I
was determined to test every model electronic ear-muff that I could get my hands on, before deciding which brand to buy and recommend.
It's easy to find a cheaper set of electronic ear-muffs that may look 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 ear-muffs any time.
Some units on the market use a "new and improved" technology that reduces ONLY loud sounds without ever loosing the background noise.
However, I noticed that they didn't reduce the sound of gunshots anywhere near as well as the Peltor Tactical 7 Classic. The Peltor Tactical 7 Classic ear-muffs
completely lose ALL sound for almost half a second during (and slightly after) the noise from a loud noise. 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 ear-muffs are
great for hearing range commands in competition shooting, and they increase safety when introducing new shooters to the sport. If you spend much time
at a public range, you'll enjoy using electronic ear-muffs.
This particular set is about 15 years old, and you might have a hard time finding this exact same model. Since I purchased my Peltor
ear-muffs, 3M appears to have purchased the company, and getting the parts is quite a task. However, They have several different models available at an extremely wide range
of prices. The WalMart website carries some of their models.
