Sports and hobbies aren't renowned for being cheap, but some have a much higher barrier to entry than others.
While some high-maintenance sports like archery, shooting, kayaking and even horse-riding can all be practiced in lessons and on rentals, getting properly invested with your own gear can be a big plunge.
If you're looking to start getting shooting gear, you'll need a noise cancelling headpiece. And, if you are still on-the-fence about the hobby, you'll want a device you can still use in other situations and not have wasted your investment!
Ear Protection for Shooting - The Basic Rule
It's not a mystery why people need ear protection when shooting. It's not like the movies where you can pull a pistol a few inches off to the side of your head and suffer 0 effects, just because the bullet missed!
In reality, it's not just the bullet that has an effect. The muzzle flash, recoil and sound of the weapon all factor into the danger of firing, and all need to be accounted for when shooting.
The minimum recommended SNR (Single Number Rating) of noise cancellation to use when firing is 25dB. SNR is measured in decibels just like the original sound, and illustrates how much the sound is reduced by to the wearer's ears.
For example, if you wear a 30dB SNR headset and fire a rifle of 90dB (Standard for a low-power rifle used for sporting) then the resulting loudness you hear is 60dB.
The more competitive rifles start curving back around to being quieter again, as they are refined and built for maximum efficiency of energy.
So long as your shooting headphones meet this 25dB minimum, you have a good starting point for using training firearms.
As a beginner, the good news is that ear defenders for shooting can also be used for all sorts of other things. From mowing the lawn to just enjoying music or phone calls over Bluetooth, if you get an all-rounder pair of ear defenders you can dip your toes into investment in the hobby without risking a loss, since either way you have a solid pair of noise reduction headphones to use outside the firing range.
Rent First, Buy Later
When you're getting into a hobby with complex equipment such as shooting, always assume you know nothing. Rent or borrow equipment before you buy anything, to make sure you know what you're aiming for.
If you want to then splash out on a little piece of the kit to get you started, then shooting headphones are an amazing place to start that won't over-commit you to the hobby in the early stages.
The EP120s offer protection for the ears with large physical padding for both noise cancellation and comfort. Without any power needed, the headset reaches 30dB SNR, well above the 25dB recommended for a beginner. On top of the SNR you get a solid Bluetooth headset with premium driver units, a microphone for phone calls and a huge 120-hour working time battery.
As ear defenders for shooting go, the EP120 is going to be your most balanced and usable headset outside the shooting range as well as for shooting. Many shooting headphones are garish, while the EP120 wouldn't look out of place being used day-to-day, which helps justify the investment when you are still fresh into the hobby.
Leave a comment