A Visit to Axil’s Booth for a Hearing Test and Custom Fitting

I shoot quite a lot, as you might imagine. I’ve also been shooting a heck of a lot of suppressed firearms, which I typically do without hearing protection on/in my ears because I’m often reviewing the performance of the suppressors themselves. While this is usually, in theory, “hearing safe,” that isn’t the case with every … Read more

Beretta Off Shot Hearing Protection: SHOT Show 2017

https://youtu.be/2Q17QnFRW8k This year at SHOT Show we got a sneak peek at Beretta‘s new “Off Shot” hearing protection line. Included in the lineup is active electronic ear pro with bluetooth connectivity, ambient sound amplification, a 32 dB NRR, and impressive [rechargeable] battery life. Oh, and that’s all jammed into a lightweight, in-ear earbud design. It ain’t cheap, … Read more

Gunslingers: Lend me Your Ears! Better Yet, Protect Yours

Guns can be hazardous to your health. I’m not talking about “ballistic issues” or brain damage from huffing lead. I’m talking about hearing loss. I SAID—  Pause with me for a nanosecond whilst I give some of you time to go all “Oh I know all about earplugs. Besides, my gun’s not that loud. And if I shoot without plugs, my ears ring a bit, then they’re back to normal.” Hearing is like pre-divorce capitalization or that paradise that Joni Mitchell’s antagonists paved: you don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone. And then it’s gone forever. Only it’s more subtle than that. You don’t realize that you’re losing your hearing, even when you’re losing it. Here are some fun facts . . .

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