In part two, we’ll be chatting about the Howard Leight Impact Sport electronic ear pro. I have owned this set of ear pro for 1.5 years, and I wore them for part of my time on Top Shot Season 4. I have seen a number of shooters wearing this set of ear pro at Bay Area, California ranges, both on the static shooting lines and in competition matches.

The Impact Sport has a single volume on/off knob which is straightforward. It’s also got a 2.5mm input jack if you want to connect an MP3 player or scanner to it (I’ve never had a need for this, but I’m sure it’s useful for some shooters).

It blocks noise above 82db, and automatically shuts off after 4 hours if you forget to turn it off, and there’s no noise to block. It runs on 2 AAA batteries, and I found I can get about 30-40 hours of life. Of course, your mileage will vary. The noise cancellation is very good, and the Impact Sport carries and NRR of 22.

It can fold into itself which is nice since it takes up less room in your range bag.

The downside of these cans is that they can sometimes interfere with my cheek weld when rifle shooting or shotgunning. I also can’t wear them for more than 30 minutes before I need to let my ears breathe since sweat builds up around the ear cups. The final thing is that the eyeglass arms can sometimes dig into my temples when wearing the Impact Sports, causing some mild to moderate discomfort.

However, at $49.95 on Amazon.com, the Impact Sport gives you a pretty good bang for your buck. www.howardleight.com

Chris Cheng is History Channel’s Top Shot Season 4 champion. A self-taught amateur turned pro through his Top Shot win, Cheng very much still considers himself an amateur who parachuted into this new career. He shares his thoughts and experiences from the perspective of a newbie to the shooting community. www.TopShotChris.com.