Ear Pro Part 2 of 4: Howard Leight Impact Sport
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.
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.
Chris Cheng is History Channel's Top Shot Season 4 champion and author of "Shoot to Win," a book for beginning shooters. 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 is a professional marksman for Bass Pro Shops who shares his thoughts and experiences from the perspective of a newbie to the shooting community. He resides in San Francisco, CA and works in Silicon Valley.www.TopShotChris.com.
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I like these for pistol shooting but like others have stated when it comes to rifles I like to have a bit more protection. Also I agree that plugs are better for rifle shooting as well because of cheek-weld issues when shooting from a rest or bipod. However when shooting from a standing position with a reflex sight I dont really notice it as much and the muffs seem to work just fine.
I will admit I bought the Howard Leight muffs because they felt comfy and looked cool. They are not as bulky as some other ear cans I've used in the past. Nothing wrong with a little tacticool range fashion. :)
Great series of articles. I might just have to place an order for the Impact Sport soon.