Hearing Pro

[sgt_zim]

As I get older, I find more and more that an absolutely indispensable piece of kit for hunting is good hearing pro.

For 2 or 3 years, I went with a pair of Walkers. They do a great job of protecting my ears, plus with the volume control, have helped me to know when to sit dead still as white tails get nearer and I still can't see them. But after an hour or 2, they just get uncomfortable.

I upgraded to a pair of Axil GX Extremes: https://goaxil.com/products/gx-extreme

The sound amplification feature is really nice for the deer woods of Louisiana and Texas, but was really not much help in Limpopo as the wind seems to constantly blow. However, they did allow me to have whispered convos with my PH, which was invaluable. The Axil GX Extreme is also BT capable, a nice feature. The only draw back to them is they are attached via wire. Ordinarily, this isn't a huge deal, but if your neck gets a little sweaty, the wire will drag on your neck and tug on the ear pieces. This certainly isn't a deal-breaker for me, just something to be aware of.

The next step up for Axil is the XCOR or XCOR Pro. The main difference between those 2 is the former are not BT capable, the latter are.

Even if I had cans for all my rifles, and I likely never will for anything bigger than my 308, I'd still go for these just for the comfort + sound amplification features. I could literally wear the Axils from the moment I step off the bakkie in the field until we got back to camp.

 

[knuckleball]

I suffer from tinnitus pretty badly due to a career lifetime of exposure to gunfire and airline jet engines. I’ve learned to ignore it but I’m afraid as I fade into my twilight years my hearing will continue to fade as well.

I just recently bought a pair of the Axil XCOR Pro’s and am anxious to try them in the field for an extended period. I’ve become religious about protecting my hearing going forward. The XCOR’s will go with me to SA in 2026 provided they fill the bill and perform as I hope.

 

[towserthemouser]

As I get older, I find more and more that an absolutely indispensable piece of kit for hunting is good hearing pro.

For 2 or 3 years, I went with a pair of Walkers. They do a great job of protecting my ears, plus with the volume control, have helped me to know when to sit dead still as white tails get nearer and I still can't see them. But after an hour or 2, they just get uncomfortable.

I upgraded to a pair of Axil GX Extremes: https://goaxil.com/products/gx-extreme

The sound amplification feature is really nice for the deer woods of Louisiana and Texas, but was really not much help in Limpopo as the wind seems to constantly blow. However, they did allow me to have whispered convos with my PH, which was invaluable. The Axil GX Extreme is also BT capable, a nice feature. The only draw back to them is they are attached via wire. Ordinarily, this isn't a huge deal, but if your neck gets a little sweaty, the wire will drag on your neck and tug on the ear pieces. This certainly isn't a deal-breaker for me, just something to be aware of.

The next step up for Axil is the XCOR or XCOR Pro. The main difference between those 2 is the former are not BT capable, the latter are.

Even if I had cans for all my rifles, and I likely never will for anything bigger than my 308, I'd still go for these just for the comfort + sound amplification features. I could literally wear the Axils from the moment I step off the bakkie in the field until we got back to camp.

I can confirm that the Axil XCOR Pro model works great at the shooting range. I have not used the BT mode yet, but the sound amplification and attenuation work as advertised. I also have not yet tested them in a hunting scenario but based on performance at the range I don't doubt they will work great. I will likely have to remind myself not to shout in response to whispers from a PH, haha.

Note that the foam tips provide better hearing protection than the silicon tips (both are provided).

 

[sgt_zim]

I suffer from tinnitus pretty badly due to a career lifetime of exposure to gunfire and airline jet engines. I’ve learned to ignore it but I’m afraid as I fade into my twilight years my hearing will continue to fade as well.

I just recently bought a pair of the Axil XCOR Pro’s and am anxious to try them in the field for an extended period. I’ve become religious about protecting my hearing going forward. The XCOR’s will go with me to SA in 2026 provided they fill the bill and perform as I hope.

Nice thing about Axils is they come with some many different style and size ear hole plugs. Figure out which fits the best, go with that. You'll never even notice you're wearing them. I was so pleased with mine, I bought a pair for the missus, and 1 pair each for my sons.

 

[Cam300]

I use the XCOR pro. They work as advertised but they are quite uncomfortable to wear for more than an hour or so. YMMV…