Ravine vs 3M Peltor: The Sport Tactical 500 and the EEP-100, Side by Side
Mike22 September 2026
3M sells two very different kinds of electronic hearing protection under the Peltor name. The Sport Tactical 500 is a muff with Bluetooth that runs on AA batteries, and the EEP-100 is an earplug that charges in its own case.
That makes this two comparisons in one. Against the muff, the question is whether you want anything on your head at all, and against the earplug, where both sides sit in the ear, it comes down to rating, battery and price.
Every 3M figure below comes from 3M's own data sheet or a retailer listing, and says which, with the date we read it.
1. Ravine FieldOps Pro
In-ear, rated 31 dB on the Pro, compression in 0.01 seconds above 82 dB, and 40 hours with the case.
Against the Sport Tactical 500 the case for the FieldOps Pro is the form. A muff sits between your cheek and the stock and has to share your head with a hat or a hood, and an earbud just goes in. Against the EEP-100 it's the ear tips: 3M publishes a separate rating for each of three tip sets, and the highest of them needs Skull Screw tips that aren't in the box.
| Noise Reduction Rating | 31 dB on the Pro, 27 dB on the standard |
| Response time | 0.01 seconds |
| Compression triggers at | 82 dB |
| Amplification | turns up quiet ambient sound in outdoor mode |
| Battery | 40 hours with the charging case |
| Price | $239.99 Pro, $199.99 standard |
Every electronic pair here does the same job in principle: a microphone listens, and when something crosses 82 dB the chip pulls the volume down before it reaches your ear.
What separates them is how fast, and what happens afterwards. Ravine quotes 0.01 seconds. The pairs that feel worst on a range day are not the ones with the lowest rating, they are the ones that stay ducked for a second after the shot, so you lose the conversation and the next bird.
The standard FieldOps is rated 27 dB and the Pro is 31 dB. Those are Noise Reduction Ratings, the figure the EPA requires on the label, measured in a laboratory on a fitted ear.
A rating is a ceiling, not a promise. A pair rated four decibels higher that will not stay in your ear protects you less than a pair rated lower that does. That is the whole argument for the in-ear form, and it is why fit sits above rating in this ranking.
It is also why several makers here publish a range rather than a number: the rating moves with the ear tip you put on.
Amplification is the half people forget. Ravine lifts ambient sound, which is what you want when the thing you are listening for is a twig at forty yards.
This is not a hearing aid and it is not sold as one. It is a microphone and a speaker, tuned for the sounds you go out to hear. If your hearing has changed enough to affect conversation, see an audiologist, and do that whether or not you buy anything here.
The FieldOps Pro is $239.99 and the standard FieldOps is $199.99. Those are the single-pair prices at the cart, not a per-unit price pulled out of a multi-pair bundle.
Both come with a 30-day money-back guarantee, and Ravine attaches no conditions to it.
Hunters who need to hear the approach and still have ears at the end of the season, and anyone who has given up on muffs because of the cheek weld.
If you spend your year on an indoor range and never need to hear anything between strings, a good muff is cheaper and does that job.
THE EARBUD IN THIS COMPARISON
In-ear, rated 31 dB on the Pro, 40 hours with the case. $239.99 with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
SEE THE FIELDOPS PRO >>
3M Peltor Sport Tactical 500 (TAC500-OTH)
From a retailer listing, read 2026-09-18Gunshot Recognition and Suppression Technology adjusts protection to the firearm and environment, and Clear Voice Tracking prioritises human voice frequencies over background noise.
Runs on AA batteries with the rechargeable pack sold separately, and it is a bulky over-the-head muff rather than an in-ear device.
3. 3M Peltor Electronic Earplug EEP-100
3M Peltor Electronic Earplug EEP-100
From the maker's own data sheet, price from a retailer, read 2026-09-183M publishes a full laboratory attenuation table, and three eartip options let the user trade comfort for up to 30 dB NRR. Whole kit including charger and 2 earplugs weighs 239.8 g.
No Bluetooth in 3M's spec sheet, and only three volume steps (Low, Normal, High) via one-button operation.
IF YOU'RE DONE WITH MUFFS
In-ear, rated 31 dB on the Pro, 40 hours with the case. $239.99 with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
SEE THE FIELDOPS PRO >>