Affordable Quality
ShellShock Protection offers shooters hearing protection at reasonable prices.
Eric Hung and Paula Li are the married couple behind Pew Pew Tactical and ShellShock Protection. About ten years ago, Eric—with a background in education—noticed that new firearm enthusiasts had nowhere to turn for honest, straightforward guidance, so he built Pew Pew Tactical as a personal blog. It grew into one of the most trusted resources in the shooting community, helping beginners find their footing.
Over the years, Eric and Paula—who brought over a decade of experience in business and marketing—kept hearing the same frustration from their readers: good ear and eye protection was either cheap and unreliable or expensive and out of reach. They knew the gap well, and they knew their audience even better. So they created ShellShock Protection, the aim of which was to provide quality protection gear made specifically for shooters who wanted an upgraded option without the premium price tag.
SHOT Business: What do you think are the biggest challenges our industry will face in the next five years?
Eric Hung/Paula Li: How people spend within the firearm industry is already changing. We’re already seeing it with cheaper firearms selling more briskly and ammo bought in boxes instead of by case. As inflation puts more pressure on people’s budgets, consumers are getting a lot more selective about where their money goes. Brands that can’t offer real quality at a reasonable price are going to have a harder time. Global conflict and uncertainty will keep interest in the space alive, but gone are the days of everything sold out just because it was on the shelf. Companies are going to have to work harder, whether that’s through better pricing, real innovation, or products that genuinely get people excited.
SB: What opportunities do you see?
EH/PL: Content and education are still one of the biggest ones. With so many new shooters entering the space over the last few years, there’s a real appetite for trustworthy, approachable guidance. People want to learn from someone they trust, not wade through forums or unreliable YouTube channels.
Affordable quality is another big one, and it’s really where ShellShock lives. As people tighten their budgets, the middle ground between cheaper intro options and expensive premium gear becomes incredibly valuable. Brands that can own that space have a real advantage. Women, along with new demographics, coming into shooting sports is a growing opportunity that a lot of brands are just catching onto.
SB: When you get up in the morning, what gets you excited about working in the industry?
EH/PL: It’s the community. The firearm and shooting sports industry has some of the most knowledgeable and passionate people out there. They can spot good content and good products immediately, and they’re not shy about calling out anything that’s low effort or a copycat. So when we read the comments and reviews from people who found Pew Pew Tactical helpful or loved a product from ShellShock, it means something. These aren’t casual opinions. When someone in this community takes the time to say something good, you’ve earned it. That’s what gets us excited every morning. Sure, we get the occasional ultra-critical person, but that’s pretty rare. And it’s awesome to see someone in our community jump to our defense. For the most part, the feedback reminds us why we started in the first place and keeps us pushing to do better.
SB: How will you meet the expectations of your customers?
EH/PL: We read every single review and comment that comes in. If someone has a request or a recommendation, it gets logged and fed directly into our next R&D round. We’re actually developing something right now based on exactly that kind of feedback, and we think it’s going to hit on what more and more people in this space are looking for. We take criticism seriously. Not defensively, but as a real tool for getting better. The people in this industry know what they want and they’ll tell you when you’re not delivering.
SB: In a very competitive world, how does ShellShock Protection stay ahead of the pack?
EH/PL: At the end of the day, we’re not a corporate brand that hired a team to figure out what shooters want. We are the shooters. Between us and our team of writers, editors, and product testers at Pew Pew Tactical, we’ve put in thousands of hours on the range. We’ve tested virtually every gun and piece of gear that hits the market. We know what good feels like, and we know when something is going to let you down. So when we built ShellShock, we built it for ourselves first. We use our own products because we genuinely love them. That’s not something you can fake, and in this industry, people can tell the difference. That’s what keeps us ahead.
SB: What led you to develop your EXO Earmuff line?
EH/PL: It really came from our readers. After years of running Pew Pew Tactical, we kept seeing the same question come up over and over again, what ear protection should I get? You either went with something cheap but passable at the gun range, spent a little more on Amazon, or you spent $300+ on premium gear. There wasn’t much in between. So we took everything we knew from years of being on the range, listened to what our community was asking for, and built the EXO Earmuff line to fill that gap. Quality you can actually trust, at a price that gets you the most bang-for-the-buck value.
SB: How are these earmuffs differ from the competition?
EH/PL: The EXO line, unlike some others, is all-inclusive right out of the box. In many cases, you buy the earmuffs, then you realize you need better ear cushions, so you upgrade those. Then you need a case to carry everything. Then you need separate glasses for indoor and outdoor ranges. It adds up fast, and it’s a hassle. We didn’t want that for our customers. Every earmuff comes standard with PureSeal Gel Cups for a comfortable fit even after hours on the range. They’re compact, and they come with a carrying case so everything stays protected and travels easily. Our bundles take it a step further by including both ear and eye protection together in one case. Some of our glasses feature light-adaptive lenses that turn darker in UV light, so there’s no need to pack two pairs for indoor and outdoor ranges. Everything you need, ready to go. That convenience was something we felt was genuinely missing in the industry, and that’s exactly what we built at ShellShock.
SB: Your replaceable Pure Seal Gel Pads is an intriguing idea. What are the advantages of this feature?
EH/PL: The PureSeal Gel Pads are one of those features that sounds simple but makes a big difference once you’ve used them. Standard foam or plastic ear cushions are rigid and over time they wear down, harden, and lose their seal. The gel is different because it’s flexible and super comfortable. It conforms to the shape of your head and creates a tighter, more consistent seal, which directly improves noise-reduction performance. You’re not just getting more comfort, you’re getting better protection. And when they eventually wear down, you replace the pads, not the whole earmuff. It extends the life of your gear and keeps it performing the way it should for a lot longer.
