What do you use for hearing protection?

[tazman]

Much of my hearing is gone due to 40+ years in a loud factory. Even a good set of muffs or plugs would not silence the drop hammers in the next room or the belt grinders right next to me.

For shooting, I use both plugs and muffs. The plugs are rated at 28db and the muffs are rated 27db.
You would think I wouldn't be able to hear much with all that, but it doesn't kill all the blast.

Indoors is the worst. I fired a couple of full magnum loads from my 6" 686 a few days ago and unloaded the rest of the cylinder without firing them.
38 special and 45acp are not bad.
Outdoors, the rifles with the muzzle brakes on the next table are still very loud even with the double protection. I can't imagine trying to shoot near one without the double protection.

What do you use and recommend for hearing protection?

[Outpost75]

I have custom-molded ear plugs from my audiologist and wear amplified muffs over them so that I can hear range commands. I worked in factories too and was also a cannon cocker.

[Conditor22]

https://i.imgur.com/ydHxj78.png

I use Howard Leight by Honeywell Quiet Band Shooting Earplugs (so does Hickok45 :) )

https://www.amazon.com/Honeywell-Shooting-Earplugs-Contains-Replacement/dp/B07FB25RF9/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=Howard+Leight+by+Honeywell+Qui et+Band+Shooting+Earplugs&qid=1569432488&sr=8-5

https://i.imgur.com/kANa1Fl.png

[tazman]

I hope the guy on the right doesn't flinch and pull the trigger when his buddy shoots.

[Thumbcocker]

Sometimes it seems heartless but its just nature's way of thinning the herd.

[CastingFool]

If I am target practicing by myself, I use my peltors, rated at 29dba. At a range, ir hunting, I use my Howard Leight Impact Sport electronic muffs. Rated at 22dba, I think, but they amplify range commands, normal speaking voices and natural sounds. I normally wear hearing aids and my audiologist recommended I wear the electronic muffs, without the hearing aids.

[Froogal]

I use common, ordinary foam ear plugs. Works just fine for me.

[lefty o]

especially around stuff that really barks, plugs alone are not enough. anyone who has ever had more than a rudimentary hearing test knows full well that sound is also transmitted through the skull around the ears, not just what gets in the ears, and plugs dont help you there.

[JBinMN]

I worked on the flight line at MCAS(H) New River, ( Next to Camp Geiger & near Lejuene,NC) as well as flew as a crew chief/aerial gunner on CH46 helos. Plenty of noise for a few years. Mostly used "mickey mouse ears" on the flight line, and a helmet when flying, since those little squishy ones have FOD(Foreign Object Damage ) potential if they come out, so they were frowned upon on the flight line, although some wore them inside the mickey mouse ears.

As a "field expedient" measure, I have even used old cigarette butts on occasion, like when I was on the KD course at Camp LeJuene, NC & forgot to bring my earplugs that day. They worked fine for the day, anyway.

After I got out I was working construction & was around all sorts of equipment that makes noise & most of the time no ear protection, or extremely rarely used them.

Plus, hunting/shooting since I was a lad & did not wear hearing protection.

I have suffer loss from all of that, but not what I call severe. Enough though that I would prolly qualify at the Vets, but I have not requested that. There are more folks who need way more help than I do with their service connected issues than my hearing loss. That is the way I felt for a long time, anyway, although I know others who have got 10% disability for their loss.

Anyway, what I use now when shooting is either those little squishy ones that ya put in your ears, the squishy ones on a head piece, or once again, Mickey mouse ears( Muffs). Mostly the muffs when I remember tto bring them, but I keep the squishy ones in the vehicles in case I forget the muffs. I have not yet felt the need to use the little ones & the muffs together. Prolly would not help me now anyway, I reckon.

Using both is what I would recommend to my grandkids though. That is what I told my sons when they were growing up too.
"Both together for hearing protection is better than just one, so don't do like your Dad/Pappy did & not use them until it was too late.".

" An ounce of prevention is worth the pound of cure.", it is said.
Likely applies quite well to protecting ones hearing, if you aren't stubborn & not use them for a long time like I didn't.

Feel the same way about knee pads, now that my knees are shot. Too late.
Hindsight is 20/20.
;)

[Hossfly]

Sometimes I use both, but mostly carry the electronic ones all time in the truck, so I don’t forget to round them up. Shot a lot 106 MM recoiless rifle in the Army, had ear plugs and self provided Mickey Mouse muffs, was still very loud tho. I like the electronic muffs, you can hear better with them and they seem to shunt out the big noises.

[engineer401]

I use foam ear plugs for outdoor use. I use ear plugs and ear muffs while shooting indoors.

[Reverend Al]

I use a pair of Walker electronic muffs and like them a lot ...

[375supermag]

Electronic Caldwell muffs...
They seem to do the job.

[dbosman]

Inexpensive plugs and muffs together.
I had to get my hearing tested, to please my family. Despite growing up on a farm, trap shooting, and working in a mill, I tested as fine for my age. The apparent cause of my hearing "loss" was due to not paying attention to my wife and kids. :-? I just told them to get my attention before speaking to me. That cured 95% of my hearing loss.

[Minerat]

I have a set if custom fit plugs and wear muffs over them for shooting at range. The plugs when hunting, mowing, cutting wood or power washing. Even wore the plugs to a Fleetwood Mac concert a couple of years ago.

[redriverhunter]

foam ear plugs and ear muff over.

[avogunner]

…..As a "field expedient" measure, I have even used old cigarette butts on occasion, like when I was on the KD course at Camp LeJuene, NC & forgot to bring my earplugs that day. They worked fine for the day, anyway......

Ha, ha, ha.....I did the same thing a few times. I was a smoker for most of my career and the filters from cigarettes did ok (better than nuthin'). Good times!!

[megasupermagnum]

I feel a person has to worry less about the numbers and just be more aware of what is going on around them. Shooting is obviously too loud without hearing protection. I've tried most styles on the market, and the only mainstay is muffs and foam ear plugs. Using both together is fine, just take them off when you aren't shooting. One instance that sticks out is a guy who went down to put up targets, and left his muffs on. Nothing dangerous happened, but he had forgot his targets. Two of us screaming from less than 50 yards away and the guy didn't have a clue. If this had been a dangerous instance, it wouldn't have been good. Plugs and electric muffs is a fantastic way to go. Myself, I normally only use foam plugs alone. I only break out the muffs if there is someone else shooting next to me. I never shoot indoors. Even my ear splitter 327 federal handguns (which really are not that loud), are no problem with foam ear plugs. It brings the sound down to about a loud clap.

Far more important is to realize other dangers. I'm still young, I show near perfect scores, with 0 hearing loss. I'm tested every year at work. Everyone knows the loud machinery is bad. I'd be willing to bet 1/2 of hearing loss is caused elsewhere. Loud radios, power tools, lawn mower. I always catch myself with the angle grinder. It will only take a minute I say. That ringing in my ears is telling me something. A particularly bad example was an Avenged Sevenfold concert. Everything was muffled the next day. Maybe I look like a geek, but you can hear concerts just as well with ear plugs, and it doesn't hurt so bad the next day.

[str8wal]

I have hard ear wax issues so can't use ear plugs. I use muffs and they work well enough.

[alamogunr]

I've never shot very much w/o protection. Years ago I purchased Peltor muffs. They seemed to work OK so I bought 2 additional pair so I would have some for family. A couple of times I needed at least one more pair. The Peltor muffs I bought aren't particularly costly but they seem to do a good job. I don't think that the shooting I do really tests them.

I'm in the market for a pair of electronic muffs. It is very inconvenient and irritating to have to remove muffs in order to hear anything. I had my hearing tested a couple of weeks ago because of echoing in my left ear and what sounded like reverberation from the car or truck engine. The results indicated I had lost some hearing especially at high frequencies. The Dr. and audiologist said that from the test most of my loss was age related. They also recommended I always use protection and endorsed the plan to get electronic muffs.

[winelover]

Peltor tactical 7's ..............also have the inexpensive 6's. Big difference, between the two. Not as good quality, as the 7's. Uses AAA penlights, rather than the 9 volt, the 7's use. One side of the 6's gave up the ghost...........started squelching. Fortunately, each side has it's own on/off switch. Only one main switch for the 7's. The 6's are a less bulky.

Winelover

[Rick Hodges]

I too have permanent damage....factory for 6 years and too much gunfire. Tinnitus in both ears. NOW I use earplugs plus Howard Light amplified muffs. Not perfect (the muffs don't seal around my glasses) but it is the best I can do at this point. I have used a number of different ear plugs under the muffs, they don't seem to make a difference, just find something that is comfortable.

[upr45]

Plugs and muffs for handguns. Both for ported rifles. Plugs go in fast when highly motivated & about to shoot a deer from blind. I don't shotgun hunt so most shooting is anticipated. Just plugs for .22LR.

[Ickisrulz]

I performed noise surveys in the USAF for 20 years ('87 to '08). This entailed direct readings of noise producers and then dosimetry that measures a workers overall daily exposure directly. We then recommended hearing protection for workers exposed to hazardous noise based on published noise reduction ratings. If the protective equipment couldn't reduce at-the-ear exposures enough, time limits were used. The workers then received hearing tests each year to detect any hearing loss (to make sure the controls were effective). These procedures should be identical in private industry, so I hope that those who posted here who have hearing loss as a result of working are being compensated because their workplace screwed up.

That being said, people generally know if noise is too loud or whether or not hearing protection is effective. This is important because what works for one person may not work for another.

Personally, I think E-A-R Classic plugs made by 3M are some of the best protection for the majority of people--as long as they are worn properly. I bought a big box years ago and use a set until they get dirty and then use a new set. They are also cheap enough to give to guests. Every workplace I visited during my time in the USAF handed these out to visitors for their use when going into a high noise area. There are other good ones that are similar in design. I don't like any plugs with strings or bands attached.

For noise muffs, I have a Tasco Golden Eagles that I got a long time ago (20+ years). When I first put these on, I was shocked on how much noise they attenuated. I find them superior to anything else I have tried. These muffs are still made, but I have tried a new set. The problem with muffs is their seal can easily broken if you wear eye protection.

I use either the E-A-R plugs or Golden Eagle muffs when shooting handguns. Sometimes I use both when shooting a 357 mag as they really seem to be the most obnoxious (at least out of what I own).

[MrWolf]

I have custom-molded ear plugs from my audiologist and wear amplified muffs over them so that I can hear range commands. I worked in factories too and was also a cannon cocker.

I also use the custom molded ear plugs. Got them for my son and I. Use them a lot for cutting the lawn, power tools, and even getting MRI's. Only prob is they really cut out sound. I like the idea of using the amplified muffs over them. Lot easier than trying to tilt them slightly out of the ear to hear things.

[mtnman31]

For everyday practice, I use foam plugs and electronic muffs. When hunting, it just depends. I take along some Surefire plugs but may or may not put them in depending on time.

[Texas by God]

I use the foam ones, the orange band ones, and Peltor/ Midway muffs individually- depends on circumstances. Motors, Loud music, and gunfire damaged mine. Some times all at once!
When company comes to shoot I just leave the foam ones in until the guns are put up.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[Petrol & Powder]

Sometimes it seems heartless but its just nature's way of thinning the herd.
In reference to the picture of the idiot using a pistol as an earplug:
Never interfere with Darwin. :smile:

[Petrol & Powder]

Like most that spent time around machinery, gunfire and other sources of noise, I have suffered the consequences.

Fortunately my hearing is still very good overall but the tinnitus can be downright painful when I'm exposed to certain sounds/frequencies.
Better use of protective equipment when I was younger would have prevented the damage I have suffered but there's no going back and fixing that now.

Like others on this thread, when shooting on an indoor range I prefer ear plugs & ear muffs. Same is true when I'm on the line around muzzle brakes, short barreled rifles and magnums.

Muffs are easier to quickly put on and take off so if I'm just going shoot a few rounds, I'll grab a pair of muffs. The major drawback to muffs is they interfere with wearing a broad rimmed hat. I know there are some muffs with behind the neck bands but I've not had good luck with those. Maybe I need to go back and try some newer designs?
The tapered disposable ear plugs (not the super cheap little foam cylinders but the more cone shaped ones) are very effective but not real convenient to insert and remove quickly.

The electronic muffs worn over earplugs are useful when you need maximum protection but still need to hear range commands. I'm not a fan of the electronic muffs when I'm shooting alone outdoors, just a pair of plain old Peltor P7's work fine.

Like most of us, I have accumulated a collection of hearing protectors: Peltor Ultimate 10, Peltor P7, Howard Leight, Caldwell electronic, several different types of disposable plugs, etc.

I think it's far more important to HAVE hearing protection and to USE it than to wring your hands over which type is slightly better.
I have an old pair Howard Leight with the NRR of 30, they are nice but honestly I grab the old blue Peltor muffs (NRR 25) 90% of the time.

[Green Frog]

Like my friend Outpost 75, I favor the custom molded variety of plugs, and when shooting outdoors, especially with long guns, I’m most likely using a set of these alone (I have accumulated 4 sets over the years so I generally have a set close by when needed.) When shooting indoors with handguns and other loud guns nearby I sometimes add a set of old fashioned Wilson or Peltor muffs on top of the plugs. Note that after all these years of loud noises (including teaching high school for 30 years ;) ) I’m now trying to conserve what little hearing I have left. :roll:

Froggie

[dogdoc]

38 spl case in each ear

[Traffer]

Can you speak up, please? I can't hear you. lololololol
But seriously folks: I saw a documentary once a long time ago that addressed an issue of Inuit's in Alaska having a VERY alarming rate of hearing loss. They concluded this:
The very dramatic DIFFERENCE between the extreme quiet of hunting and the VERY loud and abrupt report of a high powered rifle being discharged was causing this hearing loss. It was not so much the level of the sound as the fact that the ambient sound was so low when it happened. Apparently we have a built in mechanism that at least slightly adjusts to loud noises.
Just something to think about.

[BNE]

Fortunately for me I have an Uncle that is hard of hearing. That sound crazy, but I don't want to lose my hearing!

I use good quality foam ear plugs, inserted deep.

I also am fortunate enough to be able to shoot outdoors.

[Conditor22]

you mean you can shoot indoors :bigsmyl2:

[725]

From plugs & muff. Wish I had started as a kid.

[jimb16]

Electronic muffs for rifle and pistol. Baffle type plugs for shotgunning. Foam plugs for .22s. Baffles and standard muffs for wife....*veg*

[Conditor22]

Did a little research Updated 9-28-19

Classifying them by their NRR levels, the headsets would fit in these main categories:
https://www.tacticals.org/best-hearing-protection-for-shooting/
Up to 20 dB – Not suitable for firing any live round weapon, not even handguns. Suitable for most air handguns and air rifles.
20 to 22 dB – Suitable for all air handguns and air rifles. Can handle most live round handguns.
22 – 25 dB – Suitable for all handguns, can handle most low caliber rifles.
25 – 28 dB – Suitable for all handguns, most rifles, and low gauge shotguns.
Over 29 dB – Suitable for all usual weapons, including larger gauge shotguns.

https://i.imgur.com/18MfLPq.png

https://i.imgur.com/BJeDAkT.png

"SITES RATED" = number of sites that rated this product.
I only checked Amazon, maybe cheaper elsewhere
the only product I have tried (and use) Howard Leight by Honeywell Quiet Band Shooting Earplugs, 1-Pair (R-01538)

[tazman]

Interesting data.
I wonder how much real difference there would be with an extra 5-7DB of noise reduction?
With a certain amount of sound coming through the skull rather than the ear canal, I have to wonder where the effectiveness of plugs and muffs starts to fail? Blast as opposed to volume type of sound. Also sound frequencies(high or low pitch).
Perhaps a person should wear a sound proofing helmet of some sort for more effective noise reduction, though that could get inconvenient in many circumstances.
Something to think about.

[Traffer]

Yes interesting chart. I checked the ear muffs I have. They are the Harbor Freight $6.99 units. HF makes $3.99, $6.99 and $12.99 units.
The $3.99 ones do not have a db rating. teh $6.99 ones have a 23 db noise reduction and the $12.99 ones have a 26 db noise reduction. I find that the 23 db ones work well unless I am shooting a monster of a gun, or the the guy next to me is. Then I use the squishy plugs under the muffs and pretty much nothing bothers me.

[Tripplebeards]

I use plain old cheap foam disposable plugs and then I wear walker razor slims over them. I double up since my ears are sensitive. Works great. If do only one or the other it still works but is WAY louder. When I turn the volume up I can still hear everything just fine with foam plugs in my ears. You can find walker razors on sale around $40 on the net if you shop. I have the patriots. I've always doubled up fro the last couple decades no matter what muffs I use along with foam plugs. It helps tremendously. At least with electric muffs I can hear while doing so. Explains why the razors seem loud without adding plugs as they are the lowest on the totem pole chart above.

[W.R.Buchanan]

I am almost completely deaf in my right ear, and it rings continuously I worked Jet Flight Lines in the AF which started it then Steam Generation Plants which moved it along then rolled my Jeep and clocked my head on the right side and then 20 years later with all my shooting the right ear is almost dead. I sleep mostly on my right side so being deaf on the right side works well, and I sleep like a log, so there is an upside to being deaf.

I am about to go to a hearing aide for my right ear, but I will only use one that is rechargeable as I am not about to fiddle with batteries, and I damn sure aren't going to pay $6 grand for hearing aides which probably won't work any better than the ones on TV for $600.

I use some new Electronic Axil Ear Plugs I got at Front Sight last May. I think they are actually made by Walkers. They are hooked together and amplify well, They seem to work well. They are also rechargeable which is the way just about everything electronic is going nowadays.

My right one won't stay in very well, but I really can't tell when it falls out. Here's a link to them.

https://www.opticsplanet.com/axil-ghost-stryke-essential-earphones.html?utm_source=connexity&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=google

Also on side note: Harbor Freight has these really neat 10,000 mAh Power Banks made by an outfit called "Armstrong". It will charge my phone in 2 hours and I have yet to run it dry. It is a great back up and is recharged thru a USB Cord from any source. I also charge my earplugs with it since my car doesn't charge anything that fast. All of this stuff is either using a Mini USB plug or a I Phone Plug. If you have both cords you are good to go. Niteize just came out with a little Portable Lantern that also works as a Power Bank. Gonna get one of those too.

Randy

[Ickisrulz]

Interesting data.
I wonder how much real difference there would be with an extra 5-7DB of noise reduction?
With a certain amount of sound coming through the skull rather than the ear canal, I have to wonder where the effectiveness of plugs and muffs starts to fail? Blast as opposed to volume type of sound. Also sound frequencies(high or low pitch).
Perhaps a person should wear a sound proofing helmet of some sort for more effective noise reduction, though that could get inconvenient in many circumstances.
Something to think about.

An increase of 10 dB makes something sound twice as loud. 5-7 dB is a significant change in sound intensity.

[Norske]

I'm a safety officer at an indoor range. I wear EAR plugs (highest rating except for the ones with a lanyard) with a flame pattern inside Walker electronic muffs. That works for anything except the loud, high-pitched crack of a 25-06. But I don't like being around those even outdoors.

[Patrick L]

Foam earplugs for rifle and shotgun. Especially shotgun I can't use muffs, they interfere with a quick mount.

Handgun I generally use plugs AND muffs, especially center fires. Sometimes with a .22 pistol I might use just plugs, especially on hot humid days, but center fire pistol definitely gets double.

[Bill*B]

I've been shooting for over 60 years, and am into my second set of hearing aids now. In my youth, I just used ear plugs. Then I graduated to some slim line muffs. Now that most of my hearing is gone, I am doing what I should have done all along. I put a set of fitted plugs on first (the advantage with these is, that if you lock them in, they won't fall out) and then cover with the best muffs that I can find. If some soul with a 10" barrel .223 and a 30 round magazine opens up on the bench beside me, I pack up and go home. Friends, take it from me - you can AND WILL lose your hearing in this sport, unless you are very careful. Once it is gone, it won't come back. Take care of your ears.

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

Inexpensive plugs and muffs together.
I had to get my hearing tested, to please my family. Despite growing up on a farm, trap shooting, and working in a mill, I tested as fine for my age. The apparent cause of my hearing "loss" was due to not paying attention to my wife and kids. :-? I just told them to get my attention before speaking to me. That cured 95% of my hearing loss.

It is a survival mechanism. I have 6 kids and if I had to pay attention to everything that was being said just in case someone was saying something to me I would go insane. So I tell them, if you don't say my name before speaking to me I am ignoring you.

[W.R.Buchanan]

It is a survival mechanism. I have 6 kids and if I had to pay attention to everything that was being said just in case someone was saying something to me I would go insane. So I tell them, if you don't say my name before speaking to me I am ignoring you.

I'll try that with my wife, let you know how it goes!

Randy

[samari46]

I try and get the highest DB rating in ear muffs I can find and then I buy at least two sets. When doing brushogging on my tractor I always wear muffs. and just about any gas powered yard tool. chain saw, pole saw, lawn mower, string trimmer and riding power.I lost my hearing through a combination of things, naval gunfire, working in an enging room,generator room and pump room. e4lectric pimp noises, commercial utility generators, and finally gas turbines. Frank

[NBraun]

Plugs for most things, plugs and muffs if it's especially loud.

[MrWolf]

I'll try that with my wife, let you know how it goes!

Randy

Told the girlfriend that I can't hear my Daughter at times depending on how fast she talks, etc.. Said hearing is going in higher register so if I don't hear you, don't get offended [smilie=s:

[tazman]

Told the girlfriend that I can't hear my Daughter at times depending on how fast she talks, etc.. Said hearing is going in higher register so if I don't hear you, don't get offended [smilie=s:

I tried that on the wife. She didn't believe me even though I had the test results.

[Peregrine]

An increase of 10 dB makes something sound twice as loud. 5-7 dB is a significant change in sound intensity.

That is true, with the key there being perceived loudness.
While you may be aware of this, let me clarify some things for people who may not be.

The decibel scale in a logarithmic scale, not a linear one.
bels are the actual unit we use to measure sound intensity, an an increase in one bel means the sound intensity has increased 10 fold. We use tenths of a bel, or decibels (dB) by convention since one bel covers such a wide range of sound intensities it's easier to work with dB. To be clear i'm going to use the word intensity to refer to how much energy the sound wave actually has.

The human ear/brain, since it has to work with such a wide range of sounds from the scurrying of mice to the roar of thunder, does not perceive "loudness" of sound in a way that maps linearly to it's intensity.
Damage to your ears scale with how much energy the soundwaves have, not how much louder we perceive the sound to be.

So when we're dealing with how we perceive loudness it's important to recognize that neither the scale on which we measure it nor how we perceive loudness is linear.

An increase in sound intensity of 10 decibels will make the sound seem twice as loud to us, but it's actually imparting 10 times more energy onto our ears.
An increase in sound intensity of 20 decibels will make the sound seem four times as loud to us, but now you're imparting 100 times more damage onto your ears.




I wonder how much real difference there would be with an extra 5-7DB of noise reduction?



I'll spare you the math.
An increase in 5dB is an increase in sound intensity of 3.16 times.
An increase in 7dB is an increase in sound intensity of 5.01 times.

So, a huge difference in how much energy you're subjecting your ears to, however not nearly as much of a difference in how much louder/quieter you perceive a sound to be.
Something very important to keep in mind.

[lefty o]

main thing to remember here, is that hearing loss/damage is cumulative. even though you dont think you harmed your hearing today, that small loss over time adds up. in short, if you havent already trashed your ears, take care of them. those of us who have suffered hearing loss and tinitus had best take care of what we have left.

[tazman]

That is true, with the key there being perceived loudness.
While you may be aware of this, let me clarify some things for people who may not be.

The decibel scale in a logarithmic scale, not a linear one.
bels are the actual unit we use to measure sound intensity, an an increase in one bel means the sound intensity has increased 10 fold. We use tenths of a bel, or decibels (dB) by convention since one bel covers such a wide range of sound intensities it's easier to work with dB. To be clear i'm going to use the word intensity to refer to how much energy the sound wave actually has.

The human ear/brain, since it has to work with such a wide range of sounds from the scurrying of mice to the roar of thunder, does not perceive "loudness" of sound in a way that maps linearly to it's intensity.
Damage to your ears scale with how much energy the soundwaves have, not how much louder we perceive the sound to be.

So when we're dealing with how we perceive loudness it's important to recognize that neither the scale on which we measure it nor how we perceive loudness is linear.

An increase in sound intensity of 10 decibels will make the sound seem twice as loud to us, but it's actually imparting 10 times more energy onto our ears.
An increase in sound intensity of 20 decibels will make the sound seem four times as loud to us, but now you're imparting 100 times more damage onto your ears.





I'll spare you the math.
An increase in 5dB is an increase in sound intensity of 3.16 times.
An increase in 7dB is an increase in sound intensity of 5.01 times.

So, a huge difference in how much energy you're subjecting your ears to, however not nearly as much of a difference in how much louder/quieter you perceive a sound to be.
Something very important to keep in mind.

Thank you for posting that. That last explains why I didn't notice a lot of difference between ear muffs even though the ratings were different.
I will have to get the highest rated ones I can get my hands on. I want to keep what hearing I have left.

[alamogunr]

I guess if there is one advantage to starting this hobby later in life it is keeping your hearing. It didn't take me long to get muffs when I started shooting center fire handguns. Because I was cheap and wanted to spend on guns, I got some inexpensive Peltor muffs. I don't think that I have been at a disadvantage with regard to damaging my hearing. A few weeks ago I was at the range firing my .45 auto's and while loading a magazine, I neglected to put my muffs back on. It only took one shot to remind me. Even these inexpensive Peltor's do a very good job of protection.

If I shot high intensity rifles or max loads in magnum handguns, I would be looking for other protection.

[Three44s]

Walker’s passive folding muffs. Non electronic and a NRR of 30.

I shoot on our ranch so no public range shooting experiences. I have a couple of electronics. My best one is by Howard Leigh. The NRR is not as high so if I do not need the electronics I go with the Walker and more protection.

Three44s

[Divil]

Plugs and Muffs for the past 15 years. Before that only plugs. Those 8 years of just plugs may not have attenuated enough decibels. Hard to say if I did any damage. I had bad ear infections as a little kid and my ears have always had some tinnitus so that was not a good barometer for me. After doubling up on the ear protection, my hearing has not seemed to get any worse and at age 45 I know some age contemporaries that have much more in the way of hearing loss than I.

[Walks]

I wear custom molded earplugs and The best "muffs" I can find. I had an eardrum punctured when I was a kid and used nothing but cotton or cigarette filters until I started competing in ATA Jr. TRAP at 12yrs. Then those sonic ear valves. Didn't get into worthwhile hearing protection until I got out of the service.

Now I'm down 50% in the right ear, 20% in the left.

[dogdoc]

I think a lot of hearing loss is natural as we age. I know people who never shot guns or went to loud concerts and did not have loud jobs who can’t hear well at all in their older years. People always try to blame it on this or that but it really is those pesky birthdays.



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[C-dubb]

While in the Army Guard we would use 45 ACP rounds, bullet end stuck in our ears. Actually worked pretty good.

[Anschutz]

Most of the time I use the Howard-Leight powered muffs but keep foamies in the Jeep in case I forget them. I have also used noise-canceling earbuds in a pinch. Luckily, I never used those 3M ones that failed. I've lost some hearing since my initial hearing test for the Army but not enough to worry about. Never used anything for hunting until recently. I figured squirrel hunting with a shotgun would be a great time to use them. Shot most with them on but a few snapshots with them off. Hopefully, deer will give me more time to get ready.

[smithnframe]

Huh.......???

[threedflyer]

Depends what and where I am shooting.
Electronic muffs are excellent for most conditions but custom molded in ear are nice as well for shotgun, and smaller calibers.

[FerricOxide]

3M peltor optine 30DB muffs. Wear them 8hr a day at work so I have a few pairs to use when shooting.

[rfd]

my hearing protection devices are dependent on expected noise levels. flents foam plugs for most black powder muzzleloaders is more than enuf. the foam plugs or the quiet band for most BPCR guns. slim jim muffs for hi-power long distance range. the foam plugs and large muffs for the indoor police range where it can get Extremely Loud due to some folks love of magnumitis cannons, or cops with riot shotguns and full auto ar15's.