Hearing Protection

[BKA]

belt and suspenders here.

Not really. Doubling up with plugs and muffs assures your hearing always has some protection.
When wearing muffs, often times the ear pad seal is not fully engaged. There may be gaps in the protection due to things like safety glasses, long hair, cheek weld on stock, etc. Wearing plugs protects your hearing when these things occur. IMHO, my hearing will be better off in the long run if I double up protection.

 

[LuvDog]

My first set were the Pro Ears Gold. They have the best combination of hearing protection and voice pass through.

Then I tried the Howard Leights because of how compact they fold. They had good build quality, but the noise cancelation and voice pass through weren't nearly as good as the Pro Ears.

I then bought the MSA Sordins with gel cups. Great build quality and comfort and good noise cancelation and voice passthrough. They do have more hiss than the Pro Ears, but the build quality is much better.

When I'm at the range and its empty, I just use the muffs, but if I'm shooting with a bunch of others - especially if it's a bunch of braked rifles or USPSA Open guns, then I double up with plugs and muffs.

 

[ShtrRdy]

I use the Howard Leight and they've worked great. Look for the largest noise reduction number you can get. I use to use the thin, fold up, type but I dont think they offer enough protection if you shoot a lot.

Howard Leight Impact Pro Electronic Ear Muffs Black

The Howard Leight by Honeywell Impact Pro Sound Amplification electronic shooting earmuff offers a high 30dB Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) –...

ads.midwayusa.com

 

[pilediver]

I use the Howard Leight and they've worked great. Look for the largest noise reduction number you can get. I use to use the thin, fold up, type but I dont think they offer enough protection if you shoot a lot.

Howard Leight Impact Pro Electronic Ear Muffs Black

The Howard Leight by Honeywell Impact Pro Sound Amplification electronic shooting earmuff offers a high 30dB Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) –...

ads.midwayusa.com

These are an excellent choice. The auto shutoff comes in handy and the battery life is great.
I would recommend the gel ear cups that they have on Amazon, they're a nice step up in comfort

 

[Shooter13]

OTTO, yes, they are expensive but when at the range with just a couple of shooters that is all I need, at a match I add over the ear muffs. Yes, they are that good and I don't regret the purchase at all.

https://www.amazon.com/OTTO-NoizeBa...c-Earplugs/dp/B07SSDDND1/?tag=accuratescom-20

Look around and you can find them a little less expensive but they GREAAAAAT! (like Kellogg frosted flakes!)

 

[rlporter507]

walker extreme, but when you fold them up all the time it chaffs the wires and they quit working. they have a year warranty, sent them back and got a new pair, i just dont fold them up anymore.

 

[TAJ45]

You asked about db ratings. I struck up an online chat with a lady ear Dr years back. The bottom line was ANYthing less than 26 was NOT good.
I too double up w plugs and 30s, especially if indoors competing BE. The RF stage of 45 can be a bit intense w the usual concrete floors and block walls.

 

[DirtySteve]

Shot 5 rounds out of a 308 yesterday without out ear pro. It did not bother me. Of course that could be due to my hearing loss. I had a set of Walkers. Cheap thing quit working after 25-30 years. I use Howard Leights now. I liked them both.

 

[cavedweller60]

Guess I’m either anti-social, cheap, or both. I don’t want to engage in conversations when I’m behind the trigger… so I double up by using plugs and muffs! When I did use electronic muffs, they were turned off when shooting. I don’t spend money on them since my last set failed…

I only wear electronic hearing protection so I can hear range commands during matches.

When I'm shooting rifles, I crank up the sound amplificatiin and wear plugs as well. That way I have the protection of doubling up but, I can usually still hear the commands.

 

[qec]

I use Walkers and plugs underneath. I crank up the volume on the Walkers so I can still hear conversations despite having the plugs in (mostly for shotgun sports). If I'm shooting in VERY load situations then I use my 29DB regular muffs plus foam plugs. Big and bulky but that does not matter when shooting a handgun

 

[cavedweller60]

When I was YAD, a nickname given to me by my much older shooting companions and which stands, for young and dumb, I was less than conscientious about wearing ear pro.

Now, 50 years later I am paying the price. Sadly, the sound of the gunshots don't bother me anymore but, the sound of the stapler feels like someone driving an icepick through my eardrum. The hearing ability in the gunshots frequencies is gone.

Now, if I am shooting anything other than 22lr, I am almost always double wrapped. For 22s, I used electronic ear plugs and, for everything else, plugs and electronic muffs.

 

[Rick300]

I am very happy with these. I bought the gel pads so can't speak to the ones that come with them.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06W56YRWJ?tag=accuratescom-20

 

[divingin]

For anyone still using passive muffs (or electronics with enough amplification, I suppose), you can increase the attenuation by buying a bag of cotton balls and stuffing each ear cup with half the bag. Arrange the cotton so it doesn't crush your ears, making sure to fill all the unnecessary air space (work it up into the outer rim as much as possible.) You'd be surprised at how much it increases effectiveness. Gel pads mold to the contact area better so generally are more effective, but I suspect they're also more fragile than standard (they are a lot more comfortable though, and that alone may be worth the price.)

 

[Gil P.]

I'm looking to get a couple electronic earmuffs and want to know what to look for as in quality, decibel ratings and stuff like that. Not looking for Bluetooth, just simple basic folding electronic ear protection. 100% clueless on this topic!

I use peltor comtac V muffs. They are good for pistols, but you need to double up when shooting braked rifles.

 

[Gil P.]

Guess I’m either anti-social, cheap, or both. I don’t want to engage in conversations when I’m behind the trigger… so I double up by using plugs and muffs! When I did use electronic muffs, they were turned off when shooting. I don’t spend money on them since my last set failed…

I shoot with passive muffs 90% of the time. Cheap, reliable and they'll save my hearing better than any electronic muff can.

 

[TAJ45]

I shoot with passive muffs 90% of the time. Cheap, reliable and they'll save my hearing better than any electronic muff can.

Just curious....what nrr rating do your passives have?

 

[Doug Casner]

Another vote for Walker . I guess Im dumb but why do you have to wear plugs under them if they cut the noise off completely ? I dont shoot at a range that might be it. Doug

 

[cavedweller60]

Another vote for Walker . I guess Im dumb but why do you have to wear plugs under them if they cut the noise off completely ? I dont shoot at a range that might be it. Doug

They don't shut off they noise completely....they attenuate the sound impulse. They also can only reduce that a moderate amount. A 26-29NRR is NOT stopping all sound. Foam plugs do a great job of attenuation but, you can't hear commands though them very well. Foam plugs also don't protect the internal structures from damage due to the concussive affects of the shot being transmitted through the bones around your ear (think of military special operators wearing bone mics...they can hear the sound being transferred though that bone.). Using electronic muffs turned way up along with plugs gives you extra attenuation AND protects you from sound wave transfer through the bones around your ear. The benefit of doing that way is, I can hear range commands during matches.

 

[Kittitas George]

I tried a pair of Walker's "ear buds". The foam plug inserted into the ear was to silence the kaboom and amplify voices. The ear bud foam would not stay in my ear, it just kept backing out. I am familiar with wearing foam ear plugs, I worked heavy construction. I know to 'roll' and compress the foam. The problem was just to much foam. I contacted Walker and the response was a zero, very. very poor. They will never get a recommendation or another purchase from me.

 

[RabbitSlayer]

Walkers had a big clearance sale a few years back. I got the bluetooth for the price of the regular ones. The Bluetooth is terrible it doesn't work more than 2 feet away from the phone.

They work fine otherwise though. I find the wind is crazy annoying with electronic muffs. To offset the wind I use foam plugs too. I also use foam under for the bigger guns with brakes. I can still hear people talk and music playing on my phone just fine. Simply turn the volume up a little.