I'm good, these will be for the pals I occasionally take to the range, often for the first time. We're talking mostly handguns, 12ga, and 22LR but sometimes ARs. I prefer Brownells, they're an IA company and I can shop in person.

These are 30db:

https://www.brownells.com/shoo...%7c30%2bdB%7c33%2bdB

These are 34db:

https://www.brownells.com/shoo...?avs%7cNRR_1=34%2bdB

For this kind of occasional use, will 30 db work?

All I can say is, protect what you have, before it is gone.... That said, I wear 30 dB plugs and muffs, to save what I have left....

i'd go with the Howard Leight L3 mickey mouse ears, along with Howard Leight foam earplugs to boot.

Until I encountered a few at the range matches that used 38 Super/compensator attached that directed the sonic blast to everyone not actually holding that firearm as it ignited....

I took to using both the foam ear canal style under a decent set of muffs. After a couple episodes of tinnitus that dread malady has been avoided.

Your ears, treat 'em well.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: signewt,

Thanks for the speedy replies. My new buy will be for occasional shooters, I shoot "often" and use both Leight L3s (30db) with triple-flange plugs underneath, these:

https://www.brownells.com/shoo...muffs-prod39416.aspx

and

https://www.brownells.com/shoo...-plugs-prod6048.aspx

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Sigmund,

The problem with ear protection is that they have to be worn properly. If the muff or plug isn't making a perfect seal, you don't get the max rating. Shooting glasses, hat movement, chewing/talking/jaw movement can shift around muffs and plugs.

For that reason, I always double up with plugs AND muffs, for both the combined noise protection and failover protection.

For bars, concerts, and clubs with loud music, I always bring some low profile, tan colored, triple flanged silicon noise filters that are similar to plugs but have a little pass through hole to allow low sound pressure through. Gives like -10 db to low sound and -22db for sound over 80db (or something, don't quite recall.)

Hearing loss is cumulative. Each little bit of damage adds on to the last, gradually changing the way you hear until one day you realize you don't hear the sparkle in the violins anymore or you get frustrated with everyone mumbling all the time.

[quote]Plugs and muffs for me to help preserve what hearing I have left.[/quote

$9.00 muffs, $5.00 worth of foam plugs have done very well for me for over 25 years

Removed. Misread part of the post.

HUH?!

If I recall correctly, every 3db is a doubling of sound. That being said, I’ve doubled up since day two. Day one was a pair of 18 or 20db Peltors that didn’t cut it.

Get as much NRR as you can get, especially if you shoot at indoor ranges. Your ears will thank you, maybe not right now, but in 10, 15 or 20 years, yes.

I too double stuff (foamies and muffs) as much as possible. I also have tinittus and it sucks. The thing with ear pro is its not a linear equation. Someone smarter than me can explain it better, but in laymen terms, if you take 30nrr fomaies with 30nrr muffs, that does not equal 60nrr, not even close. The other consideration is its the concussion that causes ear damage. Muffs do a better job at deflecting it then the fomaies do. Also, even though your muffs may say 30nrr, your skull, mouth, nose....all are allowing that concussion to continue to bypass the muffs which can still over time damage your hearing.

So just about every ear protection thread always has that guy that mentions suppressors....so I'll be him this time. Thats why suppressors are so awesome. They actually reduce the noise rating the full stated amount. Most of them are around 30nrr give or take. So essentially, to me, that means its actually better to shoot suppressed with no ear pro, than it would be to shoot unsurpassed with similarly rated NRR plugs/muffs. Now i'm particularly paranoid about my hearing, and even shooting suppressed, I usually still wear some ear pro. Shooting steel especially, the bullet hitting the steel is louder than the shot.

quote:

Originally posted by Aeteocles:

For bars, concerts, and clubs with loud music, I always bring some low profile, tan colored, triple flanged silicon noise filters that are similar to plugs but have a little pass through hole to allow low sound pressure through. Gives like -10 db to low sound and -22db for sound over 80db (or something, don't quite recall.)

Now that sounds interesting (pun intended). Got a link? Concerts sure have gotten louder, but some theatres have as well.

It can’t hurt to have as much hearing protection as possible—unless it costs too much or it makes the actual shooting difficult because it’s too large or otherwise unsuitable.

That said, the first two questions I always consider when deciding what’s adequate is whether the shooting is indoors or outdoors, and what guns are being fired—and how.

My hearing has suffered severe damage over the decades, and I am currently very sensitive to loud noises. I require muffs under any circumstances except for shooting with a suppressor or a .22 rimfire rifle, and then I use foam plugs. One set of muffs I normally use when firing a rifle and being around other rifle shooters outdoors is the MSA Supreme Pro-X. Despite its NRR of only19 dBA, which is obviously far less than 30 or 34, I have always found it to be adequate for me without doubling up with plugs. In fact, the other muff set I commonly use is the Pro-Ears Gold whose NRR is 26 (IIRC, but possibly 30), and I really cannot tell any sound level difference under most conditions between it and the MSA.

If the shooting won’t involve exceptionally loud guns (short barreled AR pistols, 44 Magnum snubbies, Miculek brakes, etc.), having someone else shooting exceptionally close (e.g., resting their handguards on one’s shoulder), or shooting in small cubicles indoors, I believe that an NRR of 30 would be fully adequate. I can’t support my belief other than personal experience, but if hearing protection can only delay the damage and not prevent it, then we should probably not expose ourselves to loud noises at all. Sooner or later most people who shoot will also be exposed to unprotected gunfire for one or more of several reasons. One high intensity noise experience can be sufficient for detectable hearing loss and tinnitus to develop. As far as I can tell, though, the hearing protection I use at an outdoor range keeps my devastated hearing from becoming worse.

Double or even triple up if you can.

I have high level hearing loss, and I have had it since I was about 23.

I learned I had it when I first went into the Army and it has gotten worse.

I always wear earplugs for everything from cutting grass, weed trimmers to shooting.

For me it sucks because it has severely limited my opportunities with the Army.

I am looking and researching audiologist to get custom fitted ear plugs. I am trying to save what I have left.

Get the maximum protection you can. Myself, I would get 100db if only there was such a thing available.

As one who, in my early 60's, now wears hearing aids - protect your hearing the best you can.

I am already deef.
Go big as you can get!

You can't have too much! I already have a little hearing loss from years of loud machinery, loud music, motorcycles, hunting, shooting, etc. And back in the old days in the Corps, we used those firm yellow foam ear plugs (that didn't seal worth a damn), so I'm sure that didn't help. I doubt that we got more than 5-10dB out of them. So I'm actually thankful that my hearing isn't worse than it is, given all the noise of my youth. I would like to keep what's left for as long as possible, so I almost always double up when shooting.

Just keep in mind that "db" is a logrithimic scale, not linear. The better you an get, the more hearing you will save down the road.

I wear foam plugs and muffs.
I have Tinnitus and hearing loss, The VA gave me hearing aids that I don't like