Just my opinion but: Plugs and muffs together are a PITA.

The expanding foam plugs are good and they're the standard for a visitor in an industrial environment but the people that work in those environments permanently usually wear muffs only.

BTW: Some time back in the late 80s there was some discussion about the effectiveness of hearing protection on a range. The outcome was that muffs were generally better than ear plugs but even if you use both you would still suffer hearing loss with long term exposure. I know some people may disagree with that statement but a range is a hazardous environment unlike anything in nature.

So wear your muffs and make sure you're only on the firing line when you're actually shooting.
When you're not shooting you should be back on the rest area away from the firing line with your muffs on.
Even 20 yards makes a big difference!

Good advice.

I wear my thirty dollar (they better be good!!!) plugs all the time at the range so the background shooting isn't so loud (diffused) then my new earmuffs over the top when I'm shooting or being range officer.

I REALLY notice it if I haven't got the high end plugs in with the ear muffs. Especially if people are shooting that God awful 9mm stuff (LOL)

Over kill...

What?

i've always had peltor electronics , no complaints.
if you still have to much noise with those mufs.. you probably have to look into custom made plugs.
standard plugs with muffs doesn't work well imho

At the range I double up (plugs & muffs) too. I notice a difference vs. one or the other, might be that they each dampen a slightly different frequency range? I dunno, I just know I notice a difference.

IMHO, fit is really important. I found a set of muffs that I really like that fit over my ears really well (full coverage, no gaps, really comfy/no pressure points) but the support band is too big -- weight rests solely on my ears rather than being supported by the over-the-crown headband. I bought one of these padded headset covers (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01BODQ4A6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1) -- perfect! HTH

On a kind of related note, I've noticed a significant increase in noise at my club range in the last decade. Not on the pistol range, and not on the shotgun ranges, but solely on the rifle ranges. The obvious culprit is the muzzle brake.

I'm old enough to remember when it was pretty darn rare to see anything with a muzzle brake on it. The first that I remember seeing on a regular basis were those damn Browning "BOSS" systems. Then there was the explosion of interest in military style firearms, with the AR15 leading the way. What with their typically shorter barrels and with the addition of a muzzle brake / flash hider, my God do those things bark, all out of proportion to their actual ballistic performance.

I wish there were an alternative for those rifles. Some kind of a solid replacement for the brake. I mean, c'mon - no one can tell me a .223, or even any .308 for that matter, "needs" a muzzle brake.

I agree for the most part especially on rifles. I once fired a 9mm pistol with a brake and while it did help me reaquire a bit more quickly I didn't think it was all that.

Try these, folks: https://www.howardleightshootingsports.com/

My Son was a range instructor at VMI with hundreds of hours of instruction.

They are great for range and hunting.

A lot has changed, Folks. I never wore ear plugs while flying because I hated how they felt. I wish my helmet had Mr. Leights touch.

Spend the money...I did and you can hear before and after the rounds...situational awareness is key on a good range day, which I always master. These have made it easier. We shoot a lot here and I have ear and eye pro for everyone.

Just do it: https://www.howardleightshootingsports.com/collections/hearing-protection/products/impact-sport-sound-amplification-electronic-earmuff-black

+1. Double up. I have custom molded in-ear plugs (which actually only cost 60$), and the type that completely cover the whole ear. Which is what my audiologist recommended. I even use them working on the diesels too.
Hearing loss can take years if not decades to degrade from the exposure, and I don't want hearing aides.


That said I don't do the gun ranges. Those loud short barrel/large calibers aren't worth it. I'll go out the rolling hills a few miles from the private land, and set up paper if I need to sight anything in.

Now that I think about this more... The Peltors I use "leak" because of the glasses. That or I have an oddly shaped head behind the ears that the foam just can't push to form a tight seal.

Unfortunately, the county-run range and the local indoor range are both closed due to Covid so I can't go out and test my theory.

I highly recommend any of the Peltor line that accepts aftermarket gel ear pads.

The extra $50 makes all the difference. Most earpro physically hurts my ears after a few hours.

I shoot a lot and run a pair of Peltor 300's with added gel pads and a rechargeable battery pack.

This setup will set you back a couple hundy, but worth it in my opinion. I have a box full of earpro that i cannot stand to wear for very long.

The HL's are typically a decent/go-to "better than nothing" low-budget option, but would probably be my last choice over the competitors. The Peltors I mentioned previously are almost direct price-point competitors and are much better, IMO.

If you want to up the ante, you can start to look at the higher-end Peltors, MSA/Sordins, and maybe Pro-Ears (and likely in that order). YMMV... :)

+1

This is probably the single best "upgrade" to any over-the-ear ear-pro, IMO. Either replace the foam pads with gel pads, or step up to the models that come with gel pads as standard.
Yep, it's definitely an issue with any/all ear-pro that uses cheaper foam pads.
As above, an upgrade to gel pads is the way to go if you can swing it.

:)

Here's a good example.

Note the use of hearing protection (muffs and plugs) and when it was used.
In a noisy environment like this they should have had their muffs on 100% of the time IMO.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2W-eSxR5gIc" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

I am going to. You guys changed my mind!

I wear Howard Leights on my tractor. Mine have an audio input so I can hook my phone up to it and be able to know when I get a phone call. It can take up to 20 hours to disc the property each time, probably 4-5 times per year. It's sort of therapeutic for me. Best dang ear muffs IMO.

I use 3M Headphones with FM/digital input on the tractor. Amazing what a difference it makes.

I am going to try the Peltor brand for shooting. The HL's have been great but we need another set with everybody home!

I'll write up a comparison post!

Very much looking forward to your review.

I used to use 3Ms (on the right) but they don't really dampen noise as well. I need the audio jack for answering the telephone, so naturally I stream music and smoke my cigars out there....

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1587276607.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1587276703.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1587276732.jpg

^^^That is quite a piece of gear! I love the truck...if we stay here that is on my used buy list.

My stuff is smaller and quieter (exhaust out the front, low, and not nearly as powerful (they are all also hydro-static) as your rig so the 3Ms work well.

That and 25 years ago when I bought my first pair they were the only game in town in any way resembling affordable. They may not have been the exact 3M model, but they were close and changed my tractor/mower driving life:)

I also like listening to the radio. Weird.

I ordered the Peltor so we'll see in a few weeks.