Ear muffs or ear plugs?

Both.
So I didn't vote.

I value my hearing alot so i'm going with both, I wish i still had my custom plugs they made for me when i was on the Kitty Hawk. Double hearing protection was a must have anywhere near the flight deck and it was smart to do about your everyday business with at least plugs on.

both - didn't vote

Plugs, but you have to insert them correctly to get the full level of protection. I've dealt with thousands of people in a high noise environment and I've always seen people wearing them incorrectly.

I didn't vote either, as I wear custom fitted plugs under my electronic muffs.

Both. Always both. And if there were a third form of hearing protection (that didn't require a $200 tax stamp and months of waiting), I'd use that too.

Mostly muffs sometimes both.

Is it possible for the shock wave to cause hearing damage even if the direct way is blocked by ear plugs?

I have a hard time getting muffs to seal around shooting glasses because I just can't stand pressure on my temples so I use good quality plugs and am fine with that.

My wife can't stand having things IN her ears so she uses muffs.

As with many others, at the range, both. Sometimes when using a suppressor I just wear plugs.

When hunting, I wear plugs.

I use both. Poll should give that option.

Can't be too careful - hearing loss due to inner ear damage may be permanent.

The bones behind your ears transmit shock waves that can damage your hearing. Whether you wear plugs or not, always wear your muffs.

The electronic muffs that I have owned do not work as well as the cheap muffs. I always wear foam plugs with them. Then I can't hear what the electronic muffs are transmitting. I guess that's kind of like wearing rubber gloves because your fountain pen leaks.

Let's clear up some things by going to the experts:

http://www.entnet.org/healthinfo/hearing/noise_hearing.cfm

http://www.entnet.org/healthinfo/hearing/sound.cfm

"Decibels are measured logarithmically. This means that as decibel intensity increases by units of 10, each increase is 10 times the lower figure. Thus, 20 decibels is 10 times the intensity of 10 decibels, and 30 decibels is 100 times as intense as 10 decibels."

"Properly fitted earplugs or muffs reduce noise 15 to 30 dB. The better earplugs and muffs are approximately equal in sound reductions, although earplugs are better for low frequency noise and earmuffs for high frequency noise.

Simultaneous use of earplugs and muffs usually adds 10 to 15dB more protection than either used alone. Combined use should be considered when noise exceeds 105 dB."

As you can see even 1 decibel extra in NRR is very important, and the extra 10-15 from combining plugs and muffs is a huge gain in protection.

Wear both!

Muffs, because I've never found plugs that work for me - I can never get a good seal.

Plugs outdoors, both at indoor rages.

The urethane throw away kind work well. I can't stand the muffs, they hurt my head.

And the muffs get in the way.

I don't care if I wear both to save another 12-15 Dbs, because lifes to short to worry about that nonsense.

Both.

Maybe those of us who use both didn't here you when you were asking what questions to put. Our apologies.

I wear the custom molded with muffs, combined with the minor hearing loss I already have, I cannot hear much of anything.

Jeez, if I listened to you all, I'd never leave the house!

At the range is fine and dandy, but honestly, does anyone double up while hunting? OK, maybe birds, but not deer or especially 'yotes.

I don't bother for the one shot I take at the later. For squirrel I don't feel the need for any protection (from .22lr)

Flame away, I wear fire retardant underwear

Jeez, if I listened to you all, I'd never leave the house!

At the range is fine and dandy, but honestly, does anyone double up while hunting? OK, maybe birds, but not deer or especially 'yotes.

I don't bother for the one shot I take at the later. For squirrel I don't feel the need for any protection (from .22lr)

Flame away, I wear fire retardant underwear

Click to expand...

I'm with you man. I only wear protection indoors and outdoors shooting my .45


Anything else outdoors doesn't bother me. And I think wearing Muffs or Plugs while hunting is STUPID. You lose your ability of Sound.

When inserting foam plugs roll them up then for your right ear use your left hand to pull your ear outward, this straightens your ear canal and allows the plug to be inserted deeper instead of bunching up. Hold for 10 sec. or so and do the opposite for left ear. This takes a little longer and gives you Dumbo ears for a minute, but gets the maximum seal and that is what is important.
Depending on indoor or outdoor range, and volume level of the firearm I use; Shure E4C sound isolating headphones.
http://www.shentech.com/e4c.html
Then double up with muffs and eye protection.
Nickels.

Both

I like ear plugs. They're small, they don't interfere with anything outside of my normal "headspace" and you can carry them in you pocket. Also, they're perfectly comfortable (to me, at least) if you put them in right, which I think is key.
I've actually often forgot that they were on.
Funny story about ear plugs, actually: the first time I went shotgun shooting (when I was about 10 or so) they gave us a pair of ear plugs each at the range. Interestingly, I had never worn ear plugs before, so I didn't know how to put them on. I shoved the ear plugs as far as I could in my ear (I was kinda afraid of the loud shotgun blast, not that I'd ever really heard one before) and left them in like that. After a day of shooting, I tried to get them out. I couldn't. Eventually, I got smart and took a small fishhook from my fishing kit and got them out that with with nothing but a couple of scratches to show for it. Now, of course, I know how to use earplugs.

Indoor range both
Outdoors pistol plugs only
Outdoors rifle both

ear plugs, more comfortable

Both