Earmuffs and Ear Plugs worn together

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I almost always use plugs and muffs together, unless shooting rimfire. Aside from the noise reduction from your own gun, having a braked rifle or a .357 shooting next to you at the range is also more pleasant when doubled up.
 
How it works and probably covered earlier is occluding the auditory canal completely only cuts some of the sound. Noise vibration still conducts to the little hairs of the inner ear though the face, teeth and particularly around the ear or the mastoid process and yes you can lose hearing over time from this, though obviously not as badly as no earplugs as all.

Over the ear muffs add some extra reduction of noise to the auditory canal and if they are tight enough the clamping force also protects the bones around the ear. If you have ever had a bone conduction hearing test you will know how easy it is to 'hear' through this bone. They place the speaker piece against the bone behind your ear and you hear the tones just like an normal audiogram.

Also worth noting that hearing protection ratings for earplugs etc are for constant noise, like industrial machines. For gun noise, aka sudden impulse noise, experts cant agree whether we can even measure it accurately yet, the DB ratings of guns are only guidelines. Also how well hearing protection defends against it.

The realities are we still dont have a way to completely mitigate high powered gun noise. I enjoy shooting anything I want but my personal philsophy is double protection where practical, no interest in muzzle brakes or this fashion for short barrel rifles. I also limit my time at gun ranges just as you can be exposed to more gunshots in a single day at a range than a lifetime of hunting shots in the field.
 
Plugs and muffs here too, except when shooting .22 rifle. Then it's plugs only. I like the extra protection because I have some tinnitus, not so much from shooting as from playing in loud rock 'n' roll bands when I was younger. (And BTW, don't blame the guitar player -- some of the most damaging sound comes from the drummer's cymbals.) Also, the plugs can protect you from an "oopsie" -- more than once I've had my muffs off when the range was supposedly cold, only to have some &%*# right next to me let off some shots with something loud and nasty.

I usually use electronic muffs. You get the extra protection and can still hear range commands, conversation, etc. Sometimes I will wear passive muffs -- I have a very slimline pair that are useful for shooting long guns. They're slimmer than any electronic muffs.
 
toivo said:
Plugs and muffs here too, except when shooting .22 rifle. Then it's plugs only. I like the extra protection because I have some tinnitus, not so much from shooting as from playing in loud rock 'n' roll bands when I was younger. (And BTW, don't blame the guitar player -- some of the most damaging sound comes from the drummer's cymbals.) Also, the plugs can protect you from an "oopsie" -- more than once I've had my muffs off when the range was supposedly cold, only to have some &%*# right next to me let off some shots with something loud and nasty.

I usually use electronic muffs. You get the extra protection and can still hear range commands, conversation, etc. Sometimes I will wear passive muffs -- I have a very slimline pair that are useful for shooting long guns. They're slimmer than any electronic muffs.
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Happened to me just yesterday. When I got to the range I was the only one there. Just shooting my new Ruger Wrangler .22 lr but to be safe I had both muffs and plugs. Sure enough 5 minutes in the moron at the front desk puts a guy with a Bushmaster .450 right next to me! From reading this thread I will always double up because you never know what's going to happen.
 
I normally use amplified muffs so that I can hear range commands and talk to my friends but when the bullets fire the noise is muffled. This works well except for when one guy shows up with his .38 Super that is so load I have to use plugs and muffs.
 
I wipe mine off with a alcohol wipe. Haven’t had a ear infection yet. Or just toss them.
 
Brubz said:
There's been a lot of talk on the forum about ear protection. it seems that a lot of guys wear earplugs and ear muffs over top of them how many of you do that? is it just extra caution or overkill?
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I do it only at indoor ranges. The sound resonance with some calibers and firearms is really exacerbated. When I go shooting outside, ear plugs seem to suffice. If I had a muzzle brake, I would more than likely double up, especially when outside.
 
The sound level increase to others on the line using a muzzle-brake surprised me. I shot a ,22 match (fun match, no prizes) next to a fellow through 50 rounds using muffs, no problem. During one 10 round set, I forgot to put my muffs on. Didn't really notice until I was done with the set. After the regular match, they have a specialty match that does have a prize. Since I wasn't shooting that match, I started putting stuff away. The fellow next to me switches from a tricked out 10/22, to an Anschutz bolt action with a muzzle-brake (prize, you know). They started the second match while I was still next to this guy without my muffs on. First shot I knew right away I should have left my muffs on until I got to the car. Big difference even with a .22.
 
Double_J said:
I use both when shooting at indoor ranges due to pretty bad hearing loss in both ears. I use electronic muffs when shooting pistols and ramirez rifles. I LOVE good plugs when shooting rifles, and I have a pair of muffs that aren't that bad when shooting rifles, but they get hot after about 30 minutes.
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I am sorry, but I have never heard of "Ramirez" rifles. Is that a particular brand name?
 
Disposable or reusable ear plugs, and earmuffs on top. If shooting pistol, I get away with using electronic muffs, but if shooting rifle, I use a regular pair of earmuffs, because they are thinner than most, and they do not interfere with my shooting.
 
Thanks to the advice of all you guys I'm going to wear plugs and muffs both whenever I go to the indoor range from now on. I learn so much from being on this forum thanks to you all!
 
Years ago here was a young couple at the bench next to me at a covered range shootinhg a Ruger .22 with no hearing protection.

I offered them foam plugs which they turned down; dumb.

I set up with my 03-A3. Again, told them they might want them when I started shooting; no thanks, really dumb as they could see my rifle.

They lasted one relay, packed up and left. Hated to see it, but they finally got smart. I used plugs and muffs.
 
I wear both when shooting pistols. Have found it almost impossible to wear muffs when shooting skeet or sporting clays, can't get a good cheek weld. Same with most rifles.
 
Brubz said:
There's been a lot of talk on the forum about ear protection. it seems that a lot of guys wear earplugs and ear muffs over top of them how many of you do that? is it just extra caution or overkill?
Click to expand...

I use Maxx 34 nrr plugs with electronic muffs over. It gives me great hearing protection with my 460/500 etc loud guns...... but also the muffs allow me to turn up the voices of people talking so I don't have to remove the plugs to talk

I'm also hearing tested at work and sit through classes every year on the subject. My hearing sucked 20 years ago from chainsaws, open headers, race atv and bikes, and shooting..... but hasn't gone down hill in 20 years. I have worn plugs for all those activities since
 
trackskippy said:
Something else I dont get is, wearing the noise-canceling muffs over plugs. I cant really hear people talk with just the plugs in (lip reading has its perks :p), what good is the noise-canceling feature if youre wearing plugs with them? Might as well get the best-rated non-canceling muffs if youre going to wear them..
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I have "custom" ear plugs made by my sister-in-law the audiologist. I wear them under "best rated" electronic muffs and have no problems hearing range commands or conversations with students I'm coaching on the firing line with others shooting in the adjacent lanes.

I have significant hearing loss. Didn't know about ear protection in the 1950s and 60s when I was shooting .357 and .30-06. Chainsaws and motorcycles also took a toll. I need to protect what's left. Always plugs and muffs for me.
 
trekker73 said:
How it works and probably covered earlier is occluding the auditory canal completely only cuts some of the sound. Noise vibration still conducts to the little hairs of the inner ear though the face, teeth and particularly around the ear or the mastoid process and yes you can lose hearing over time from this, though obviously not as badly as no earplugs as all.
Click to expand...

This is important to understand, and is why a good suppressor + foamies is superior to premium plugs + muffs.

A short barreled 5.56 with a birdcage flash hider will hammer you with about 170 decibels, well beyond the threshold of instant hearing damage. Top shelf earplugs are good for around 25 dB attenuation, plus another 25-30 with good muffs. But that doesn't prevent the conduction mentioned. A good suppressor will reduce the impulse noise of that same gun by about 30 decibels, so if you add foam plugs that are only good for maybe 18-20 dB attenuation, you're down to ~120 at the ears, but more importantly, the conduction through bone & tissue is only from a sound at the level of an unsuppressed 16" or 18" .22 LR rifle.
 
MachIVshooter said:
This is important to understand, and is why a good suppressor + foamies is superior to premium plugs + muffs.

A short barreled 5.56 with a birdcage flash hider will hammer you with about 170 decibels, well beyond the threshold of instant hearing damage. Top shelf earplugs are good for around 25 dB attenuation, plus another 25-30 with good muffs. But that doesn't prevent the conduction mentioned. A good suppressor will reduce the impulse noise of that same gun by about 30 decibels, so if you add foam plugs that are only good for maybe 18-20 dB attenuation, you're down to ~120 at the ears, but more importantly, the conduction through bone & tissue is only from a sound at the level of an unsuppressed 16" or 18" .22 LR rifle.
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Worth noting you cant add the value of plugs and muffs either. 25 for plugs + 30 for Muffs gives you only any extra 5-8 DB protection over the top rating of the two, aka about 35 Db reduction total. This is due to the bone conduction issue.

I have to say it really boggles my mind this fashion of short barrelled guns these says and I also cant recall when it all started. In the day, guns were preferably 22-24", 24" was a standard.

Carbines existed and so did trapper rifles but its worth noting even takedown rifles, pump actions, gallery guns, rimfires had a 24" barrel option. Fact is we got in and out of vehicles, on and off horses and pulled 20"+ barrels from behind truck seats and boats no problem.

Now if its not 16-18" barrel its ungainly, or so the gun rags tell us
 
Brubz said:
There's been a lot of talk on the forum about ear protection. it seems that a lot of guys wear earplugs and ear muffs over top of them how many of you do that? is it just extra caution or overkill?
Click to expand...
If you look at some of the ear muff ratings, they are 'if you wear plugs too.' Many basic ear muffs don't reduce the sound sufficiently, especially if people are shooting higher pressure/louder guns nearby such as ARs and so on.

It absolutely does reduce the decibels further. I combine the two 90% of the time.
 
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