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Shooting ear muffs, anyone have a set they really like

Another vote for the Surefire plugs. They're cheap and comfortable for all day use. I use them under a set of Peltor 6's for static-type ranges for pistol and rifle. If it goes dynamic or I'm shooting rifle prone, I ditch the muffs and just run the surefires.
 
I use simple foam earplugs, the ones that are hot pink and floresecent yellow...

Seriously though, I have tried numerous muff styles, and find the same issues with the temple of glasses digging into my skill someone else raised above, even if I'm lucky enough to find ones that don't break the seal when I'm cheek-to-stock on a bolt-action or shotgun. I also have an issue with the plastic flange plugs creating too tight of seal, so much that they create painful positive and negative air pressure in my ear when inserted and removed, respectively.

Plus, my school's library hands them out for free, so I usually grab a pari everytime I go in, whether I need them that day or not. For the tuition I pay...
 
I ordered the Howard Leight electronic muffs. Hope they amplify well. BTW, they're 43 bucks with free shipping at Amazon right now. Great price.
 
I ordered my Howard Leight electronic muffs from Amazon yesterday and I had them this morning. I should be able to try them this week and report back towards the end of the week.
 
MAShooter said:
I use ear plugs called 'Earpro Sonic Defenders' by Surefire. They are soft, very comfortable and seal really well in my ears. I've had custom molded plugs that don't come close to these. They retail at Brownells for about $14.

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=23976/Product/EARPRO_SONIC_DEFENDERS

I like earplugs because:
- ear muffs push in on the glasses on the temple and over time cause me headaches
- ear muffs, on a warm day, get really hot
- when I mount a rifle or shotgun, the butt stock and ear muffs interfere with each other

The custom molded plugs I have, when mounting a shotgun, the seal in my ear breaks. These EarPro ones are soft and flexible enough that the seal doesn't break.

I like these plugs so much I have a few sets of them, one for my range bag, one for the car, one for the motorcycle and an extra set incase I loose one.
Click to expand...

They are an great plug. I have used them since they first came out. Can't beat the price I get them for (free) Be careful if ordering. They come in sizes with the Medium being the most popular.
 
I've never been good with plugs. they're uncomfortable to me, and I don't really feel like they're protecting my ears all that much. Compared to muffs, my ears are ringing after a short time with just plugs. A lot of people seem to double up muffs with plugs. Never tried it myself (since I find them uncomfortable) but it sounds like a good way to go.

I currently own and enjoy two sets of muffs. For non-electronic I have a cheap-o set of Peltor Shotgunners which are super low profile and don't give me any clearance problems with rifle stocks that I get with the more standard sized muffs.
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=436796

For electronics, I've got another pair of Peltors. 'Tactical 6s' They work well enough. Sound quality seems to be getting worse and worse, but I've been using them for maybe 3 years now. They eat batteries, and it is very difficult to change the batteries. They're basically the shotgunners but with a semi-crappy electronic set-up so off the bat, even if the electronics don't work well, they're still pretty good muffs. I think they're worth it since they're so cheap comparatively, but for my next set of electronic muffs I might think about putting some more money into it.
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=103666

Either way, I love the low-profile Peltors. They're great muffs. I've heard some people complain that they're too thin and don't muffle sound enough, but maybe if you find that's the case you could double up with plugs and be good. IMO, you can't beat the low-profile for rifle/shotgun shooting.
 
The Sensgard 31's in another thread seem very interesting as well. They get good reviews but some people in the reviews i read did say they had trouble hearing people talking though.
 
I've used these MSA/Sordin earmuffs for several years now. They are perfect for outdoor shooting, amplify sound very well, and have a thin profile. Indoors, with many shooters, I have doubled up with foam plugs and these have enough volume to push conversation through the plugs.
 
just picked up the surefires heading to the range soon, to try them. Gave them a go at a loud rock metal show this weekend and they were amazing.
 
The first thing you should check on any set of muffs is the NRR, you want as close to 30 or above as possible. Muffs in the low 20s do not offer the protection you need. I have used muffs like these in the past and have had headaches and ringing in my ears as a result. My favorite muffs are "Dave Clarks" with a NRR of 28. They are big and sort of clunky, but they do offer the protection you need. My set is over 20 years old and the folks at Dave Clark's just keep sending me the parts I need to keep them going, free. Great customer service and great warrantee.

Low NRR muffs simply do not work. Ear plugs alone are not sufficient protection as harmful sound can be transmitted through the bones of the skull in the area around the ear. You need a quality set of muffs with a high NRR; in the electronic category "Pro Ears" are the only ones I have found with a sufficiently high NRR. Inexpensive muffs with a low NRR are false economy; you will pay in the end, just like me. I have tinitis, a constant ringing in the ears that has no cure.
 
Gammon said:
The first thing you should check on any set of muffs is the NRR, you want as close to 30 or above as possible. Muffs in the low 20s do not offer the protection you need. I have used muffs like these in the past and have had headaches and ringing in my ears as a result. My favorite muffs are "Dave Clarks" with a NRR of 28. They are big and sort of clunky, but they do offer the protection you need. My set is over 20 years old and the folks at Dave Clark's just keep sending me the parts I need to keep them going, free. Great customer service and great warrantee.

Low NRR muffs simply do not work. Ear plugs alone are not sufficient protection as harmful sound can be transmitted through the bones of the skull in the area around the ear. You need a quality set of muffs with a high NRR; in the electronic category "Pro Ears" are the only ones I have found with a sufficiently high NRR. Inexpensive muffs with a low NRR are false economy; you will pay in the end, just like me. I have tinitis, a constant ringing in the ears that has no cure.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the input. I haven't tried the HL's yet but they are rated 22 which is on the low end. Too bad there is no real easy way whether those numbers are really correct.
 
The Howard Leight electronic muffs came today. They work very well and as advertised. Since I'm hard of hearing I needed muffs that "amplify" and these are outstanding in that repect.
 
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I have a set of the custom molded plugs that they pour into your ears and let harden and they work great. If I am indoors, and there are a lot of shooters, I will throw a pair of peltors over them. Works great.

I always make my Son use plugs and muffs. Better safe than sorry and hearing loss can be permanent
 
dhuze said:
I heard very good things about Howard Leight electronic earmuffs So I bough a couple pair. I haven't tried them yet so I cannot say. I did have a pair of Peltor electronic muffs I liked, but they stopped working. I still use them for ear muffs though.
Click to expand...


I have the Howard Leight electronics. They are spectacular. Don't even consider anything else, just get them. They are slim and work o so well. Best $70 I ever spent.

I also picked up a nice set of Howard Leight non electronics for $10 when I got the first pair from opticsplanet.com. I use these for bringing guests to the range and they seem to like them. Kinda bulky, but they do the job.
 
Elmer, I wasn't trying to one-up you. I aplologize if you took it that way. Just trying to get the word out on the good deal.
 
I've tried multiple ear muff types, but hate all of them because after about 30 mins they become very uncomfortable. I switched to the orange plugs and am very happy with them. If you roll them between your fingers to warm and elongate them before you insert them into your ear canal, the seal seems to stay in place until I puposefully remove them.
 
Gammon said:
The first thing you should check on any set of muffs is the NRR, you want as close to 30 or above as possible. Muffs in the low 20s do not offer the protection you need. I have used muffs like these in the past and have had headaches and ringing in my ears as a result. My favorite muffs are "Dave Clarks" with a NRR of 28. They are big and sort of clunky, but they do offer the protection you need. My set is over 20 years old and the folks at Dave Clark's just keep sending me the parts I need to keep them going, free. Great customer service and great warrantee.

Low NRR muffs simply do not work. Ear plugs alone are not sufficient protection as harmful sound can be transmitted through the bones of the skull in the area around the ear. You need a quality set of muffs with a high NRR; in the electronic category "Pro Ears" are the only ones I have found with a sufficiently high NRR. Inexpensive muffs with a low NRR are false economy; you will pay in the end, just like me. I have tinitis, a constant ringing in the ears that has no cure.
Click to expand...

I've had headaches after using the cheap peltor tacticals. But, not my H.L.'s. I think they are higher than rated.
 
I tried my HL's today. Anyone have trouble with the seal around the ear not being tight enough? They just seemed a bit loose on my head, no matter how I adjusted them... A guy next to me was shooting an AK and the noise was pretty uncomfortable.
 
Haven't gotten a chance to write back what i thought of the HL muffs. I took them to the range Thursday. Overall, I would say they are pretty good. My ears weren't ringing when I was done. There were quite a few ppl shooting which was indoors. The guy 2 stalls down was shooting his AR and it didn't bother me at all.

The only thing that did start to bother me like others had said is after a while is the safety glasses pushing against the side of my head. I might try to work on a fix for that.
 

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