Are Earplugs Enough Hearing Protection For Shooters?

Do Earplugs Give Enough Hearing Protection? The Best Earplugs For Shooting

It’s important for everyone involved in shooting to keep their ears safe. I’ve lost track of the number of my friends who have experienced hearing problems as a direct result of their hobbies.

A surprising number of them thought they would be fine with the cheap hardware store ear plugs they used. It was only after the irreversible hearing damage that they realized that better protection might be necessary.

Just because cheap ear plugs aren’t good enough doesn’t mean that you have to use an expensive set of shooters ear muffs every time you fire a gun. You’re still okay for outdoor shooting with a set of ear plugs that are specifically rated for extra loud noise.

Look for 22 dB or more of noise reduction rating (NRR). Be sure to read the instructions that come with the ear plugs. It’s important to follow them in order to keep your ears protected.

What About For Indoor Shooting

For indoor shooting, ear plugs are usually inadequate. I recommend that young people and people with sensitive hearing use them in conjunction with a solid pair of ear muffs.

Layering hearing protection is pretty cheap and allows you to deaden noise to a much larger degree than just using ear plugs or ear muffs alone. You don’t need a super fancy set of ear muffs for layering, either.

Just like with ear plugs, try to find a set with 22 dB of NRR or more. Higher is better, but make sure the pair you find are comfortable and fit over your ear plugs easily. 

The low cost of ear plugs makes it easy to try on sets from different manufacturers. Get more information and view other earplugs at http://www.earplugstore.com/

Below are some of my favorite pairs to keep in my shooting bag:

3M Peltor Combat Arms Earplugs

These tactical earplugs are double ended. One end provides 22 dB of fully passive hearing protection.

The other end is designed to only block loud noises, allowing you to hear quiet ambient noises or carry on a conversation. Each package contains one reusable pair of earplugs and a carrying case.

The adaptive protection isn’t quite up to snuff for firing loud weapons or indoor shooting, but it does a great job of allowing you to hear noises without any electronics.

For outdoor hunting with a low caliber rifle, it’s a great feature. Otherwise, you’ll probably want to use the slightly stronger passive noise reduction side.

The  Peltor Combat Arms earplugs poke out quite a bit from your ears. While you can wear them under most types of ear muffs, there’s not enough clearance with some models.

If you intend to use these in conjunction with ear muffs you already have, make sure that the ear cups have plenty of room for something poking out from the middle of your ear.

Overall, these are a great purchase for any hunters or for people who shoot socially outdoors. Like other ear plugs, they’re pretty cheap, so it’s not a bad idea to grab a set for your shooting bag just in case!

HQ Earplugs Set

This set comes with 3 pairs of moldable ear plugs and one pair of more traditional plugs. The moldable plugs reduce noise by about 25 dB, while the traditional pair offers up to 29 dB of noise reduction.

The biggest advantage of this set is the ability to try multiple styles of ear plugs. Everyone’s ears are different, so the earplugs you find best for shooting might be uncomfortable for someone else.

The moldable earplugs adapt to the shape of your ear canal to provide a perfect seal. They don’t stick out at all, making them perfect for use under ear muffs without a lot of clearance. The 25 dB of noise reduction they provide is perfect for all sorts of outdoor shooting.

The conventional earplugs in this pack have a slightly higher advertised noise reduction than most other pairs. They do a great job of blocking out gunshot noise, even from guns of higher caliber. Still, I’d be hesitant to use them as my only form of hearing protection at an indoor range.

At the price, this set of 4 pairs of ear plugs is a great addition to your shooting kit. You’ll be prepared for unexpected guests!

Sound Blocker Ear Plugs

I keep mentioning that ear plugs are cheap. This set of 30 pairs really drives this home — you can pick these up for well under the price of an electronic pair of ear muffs and take the whole office shooting.

They’re rated to provide an impressive 33 dB of noise reduction. While they’re not the most comfortable, they’re incredibly effective.

Unlike the pairs above, the Sound Blocker ear plugs aren’t meant to last forever. You can reuse them quite a few times before they wear out, but you will chew through the 30 pairs provided if you go shooting enough.

Given the price, however, it’s not a big deal if an individual pair wears out after several shooting sessions.

I’m personally a fan of this style of ear plugs over the more durable reusable kind, especially in conjunction with external hearing protection. While I’m hesitant to call these the best earplugs for shooting, I think they’re very much worth a purchase.

 

Overall

We like ear plugs and the three options talked about above are great options at the shooting range. However, here at TacticalEars.net like earplugs more when used in conjunction with passive or electronic headset earmuffs as long as the earplugs don’t stick out of your ears too much.

Shooting earplugs are a great option, but using shooting earplugs in conjunction with ear muffs is a better option in order to give you that extra protection for your ears.

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