Best Ear Protection for Shooting Guns

The breakdown below shows the decibel level of different environments and noises. Gunshots are at the top!

0 dB: threshold of hearing in youths
10 dB: anechoic room
30 dB: quiet library
45 dB: average residence
55 dB: normal conversation
60 dB: large store
70 dB: vacuum cleaner (10 feet away), freight train (100 feet away)
75 dB: average factory
80 dB: alarm clock, normal traffic, loud orchestra, pneumatic drill (from 50 feet)
85 dB: START OF UNSAFE LEVELS
90 dB: lawn mower, motorcycle, city traffic, boiler room, printing press room, subway train (from 20 feet)
100 dB: riveting machine
110 dB: thunder, pile driver, amplified rock music
125 dB: jet takeoff (from 200 feet away)
130 dB: pain threshold
140dB-170dB: Average Rifle Gunshot (Well over the safe level AND pain threshold!)

Luckily, shooters can protect their hearing and prevent damage to the inner ear. According to the NIDCD (Nationan Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders) the top 3 ways to prevent noise induced hearing loss are:

• Know which noises can cause damage (those at or above 85 decibels).
  
• Be alert to hazardous noise in the environment.
  
• Wear earplugs or other hearing protective devices when involved in a loud activity (special earplugs and earmuffs are available at hardware and sporting goods stores).
  
  As a shooting enthusiast, you likely have the first two covered. You know that gunshots can be hazardous to your hearing and you know that when guns are around the environment may not be safe for your ears. The next step is to get the proper ear protection.
  

Ear Plugs - Ear plugs are inserted into the ear canal. They can be foam fitting or custom molded. Ear plugs are easy to carry, lightweight and comfortable. Some also people prefer hearing protection that can be inserted into the ear canal because of the bulky look of earmuffs.

Ear Muffs - Ear muffs fit over the outside of the ear and are made of noise-reduction material. Ear muffs can be easier to use when the exposure to noise is intermittent since they may be easier to put on and take off than plugs. Some ear muffs are equipped with electronic hearing protection. Electronic hearing protection monitors the noise and controls the amount of sudden or ongoing noise allowed into your ear.

Canal Caps - Canal caps cap off the top of the ear canal. They are similar in look to ear plugs but connected with a band smaller than you find with ear muffs. Canal caps are generally not recommended around seriously high levels of noise.