What recommendation for the absolute quietest low profile muffs? Thanks!




Take care, Willie

Posted this in the wrong place. But I'm sure it'll get plenty of exposure here sorry guys .







Take care, Willie

Only experience I have is with Pro ears Stalkers for hunting, .I have used them for a few years and they work well. I do not use them at the range, I have at least 1/2 dozen different kinds and use foam plugs under them.

I was trying to avoid the plugs. But possibly tone the muzzle blast more than the plugs. Wondering if that is even possible.




Take care, Willie

Absolute quietest will be a combination of the best muffs and the best fit. They all have a list Noise Redution Rating so getting the pair with the highest value, in theory, would suggest the best reduction. But, and that's a big but, the fit is nearly as important. Gel pads improve the fit.

Some have a concern with too much noise reduction not allowing individuals to hear range commands - saw this happen last night. The electronic models address this issue.

Muffs can get too large and prevent cheek contact on a rifle.

Answer to that and low profile is NO. Howard Leights are about the lowest profile out there but only offer 23-24 dB reduction. Have a pair they get very uncomfortable on warm days and do interfere with cheek weld on some rifles. The other thing about muffs is that if you wear glasses you don’t get a perfect seal which lowers the dB rating.
For the range anymore since I am retired and avoid crowds I use ISO Tunes Pro which are OSHA approved Bluetooth plugs that have 28 dB reduction and allows me to listen to music or receive a phone call. For a match I just leave the music off for range commands.

If the low profile is a definite (is for me), then ear plugs of your choice and shotgun muffs is pretty darn quiet. Do not believe there is a superlative lo-pro shotgun muff out there; all pretty similar, just preference.

The lo-pro Pro Ears are good, use a lot, but not near as quiet as lo-tech solution above if neighbors blasting away under a roof.

Is this for range use or hunting? In either case I don’t think low profile muffs are going to be as good as a quality ear plug that is properly installed.

For range use with short rifles or indoors I usually go with plugs snd then low profile electronic muffs over them. If I turn up the electronic muffs I can hear enough to communicate.

For hunting I just wear electronic muffs. Keeps my ears warm and provides protection for the handful of shots I may end up taking in a day.

We shoot on private property. So no range aggravation. Just was hoping to find something as good as plugs. So didn't have to pull them out constantly to talk to one an other. Thanks for the other replies.




Take care, Willie

I have pretty significant hearing loss and can't tolerate shooting without protection. I recently bought a pair of these and I am super impressed with them. I wear these under a low profile set of ear muffs because I want all the protection I can get with my hearing loss, but these are great on their own. I have several pair now. In all my packs and a pair in my truck.

https://www.decibullz.com/hearing-protection/

I bought a pair of Peltor 500 Tactical muffs a couple of months back and have been very impressed with them. They aren't my idea of low profile but they reduce noise really well, magnify ambient noise and you can even pair them with your phone.

https://www.amazon.com/Peltor-Electronic-Protector-Bluetooth-Protection/dp/B06W56YRWJ

Have these also and am happy with them

Custom poured plugs, foam plugs, then everything else. In that order. Find an audiologist and have it done right.

I have peltor muffs. They work well!

I think I borrowed every electronic ear muff on the market for testing when I was in the market.

Peltor was the most comfortable by for me.

Also, I'd recommend buying from a company that markets INDUSTRIAL hearing protection. They will lots of independent test certificates showing exactly what you can expect, and you will be able to get parts to service the muffs years and years later.

Don't buy muffs marketed by a gun company -- they will have been made by who-knows-who and simply rebranded with the gun company's name. A lot of these provide much lower hearing protection than they claim -- hence my recommendation for industrial hearing protection.

Peltor is great for industrial hearing protection, but there are others (Uvex, Honeywell Industrial Safety...)

John

Thanks a lot for replies!!!







Take care, Willie

Ear muffs will attenuate the noise, but do not off the concussive protection that plugs do. For high volume shooting, plugs should be the first route, then muffs in combo when feasible.

Which model??

Just the $25.99 Custom molded model. I was surprised how well they molded to me ears. Sportsman’s Warehouse has them. I see the percussive model on the website, they may be an even better model but I haven’t tried those yet. I may give a pair a spin.

Try the surefire sonic defender series. They are plugs with some sort of passive valve that lets low sounds through but cuts off big ones. I have several pair as they are only about $15 on Amazon. I wear them hunting, for clays, and at the range and have no problems holding a conversation with them in.

These 3M/Peltor muffs that came out in past year or two have the best protection of any muffs I've ever used. Quantum leap over the stuff available even 5 years ago:

A) 3M Peltor X4: 27DB and very low profile. These are avail on Amazon, these are basically as low-profile as the old Peltor shotgunner muffs but block 27DB, almost 10DB more than the old low profile shotgunners.

B) 3M Peltor X3: 28 DB and moderately low profile. Maybe medium profile. It's only a 1DB difference between these and the X4's on paper, but in reality they seem much quieter.

C) Change up your eye protection to wire framed shooting glasses. Big thick plastic temples allow a huge amount of sound to leak into your muffs.

I've heard from doctors that plugs do nothing to attenuate the blast coming through the bones behind your ear, and that muffs are better. Best is using both.

My audiologist told me there is zero difference between the custom $150 molded plugs she made for me and Howard Leight max (33 DB) plugs. Aside from comfort.

My ears are hammered and I pay attention to this stuff a lot. I had two custom 35 cal suppressors made for me so I can run them on Whelens, 338 mags, and 9.3x62's. Trying to avoid unsuppressed rifle fire even when hunting. All the old time shooters and hunters I know are totally deaf.

MSA for the long run

https://srstactical.com/brands/sordin/electronic-hearing-protection.html

I run heavy equipment all day. Use the same muffs for shooting. These can also be refitted with fresh ear cups, which is a real good idea every 6 months if you use them hard. Have worn this model for a number of years and they are great.
3M PELTOR Optime 105 Earmuffs H10A, Over-the-Head

I am also a fan of the Peltor Sport Tactical 500. The price right now is $30 less than I paid for them.

I added the PELTOR Gel Sealing Rings HY80 (Comfort Replacement Earmuff Cushions) because I wear glasses.

I usually wear Decibullz - Custom Molded Earplugs, 31dB simultaneously. I tried Decibullz more expensive percussive filter and didn't notice any difference from the regular earplug. I was under the impression they'd allow me to hear at almost normal levels. They didn't. I wondered if I had a bad set, but just ended up returning them when I couldn't find a way to call the manufacturer. Their regular moldable earplugs are great.