All, or at least most, of the ear plugs, including he custom molded ones have a published NRR (Noise Reduction Rating) of around 30 db(a). This is based on laboratory tests that do not include all of the frequencies. The real world noise reduction is always assumed to be 1/2 of the published NRR which means that all ear plugs provide an assumed protection of 15 db(a). In other words, you will get an effective reduction of about 15 db when using ear plugs. Ear muffs provide a similar level of protection. I use both together when shooting (when I can). Of course, it is difficult to use ear muffs when wearing a hat but some ear muffs can be worn with the strap either behind your head or under your chin. Both ways are valid ways of wearing the ear muffs and will provide the same level of protection in any of those three positions. My preference for ear plugs are the foam type. I find them to be quite comfortable for long time use. For them to work properly, they must be rolled up and properly inserted into the ear canal. Be sure to read and follow the instructions. So many people do not read nor follow the instructions and as a result, do not receive the protection to their hearing that the plugs are capable of providing.
Always wear hearing protection when in a noisy environment whether it is at a range with gunfire or in the shop with power tools. Hearing that is lost due to noise is irreversible. The part of the ear structure that is damaged by noise will never function again and that frequency of hearing is gone forever.
