I am not a big fan of ear plugs. I have always owned muffs and I appreciate a good muff just like most of you do (pun intended). I found myself at new project for work in a situation where I am around equipment producing between 110 and 120 decibels for many hours at a time. I don't know about the rest of you but the foam ear plugs, while comfortable, do not have much more than 7 or 8 decibel noise reduction. The best ones reduce decibels by around 10 decibels. And the blast from a loud pistol or rifle sill hurts my ears when using the foam ear plugs. Especially if you are next to someone with an AR or AK with a muzzle break. Even ear muffs don't always cut it for me. I end up wearing foam ear plugs and muffs if I am next to someone shooting something really loud.

So a 10 decibel reduction around 120 decibel constant noise is still going to cause damage. I already have hearing loss due to being around loud large construction equipment all my life (and a bunch of rock concerts during my younger days). So at the last gun show I approached the gentleman who sells Plugz Hawaii. If you have not seen them they are ear plugs molded to your ear right there at the show. It takes about 15 minutes and they cost A LOT!!!! It was $60.00 for a single color. When I approached him he was not able to give me the exact noise reduction I wanted to hear. But he assured me I would not be unhappy with their performance. So I bought them. After the fitting he takes him back to Maui to round off the end that fits in your ear. By the following Friday I received the plugs in the mail. On Saturday I received a phone call from the guy following up on my purchase. Really great customer service in my opinion. I was not able to try them until the following Monday. But I did take them to the range that Sunday. And they worked well except again around VERY loud guns. But there is a side problem. Other than the loud blast next to a muzzle break they muffled the sound so well I could  not talk to anyone with them on. So far I was happy with them. At work I put them on and they work great! But I found an issue. They hurt my ears after having them in for 30 minutes or so. But now it has been a few weeks and I can now keep them in for a couple of hours without them hurting. So I assume my ears have gotten used to them.

To sum them up I am a little disappointed that they don't help much for being next to guns with a muzzle break. But, for constant noise and steady noise they are terrific. In a way they are a little too good as I cannot hear anyone trying to talk to me. So while not a perfect solution for me I think they worth the money for what they do. It took me a while to get used to them so I am guessing that is normal for anyone. Combine the product with good customer service and I have to say I am happy with my purchase.

that's disappointing. I was hoping they were comfortable and effective. was thinking of buying a set. right now im using foam plugs with muffs. the muffs get in the way when shooting rifle, and the foamies aren't enough protection.

that's disappointing. I was hoping they were comfortable and effective. was thinking of buying a set. right now im using foam plugs with muffs. the muffs get in the way when shooting rifle, and the foamies aren't enough protection.

They are not completely uncomfortable. They just took me a while before they were. In order for them to work well they have to be tight. Being tight means it took me a while before they didn't hurt any more. And they do work well under most conditions at the range. Only if you are next to someone with a muzzle break. They are still much superior to the foam plugs. And offer superior protection.

Hope this helps!

My 2 cents...
I have a pair of custom molded plugs that were fitted many ears ago.
But seriously folks, They did work well but after a while they did not seem to fit as well as when they were new.
I read somewhere that the human ear grows or changes as you get older. This makes sense as I sure don't look the same as I did 30 years ago.
Therefore be warned that custom fit ear plugs are not forever.
And while on the subject of ear protection, I just picked up a set of "Howard Leight" electronic ear muffs model#  R-01902. ($63.00 on Amazon)
I have owned other electronic muffs before and the cheaper units kill all the sound when shot are fired so you cannot hear someone talking to you.
The electronics in these muffs supress the shots while allowing other sounds (like speech) to pass.
But the thing that really impressed me about these particular muffs was the engineering and thought that went into them.  They are well built, comfortable  and easy to use.They also have a very high natural NRR. So they really block out loud booms.
The only negative is that they are large (thus the high NRR) so I don;t think they are suitable for rifle shooting. I shoot mostly pistol so it was not my concern.

The ear droops over time,
I use the sure fire plugs no issues with comfort so far.  But doesn't help when someone has a wicked loud muzzle break

I tried the surefire plugs before and only 1 side fit good. The other was loose and did not keep sound out well. I thought it was my ears but when my gf tried it the same thing happened.

Anyone have suggestions for good plugs for shooting rifle? I am willing to spend the dough to protect my hearing

I found these through google and they have some good reviews on a firearm forum I found
http://www.earplugsonline.com/

My 2 cents...
I have a pair of custom molded plugs that were fitted many ears ago.
But seriously folks, They did work well but after a while they did not seem to fit as well as when they were new.
I read somewhere that the human ear grows or changes as you get older. This makes sense as I sure don't look the same as I did 30 years ago.
Therefore be warned that custom fit ear plugs are not forever.
And while on the subject of ear protection, I just picked up a set of "Howard Leight" electronic ear muffs model#  R-01902. ($63.00 on Amazon)
I have owned other electronic muffs before and the cheaper units kill all the sound when shot are fired so you cannot hear someone talking to you.
The electronics in these muffs supress the shots while allowing other sounds (like speech) to pass.
But the thing that really impressed me about these particular muffs was the engineering and thought that went into them.  They are well built, comfortable  and easy to use.They also have a very high natural NRR. So they really block out loud booms.
The only negative is that they are large (thus the high NRR) so I don;t think they are suitable for rifle shooting. I shoot mostly pistol so it was not my concern.

The Plugz Hawaii guy actually mentioned this to me because my ear canals have moved around due to my age. He said chances are they won't move much more for me so I may nit need to get a new pair in the future. So assume what you read is correct and in younger people they may need to buy more than one pair in the future. I own a pair of older Howard Leight muffs and I like them a lot. They are so comfy and I can hear everything someone says to me that I forget to take them off during cold range durations.

Sorry to hear that the plugz do not work well for you.  I have not had a problem with them although I need to work them into my ear (push them in while I pull my ear) to ensure a complete fit.  No pain either . . .

http://www.averysound.com/as.shooting_range_earpiece.html
Try these guys. They make custom molded earpieces for all sorts of applications. (Pretty much if it goes in your ear they can make one) I had them make a custom fitted earpiece for my Bluetooth headset.
http://www.averysound.com/as.noise_protection_earplugs.html

$60 expensive?  My electronic plugs cost $1k.

I think the foamies are supposed to be the quietest thing you can get, main downside is it's not as convenient to use.  If you are still bothered by loud sounds, use your earplugs together with electronic ear muffs like the howard leight.  It'll help with the loud bangs, but will enhance the softer sounds so you can hear people talking better.

$60 expensive?  My electronic plugs cost $1k.

I'm calling bullshit

I'm calling bullshit

On what?  The price of the earplugs, or that he has a pair that costs that much?

I'm calling bullshit

Look at it this way, what is a electronic earplug?  Basically a glorified hearing aid.
How much does a custom hearing aid cost?  Alot.

$1k was the midrange BTW.  Worth it if you have to wear a helmet, shoot rifles, and be able to hear commands clearly.  Also avoids sweaty ears.

http://www.sportear.com/hearing-aids/custom-series/custom-series-30

Aaaah,

Well played zippz, well played.