Anyone doing a more extensive amount of shooting, or who is subject to loud noises – range employees, factory workers, race car crew, etc.- should wear protection.

As is pointed out above, a noise reduction of 34 Db does not make the environment safe. My suggestion, and the preference of many professional shooters like Jerry Miculek, is to double up on protection. Foam plugs provide about 30 Db of protection and muffs about another 30 Db.

As the editor points out, the problem is exposure. Single loud sounds can cause damage, a long period of exposure can exacerbate the damage.

EDITOR: All good points made here by Jim. “Doubling up” with plugs and muffs will definitely help. However, you can’t simply add the noise ratings to get a total protection rating. Meaning 30 dB NRR muffs over 30 dB NRR plugs does NOT give you 60 dB of protection. But there IS a significant benefit to running both…

EDITOR: Yes a .22 LR pPistol is loud enough that you should always wear hearing protection. However, when looking at the risk of hearing loss — the issue is sonic exposure TIME and peak sound levels. 100 decibels of continuous jet engine noise is NOT the same as 100 dB of a gunshot every few seconds. That said, if you were at a range with continuous fire by multiple .22 LR rifles and pistols… you should worry. We do agree that suppressors should be allowed, and we support the Hearing Protection Act.