I use electronic earmuffs made by Peltor while shooting pretty much anything besides low velocity .22 or long barreled black powder guns.

They work great, I can clearly hear ambient sounds from around me including conversations, birds, the horses' and cows' approaching footsteps -- everything down to the sound of brass landing in the grass behind me out of the 8x60BLE right after firing a pair of shots.

Anything from 17hmr up to the S&W500mag is covered by the electronic hearing protection -- all the while I can choose to turn the volume controls up as to amplify the sounds of my surroundings. With the muffs switched on, from the fifty yard target board I can hear the chatting back at the shooting bench.

I don't own any muzzle braked firearms besides the smith revolver (and soundwise it doesn't make a rat's ass of difference on that thing, they're just plain noisy any way you cut it), but really guys, if you're hanging around close to another shooter who's running anything but low velocity 22rimfire out of a long barrel -- and not wearing hearing protection -- you're asking for damage to your hearing.

--Tinker