After a life time of shooting I have significant hearing loss and tinnitus. In order to protect what I have left, I lashed out and bought the very best I could find. They are part of the Pro Ears range and have an NRR of over 30. They are an electronic system which dynamically filters out high intensity sounds but let through normal level sounds such as range commands, wildlife noises etc. They are somewhat bulky and much more suited to the range rather than the field.

I have seen reference to an electronic in-ear product called Shost Stryke 11. On paper it seems to have a similar level of performance. Unfortunately I don't know of anyone that's actually used one and therefore I can't comment on it. Expensive, but I'd buy it for hunting if I knew it'd perform as required.

Electronic systems have the advantage that they not only block out the loud noises, but they can also enhance the background sounds such as wildlife. If buying ear muffs for hunting then make sure to get the ones with two (left & right) microphones so that you retain your ability to tell what direction a sound comes from. There are two basic systems for electronic hearing protection. One simply cutts out when a loud noise is encountered, the other dynamically filters off the high intensity sound while allowing the other signals through. Either would work in the field, however dynamic filtering is much better for range work.

Hearing protection standards are designed around constant noise environments, whereas shooting noise is a sudden pulse situation. Also all the rating systems are based on perfect fit. US research indicates that real world performance may be is little as 50% of the nominated protection rating. In other words, the 20 NRR set you've bought may only give you an actual protection factor equivalent to 10 NRR.

Hearing loss starts with the higher frequencies, by the time you notice an effect in normal conversation, you've already lost most of it. Hearing doesn't recover. Spend the money, get and use the best you can while you still have some hearing left.

Remember the most commonly uttered word among older shooters is 'What?'