Shooting Ear Muffs and Hearing Protection: Passive, Electronic or Plugs
Magnum Sports — NSW Firearms Dealer Licence No. 413159984, 19 Babbage Road, Roseville Chase NSW 2069. Last reviewed: 19 October 2026.
For most shooters, the right answer is a pair of electronic ear muffs for hunting and the range, with foam or moulded plugs underneath when you shoot a centrefire on a covered bench. Almost every firearm produces a peak sound level above 140 decibels, which is the point at which a single unprotected shot can do permanent damage. Good electronic muffs give comparable protection to passive ones and let you hear voices and game. Hearing protection needs no licence of any kind, so you can walk in to our Roseville Chase shop, try several on with your own glasses and hat, and leave with a pair the same day.
Why shooting is harder on your ears than you think
Australian workplace noise limits are an average of 85 dB(A) across an eight-hour day and a peak of 140 dB(C) at any moment. The peak is the one that matters to shooters: a gunshot is not loud for eight hours, it is extremely loud for a few thousandths of a second.
The US National Hearing Conservation Association puts it plainly: almost all firearms generate peak impulse levels above 140 dB, and full-bore rifles, shotguns and pistols typically measure between 160 and 170 dB at the shooter's ear. Big-bore handguns can exceed 170. Every 10 dB is ten times the sound energy, so a centrefire rifle is not a little over the limit. It is in a different league.
The damage is quiet: hair cells in the inner ear that do not grow back. The first sign is usually ringing after a session, then trouble following conversation in a noisy room. In New South Wales a sound moderator is a prohibited weapon and is not available to ordinary licence holders, so what you wear on your head is the whole of your protection.
Reading the numbers: SLC80, Class 1 to 5, and NRR
The Australian and New Zealand standard for hearing protectors is AS/NZS 1270. Protectors tested to it carry an SLC80 rating, which is the reduction in decibels the protector achieves for at least 80 per cent of wearers, and a Class from 1 to 5 that tells you which noise level it is suited to.
| Class | SLC80 | Suited to noise up to |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10–13 dB | 90 dB(A) |
| 2 | 14–17 dB | 95 dB(A) |
| 3 | 18–21 dB | 100 dB(A) |
| 4 | 22–25 dB | 105 dB(A) |
| 5 | 26 dB and over | 110 dB(A) |
For shooting, buy Class 5 or as close to it as you can. Many shooting muffs are American and carry an NRR (Noise Reduction Rating) instead, and some European ones carry an SNR. The three systems use different test methods, so the numbers are not interchangeable: an NRR of 22 is not worse than an SLC80 of 22, it is simply measured differently, and US NRR figures tend to read lower than the equivalent European SNR. Compare muffs within the same rating system, never across them.
One more honest point. All three systems are built around continuous industrial noise, not the short, sharp peak of a gunshot. Treat the ratings as a way to compare one protector with another, and treat fit as the thing that decides whether you actually get that rating.
Passive muffs: simple, cheap and very effective
A passive muff is two sealed cups full of foam on a headband. No batteries, nothing to fail, and the best of them are Class 5. The drawback is that they block everything: your mate's voice, the range officer's command, the fox answering the whistle. Most people end up lifting one cup to talk, which defeats the point.
Passive muffs suit a spare pair in the range bag, visitors and children (in a youth size, because adult cups often will not seal on a small head), clay shooters who stand in one place, and anyone who wants the most protection for the least money. Look for a low-profile cup if you shoot a rifle, because a fat cup hits the stock and pushes the muff off your ear as you settle onto the cheekpiece.
Electronic muffs: hear everything except the shot
Electronic, or level-dependent, muffs have a small microphone on each cup. Below a set threshold, typically around 82 dB, they pass sound through and can amplify it, so you hear conversation and soft sounds better than you would bare-eared. When a shot goes off, the electronics shut that pathway almost instantly, and the cup itself does the protecting.
That makes them the best choice for hunting, where hearing an animal move matters, and for any range where people need to talk. The things to compare are:
- Cup profile. Slim cups clear a rifle stock. This is the single biggest comfort difference between models.
- Response. Cheaper muffs clip abruptly, so the world goes dead for a moment after each shot. Better ones compress smoothly and recover faster.
- Sealing cushions. Gel cushions seal better around spectacle arms than foam, and both wear out; replace them when they harden or crack.
Plugs, moulded plugs and electronic earbuds
Foam plugs are excellent when they are rolled tight and pushed deep enough to expand inside the ear canal, and poor when they are half in. They are also single-use: a squashed, dirty foam plug does not reseal properly. Custom-moulded plugs, which you soften in hot water and shape to your own ears, are reusable and much more consistent. Filtered versions, sometimes called percussive plugs, let normal sound through while blocking impulse peaks.
Electronic earbuds do in the ear what electronic muffs do on it, and fit under a hat or beanie without breaking a seal. They suit hunters who find muffs hot in summer.
When to double up
Plugs under muffs do not add their two ratings together, but they do give a meaningful extra margin. The National Hearing Conservation Association recommends doubling up whenever you shoot large calibres, and in its testing plugs plus muffs reduced peak levels by roughly 50 dB, against roughly 30 dB for either alone.
Double up on a covered firing line, indoors, beside a muzzle brake, and with magnums or large-bore pistols: a roof reflects the blast back at you, and a brake throws it sideways into the next shooter's ear. On a walk-up hunt with a .223 or .308, a good electronic muff alone is a sensible compromise.
Fit is the rating
The number on the box assumes a full seal against your skin. Anything that breaks that seal leaks sound, and three things break it most often:
- Glasses arms. Thick temples hold the cushion off your head. Choose shooting glasses with thin, flat arms, which our guide to shooting glasses, lens colours and impact ratings covers, or use gel cushions.
- Hair, beanies and cap straps. Anything between the cushion and your skin is a gap.
- A worn headband. If the muff sits loose when you shake your head, the band has lost its tension.
Quick test: put the muffs on and hum. A good seal makes your hum sound loud and boomy; if it sounds normal, sound is getting in.
What is on the shelf at Roseville Chase
We keep over 50 lines of hearing protection, and everything named here was in stock when this guide was last reviewed. Ratings are as the maker states them, in the system the maker uses.
- Pro Choice Classic Earmuffs — certified to AS/NZS 1270, Class 5, SLC80 27 dB. The most protection for the least outlay.
- Caldwell Passive Low Pro — a slim passive muff that clears a rifle stock, NRR 24 dB.
- Howard Leight Impact Sport — the electronic muff most people start with: slim, folding, amplifies to 82 dB then cuts, NRR 22 dB.
- Caldwell Emax Pro and Walkers Razor Slim — low-profile electronic muffs at NRR 23 dB, both comfortable on a rifle stock.
- 3M Peltor ProTac Hunter and Peltor Sportac — built for hunting, with smooth level-dependent sound and an input for a radio.
- Beretta Electronic Earmuff LP — a low-profile electronic muff with an SNR of 32 dB, popular with clay shooters.
- Decibullz Custom Moulded Percussive Earplugs — mould them in hot water at home; the filter blocks the shot and lets conversation through.
- Earmor M20T Pro electronic earbuds — in-ear electronic protection with a ten-hour battery and a charging case.
- Caldwell Emax Pro Youth — a properly sized electronic muff for younger shooters and spectators.
Magnum Sports, NSW Firearms Dealer Licence 413159984, keeps Class 5 passive muffs, electronic muffs and moulded plugs at our Roseville Chase counter, and we will fit them to your head and your glasses before you buy. Hearing protection needs no licence; the ammunition on the shelf beside it does, and we sell ammunition for collection in store only.
Frequently asked questions
Are ear muffs or ear plugs better for shooting?
Properly fitted, a good plug and a good muff give similar protection. Muffs are easier to fit correctly every time and easier to take on and off, which is why most shooters prefer them. Plugs are better under a hat or in heat. For large calibres or covered ranges, wear both.
What decibel rating do I need for shooting?
Look for Class 5 under the Australian standard, which means an SLC80 of 26 dB or more. If the muff carries a US NRR instead, low to mid twenties is typical for shooting muffs; compare it only with other NRR figures.
How do electronic ear muffs work?
Microphones on each cup pass ordinary sound through to small speakers, usually up to about 82 dB. When a shot exceeds that level, the electronics cut or compress the sound almost instantly, and the sealed cup protects your ear. When the noise drops, normal hearing returns.
Can I wear glasses with ear muffs?
Yes, but thick arms break the seal and let sound in. Thin, flat temple arms and gel cushions both help. Bring your own glasses when you try muffs on in store.
Do I need a licence to buy hearing protection in NSW?
No. Ear muffs, ear plugs and shooting glasses can be bought by anyone. Firearms are different: they require the appropriate licence and a Permit to Acquire, and since 1 July 2026 a satisfactory safe storage inspection must be confirmed before a PTA application can be submitted. Ammunition is sold for collection at our counter only and we do not ship it.
Where to next
Eye protection is the other half of the kit, and our guide to shooting glasses and lens colours covers what to look for. If you are heading to a clay club for the first time, read trap, skeet and sporting explained, and for pistol competition, starting in pistol shooting. Choosing your first rifle starts with the .22 in Australia.
Protect native wildlife. Perfect your shot. Magnum Sports is Impact Sports AU Pty Ltd, ABN 80 680 499 852, NSW Firearms Dealer Licence 413159984. Call (02) 9882 2689 or email sales@magnumsports.com.au. Information here is general in nature and is not medical advice; if you have ringing in your ears or hearing loss, see an audiologist. Confirm current firearms law with the NSW Firearms Registry.