Les, back in the days when I was seriously competing in 3 gun military shooting, I had earplugs that were molded to my ear canals and then I used a good pair of muffs designed for indoor pistol shooting. The combination of the two worked very well. I had pretty good hearing until one night when my reserve outfit was out on maneuvers at Fort Irwin, Ca. We were supporting a tank outfit and it was after dark when they started firing. I was standing behind and to the rear of two M-48A1's and they fired simultaneously. The sky turned bright yellow. I couldn't hear for two days and I have tinnitus ever since. I sold tools in and around body shops for 40 years, I wore headphones to listen to the rock and roll music up close, I hung out at the drag strips when Art Arfons ran his jet dragster and then all the pistol shooting (500 rounds of .45acp) every Sunday for practice, I have done everything in the world to ruin my hearing. But, I still hear fairly well. Except for when my wife speaks to me. For some reason, I just can't hear her. LOL!