The ear muff are the best, or wear the cheap ear plugs and wear the muffs over them.

The plugs alone don't protect the outside bones behind the ear lobes.

Originally Posted by HannibalTheCrow

I was wondering which would be the best type of hearing protection for me and my wife to purchase for shooting at the range.

The inner ear plug that fits inside the ear canal?

Or, the ones that are like headphones?

Which seem to offer the best protection, without having to pay an arm and a leg for them.

Thank you for you input in advance,

HannibalTheCrow

Either will do the job well, I use my earmuffs when its cool/cold out shooting and the foam smash and stuff em( ) jobbie when its warm.
Whatever is most comfy for you...........the foam or rubber ones are considerably cheaper tho..........

Absolutely both. There is no such thing as too much hearing protection. Get the cheap disposable foam plugs, and wear earmuffs over them. Wear a baseball cap, too, to protect your noggin against wayward brass.

If you have money to spend, get the electronic earmuffs that amplify normal sounds, but block high frequency sounds. That way, you can talk at a normal level, instead of having to yell, and you can hear a range officer's commands.

If you can't afford the electronic muffs, then use regular ones, but do use both plugs and muffs.

Either or both will work but don't forget shooting glasses to protect the eyes

+1 with Milquetoast for a indoor range.

I can't agree more with the comments that suggest eye protection. I had a Beretta 92 blow up on me recently, while shooting out in the country. It was apparently a double-charged cartridge. When I squeezed off the shot, it sounded terrible, and I immediately lost sight in my right eye. It turned out to be just powder blown back, and there was no real damage done. But to say that it scared me is an understatement in the least.

I shoot with eye protection all the time. I never did before, but I am a big believer in it now. I have some Thunder Ears muffs, and they work great for the hearing loss thing. Outdoors, I'll use plugs if nothing else, but I prefer the muffs.

The gun held up pretty well, all things considered. It sure wasn't the weapon's fault.

Nobody mentioned ZEMs. I like them a lot. They're effective and pretty cheap.

http://www.pistolgear.com/products.php?id=31

Originally Posted by HannibalTheCrow

The inner ear plug that fits inside the ear canal?

Or, the ones that are like headphones?

Which seem to offer the best protection, without having to pay an arm and a leg for them.

If you buy quality plugs or headphones (electric or passive), put them on or in correctly, either type will do the job for you. Depending on what and where I'm shooting sometimes I use both.

Cost should not be a determining factor in picking hearing protection. Once your hearing is damaged it NEVER recovers. Saving a few bucks on a head set or plugs isn't worth it.