I like the Peltor muffs when I'm hunting but they're not ideal for high volume shooting. With some of my stuff, my ears will ring for hours if I don't double up with plugs and muffs.
I use custom made in ear double filtered custom made plugs a lot and can still hear well enough to know what is going on around me. But then when it comes to being at the range next to a short 223, like eight inch barrel, or anything with a muzzle brake, I put my Pro Ears Gold muffs on and turn them up to the max volume.
That makes everything even easier to hear but takes shooting noise down to almost nothing... except the "big boomers" are now at a level that most other firearms deliver with my in ear plugs alone.
I am saying Pro Ears Gold because they do not use "clipping technology" and allow every thing being said to come through LOUD and clear, and that is what I consider as non-negotiable when kids are with us shooting chucks or other varmints.
My first pair of Pro Ears Gold cost me dearly and they made me a believer after using muffs that had clipping technology. I didn't miss a word being said and could react immediately irrespective of it was said, even right when a gun goes off.
Today we own two pair of Pro Ears Gold and I own a pair of custom made filtered plugs and that represents a substantial investment. To be clear, it does not leave much left of a thousand bucks. I'm not a rich man, by any calculation, and as such I have to judge where best to spend the dollars I bring in supporting our shooting hobby, and now that Bridget (since seven years old) has joined me shooting chucks we need two pair of active protection.
It's not that we want... we need that. Safety comes first and when a kid is out there Pro Ears are all that I trust will make it a certainty that she can hear me and, with mine turned up to the max, I can hear her every whisper.
When kids are not with me, which these days means when I am out there by my lonesome, I use my plugs and never use the Pro Ears Muffs. But when kids are in the mix, it is Pro ears muffs, even though muffs are a PITA.
I have two coming up behind Bridget and that means two more times our "guns, ammo and gas" money will be raided to the tune of three Ben Franklins for hearing protection.
Safety comes first? That money is not totally discretionary, it is there to support our hobby and nothing, but nothing, trumps safety. If I have not done everything to ensure that we all come home safe, the trip is, in a word "not happening."
We simply are not leaving Tacoma if there is any doubt in my mind that I have done everything in my power to make certain that all our T's are crossed and all our I's ate dotted when it comes to not having an accident.
Irrespective of all else, communication with the kids has to not be in question. There are no excuses allowed. I trade muffs a couple times per day to ensure that batteries are going strong and I get really mean if I say something that demands a response and it is not immediately responded to. Period, full stop. I don't care if you are focused on a Mountain Lion that is walking by, if I ask you if you want peanut butter and jelly or baloney sandwich for lunch, you had better speak up, right now, and answer me. Right now. No excuses or you get "time out."
BUT, if your needs are a general sense of what is going on around you at the range... way more than you have today, your needs can be met for a lot less money. Your ears will not suffer one bit, clipping technology is proven to work almost perfectly. It's cheap and has been proven effective.
I don't know what your needs are, if your situation does not include uninterrupted two way communication then it just does not make sense to not buy a pair of clipping muffs and use the rest for something that provides value in your pursuit of your hobby.
I don't mean to be "long winded," but an answer that is worthy of the OP's consideration is not what I had provided earlier on. In my situation my earlier answer was something I can have absolute confidence that I have given an opinion that is unimpeachable. YMMV though and if your needs are met with clipping technology then go for Howard Light or Peltor or any other active muff that provides 26 DB of protection after listening to the input from others who own them and can give an honest assessment of them performing well, or not.