Forum member Alantoo recently got some Peltor/3M electronic plugs and his comments and reviews prompted me to give them a try as well. One big advantage with them is that they use foam "ear tips" and so require no custom fitting plus they will offer much higher attenuation - foam expands to fill the ear canal whereas the custom plugs don't do that and so there always needs to be a bit of slack with the fit otherwise they simply couldn't go in or out.
Once you reach reasonable levels of attenuation then I'm of the view that comfort is more important than actual attenuation (hence why custom fit plugs can still be a very good idea for many people) as to get any benefit you need to be wearing them and with the 3M plugs you can chop and change the various types of ear tip until you get something that you find is ideal for you, then CENS MINO ear tips will fit them for example plus 3M do a range of foam and also flange ear tips for them. I wear in ear monitor type things a lot so I knew the supplied flange tips would not work for me and also had planned on needing to do some experimenting to get a foam tip fit that suited, for most people what comes in the box will be OK but it is worth bearing in mind that doing some testing can improve fit and comfort a lot. This is the 3M ones, you might do a better deal elsewhere:
3M PELTOR Level Dependent Earplug Kit, LEP-100-EU: Amazon.co.uk: Business, Industry Science
The 3M plugs have a "unique" feature in that you don't have to fiddle with batteries as they have a non-removable internal rechargable battery and the storage box for them contains a little compartment for some standard AA batteries which recharge the plugs when they are in the box. I was in two minds about this as changing batteries is a quick fix whereas a recharge takes time, however 3M claim a very decent runtime (maybe 16 hours??) and the recharging in the storage case is very handy - I keep the case in the car and just pop then plugs in for a charge every time I'm in the car moving location or coming home from clays or whatever. Combining this with the very long run time I've never had a problem and even after a few hours at crows a recharge only seems to take a short time.
If it is passive ear protection you are looking for then, once more, my view is that foam plugs win every time as they are inexpensive and offer very high attenuation and low cost. Again fit and comfort are key and it is very unlikely indeed that the first ones you get or the ones supplied at your local clay ground are going to be a good fit. If you are going the passive foam route then order one of the trial packs from these people and give them all a good trial to get a feel what works for you, you'll be surprised at the differences in comfort and fit and you will almost certainly find something that you feel is good for you:
Ear Plug Assortment Packs - Ear Plugs
