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Protection works and you need it. You need it because sound becomes painful around 125 dB. Short-tem exposure that is pretty certain to cause damage and hearing loss begins around 140 dB. Firearms? They run 145, 150, 160, 165 dB. Pick a number, it doesn’t matter, you will lose hearing. A “quiet” 12-gauge load at 140 dB is going to damage your hearing a bit slower than a magnum at 165, but you will go deaf.
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