Hearing protection

[nemesis]

I've damaged my hearing from unprotected shooting. Now, everything I've read insists I wear both earplugs and muffs while shooting.

I also read that people are using electronic muffs for hunting so they can hear game movement.

If muffs and plugs are necessary to protect our hearing, how is it that electronic muffs, alone, are sufficient?

Thanks.

 

[nemesis]

Also, I have a pair of Howard Leight Impact Sports muffs and wore them yesterday for coyote hunting. I discharged my 223 and must not have had a good "weld" on my left ear because there was a slight "ringing" after the shot that didn't last long. I say it didn't last long because it blended in real well with the nonstop "ringing" (tinnitis) I have anyway.

 

[swampratt]

Hearing loss is awful ..The foam plugs will drop noise about 20 decibels.
I suppose the muffs on top of that if they fit will kill another 20+.
I always have the foam ones..and these work great...
If you guys reading this forget the ear plugs when out shooting..you can use some tissue paper or napkins.
Never shoot without something to deaden the sound.
I have not used electronic ones...Ear muffs can move when you rest your cheek on the rifle..be aware of this when shooting.

Last sunday i forgot my ear plugs..there were 3 of us shooting..we just went to MCd's and had napkins..my son and i rolled some up and stuck them in really well to block the sounds....
My buddy did not think it was necessary.....after that 30-06 went off he changed his tune..I handed him some napkins..
Not a foll 20 drop but pretty close.

 

[nemesis]

Hearing loss is awful ..The foam plugs will drop noise about 20 decibels.
I suppose the muffs on top of that if they fit will kill another 20+.
I always have the foam ones..and these work great...
If you guys reading this forget the ear plugs when out shooting..you can use some tissue paper or napkins.
Never shoot without something to deaden the sound.
I have not used electronic ones...Ear muffs can move when you rest your cheek on the rifle..be aware of this when shooting.

Last sunday i forgot my ear plugs..there were 3 of us shooting..we just went to MCd's and had napkins..my son and i rolled some up and stuck them in really well to block the sounds....
My buddy did not think it was necessary.....after that 30-06 went off he changed his tune..I handed him some napkins..
Not a foll 20 drop but pretty close.

You might consider the following information useful. I don't remember where it came from other than that it was some research website.

The way you actually hear something is that ganglia (small hairs in your inner ear) vibrate from the result of moving air hitting them, transmitting a message to your brain. When the ganglion are assaulted by an extremely loud stimulus (e.g. crash, jet engine, gun shot), they get "pushed down" a little. They never "stand back up" to their full extension. People lose their hearing as they get older as a result of continued assaults upon the ganglion, pushing them down more and more each time. This results in hearing loss, the ganglion are no longer able to effectively transmit a given message. The loss of frequency (pitch) recognition can be segments of the full spectrum, all hertz between low and high.

Facts on noise levels:
1. Decibels measure sound pressure and are logarithmic. That means that only a 3db increase almost doubles sound pressure, a 6db increase quadruples sound pressure, etc.
2. Gradual hearing loss may occur after prolonged exposure to 90 decibels or above.
3. Exposure to 100 decibels for more than 15 minutes can cause hearing loss.
4. Exposure to 110 decibels for more than a minute can cause permanent hearing loss.
5. At 140 dBA noise causes immediate injury to almost any unprotected ear.
6. There is also the more extreme ‘acoustic trauma’, which is an immediate loss of hearing after a sudden, exceptionally loud noise such as an explosion.

Comparative noise levels and length of time exposed to cause permanent damage
Jet engine taking off 140 dB Instant damage
Thunder/Ambulance siren 119 dB 3 minutes
Hammer drill 113 dB 15 minutes
Chain saw/Earphones/Concert 110 dB 30 minutes
Bull Dozer 105 dB 1 hour
Tractor/Power tools 96 dB 4 hour
Hairdryer/lawnmower 90 dB 8 hours


Noise levels of firearms:
.22 caliber rifle 130dB
.223, 55GR. Commercial load 18" barrel 155.5dB
.243 in 22" barrel 155.9dB
.30-30 in 20" barrel 156.0dB.
7mm Magnum in 20" barrel 157.5dB.
.308 in 24" barrel 156.2dB.
.30-06 in 24" barrel 158.5dB. In 18" barrel 163.2dB.
.375 18" barrel with muzzle brake 170 dB.
.410 Bore 28" barrel 150dB. 26" barrel 150.25dB. 18" barrel 156.30dB.
20 Gauge 28" barrel 152.50dB. 22" barrel 154.75dB.
12 Gauge 28" barrel 151.50dB. 26" barrel 156.10dB. 18" barrel 161.50dB.
.25 ACP 155.0 dB.
.32 LONG 152.4 dB.
.32 ACP 153.5 dB.
.380 157.7 dB.
9mm 159.8 dB.
.38 S&W 153.5 dB.
.38 Spl 156.3 dB.
.357 Magnum 164.3 dB.
.41 Magnum 163.2 dB.
.44 Spl 155.9 dB.
.45 ACP 157.0 dB.
.45 COLT 154.7 dB.

Properly fitted earplugs or muffs reduce noise 15 to 30 dB. The better earplugs and muffs are approximately equal in sound reductions, although earplugs are better for low frequency noise and earmuffs for high frequency noise.

Using muffs and plugs together: Take the higher of the two and add 5 dB. 30 plug with 20 muff gives an effective NRR of 35.

If you are shooting by yourself, with plugs and muffs on, you get to shoot up to a thousand rounds without damage (louder ammo/gun and the allowable drops by a factor of 5). Shoot with other people and you have to add all the rounds shot cumulatively (10 people shoot 100 rounds and everybody's done for the day; toss a handcannon or 30 cal rifle in and you're back down to 200 rounds cumulative). If you shoot on an indoor range then all the rounds fired while you are on the range go into your total. So you can see that it doesn't take very long on a range to have a thousand rounds popped off around you.

Don't forget about bone conduction of concusive sound waves. The mastoid bone will transmit the sound vibrations directly to your inner ear where the cochela and the hearing nerves resides. Constant exposure to this kind of concusive sound wave, (e.g. 50 BMG, industrial heavy machinery) will result in the degradation of your hearing quality. Even with ear muffs, bone conduction is a big factor in hearing.

 

[Hump66]

The electronic muffs can be turned up louder than the ambient environment, and shut off when any sound over (I believe)80dB triggers the cut out. I only use the muffs, but I'm sure hearing things around me wouldn't be impaired with plugs under them and the volume up.

 

[saddlebum]

if you buy electronic muffs spend the money on good ones, with the cheap ones you get so much wind noise it will drive you crazy

 

[BMPregler]

Also, I have a pair of Howard Leight Impact Sports muffs and wore them yesterday for coyote hunting. I discharged my 223 and must not have had a good "weld" on my left ear because there was a slight "ringing" after the shot that didn't last long. I say it didn't last long because it blended in real well with the nonstop "ringing" (tinnitis) I have anyway.

I bought these for the whole family. Nice to have the people to be able to hear instructions and range commands. Bought them on Amazon.

 

[nemesis]

if you buy electronic muffs spend the money on good ones, with the cheap ones you get so much wind noise it will drive you crazy

Are you saying the Leights are cheap? Can you recommend some good ones? Also, look at the Leights.
[Broken External Image]

They are low profile which allows for a better cheek weld (to the long gun stock). The other brands of electronic muffs, and even the more expensive Leights, are far too bulky for any kind of a cheek weld.

 

[oldkar]

electronics sure make it easier to carry on a conversation at the range

 

[CODE_3]

For $50 you cannot beat the howard leight impact sport