Hearing Protection - what you using?

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Waterengineer

New member
I'm about half deaf from working around construction and farm equipment most of my life, so preserving what I have left seems like a great idea.

What is everyone using for hearing protection?

- Foam
- Regular muffs
- something like E.A.R.
- Electronic
 
I

invention_45

New member
I just use whatever is rentable at the range, which usually is just an ear muff.

Regardless of what's being shot there, the resulting sound is no louder than what you hear at an action movie in a theater, if even that.
 
M

Mikeyboy

New member
Buy a really, really good pair of electronic earmuff, my dad was in the military and worked with machines all his life so he is having similar hearing issues as you do. You need a good pair of muff to protect what you got left, plus you going to need electronic because unlike most people who can carry on a conversation with hearing protection on, your not going to be able to do that without that electronic switchover help.
 
M

model 25

New member
Electronic, it makes shooting so much better. I use Dillions stuff made by Peltor. Best investment since the spotting scope. It is a safety issue too. You can hear what is going on around you, like a lawyer walking up behind you to pick your pockets.

25
 
O

Ohio Annie

New member
I use 32 NRR plugs under Tac-7 muffs (turned up all the way so I can hear people talk). Works for everything except that mean guy with the muzzle brake (aka muzzle blast increaser).
 
G

gb_in_ga

New member
Muffs -- Peltor AOSafety Ultimate 10. Good muffs -- I really haven't seen the need to double up with earplugs. My ears don't ring after a good shooting session, even when the range is "busy".
 
N

nemesis

New member
Most of the electronic hearing protectors have a NRR of 19 to 23 db. Cheap passive hearing protectors normally rate about 22 to 25 db reduction. I use passive Howard Leight "Leightnings" which have a NRR of 31 db.

Remember, a noise increase of 3 db doubles the sound level. I presume a reduction of 3 db will cut it in half.
 
W

Waitone

New member
I use the highest rating NRR foam plugs (NRR 31) I can find and use them under the highest NRR rated conventional muffs (NRR 29). I can hear conversation with just the plugs and get full protection when shooting. At no time on the range are my ears not protected.

I do not trust electronic muffs because I haven't seen information as to how they work, how they cancel or block noise and how effective they are when doing their thing. At this point I put them in the category of convenience at the expense of effectiveness. When it comes to my hearing I max out on effectiveness and ignore convenience.
 
L

lee n. field

New member
Howard Leight Thunder 29. It folds up into a double-fist sized ball, that I can carry around anywhere. I've been known to wear it in church when things get too loud:rolleyes: .
 
J

johnbt

New member
Remington foam plugs and Peltor Ultimate 10 muffs. Both are comfortable and both work very well.

My ears ring and whistle and crackle all of the time.

John
 
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NukemJim

New member
Regardless of what's being shot there, the resulting sound is no louder than what you hear at an action movie in a theater, if even that.
Click to expand...

Uhm, Perhaps I do not go to the same theatres that you do. You might want to check out the link below for some idea of relative noise levels.

http://www.otoweb.org/clinics_folder/aud_clinic_folder/about_ears_folder/hearing_protection.htm

(Hope I did that correctly I am NOT a technogeek, unfortunetly )

As for me I use internal earplugs AND the electronic earprotectors (wolf ears brand) I have been very happy with them.

NukemJim
 
C

choochboost

New member
Uhm, Perhaps I do not go to the same theatres that you do. You might want to check out the link below for some idea of relative noise levels.
Click to expand...
NukemJim, you beat me to it...theater noise is not even close to gunfire. Gunfire is a unique shockwave type noise that is very damaging.

I use the highest rating NRR foam plugs (NRR 31) I can find and use them under the highest NRR rated conventional muffs (NRR 29).
Click to expand...
Waitone is on the right track. The Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) is everything. You can get muffs with a higher rating than 29 though. I just bought some muffs for my wife that are rated at 31.

I can't stand muffs myself. I choose to use custom molded ear plugs with a NRR of 30. Got them at a gun show for $40. If I didn't have these babies, I go with the disposable foam plugs with a high NRR. I have some rated at 32.
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L

legacy94

New member
i use a pair of $2 dollar ear plugs from walmart.i go to a inddor range and don't have a problem with those.although today,i don't think they were in all the way cause after an hour of shooting,things sounded a little muffled.(and yes i took them out)
 
P

PinnedAndRecessed

Moderator
Gradual hearing loss may occur after prolonged exposure to 90 decibels or above.

Exposure to 100 decibels for more than 15 minutes can cause hearing loss.

Exposure to 110 decibels for more than a minute can cause permanent hearing loss.

Here are some examples of noise:

Video arcades - (110 dB).

Firecrackers - (125-155 dB at a distance of 10 feet).

Live music concerts - (120 dB and above).

Movie theatres - (118 dB).

Health clubs and aerobic studios (120 dB).

Sporting events (127 dB).

Motorboats - (85-115 dB).

Motorcycles - (95-120 dB).

Snowmobiles - (99 dB).

"Boom cars" - (140 dB and above).

Here are noise levels of firearms:

.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.

All of us should be trying to get the greatest Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) that can be put together. NRR 30 plugs with NRR 20 muffs will give you an effective NRR 45 (add plugs and muffs, then subtract 5). If noise levels are 160 dB this gives you an exposure with plugs and muffs of 115 dB. The acceptable exposure time for this is 15 minutes total for the day. If the noise levels are 150 dB the resultant acceptable exposure time with the given plugs and muffs is 1 hour and 4 hours if the noise level is 140 dB. You're not going to find unsuppressed noise levels below 140dB with gunfire.

If you are shooting by yourself, roughly 100 rounds of 140 dB instantaneous noise in a day should not produce hearing damage. Put your plugs and muffs on and 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 your 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.

If you want to know what the noise level you are exposed to is you can rent noise dosimeters that you can wear. They will record the total noise exposure and present the information to you as dB. You can then subtract the adjusted combined NRR of your hearing protection to determine if you're getting too much exposure.
 
W

Waitone

New member
To repeat, a silencer will just aid in reducing the noise. It ain't silent like Hollywood would have you think.
 
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