How do you protect your ears (btw a 9mm is louder than a .223, .308 or 30.06)?

[Slamfire]

I use electronic muffs and plugs.

I have to crank the muffs up to full volume in order to understand those idiots who want to gab, but won't raise their voices enough for me to hear.

They expect me to remove my hearing protection and go deaf.

Electronic muffs are a work around.

Always wear eye and hearing protection.

 

[Para Bellum]

Neither ridiculous nor misleading

A 9mm is not louder than a .308. That is a ridiculous and tremendously misleading statement.

You saw the source quoted. Neither ridiculous nor misleading. Your personal perception of noise is irrelevant and might already be a result of your hearing loss. The data linked in the initial post is measured instantaneous sound pressure (that's what hurts the ear) in milisecond range. You won't even hear that part of the noise that hurts your ears (milisecond) but that's the part with the greatest instantaneous sound pressure.

Read the linked data again:

The above averages are for all types of ammunition used in these firearms, and should be considered fairly representative. No wonder we hear numerous reports about hearing loss as a result of firearms including acoustic traumas that take hearing completely as a result of one shot. Imagine what the noise levels must be when we incorporate muzzle brakes or porting into firearms, or have a gun explode near the ear due to malfunction.

 

[B. Lahey]

Your personal perception of noise is irrelevant

Exactly. This testing was all about individual perception from the shooting position (probably, they didn't give enough testing info to say for sure, dB numbers without the distance from source noted are worthless). The .308 is much louder than the 9mm if measured the same distance from the source, these guys could not have done that. Hell, they didn't even specify if the measurements are in dB-SPL or dB-Peak. These numbers are useless in every way with regard to actual relative loudness, they can only be about perception.

If the title of this thread was "9mm sounds louder to the shooter than the .308", that at least would be plausible. "9mm is louder than a .308" is totally wrong.

I have a degree in acoustics. They tested us on this stuff.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

And here's some interesting data: A 9x19 pistol and even more a .357 Mag is louder than a .223, .308 or 30.06!
Don't believe it? Here's the source:

I think you need to go back and recheck your source. 9mm is not louder than 357 mag and isn't louder than .308 and 30.06 in 18" barrels. It probably isn't louder than .223 is a 16" barrel either, although it apparently is with an 18" barrel.

 

[B.L.E.]

USMC triple flange earplugs whenever I'm within 200 feet of a gun being fired... or a concert.

Yea! +1 on the concert. I wish I had earplugs when I watched Ted Nugent perform back in the '70's. My ears were ringing for at least 3 days. No wonder he is nearly deaf today.
Richard Petty is nearly deaf also or so I hear.
Nitro burning dragsters are also unbelievably loud.

 

[Stevie-Ray]

I'll dispute this. Some years ago I owned a Bushmaster AR-15 that was functionally equivilant to my friend's Colt AR. The significant difference was the Colt had a muzzle break. The sound from the Colt was much quieter than the bare muzzle of the Bushmaster.

Are you sure it was a muzzle brake and not a flash hider? A true brake will send gasses up and usually back at angles toward the shooter, keeping the muzzle down and have a pulling effect to decrease recoil. When my .45-70 Contender pistol was rifle Magnaported (side rearward ports added) the blast went from horrendous to unbearable in indoor ranges.

OP: I currently use 31dB NRR plugs under 29dB NRR muffs. Looking for some quality e-muffs.

 

[hodaka]

A Ruger Blackhawk in .30 Carbine has got to be the loudest firearm I have ever seen. I use Peltor Electronic muffs.

 

[Average Joe]

I use plugs and muffs. Just trying to save what I have left from years of shooting without anything.

 

[Ignition Override]

My hearing protectors were recommended by store staff and noticed the decibel rating, which is necessary for the Mosin Nagant 44s, not just the Minis and SKS.
How much more protection do we have if also wearing plugs? How much do they cost?

As for noise, the Youtube video of the young guy shooting about 60 rounds in his AK just behind the house, followed by his girl friend yelling "MATT STOP!" has a funny ending.

 

[B. Lahey]

If any of y'all midwestern dudes need custom earplugs (really nice ones used by smarter rockstars) or the finest hearing aids available (if you already done busted your ears), call up Michael Santucci.

http://www.sensaphonics.com/about_santucci.html

He taught a section of one of my acoustics classes. Smart dude, very capable, will set you up with outstanding gear.

 

[223 shooter]

Don't care what the original link says, when I'm at the range and a 9mm shooter pistol is a few lanes away firing away it is not nearly as distracting or as loud to my ears (with earplugs) as someone firing a short barrel AR or 30-06 , 7mm mag , 300 mag.

 

[Para Bellum]

Personal perception

...now my personal perception: When I fire my 20" .223 indoors (with muffs) it seems no louder than my Glock 26 or Glock 19, just lower and more booming.

 

[Regolith]

Muffs usually; plugs when the muffs start to get in the way. I don't shoot indoors and I usually shoot non-ported or breaked rifles, so I don't use both at once.

 

[stephen426]

I use plugs and muffs together. I only have one set of ears and I need them to last me the rest of my life.

I would also have to dispute the results cited. Maybe if we know how the tests were conducted, we could make some sense out of it. In an enclosed range, rifles and shotguns are louder than almost any pistol. I was near some guy that was shooting .50 AE and .500 S&W and that was pretty friggin loud. I felt the concussion through my body! If we are talking about measuring the sound outdoors, I would have to ask where the decible meter was placed. I can understand that logic of being closer to the muzzle of a pistol, than the muzzle of a rifle or shotgun simply due to barrel length, but rifles are still pretty darn loud when I go to outdoor ranges.

 

[jsmaye]

It seems to be a simple matter of considering the amount of powder (generally, rifle rounds have more), pressure (higher pressure = higher noise spike), rate of burn (faster rate = higher noise spike), length of barrel (longer barrel = less pressure/noise spike exiting the barrel, and to a lesser extent, type of action (revolver, blowback, recoil), and supersonic vs subsonic rounds. Considering these factors there are no real surprises in what's "louder" than the other.

 

[Para Bellum]

I use plugs and muffs together. I only have one set of ears and I need them to last me the rest of my life.

smart.

 

[Telgriff]

Electronic Muffs. Unless one of the regulars brings their Mosin or their 7mm to the range.. then its both.

 

[3StrikesNC]

Range = foam plugs + muffs (Peltor or electronic muffs). Otherwise it's just too loud and painful.

Good post, cause here's my related question;

What about hunting? Whitetail is a problem for me, since I often hear one before or at the same time I see him. When I take a shot, I can't hear the deer if he drops/crashes through the woods. Ringing for a few moments in my ears. Shoot a Marlin .35, .444 or a pistol (.357 to .460).

I'd like to know what you guys use (electronic inserts?).

 

[ThreeStepsAhead]

USMC triple flange earplugs whenever I'm within 200 feet of a gun being fired... or a concert.

Those are standard RFI for anyone (regardless of branch) going to the sandbox...

They work great in a humvee or your local range

 

[Inspector3711]

There was a time, when I was young and crazy, that I wasn't beyond putting cigarette butts in my ears while shooting. Then I quit smoking Anyway, I get an annual hearing test and my ears haven't changed in 20 years. My hearing is excellent so I'm glad I didn't discount cigarette butts in a pinch.

Anyway... I was wearing a set of hand me down Peltor muffs which I now know spoiled me for good. I replaced them when one side went dead with a $40 set of Caldwell muffs. They work ok but just aren't of the same quality. I miss those Peltors.