Hearing protection vs. hearing damage

Wow Great thread. Being hearing impaired since two from a virus trust me its not fun at all. I love guns and want to shoot so I posted a thread if I could or not. After reading this even if I double up which I do its not worth the fun of shooting. I can't justify the risk. Yes I have been by 12 gauges a AR-15 going off I was still 20 yards away. I will stick with my air gun for now which is as loud as a .22. :eek: I want to shoot so many of the cool guns so bad but like I said its not worth it for me. Trust me not being able to hear on the phone sucks.
 
I'm a new member so I have a lot of catching up to do with you all, but I can really relate to what you all are saying about ear protection. My ears ring constantly from years of shooting and operating heavy equipment. I started using ear protection far to late so I have to live with the ringing and hearing loss. My last job was at a factory that required me to use double hearing protection so I didn't have anymore significant hearing loss. There's great hearing protection for us shooters that can be used for all loud noises that we are around. Use it! Believe me, ringing in your ears 24/7/365 is no fun.
 
Ok for those that say that they have ringing and or loss from years of shooting is that without or with hearing protection? I am a little lost on what people mean.
 
Ok for those that say that they have ringing and or loss from years of shooting is that without or with hearing protection?
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If you do a lot of shooting with centerfires indoors, the numbers say you can accumulate some damage even with hearing protection--it's best to double up and wear plugs & muffs.

For the most part if you wear hearing protection your hearing is going to be ok, particularly if you don't do really long shooting sessions indoors with centerfire handguns or rifles.
 
A Question from a One timer

Hello-

I'm currently writing a paper about firearms in entertainment and felt that to better understand what firearms were about i should go to the firing range. i went with a friend and we used ear protection but i still have a ringing in my left ear. We weren't even there for a full hour, is it possible I may have permanent damage?

Thanks!
 
I don't know I can't really say but my ears ring all the time but of course I am hearing impaired so its something those who are have to live with. I get ringing everyday. My question to you is where you in an indoor range? Other people shooting? How many? What where you shooting? What hearing protection where you using?
 
I carry several sets of desposable ear plugs for others

I use a set of muffs. I also have several sets of ear plugs in my car, on my 4wheeler, as well as in all my gun bags and cases.

I have often went to target practice with a friend and they forget there hearing protection or worst have a child along and nothing for them.

Most people like when I offer them a nice fresh set of disposable plugs. If someone wont wear some protection I just pack up and go home.

Terry
 
Terry your the man! Most people take their hearing for granted. Protecion is a must at all times! Keep passing out those plugs or go home if one refuses. Being deaf....trust me its not worth it without plugs.
 
I am 62. I have been shooting for most of my life. I did not wear hearing protection as a young man.
I have been wearing hearing aids for the past 25 years and without them I am almost completely deaf... with them I am only mostly deaf! LOL
see a correlation?

Don't fire any firearm without hearing protection...not even once!
 
Ear Plugs

Have been shooting rifles and shotguns since my early teens; rode motorcycles when turned legal age and now ride HD with load pipes (save lives). If you are new to the shooting sport purchase a good set of ear muffs or ear muffs and plugs together. When riding no matter what type of bike wear ear protection. I know, after spending $4500.00 on hearing aids I missed out on a trip to Australia.

Thanks for the data, very impressive.
 
I know, after spending $4500.00 on hearing aids I missed out on a trip to Australia.
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I've recently started recommending that people buy the absolute best hearing protection they can afford. People think that $150-$200 is expensive for a good set of electronic hearing protectors with the comfort gel pads, but that's only because they don't know how much hearing aids cost...

My hearing protectors are comfortable enough to wear all day, and with the electronics, I don't have to take them off to hear someone talk. I've seen people cheating one earpiece up (or completely removing hearing protection) to hear conversation at the range only to be surprised (and left with injured/ringing ears) when someone touched off a round nearby. Get the good stuff, you'll LITERALLY save yourself thousands on doctor bills and hearing aids in the future.
 
Listen up folks (while you still can) to the wisdom in this thread! I'm 45 and shot IHMSA for 5 years in my 20's . . . Thousands of rounds of magnum handguns with cheap earmuffs as protection plus who knows how many unprotected rounds while hunting. Never thought a thing about it until I was pulled over and ticketed for not stopping for an ambulance I didn't hear.

I now have 30% in one ear and 65% in the other and wear a hearing aid in my right ear.

My kids think it's funny that they can whisper stuff between them that 'ol dad can't hear. My oldest daughter sang with a choir last week and I had to get the CD recording to play with headphones to appreciate it.

There's no excuse to protecting your hearing except ignorance ( as I well know). It doesn't come back - no second chances once hearing is gone, it's gone for good.
 
I generally use NRR 33 plugs with NRR 29 muffs. Pretty solid protection, but I'll strive to get even better. I want to keep what little hearing I have left. I've gotten hearing tests every year for the last 15 or so, and I've never gotten worse (allowing for age) due to loud noises. I only wish I had taken better care of my hearing when I was a kid.
 
Has anyone tried those QC3 or QC2 headphones from ShaperImage? I think that co. went under this year but those "noise-cancelling" headphones looked to me to be the the best hearing protection you could get. Just a thought.
 
Noise cancelling electronics are usually designed to work on fairly long duration noises. I can't say for certain how they ALL work, but I wouldn't think that they would be particularly effective on very short duration noises such as the "impulse" noise created by gunfire.
 
12 Gauge 28" barrel 151.50dB. 26" barrel 156.10dB. 18" barrel 161.50dB.
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Many people are unaware of this dramatic difference in shooting 12 gauge shotguns at shorter barrel lengths.

One really should not buy a sporting shotgun with a barrel length shorter than 28" In fact, the best thing to do is to get one with a 30" barrel.

.
 
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