Hearing Protection

B

BarryLee

New member
I am trying to protect my hearing and usually wear foam plugs and muffs when shooting. Regrettably most of my shooting is done at an indoor range, so I assume there is more risk. My ear muffs are getting a little worn, so I plan to replace them.

So, what level of sound reduction should I look for?

My understanding is that the decibel rating printed on the ear muff is the level of reduction. Right?

I realize that decibels are measured logarithmically, so 25db reduction could be pretty significant, but should I look for more?
 
I used cotton one day because I didn't want to use my last earplugs(backwards common sense I admit). cottonballs are bad news right?
 
Just stick with a name brand and you will be fine.
On the range I also often wear plugs and muffs. Downside is that can make it hard to hear range officer commands. If/when my budget allows I plan to switch to electronic muffs that amplify but shut off with loud sounds. Best of both worlds.
 
I worked as a safety manager for several years (along with several other duties) at two different companies and I've taken many, many OSHA training courses and retrained employees where I worked. Part of that training was using hearing protection and how to avoid hearing loss. First off, let me explain one concept about hearing loss that most people don't understand: You can lose a significant amount of hearing due to repetitive moderately loud noise at continuous levels of exposure over time. All hearing loss doesn't happen at once (it could but that's not usually how it works). Constant, repetitive noise damages the small hairlike follicles inside the hearing canal. These hairlike follicles transmit sound waves to the auditory nerve and repeated exposure to noise causes these follicles to quit working. After a while your hearing decreases, usually at first in the frequency where people speak. You can't wear too much hearing protection. I reccommend plugs and muffs every time you shoot. I'll also point out that when I was younger I didn't follow this advice and I, myself have a significant loss in hearing. Buy the highest rated muffs you can get and wear them at all times when shooting.
 
Use plugs and muffs, especially indoors.

You might think you don't need both, but they'll keep you from needing hearing aids for an extra decade or two.
 
From my research the maximum amount of Db cut available is 33. My opinion is that you should always go with the max. You never know who or what will be next to you at the range. :)
 
I use foam earplugs because to me they are more comfortable than muffs, especially when wearing glasses. Foam earplugs seem to provide all the noise reduction I need. I shoot mostly pistol. Maybe if I ever set up next to someone firing a 50 BMG I'll wish I had muffs too but not so far.

One thing I notice about most folks who use foam earplugs is that they usually leave too much of the earplug sticking out of their ear. You are supposed to roll/squidge them up really tight and then jam them down in your ear and let them expand. You are supposed to get them so far down in there that you can just barely pinch the edge of what remains outside of your ear in order to get them out. If you feel you need to pull them out slowly due to suction then you have done it right :-)

I guess ear anatomy varies a bit from person to person, but this is what works for me and I think it is how it is supposed to work.

-cls
 
Tinitus another serious problem caused by gun fire.

Wear your hearing protection Plugs and muffs every time if you possibly can.
Even when hunting, you should wear at least earplugs for some level of protection.

Not only is hearing loss an issue, but so is Tinitus. That never ending ringing in the ears. there have been people commit suicide because they couldn't get the ringing noise "Out of their head", ever!
I've received substantial hearing loss from my time in the military and it's not any fun. I also have 24/7/365 non-stop ringing in both of my ears caused from spending time on a Tank Range down at Fort Knox, and hundreds of evolutions on the rifle ranges... My Right ear rings in 2 different tones at the same time, and the left in a 3rd different tone. It never stops or gets quiet any more, just non-stop ringing/buzzing.

Tinitus is caused from sharp fast sounds passing thru the ear canal, and the hairs that transmit those sounds to your brain are literally snapped off from the shock wave of sound.
Once the hair is snapped off, the brain thinks it's active and then produces the ringing tones. Different tones/frequencies will clip off the hairs at different lengths and different places within the ear canal, and then you'll have it for the rest of your life. numerous exposures to loud and sharp sounds can and will cause ringing that may never stop and is often in multiple tones similar to what I suffer from.
There's no medicine or treatment to cure Tinitus. Some meds will reduce the annoyance, but in time even that will stop working.
Please don't risk personal damage to your hearing. Hearing loss is forever and can't be replaced. Hearing your grandchildern playing or singing in a school play is a mighty precious thing not to hear.
 
33NRR muffs are available. I have the ProEars and like them . 33 NRR plugs are available are most drug stores. Use them in combination realizing that the total protection is not a 66 dbl. reduction. The plugs add only about 5 or 10 more dbls. to the total reduction and even then there are variables as to the fit, glasses, indoor or outdoor etc. Use all you can get all the time. I suffer as do many many folks with tinnitus. Too late with too little.
 
hearing protection; new designs...

I suggest you buy the highest rating you can get.
I was lucky to get a custom made set of plugs rated to about 39db.
I use them indoors & outside.
Check hunting and outdoors catalogs or sites for the new models. Some plugs amplify sounds but cut off in a nano-second to protect your hearing.
Gander Mountain, Cabelas, etc may have a few hearing systems in your budget.

A few milspec or US military plugs are a good back-up too. ;)
 
I simply do not shoot anymore without a pair of electronic muffs. My hearing was damaged a long time ago in the army, and as I've gotten older it has now become apparent just how much. Also, don't forget, you may have a .22 at the range so you're thinking "why bother". Just wait until the guy next to opens up with a .338 Lapua.:eek:
 
Hearing Protection---Ear Muffs

I went with #29 earmuffs and theb added extra packing.
For the life of me I can not figure out why makers have dropped back to #25?
 
33NRR muffs are available. I have the ProEars and like them . 33 NRR plugs are available are most drug stores. Use them in combination realizing that the total protection is not a 66 dbl. reduction. The plugs add only about 5 or 10 more dbls.
Click to expand...

Correct to a point. Using both as you stated will give a NRR of the higher of the 2 + 5 so, a total of 38 NRR. I have used electronis muffs and find that they do not reduce the noise enough for ME
 
For metallic, ESPECIALLY inside or under a cover where the sound is amplified, I wear plugs AND muffs, and I still have high-end loss and a nice "hissing" sound 24/7.

Protect the mastoid areas around the outside of your ear as they transmit vibrations to the inner/middle ear - this causes permanent damage like sounds waves into the ear canal
 
Protect the mastoid areas around the outside of your ear as they transmit vibrations to the inner/middle ear - this causes permanent damage like sounds waves into the ear canal
Click to expand...
That's some really good advice and well explained. That's why you should wear PLUGS and MUFFS.
 
I hate shooting indoors. The sound just echoes forever, especially when the guy next to you lets fly with a 44 magnum.

Minimum 33NRR muffs. Wouldn't go any lower.

Outdoors, electronic 28's are fine.
 
There are times when having a hearing loss becomes a nice thing to me. The majority of the time is not pleasant.

I highly recommend both muffs and plugs. Ear plugs also come with ratings and the higher the number the better. Most hearing loss is permanent and things like hearing aids don't let you hear everything you did before the loss. They are expensive and can be a pain in certain cases as well. Take it from someone that learned the hard way, the more protection you have the greater the chance you won't end up like me. Even with the loss I have now I use both plugs and muffs when at indoor or outdoor ranges. Even more hearing loss I don't need. Learning to read lips isn't that much fun to do. It wasn't easy for me to start reading lips so if you insist on not protecting your hearing you might want to learn lip reading now. It is easier to learn from what I have been told when you can still hear human voices clearly.
 
I double up when inside shooting. I use ear plugs and a 28db muff. This works well. Testing has shown I've lost some hearing, so I'm going to try to save what's left.
 
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