On Hearing Protection...

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I had a friend of mine in the army who let loose with a 200 round belt of 7.62mm NATO out of an M240B machinegun. One belt, 70% hearing loss in his right ear. Almost kept him from going to Iraq...almost...

I've concerned about my hearing, and wear the best I can. My electronic muffs muffle 30db of sound, which is respectable, while still allowing me to hear conversations. I occasionally wear my 19db behind-the-head ones when I wear a hat or need the slimmer profile (i.e. when shotgunning).

I'll have to check with the local gun shops, the next gun show (I know they do this), or some of my industrial-worker friends to see where they get custom-fitted earplugs. I'm looking at both "passive" plugs just to dampen sound as well as "active" electronic ones that would allow me to hear things anyway. Combined with suitable electronic muffs, I should be able to hear everything around me without a problem, but be protected from shots. Even if the batteries die, I'll still be protected.

I'm only 22 and want to preserve my hearing as much as possible. I'm doing the best I can to preserve that, even mostly sticking to outdoor shooting (indoor shooting is a pain, literally).
 
As someone just getting into the sport who already has very slight hearing damage (too close to the speakers at way too many rock & punk concerts) what kind of hearing protection should i be looking for? (at the moment im just borrowing some random muffs from a friend of mine) Any recommended brands, etc? Or should i just be looking for the highest decibel rating i can afford?
Thanks!
 
Ill second the recomondation for Leightning EAr Muffs. I double up with those and foam plus. I do a lot of shooting at indoor ranges, so I will take what I can get protection wise.

I am considering getting custom plugs to use instead of the foam disposables, but will probally wait until after I graduate to worry about it.

Out of curiosity though, how many of us worry about hearing loss outside the shooting sports? While mowing the grass or doing other loud projects, do you wear hearing protection?
 
>>>Quote:
Originally Posted by ZenMasterJG
Any recommended brands, etc?

LEIGHTNING L3<<<

I just ordered two sets from their site.....being a musician, I'm already doomed from too many days around marching bands.....hopefully with these and a good set of molded plugs I can put off the eventual decline.

Thanks for the heads up!
 
I use the 32db foam plugs you can get at the pharmacy section of the grocery store and I use those big blue Peltor 10s which are supposedly good for 30db reduction. I picked up a pair for about $15 each from CDNN a few years back.

Even with the above, my ears start to ring during shooting, indoors or out. My ears start to hurt from the foam plugs as well.

The ringing stops after I take the plugs out.

Anyone have any idea what might be going on? Is the foam plug agitating my ear canal? Is the double protection not enough or is there going to be ringing no matter what and just having double protection on blocks out enough of the surrounding sounds so you can hear the slight ringing?
 
Dave (and all),

Thanks for the good reminder and for sharing your story. I usually double up with plugs and muff, but am now going to look at getting the molded plugs and some better ear muffs.

This has reminded me that I also need to use them when using some loud powertools and outdoor equipment. I have a gas powered hedge trimmer that will have your ears ringing after using it (you're holding that loud 2-cycle engine up closer to your head).

Steve
 
manhattan23 said:
Even with the above, my ears start to ring during shooting, indoors or out. My ears start to hurt from the foam plugs as well.
Click to expand...
I know my tinitus is accentuated whenever I put plugs in, but it's not really noticable - maybe I'm used to it. Foamies should not hurt. You may be putting them in too deep, or another brand may work better.

I too almost always use double hearing protection (mickey mouse ears + foamies).
 
Got a set custom made today. I'll pass on how they do after a range session or two. Cost, $40. Db attenuation is, according to the installer, about 20 at vocal frequencies and nigh 60 up on the high end. We'll see.....
 
Good friend of mine is fighting this same problem for the past two years. One thing he is doing that is different is, mandable surgery, and wearing braces for teeth. He says this has cut down on the popping and crackle he was hearing. He rides motorcycles and races. He got the molded earplugs last year and talked me into it. Noticeable difference when riding or shooting. Still has the ringing but is better than befor. Hope it goes well for you.
 
Most audiologists can fit custom ear plugs. Mine cost $65.00 and work very well. I use "Sordin" muffs. These are Mil Spec and cost about $265.00. They have enough amplification that I can hear range commands and normal conversation through the ear plugs when they are set on max amplification. They are also contoured to fit under helmets and clear gun stocks.
 
Thankfully I don't have tinnitus but like many of the other posters, I've been around loud music and other hi-dB sources all my life. Most of my damage is left-ear upper frequency stuff, which I believe is due to loud sport & race cars. The left side is dramatically worse than the right...

I use passive Peltor 'muffs at the range but will definitely start doubling-up with plugs too. The other day there was a guy testing a 12ga with magnum loads (indoors) a couple lanes over and that was pretty intense. I've already started wearing plugs at the racetrack, too.
 
Look for the highest Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) in both plugs and muffs. Foam plugs can be commonly had with NRRs of 30-33 and muffs come as high as 30. You can not stack an NRR 30 muff with NRR 30 plugs and get a total effective NRR of 60. Instead, you add them and then subtract 5 dB to get an effective NRR of 55. This means that the 150dB shotgun blast (most firearms have a 120-150 dB noise level) will only be reduced to 95 dB if using very effective hearing protection giving and NRR of 55. 90 dB is currently considered to be a "safe" noise level for an 8 hour day of exposure, but studies indicate that damage to hearing may occur as low as 70 dB exposure for a full day.

What company to buy from is less important than getting the maximum NRR and wearing them properly. The most effective muffs are the over the head variety. Foam or customs are the most effective plug types. Muffs need to be centered and cover the entire ear with the pad in full contact with your scull. Plugs must be inserted well into the ear canal and must expand to seal the ear canal (you don't have to shove them into your brain, but you do have to have them in the canal). Do not use noise canceling electronic muffs like those from Bose because they work on relatively continuous sound instead of pulse noise from gunfire. They're great with aricraft, but ineffective for what we do. Don't use the ones with radios in them that allow you to listen to music. They usually have low NRRs and you're just adding more noise into your head. I personally like electroinc muffs with clipping circuitry that cuts off the gunshot noise, but allows "normal" sounds under 85 dB. I wear the Peltors with NRR 33 foam plugs under them.
 
Another hearing conservation tip: Avoid indoor ranges when using high-power weapons. The sound energy bounces around and can hit you more than once. Double up on plugs and muffs and go to an outdoor range where the sound must travel a lot farther before it echoes back.
 
I went to PGC and shot a few trap rounds up on Range 12. The plugs work well, at least as well as Silencio Christmas Tree style plugs and better than the foam jobs. I recommend them highly.
 
Good to hear (har-de-har-har) that you like the new plugs. Mine are a few years old, and I think need to be replaced. I shot about 150 targets this morning, and my ears are ringing worse than normal right now. I noticed that I was having some trouble keeping the left plug sealed perfectly, and that's the ear which is ringing quite a bit.

I'll try my doc on Monday and see if he can clean out my ear canals... and then I'll have some new plugs made.
 
Play on words noted, TR. Good luck. The guy that made mine said they're good for a couple years.
 
Interesting reading. At 36 I have a touch of tinitus myself. Mostly from too much time blasting music with headphones, but also from shooting. My plugs slipped out at a poor moment a couple of years ago as the guy next to me touched off his .45. I can tell the difference in my hearing since then. I find myself using the subtitle function on DVD's more often these days.

A little digging around for higher rated plugs & muffs than I see at the local Wally World found these:


Foam plugs rated for 33NRR

Silicone plugs rated for 33NRR.

Earmuffs rated for 29NRR.

Another (a bit cheaper) brand of 29NRR rated muffs.


I like that for the plugs they have sampler packs for three different sizes to help you find the ones that fit your ears best.

Does anyone else have any recommendations for hearing protection? Especially on the affordable end?
 
JNewell,

Just for the record I've never purchased from them so I have no idea what their service is like. I just did some quick searches for 33NRR rated plugs and that was one of the first to pop up. Same for the site selling the earmuffs.
 
I'm only 20 and my hearing is fine, but I'm still angry at my father and grandfather for not making or even suggesting I wear hearing protection when shooting .22s, because 'you don't need hearing protection with those little guns'.
 
Hi All-

Another thing to keep in mind is that hearing damage is cumulative. The loud Judas Priest concert you attended without hearing protection in 1984 has had a negative impact on what you're hearing now. Same thing with the lawnmower you used as a kid. For that reason, protect your ears whenever you can.
  • Commuting to work by train followed by a walk through city streets? Plugs in your ears until the moment you enter your office.
  • Going to the movie theater? They're notorious for extremely loud volume settings. I put plugs in before the previews start.
  • Going to see Judas Priest on the Retribution 2005 tour? Plugs should be in before they dim the lights.
  • Enjoy riding motorcycles? Secure the best NRR foam plugs. Wear beneath your full-face helmet...which will also help cut noise.
Good luck!

~ Blue Jays ~
 
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