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Posted: 8/30/2014 3:15:04 PM EDT
[#1]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Don't listen to the morons who say hearing damage doesn't start til 140db. Everything you can do to reduce the noise will help you preserve your hearing, including shooting outside, using a can, and doubling up the ear pro. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: From what I can find, most all foam ear plugs have a NRR between 20-30db. Earmuffs have less than foam plugs on average. I have a 5.56 suppressor with a NRR of 34db......but yet, I'm told to wear ear pro while shooting a can; which I do! The big question is....is shooting an unsuppressed firearm ear safe at all? The conclusion I'm drawing is, shooting with foam earplugs inserted can still damage hearing. Maybe this has been brought up....if so, forgive me!  Don't listen to the morons who say hearing damage doesn't start til 140db. Everything you can do to reduce the noise will help you preserve your hearing, including shooting outside, using a can, and doubling up the ear pro. |
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Posted: 8/30/2014 7:11:51 PM EDT
[#2]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I worked the Flight Line for 24 years. Over the last 8 years, I dealt with OSHA standards to the point of nausea. The limits are based on an 8 hour day, 40-hour week. It caters towards factory and industrial workers, not casual tool use and occasional exposures. I have good hearing because I was often overcautious. I even wear ear pro when mowing the lawn, but not when shooting with 22 or pistol cans with subsonic ammo. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
140 seems a little loud, but you can't really argue with OSHA. Excellent response. I always like to read about hearing loss and what not since I'm somewhat deaf nowadays. I personally always recommend protecting your hearing, tenitis and not being able to hold a conversation is a mind fuck. I worked the Flight Line for 24 years. Over the last 8 years, I dealt with OSHA standards to the point of nausea. The limits are based on an 8 hour day, 40-hour week. It caters towards factory and industrial workers, not casual tool use and occasional exposures. I have good hearing because I was often overcautious. I even wear ear pro when mowing the lawn, but not when shooting with 22 or pistol cans with subsonic ammo. See, I'm 28, and most of my audiogram hovers at -15, rising to 0 at a few points, but is +15 to 25 at the 5-6kHz range. This is from gunshot trauma. Typically motors (mowing/cars/piston aircraft/motorcycle) will cause a 3-4K hearing loss. Jets are 4500-6K. As we age, this loss will shift downward into speech, which is around 3K. I learned late, but not too late to matter: PROTECT YOUR HEARING! |
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Posted: 8/30/2014 7:16:50 PM EDT
[#3]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
the last time i shot my rem 700 .308 with the can, i shot about 40 rounds, no ear pro. no ringing, no pain, nothing. however, not the same with my AR. it doesnt hurt my left ear, but it does my right. right handed, probably the action cycling that lets out some noise. It does. More backpressure the worse. This is why "mini cans" are quieter than full-size cans to the shooter. Most full-size cans without backpressure reducing features like the SOCOM Surefire series are 144dB or so at the ear, and 134-138dB at the muzzle. Mini cans are usually 138-142dB at the muzzle, and nearly the same at the ear. This is why I prefer a mini can. Supersonic bullet flight is 150dB, so you don't really lose any "tactical" advantage if concealing shot location is your thing, and your ears will thank you. |
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Posted: 9/2/2014 12:40:08 PM EDT
[#4]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
And if anybody does what I just did and Google "Pro Ears Gold" and sees them on Amazon Prime for $290 and think "uggh", go ask anybody that's lost their hearing if they'd be willing to spend ~$300 and get it back. It's a no-brainer. I'd never heard of them, and will readily admit I look at NRR and price when grabbing new muffs, and tend to pick up the cheaper ones. I didn't like the way my heavier duty NRR30 muffs hit the stock, so I bought some Howard Leight low profile muffs that only have a 23NRR, but always combine it with foam plugs in the 29-32NRR range. This is especially true indoors with lots of other shooters. Also...do others a favor and keep spare foams and even a set of muffs in your bag. You never know what someone will bring if you invite them to the range, or what somebody may forget. But I also wear foam plugs when mowing the yard, blowing off the driveway, or cutting down a tree...no matter how quick it may be. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Exactly, but you can go with foam and a can if you're at an outdoor range. I would only use a can an no earpro for my 22 or in a SHTF situation. YMMV, depends on how far into your old age you want to be able to use your ears. And if anybody does what I just did and Google "Pro Ears Gold" and sees them on Amazon Prime for $290 and think "uggh", go ask anybody that's lost their hearing if they'd be willing to spend ~$300 and get it back. It's a no-brainer. I'd never heard of them, and will readily admit I look at NRR and price when grabbing new muffs, and tend to pick up the cheaper ones. I didn't like the way my heavier duty NRR30 muffs hit the stock, so I bought some Howard Leight low profile muffs that only have a 23NRR, but always combine it with foam plugs in the 29-32NRR range. This is especially true indoors with lots of other shooters. Also...do others a favor and keep spare foams and even a set of muffs in your bag. You never know what someone will bring if you invite them to the range, or what somebody may forget. But I also wear foam plugs when mowing the yard, blowing off the driveway, or cutting down a tree...no matter how quick it may be. They are big and you end up looking like Mickey Mouse but they work. A decent set of hearing aids will cost you 3-5 thousand dollars or more and are never as good as what your hearing used to be. |
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Posted: 9/2/2014 12:48:54 PM EDT
[#5]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
A decent set of hearing aids will cost you 3-5 thousand dollars or more and are never as good as what your hearing used to be. Yup. Just boosts the volume of incoming sounds, doesn't restore the frequencies of cells/hairs that have died. |
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Posted: 9/2/2014 9:17:22 PM EDT
[#6]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
When subject matter experts who have spent their adult lives acquiring knowledge like Conqueror, myself and Dr. Dater say something we're not trying to pick a fight. We want you to hear your grandchildren. Truth. I don't enjoy arguing about this with internet denizens. But to me telling someone that a suppressed AR is "hearing safe" is like telling someone to ride a bike without a helmet. It may not always come back to haunt you, but that doesn't make it good advice. |
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