3 Best Shooting Ear Protection Items
Lets talk about ear protection for the gun range. You simply must use good ear protection on a gun range. Gun ranges are high risk areas for your hearing. An average firearm or gun creates a minimum 140 decibels of sound. As you can imagine some guns produce a great deal more noise than others. The first time I fired a 357 even with ear plugs in, I felt the noise level in my jaw.
If the range has many lanes or ranges for active fire you not only need to protect your hearing from your own weapon but also from others firing in the area.
“Proper” Hearing Protection
Proper hearing protection can come in many forms. My choice is to have two layers of protection. First earplugs, then ear muffs. Since I do not go the range as much as I used to I stay old school with non-electronic hearing protection. If you are like some of my friends in law enforcement who go to the range several times each month then more substantial protection may be of interest to you.
Even before I walk onto the gun range I already have my earplugs in. Then before I fire my weapon, or anyone I am with does, I use my earmuffs as well.
My goal with the two layer protection is to lower the noise level of our firearms into a safe range.
How Loud are average gunshots?
Highest gunshot decibels by caliber (shotguns):
12 ga. (3” ammo) w/choke – 161.5 dB
10 ga. (3.5”ammo) – 161.4 dB
12 ga. (3” ammo) w/o choke – 161.0 dB
12 ga. (hunting ammo) – 161 dB
12 ga. (3” ammo) – 160.1 dB
12 ga. (2.75” ammo) – 159.7 dB
Highest gunshot decibels by caliber (rifles):
7 mm Magnum – 166.5 dB
.30-06 caliber – 163.6 dB
.270 caliber – 161.9 dB
.243 caliber – 160.6 dB
.45-70 caliber – 160.1 dB
.50 caliber (black powder) – 159.7 dB
Highest gunshot decibels by caliber (pistols):
.357 – 169 dB
.44 caliber – 168.8 dB
.22 blank – 165.3 dB
.38 caliber – 164.7 dB
9 mm caliber – 163 dB
.40 caliber – 159 dB
Hearing Protection Buyer’s Guide
Ear muffs are designed to protect the wearer’s ears from loud noises. However, many shooters do not use them correctly or wear enough of them. Some shooters remove one ear cover to hear better. There are several types of earmuffs available. Each offers different levels of protection from noise. You should be wearing ear protection during shooting if you want to protect your hearing.
Ear muffs are available in many different styles, shapes and sizes. You should choose them based on what you plan to do with them and how much noise exposure you expect. If you’re planning on doing lots of loud activities such as shooting guns or operating power tools, then you’ll probably want something more durable than earplugs. This is where the ear muffs come into play. Most earmuffs come with instructions on how to put them on properly, but if you’re having trouble getting them on correctly, you should consult someone else before trying again.
What is considered excessive noise?
Noise level is measured using sound meters. Over eight hours, 85 dB is considered excessive. Loud noises include a lawn mower, a rock concert , firearms , firecrackers , headsets , motorcycles and tractors . Industrial machinery may exceed 100 dB.
Painful: 150dB Rock Concerts at peak 150dB Firearm, air raid siren, jet engine 130dB jack hammer 120dB jet plane take off, amplified music at 4ft., car stereo, band practice extremely loud 110dB machinery, model airplanes 100dB snowmobile, chain saw, pneumatic drill 90dB lawnmower, shop tools, truck traffic, subway very loud
The Noise Reduction Rating is used to measure the effectiveness of hearing protectors. An NRR of 26 indicates that the device provides complete protection from sounds up to 26 decibels. Most workplace environments require hearing protection devices with an NRR of 25 or better.
Ear plugs fit most ears, but some may need to try another style or size. These are often more expensive than other types of earplugs. However, they last longer because they do not require cleaning as frequently. They also tend to block out noise better than foam ear plugs.
The best shooting ear protection worth wearing
Electronic Ear Muffs
Electronic ear muffs combine the latest sound science (no pun intended) and well-designed ear muffs. I used the Pro-Ears Electronic Ear Muffs borrowed from a friend. These powered, electronic earn muffs provide another layer of sound protection in the form of electronic sound intervention.
This model reduces sounds with an NRR of 25. Yet, the electronics allow you to still hear normal sounds around you without blocking all sound out. This means you have better operational awareness while on the range, and can even hear conversations and interact with others.
This comes in very handy when training others, being trained, or conducting other gun range activities.
Unpowered earplugs
Earplug technology has evolved since the days of the unshaped foam plugs. Nowadays, there are many different types available, including custom molded ones made specifically for musicians or athletes. These can be shaped to fit into any ear canal comfortably and allow the user to hear clearly while protecting their ears from loud noise.
An example of earn plugs that are carried by Top Gun Supply are Caldwell Corded Range Plugs these have a NRR of 31 so they offer above average hearing protection. Again if you are using a higher caliber gun you may want to use both ear plugs on range, then when firing ear plugs and ear muffs on top of them.
Unpowered earmuffs
These devices work by providing a barrier around your ears, protecting them from loud sounds while allowing less intense noises through. They do this by creating a seal around your head, blocking out most of the external environment. The downside is that they block out almost all other sounds, leaving nothing to hear except what is directly behind the device.
A great value set of both ear muffs and protective glasses is the Champion Ear Muffs And Shooting Glasses Combo.
Noise Reduction Rate (NRR)
The Noise Reduction Rating measures how well a hearing protector reduces the level of noise reaching the ear. These ratings range from 0 to 100 percent, with higher numbers indicating better performance. For example, if the NRR rating is 80 dB, then there is 20 dB less noise than without the hearing protector.
Decibels
Decibels are used to gauge the intensity of noise. Since a decibel is measured as a logarithm, you need to multiply by 10 every time the number goes up by 1. So if something is 100 dB, then it’s 10 x 10 100. If it was 110 dB, then it’d be 10 x 11 110. And finally, if it were 120 dB, it’d be 10 x 12 120.
People often complain about hearing loss due to exposure to noise. However, there are limits to how much noise you should expose yourself to without damaging your ears. For instance, if you are exposed to a gunshot, you may get deafened or injured.
