Thread: Hearing protection?

Thanks @Oli1102 I have had my hearing-aids ear plugs cast by Bay Audiology, and those moulded passive-impulse ear plugs may be the answer.
I'd still wear ear muffs over them too.
Just read an interesting article about shooting and ear muffs, etc...a gun shot is about 120 decibels.
Hearing damage/loss can occur >85dB. So take a baseline ear muff giving protection of (say) 25dB, take that 25dB off the 120dB of a gunshot = 95dB that you are still 'hearing'.
Way above the range of the hearing loss damage limit of 85dB.
I'd never really thought about those numbers before, but will be real careful now as I've already lost 30% hearing (thanks to NZ Army, tinnitus, etc).
I'm not an audiologist so I don't know if that is really how dB levels work re ear muffs/gunshots, etc. Maybe one of you can advise?
If that really is how the dB levels work, then most of us are way under in our hearing protection levels.

Originally Posted by Grey Kiwi

Maybe one of you can advise?

@6x47

You have to remember with earmuffs that they go down a rating if not tight to your skin. So class 5 become class 4 if you wear glasses etc.

Originally Posted by Happy Jack

You have to remember with earmuffs that they go down a rating if not tight to your skin. So class 5 become class 4 if you wear glasses etc.

Yes, quite right.
I see on a US forum that they like the gel pads on the ear cups as they seal better. The old Kiwi normal of soft foam is not all that good at sealing out the sound.
Memory foam may be slightly better, but gel pads seem to be the way to go.

My range experience with the Peltor Sporttac series is they are OK for a limited amount of shooting or hunting, not enough muff for a day of RO duties. These have the same cup seals as the bigger Tactical Pro series from Peltor and same headband setup but way less protection. The Tactical Pros are industrial Grade 5 rated and comfortable for everything being shot on the range while standing behind the firing point as Range Officer. The size of the earmuff cups really affect the sound reduction performance especially with impulse noise.

I have to agree with Brads about Howard Leights. I couldn't resist when I was over in the US grabbing some as they were only about $40. The headband design is their biggest weakness- the yolks tend to splay the earcups so they leak at the bottom. Like any badly-inserted plugs, this totally ruins the protection. A Class/Level 4 device will become a 2 or even 1. I always shake my head when you see closed-cell foam plugs with 2/3 of them visible in the ear as they will be providing sod-all protection. This is why plugs tend to have lower ratings, ie user incompetence. Also, about 1/4 of ear canals are very difficult to seal with plugs from being very oval/hairy/twisty. This applies particularly to flanged designs.

I once had some ? 6S Peltors but they eventually shat themselves when the wiring between the cups failed, a common problem apparently. I thought they were pretty reasonable except for being prone to switching themselves on in your bag and draining the batteries.

These days I use custom electronic plugs built round (expensive) hearing aid guts. These aren't a viable option unless you have industry contacts. I've lost track of the current commercial versions available but decent ones will never be cheap. If you decide to get custom-moulded plugs, either passive or electronic, it is --critical-- that the ear impressions and subsequent manufacturing are of the highest standard. Believe me, it doesn't matter what qualifications or experience the person has, the final efficacy can vary widely for the same product. I've seen some shockers over the years. If gunfire does not sound to be down to a safe level and you experience tinnitus ( ringing in the ears) after shooting, I'd be taking them back for warranty attention.

Agree with others on the Howard Leights, they tend to not seal properly at the bottom. To my ears they are suitable for rifles but no where near enough protection for pistols like this.
I still use them but I use reusable earplugs under them and then turn the volume way up. Protection is excellent and I can hear everything I need to.
Might upgrade eventually as they are not the most comfortable.

In the early 80's I worked in the Aussie mines on compressed air driven rock drills on tracks. 1050 cfm air compressors drove them. The whole box and dice was horrifically noisy. Those of us that valued our hearing wore ear plugs inside our ear muffs. But you had to pull the earmuffs away from your ears every 10 minutes or so to let the sweat drain out. Half the year was 40 ish degrees C, and at Xmas time it was 55 c at the bottom of the pit. Very hot and sweaty and noisy.

Then there were the old timers that didn't wear ear protection. Deaf as posts

Originally Posted by XR500

In the early 80's I worked in the Aussie mines on compressed air driven rock drills on tracks. 1050 cfm air compressors drove them. The whole box and dice was horrifically noisy. Those of us that valued our hearing wore ear plugs inside our ear muffs. But you had to pull the earmuffs away from your ears every 10 minutes or so to let the sweat drain out. Half the year was 40 ish degrees C, and at Xmas time it was 55 c at the bottom of the pit. Very hot and sweaty and noisy.

Then there were the old timers that didn't wear ear protection. Deaf as posts

In my apprenticeship I worked in a fert works. There a crushing hall with 2 ball mills crushing phosphate rock. The noise levels were extremely high. The company introduced and supplied the operators ear muffs. This was long ago in the days when ear muffs were just being introduced. The mill operators (old timers) refused to wear them and threw them away. They were all already deaf at any rate and said nah, the noise doesn't worry us. I scored a pair and immediately used them for fullbore shooting.

One of our ranges, 600yds, the mound was up against a steep hill. Before ear muffs, after each shoot I went home with a raging headache. I asked the old shooters if they got the same and they said, nah, never noticed it. Mind you they all stopped at the local pub on the way home and medicated.

Right...I'm sorted.
Bunged in 29dB foam plugs, and then a pair of slim Class 5 ear muffs on top.
Lovely! No more 'Bang'...just a sort of soft 'Floof'.
Could hear the Range Officer at our shoot yesterday (although a tad muted), but all sharp noises were gone.
I'm happy, my ears are happy too.