Are Ear Plugs Really Enough (to protect your hearing)?

[Phil3]

Being especially conscious of protecting my hearing, I have been wondering if ear plugs provide enough protection when at the range. I use Howard Leight Max-1 ear plugs and they provide a noise reduction rating (NRR) of 33db. They do work well, but are they enough? To help protect my hearing, I also wear a set of electronic earmuffs, but these interfere with the stock and cheekweld. Not using the electronic muffs would be any easy solution, but given that some of the loudest weapons can reach 165+ db, and that exposure to even 140 db is enough to cause instant hearing loss, I wonder if ear plugs alone are enough. It seems the answer might be "just barely". Consider the following.

http://www.asha.org/public/hearing/Recreational-Firearm-Noise-Exposure/

http://www.silencertests.com/results.htm

Anyone found a way to wear ear muffs and still maintain good cheekweld?

Phil

 

[Terry]

When shooting I like ear plugs made by Stihl, the chain saw people and Winchester ear muffs sold at Walmart. The muffs are tapered and do not interfere with the stock.

 

[hogpatrol]

Huh? ;D

 

[357Mag]

Phil3 -

Howdy !

NO... they are not.

While foamies can cut something like 28 db off the perceived noise you ear receives; they do not cover the porous bone areas by your ears.
Headphones ( earmuffs ) do the job of covering the porous bone structure.

Baring the use of " Active Noise Supression " headphones, that are tailored to the specific frequency you need attenuated.... use of
" passive headphones " along with wearing foamies is your best bet.


With regards,
357Mag

 

[butchlambert]

I use custom molded ear plugs and ear muffs.I can still hear myself fart.

 

[Minesweeper3433]

I prefer to use a silencer and some form of hearing protection. I also despise shooting on public shooting ranges because of the noise levels.

 

[SS427]

I swear by using both now. One time I was only wearing plugs and a guy with a short barrel AR-15 sat down right behind me. 30 rounds later and I now have a permanent ringing in my left ear. (Can someone answer that damn phone?)

I had the same problem as you with the muff interfering with the stock. I switched over to tall rings on all my rifles that I shoot at the range and that pretty much solved the problem.

 

[BoydAllen]

I use the best (33 db) foam plugs that I can find, and cover them with the equivalent of shotgun muffs, so that I get some additional protection, and have enough clearance so that the muffs do not hit the combs of my stocks. Recently it has come to my attention that the plugs may require more attention, and deeper insertion to get a proper seal, due to the size of the outer part of my ear canal, which may have me using my less comfortable custom molded plugs with the muffs. For those that think that loss of hearing is all that you risk, it is not. I would not want the ringing that already have (tinnitus) to increase. That would be a lot more of a problem than loss of hearing. I do not think that shooting has been the major cause of this, but it surely has the potential to make it worse.

 

[Old Navy]

I swear by using both now. One time I was only wearing plugs and a guy with a short barrel AR-15 sat down right behind me. 30 rounds later and I now have a permanent ringing in my left ear. (Can someone answer that damn phone?)

I had the same problem as you with the muff interfering with the stock. I switched over to tall rings on all my rifles that I shoot at the range and that pretty much solved the problem.

+1 I already lost half my hearing to shooting. Aids in both ears now. I am trying to save what is left. Later! Frank

 

[joecob]

Anyone found a way to wear ear muffs and still maintain good cheekweld?

Phil

Custom plugs AND muffs is your best choice. Pick the muffs, then approach cheek weld. It won't be
ideal but the muffs are necessary if you want to keep what's left. I lost a bunch of hearing to cannons
in the '60s & '70's yet I still shoot. My TV is turned to 50+% when I watch. Good luck and health Phil.

 

[Dans40X]

Butch,
With molded plugs & muffs are you able to tell if the warm sensation is moist also!!
Had to ask!

I prefer old fashion triple flange plugs w/ Peltor Electronic's for the amplification of hearing audible range commands during matches & Peltor Bull's Eye ShotGunner collapsible for range work as the Peltors are scalloped on the lower/outside & don't interfere w/ cheek welds on adjustable cheek/Adj LOP prone stocks.

Tinnitus is hereditary not self induced.
I've lived w/ 2 different pitches in both ears since childhood in the 40dB range.
Silence IS Deafening!!

 

[wmdron]

I wear foam earplugs but this thread has me thinking I should use muffs also. With all due respect to Phil3 and not wishing to hijack or take this thread in a different direction would you guys mind naming some of the better muffs you have used that did not interfere with cheekweld or did so at a minimum ? Terry has said Winchester brand at Walmart, that's one I should look at. Thanks and Merry Christmas.

 

[Area Man]

Tinnitus is hereditary not self induced.

Some tinnitus is hereditary.

First night on the job was just insane
Some ol' boy got all deranged
Hit me in the head with a Harley chain
To this day my ears still ring - Delbert McClinton

 

[Eddie Harren]

Were you twisting knobs at a place called Billy Bob's?

 

[Raythemanroe]

I use custom molded ear plugs and ear muffs.I can still hear myself fart.

Wow, what caliber you think

 

[vervi1jw]

I have seriously sensitive hearing, plugs alone generally are no where near enough and I still grit my teeth before each shot because I know the ear pain is coming. If I also use muffs this is a non issue. Protect your ears and wear both. I find I can focus better at matches with dual ear protection because of the extra noise cancellation..

 

[Phil3]

Given the responses here, I am going to be extra vigilant. That is, use good ear plugs properly inserted:

http://www.howardleight.com/uploads/File/pdf/Americas%20Hearing%20Conservation/HP500_Howard_Leight_Earplug_Instruction_Poster.pdf)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cV1tuq03t9Y

And will continue to use earmuffs. I am hopeful adjusting my position behind the rifle will minimize muff interference with the stock, but if not, I may have to get higher rings and hope that helps. I also got ESS Crossbow Supressor shooting glasses, with very thin and flexible arms to better allow sealing between muffs and head.

http://www.esseyepro.com/Suppressor-ONE-Kit-Hi-Def-Copper-Lens_287_detail.html

I have some electronic muffs, but the bulky non-electronic but bulky Peltors I have seem to be most effective. I love shooting, but no way am I putting my hearing at risk, so hope these measures will work in combination to give me ample protection.

Phil

 

[normmatzen]

Anecdotal evidence stops here!
I am career analog electronic design engineer plus graduate program in audioligy with extensive experience in the hearing industry,
Yes, yellow foamies are excellent protection and are adequate protection. Adequate as long as they are inserted correctly.
First, a comment about the NRR rating system. This hearing protection is mandated by OSHA as many hearing protection devices may be inserted or used incorrectly. The NRR standard takes the best attenuation possible (about 40dB for yellow foamies) and subtracts the common reduction in attenuation due to mis-fitting.
Second, gun shots are impulse noises and a given level is not as damaging as steady state sound. A nominal 165 dB impulse noise with proper fitted ear plugs is fine.
Third, with "perfect" plugs in your ear canal, your skull and primarily the mastoid bone passes sound direct to the inner ear with the equivalent of about 40 dB of attenuation. This is why proper fitted foamies give about 40 dB, they attenuate more than the mastoid bone! And, muffs do NOT do better than foamies! There is no benefit in using muffs over foamies if they are properly fitted. properly fitted means rolled up into a rod and quickly inserted into the canal as far as possible and held a few seconds till they expand.
Any questions, pm me.

 

[Terry]

" There is no benefit in using muffs over foamies if they are properly fitted. properly fitted means rolled up into a rod and quickly inserted into the canal as far as possible and held a few seconds till they expand. "

Norm

I would not shoot my .284 Shehane with a muzzle break without muffs over the plugs.
No offence intended.

 

[Raythemanroe]

I have electronic muffs and find myself using the foamies that are mounted like muffs. I get less interference that way.