Prolonged hearing damage is the price you pay as an avid shooter if you choose to dodge ear protection for shooting. Firing off some rounds at an indoor range can play a number on your eardrums.

Why Do You Need Ear Protection for a Shooting Range?

But can a gun really make you go deaf? Since you are exposing yourself to sounds up to 140-170 decibels when you shoot a firearm, given that 85 decibels are the maximum safe sound exposure level, you can easily deduce that not wearing ear protection for shooting can result in serious hearing loss.

Imagine that your ear is used to normal speech, which reaches around 60 decibels, and busy traffic, which can go up to 80 decibels, and suddenly you expose it to a  gunshot that produces twice as much noise, not to mention that it is very close to your ears. If someone tells you that they “got used to it”, what they actually mean is that they lost their hearing, so they do not hear the sounds as loud as they are in reality.

Noise-induced hearing loss can occur if you shoot a gun without ear protection since it is the result of frequent exposure to loud sounds over a prolonged period. Experts advise avoiding noise sources that are too loud, too close to our ears or loud sounds that last too long. And since range shooting is a constant source of loud, close sounds, wearing hearing protection becomes mandatory.

What Happens if a Gun Goes Off Next to Your Ear?

Practising safe firearm habits is important, and that includes, of course, aspects related to protecting your hearing health, so a gun going off next to your ear is not a great idea in terms of safety when shooting a gun.

By producing a loud burst of sound, a gunshot can rattle your eardrum, the cochlea, and the bones in the inner ear, causing ear ringing and the sensation that the ear canal is blocked. You might hear about this effect called a temporary threshold shift, which basically means that your hearing will be impaired for a while after a gun goes off next to your ear if you are not wearing hearing protection.

Can You Fire a Gun without Ear Protection?

A gun going off next to your ear can even cause long term hearing loss and tinnitus. Experts can identify a person that has range shooting as a hobby just by analysing their ears. If they have the “shooter’s ear”, a hearing loss pattern, it is clear that they frequently hold a gun up to one ear or another.

Symptoms of Shooting a Gun Without Ear protection can vary, from temporary hearing damage, hearing loss and ear pain, to tinnitus and permanent loss of hearing.

When it comes to range shooting, gunfire happens indoors, at a rapid and continuous pace, which means that the loud sounds are usually more concentrated, so it is not advisable to practice this sport without a pair of earmuffs, combined with foam earplugs.

Can You Shoot a 9mm without Ear Protection?

You might wonder if wearing ear protection is mandatory for various types of guns, such as small calibre pistols.

The truth is that even a 9mm can reach a noise level of 160 decibels, which is way past the safe sound exposure level of 85 decibels. Since any sound above 85 decibels can cause hearing damage, you need hearing protection when firing a weapon, regardless of the gun’s calibre or type.

How Loud is a Gun with Ear Protection?

Without ear protection, you can expect a 22-calibre rifle to generate a noise level of around 145 decibels, while higher calibre guns, such as a 44-handgun revolver can reach a whopping 170 decibels!

As a rule of thumb, earplugs and muffs that are designed for shooting should bring the noise level below 140 decibels. The levels may vary based on the shooting scene, since firing a gun indoors, in a shooting range will certainly be louder and have a greater impact on your hearing, even with ear protection, because there are no objects to absorb or reflect the sound.

What Ear Protection is Best for Shooting?

When searching for the best ear protection for shooting, you should look for features such as noise cancellation level and efficacy, noise reduction rating, and comfort, as well as add on features, such as Bluetooth or music streaming.

Types of Hearing Protection for Shooting Ranges

There are various options of ear protection for the shooting range, such as earplugs, hearing bands, also known as canal caps, electronic headsets or noise-cancelling headsets and muffs.

If you choose electronic hearing protectors, make sure you choose a model with longer battery life. Some noise-cancelling electronic earmuffs offer up to 600 hours of uninterrupted usage without charging.

Apart from the modern features and noise-cancellation levels, the best ear protection for shooting is the one you feel more comfortable with, since range shooting requires a high level of concentration, and uncomfortable ear protection is a major distraction.

Are Earplugs or Earmuffs Better for Shooting?

You could, of course, use ordinary foam plugs, but pairing them with a pair of ear protection muffs will give you the best protection for shooting.

Can Noise-cancelling Headphones Be Used for Shooting?

Noise-cancelling electronic earmuffs can be an affordable option if you do not have a large budget to spend on military-grade ear protection models. But regular noise-cancelling headphones are of no use at the gun range, since noise-cancelling headphones are designed to cancel out background noise, not active noise, such as a gunshot.

What you should look for when buying ear protection for a shooting range?

The best thing you can do is look for the highest NRR ear protection that you can find. The Noise Reduction Rating or NRR is a convention used to evaluate a product’s performance when it comes to protecting your hearing. Basically, the higher the NRR, the better it is for your ears when you shoot a gun.

Since acoustic energy doubles every 3 decibels, you will get 200% more protection from a 29 NRR ear protection product, compared to a pair of earmuffs that feature a 23 NRR.

Tips for the shooting range

Many people today who go to shooting ranges want to be able to hear the loud bangs and other sounds that come with firing a gun. However, this is actually a very dangerous sentiment when it comes to going to the shooting range, as this can result in deafness and tinnitus.

This post will tell you everything you need about ear protection for a shooting range so that you don't have these problems avoid any further damage or injury due especially if there are teenagers or children present at the shooting range with you. It's important that we take proper precautions and show due diligence in ensuring our safety now and later on down the line.

Ear Protection For Shooting Range: The Noise Itself Is Actually Dangerous, Especially Over The Long-Term

The danger of going to a shooting range without ear protection cannot be overstated. While you may not notice the immediate effects of the noise on your ears, over time, you can experience serious hearing loss and other symptoms. If left unchecked for a long period of time, you can experience permanent hearing damage.

For instance, if you are at a shooting range where guns are being fired at close range to your ears all day long, there's a good chance that you will lose your ability to hear certain frequencies over time.

The Hearing Damage That Goes Into Effect After A Shooting Range

Once the damage happens, it can be permanent and there's no going back. You can't reverse that damage over time or anything of the sort. So, even if you've gone to a shooting range for one day, you can still end up with tinnitus and hearing loss down the road. What's worse is that once this happens, tinnitus symptoms are very hard to manage while hearing loss is not as common as many would think.

The Damage To Your Ears Is Inescapable

Because of the permanent damage that this noise can cause, you must take the proper precautions to keep yourself protected. You don't want to end up with a hearing loss later on down the line, so you need to take this seriously.

How Long Are You Inside A Shooting Range?

If you are in a shooting range for several hours, probably 4-5 or more hours per day, your ears may not be able to handle that. You need to take a break every now and then to let your ears rest. If you continue on without taking these breaks, the damage will be much worse than it already is. Your ears can only take so much before they can't handle any more punishment.

Ear Protection For Shooting Range: What Kind Of Ear Protection Should You Purchase?

If possible, you want to purchase ear protection that has a rating of NRR 28. This means that it will reduce the noise around you from 100 dB to around 68 dB. You should be able to hear the conversation around you easier with ear protection of this sort. However, you will still be able to hear the gunshots in the background, but only as muffled noises. Overall, this is much better than going without any ear protection at all.

What's The Price Of Ear Protection?

The price of ear protection for shooting range is relatively reasonable, especially in comparison to the price of losing your hearing forever. Shooting ear protection can be purchased for less than $25, which is much cheaper than the cost of hearing aids. Also, you won't have to worry about covering that cost all on your own, either. Your health insurance provider may cover it as part of your benefits plan.

Make Sure That You Get The Right Accessories To Go With Your Ear Protection

You can't just buy the ear protection and think that's all you have to do. You also need to purchase other accessories, like muffs that are attached to the ear protection. This will prevent you from misplacing your ear protection after your day at the shooting range is done.

Ear Protection For Shooting Range: How Do You Use It?

Usually, the ear protection for shooting range will have a band that you can put over your head. This will hold the muffs up and in place to prevent them from falling to the ground or into your ears. Some of these ear protection for shooting range are attached to a headset instead of worn around the head.

The Ear Protection You Choose Isn't As Important As Your Usage Of It

While you do need to have ear protection for shooting range, specifically ear muffs, the brand is not as important as how often you use it. Don't let the best or the shiniest brand deter you from purchasing a lesser-known brand of ear protection. What's most important is that your ears are protected from whatever damage is possible at a shooting range.

Conclusion

If you have suffered from the inability of hearing after a day or two at the shooting range, then it might be time to look into ear protection for shooting range. This is a much safer option for your ears than remaining unprotected if you are going to be in a long-term range.

Again, the only way to ensure that your hearing is safe at all times is to make sure you wear ear protection that fits well and provides adequate noise reduction.

Please Note: Just because an ear defender is marked, for example, "Gunshot" - it will still cover other things, like "explosions"