Hunting ear protection?

[ArmyGrunt]

My first shot at game in SA I plugged one ear, but left the other open to hear the PH. I took a 30-06 with a brake that serves as the suppressor adaptor I didn't yet possess. The one ear rang a whole day. The rest of the trip I had plugs on a string around my neck whenever we went out, just to be ready.

I preach hearing protection now. But kids do it without a word from me now.

 

[YancyW]

I try to be very careful with my hearing, but that hasn't always been the case, I have some hearing loss and also moderate ringing in both ears. A couple winters ago, I took an exited shot at an elk with a 300RUM that had a break on it and I forgot to put my plugs in, I could tell instantly that was a serious mistake. After about a day, I got most of my hearing back in my right ear, but I am sure there was some damage done.

 

[Hogpatrol]

My first shot at game in SA I plugged one ear, but left the other open to hear the PH. I took a 30-06 with a brake that serves as the suppressor adaptor I didn't yet possess. The one ear rang a whole day. The rest of the trip I had plugs on a string around my neck whenever we went out, just to be ready.

I preach hearing protection now. But kids do it without a word from me now.

I screwed up and shot my braked rifle with no ear protection. Talk about hearing loss! For a braked rifle, I use plugs AND noise cancelling muffs. The Walker line has some nice ones at reasonable cost.

 

[Tam Dl]

I gather that it isn't all that hard to get well over what muffs can do. The reason being that some guns are in the 200db range, and that good muffs do about 30, so you are hearing something like 170 through the muffs. 140 is threshold for instant hearing loss. So you are hearing through the muffs sound that is 1000 times louder than 140. The reasons we aren't immediately deafened is that the nerve ending are frequency specific (I am not a doctor), so you just blow that frequency range out of your head. You can hear other frequencies.

But the other big thing is that you get sound radiating to your ears through your face and bones. This is why you are often surprised by the sound of your voice when recorded, as one hears one's own voice through bones as well as the air. Blast can also come through the bones.

 

[rinehart0050]

I'd recommend getting a suppressor if it's legal where you live. They are legal in RSA, can accommodate magnum calibers, and make hearing protection unnecessary.

Temporarily importing into RSA was no trouble. No special paperwork. Just listed it on our 4457.

 

[BeeMaa]

I fix commercial boilers for a living, as a result I am constantly in a loud environment.
I started wearing muffs at first, then moved to disposable plugs and then to custom molded plugs that have a home in a case on my belt.
I'm wearing them all the time at work and they are all day comfortable for me.
I currently own 3 sets of custom plugs, work, shooting and motorcycling.
For shooting I can't get proper cheekweld with the muffs with either shotgun or rifle.

Take your hearing seriously.
The old guys in my profession didn't, and they are paying the price of hearing aids and tennitus (the constant ringing that doesn't go away).

 

[Bruce]

UHH, what's that? Sorry, say that again!!
I only use protection when on the range and when zeroing in the bush. In the bush, I just cannot get used to any form of ear harassment. At 65 now, my hearing is not that bad... time will tell!!