Hearing protection with magnum hunting revolvers?

[His lordship.]

I have a Ruger GP-100, 6" barrel, good gun.  I was hunting with it awhile back and using .357 magnum factory loads and fired it a few times.  Man, it was so painfully loud without my using hearing protection.   I even used some stuffed toilet paper in my ears which works great while using my 12 gauge shotgun, but is worthless with .357 mag.  I went back to using my .22 Buckmark as it is easier on the hearing.

I could use muffs or inserts like I do at the range, but this would affect my ability to hear the sounds in the forest.  I could try one of those expensive electronic muffs that allow me to hear, but would stop the high decibel aspects of the gunshot.  It seems that I would sweat alot under those and they would be uncomfortable.  Would a .44 magnum be easier on the hearing as it seems that it would have a great base sound like my shotgun?  What do you guys use?

Thanks.

[Davemuzz]

There are times, and I believe it depends upon my location (ie: where the sound is going to bounce off of and back to me) in relationship to big stuff, hills...big trees ect., when my 44 magnum will make my ears ring. Then other times when it just doesn't bother me at all.

But, what you may want to do....and what I do when I remember...is to carry a couple of pair of http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=514919 ordinary ear plugs. I will put one in my left ear, and then the one in my right ear I will have it in, but kinda "hangin" just barely in so I can hear what's going on around me. Then when I am ready to shoot, I will give it a shove in and whale away on the 44.

There may be better methods, but this one is mine. It works, and I don't get sweaty ears from ear muffs.

Walkers game ear would be a great option. Someday when I hit a ticket for $1,000 and I need nothing else.....I'll pick up a set.

Dave

[Tom W.]

I learned a long time ago it's better to put up with the sweat. I wish I'd  learned sooner.
Peltor makes some "relatively" inexpensive electronic muffs, and you must keep in mind that ANY gunfire will harm your hearing. Don't go shooting or hunting without proper ear protection..

[Mikey]

You need hearing protection regardless.  Purchase a set of those ear-muffs that allow you to hear what's going on around you but muffles the souond of the shot.  I have used them for a couple of years and they are great. 

When I am hunting I will have the muffs turned on and I will be listening for critter movement.  It is amazing how much more confident you feel with your shot when you are not trying to 'favor' one ear or the other because the sound of the blast is painful and you know that the ear muffs will dampen the sound of the shot.  At the range I will use a combination of the hearing muffs and ear plugs for the added and continued protection and it is worth every penny. 

If you want to know how good they are for picking up sound wear them to a local diner and when people start talking about you just stare at them, the reaction is amazing.  Their ability to dampen or deaden sound is really incredible - at the diner, the sound of crashing plates can barely be heard but the comments from the other patrons come in loud and clear. 

For hunting or range work the hearing protectors are possibly the best investment (in your hearing) you can make; for the diner or other places like that they are invaluable.....  jmtcw.

[GradyL41]

always protect your self  in all ways when hunting -- hear too,,I always do

[GRIMJIM]

I'm not a fan of peltors. I have a set of radians that work pretty well. Or get a set of walkers game ears. They have the ear muff style or the hearing aid style but with the latter you either need to buy two which is pretty expensive, or wear an earplug in the oposite ear.

[Ole Man Dan]

I'm about 60-70% deaf because of too much gunfire and too little hearing protection.

Do yourself a favor and buy the muffs with hearing amplification. (All the good ones have a circuit that cuts out when a gun is fired, so gunfire is not magnified)  I did and suddenly I could hear normal woods sounds again.  What pushed me over the edge was I got to where I would never hear walking Deer even when they were almost under me.  The downside is they also magnify my tinnitus. (Locust sounds I've lived with for the last 20-25 yrs.)

[Davemuzz]

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=160677 Less expensive Peltors

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=119003 More expensive Walkers

http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/50195-1.html Even more expensive Walker Game Ears. But remember.....,you gotta buy 2 of these....or as posted above....plug one ear....which can't be all that good if the deer or turkey are constantly coming from your left....and this gizmo is in your right ear.

Dave

[quickdtoo]

This is what I use when hunting, kinda spendy, but what price can you put on your hearing! 

Tim

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=4787045

http://www.sportear.com/

[Davemuzz]

Tim,

How do you like these for comfort? How about the reliability of 'em? I mean....are you getting some long use out of 'em yet....or haven't you had 'em long enough to comment?

Thanks

Dave

[quickdtoo]

They work great, been using them for 4yrs, the only problem I've encountered is ear wax build up, but they have a little flip-up cap that can be removed to clean them, replace the batteries once or twice a year with standard hearing aid batteries that come in a 10 pack. When I wear a face mask, sometimes it causes some feedback, but adjusting the volume solves that issue. I wouldn't want to wear them full time, but for 6-8hrs a day they work Ok.

Tim

[trotterlg]

No loud noise is good for the ears, but a single really loud noise is not nearly as damaging as continued exposure to moderately loud noise like a rock concert.  One shot in the woods really isn't going to hurt you much, but the 300 you used at the range may do a little damage.  Larry

[Grumulkin]

No loud noise is good for the ears, but a single really loud noise is not nearly as damaging as continued exposure to moderately loud noise like a rock concert.  One shot in the woods really isn't going to hurt you much, but the 300 you used at the range may do a little damage.  Larry

Actually, the one loud noise in the woods with a braked magnum handgun can hurt you.  You should protect yourself from that noise and should also wear ear protection when using chain saws, lawn mowers, etc.

It appears that more people are taking their hearing seriously than a year or two ago for which I'm glad.  When I shoot at the range, I use foam ear plugs in addition to ear muff.  When hunting, I use E.A.R., Inc. electronic hearing protectors.  They take hearing aide batteries which will last for at least 3 full days of hunting.  Not only do they make shooting a braked 460 S&W Magnum comfortable but you also can hear normal conversation.

[Davemuzz]

Ya know......we can prolly "hedge" about this all day long. But if we are really honest to ourselves about it, we spend a lot of dollars on our guns. A bit more investment in our own hearing is probably minimal.

But I know what happens to me. I look at a quality set of small hearing protection for $300 and say...."Hey...I can get a nice Encore barrel in bla...bla...bla caliber for that kind of money". When all I'm really doing is slowly harming myself in the woods.

This past spring I took 3 shots at a groundhog with my 44 magnum. I was standing in a group of big oak's and man....the sound just jumped off of those oak's in right into my ears. My ears rang for the rest of the day. I knew I did some long term harm from just those 3 shots.

Some people (myself included) need to be told to quit banging their head against the brick 'cause there's blood runnin down their shirt!!!!

This is a good post. I gotta budget some funds for some better hunting hearing protection.

Dave

[quickdtoo]

http://www.keepandbeararms.com/information/XcIBViewItem.asp?id=2052

Sounds over 140dB can cause pain, and prolonged exposure to noise over 85-90dB can result in permanent hearing loss. Gunfire may be categorized as an impulse noise, which has the characteristic of an explosive burst. Impulse noise of sufficient intensity and pressure is often a cause of acoustic trauma. Generally, studies have shown that such impulse sounds may result in the shifting, skewing, bending, swelling, bursting, tearing, fusing &/or severe mechanical damage to the inner ear cells, structures, and auditory pathways. That is, short-duration sounds of sufficient intensity (e.g., a gunshot or explosion) may result in an immediate, severe, and permanent hearing loss, which is termed acoustic trauma. The degree of hearing impairment seen after acoustic trauma varies and may range from a mild to profound hearing loss.

Peak sound levels from rifles and shotguns can range from 132 dB SPL (sound pressure level is another unit of measurement) for small-caliber rifles to more than 172 dB SPL for high-powered firearms. Americans collectively own more than 230 million guns, and more than half of men in the American industrial workforce occasionally use guns. The National Rifle Association estimates that 60 to 65 million Americans collectively own more than 230 million guns. Because guns are so prevalent in our culture, shooting firearms is the most important source of excessive noise outside the workplace. The severity of injury produced by impulsive noise exposure and the prevalence of shooting by Americans makes gun noise America's most serious non-occupational noise hazard. The acoustic energy in a single report from a high-powered rifle or shotgun is equivalent to almost 40 hours of continuous exposure at 90 dBA. In other words, 1 bullet equals 1 week of hazardous occupational noise exposure. An avid target shooter can be exposed to an entire year's worth of hazardous occupational noise in just a few minutes (Clark & Bohne, 1999; NRA, 1999).
What about firearms themselves? Is a .22LR any better on your ears than a .45ACP? Table 2 [2] compares the dB levels of various cartridges.
 
Table 2. SHOTGUN NOISE DATA (DECIBEL AVERAGES)

.410 Bore 28" barrel   150dB
26" barrel   150.25dB
18 " barrel   156.30dB
20 Gauge 28" barrel   152.50dB
22" barrel   154.75dB
12 Gauge 28" barrel   151.50dB
26" barrel   156.10dB
18 " barrel   161.50dB


CENTERFIRE RIFLE DATA

.223, 55GR. Commercial load 18 " barrel   155.5dB
.243 in 22" barrel   155.9dB
.30-30 in 20" barrel   156.0dB
7mm Magnum in 20" barrel   157.5dB
.308 in 24" barrel   156.2dB
.30-06 in 24" barrel   158.5dB
.30-06 in 18 " barrel   163.2dB
.375 18" barrel with muzzle brake   170 dB


CENTERFIRE PISTOL DATA

.25 ACP   155.0 dB
.32 LONG   152.4 dB
.32 ACP   153.5 dB
.380   157.7 dB
9mm   159.8 dB
.38 S&W   153.5 dB
.38 Spl   156.3 dB
.357 Magnum   164.3 dB
.41 Magnum   163.2 dB
.44 Spl   155.9 dB
.45 ACP   157.0 dB
.45 COLT   154.7 dB

Recall that sounds over 85-90 dB can lead to permanent hearing damage without hearing protection. As can be seen from Table 2, even firing a .22LR (134 dB) has the potential of causing permanent, irreversible, inner ear damage.

[ccoker]

I just picked up 2 sets of these today
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp?id=0044358228573a&navCount=1&podId=0044358&parentId=cat20801&masterpathid=&navAction=jump&cmCat=MainCatcat602007-cat20801&catalogCode=QZ&rid=&parentType=index&indexId=cat20801&hasJS=true


from Midway
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=671923

user feedback is very, very good
will report back

[woodchukhntr]

I have to wear hearing protection whenever I am shooting any firearm.  For hunting, I put one in my left ear only, but I like Davemuzz 's idea of putting one loosely in my right which can be pushed in easily.  I know that I will not hear much on my left side, but if I shot without a plug, it feels like someone stuck an icepick into my ear.  I found some skin colored plugs at either Walmart or Walgreen's in the pharmacy department.