Hearing protection needed for 22LR?

[mobo]

Wondering what peoples opinions/knowledge on this is.

Of course, fire a centrefire rifle and the ears starting ringing... Hurting if it's something with a lot of bang.

22LR thought is pretty comfortable to shoot on the ears. No discomfort that I can tell.

But I know these kinds of things can creep up on you or you don't know the damage is done till later.

Lets just say for a single rifle, shooting by yourself on private property whatever.

Not surround by dozens of rifles at the range.

What's people opinions for hearing protection and shooting a 22LR?

[Apollo]

How important is your hearing to you.

It doesn't have to hurt or cause discomfort to damage your hearing.

EarPlugs are cheap, comfortable and easy to carry around in the pocket until required.

I have suffered from Tinnitus for many years and I can tell you it's not very nice but permanent with no relief. The exact cause is not known but most likely caused from noise over a period of time. If you can, protect your hearing in any noisy environment like mowing the lawn, any shooting etc

[Chronos]

i'd agree, buy some electronic ear muffs, i find myself wearing them for lawn mowing, when the whipper snipper or the grinder comes out

after 20 odd years in the metal trades i'm finding my hearing suffering and i'm taking more ateps to protect it

Chronos

[Apollo]

I mentioned EarPlugs since the Topic was about .22LR's out n about the paddock. Also because I find Ear Muffs uncomfortable for general hunting / varminting.

At a Rifle Range (including at home) I am tending to use both as I don't find just one good enough after an extended period of numerous shooters around. Not only distracting but provokes my hearing problems. Each to their own but I'd suggest at least something even with the very quiet .22LR Sub Velocity.

[Chronos]

ah yes but the electronic ear muffs amplify the noise around you not only making you aware of sounds you would miss with ear plugs or normal ear muffs but they allow you to hear noises you may even miss with your "naked ears". you can talk to each other softer and you can plug your uhf radio into them meaning your mate cant squelch you when you're stalking in for a shot and scare the animal

Chronos

[Guliver]

Hearing loss is cumulative, .22 is not safe for naked ears.

[Oldbloke]

As it happens I know a little about this subject & it has come up in the past so I have taken the time to explain in some detail. I hope my comments are of assistance. I apologize for it being long winded but it is difficult to reduce it much further & still include al the info. Many people ignore hearing protection and regret it during their retirement. (particularly young men) Ignoring it will effect the quality of life during your later years.

NOISE FACTS
According to the current Australian OHS/WHS regulations exposing employees to noise levels over a peak of 140db or to noise at or above an average of 85dB(A)leq for the period of an 8hr shift.
It is the “peak” of 140db that applies to shooters.

Some examples for shooters of noise levels are: (I did not take these measurements but the source is fairly reliable)
22Lr 140 dB peak
12g 165 dB peak
3006 170 dB peak

So every time you fire a rifle (without hearing protection) you are doing a little damage to your hearing and the damage compounds throughout your life. The loss of hearing will not become noticeable until later in life and by then it will be too late.

And when measuring noise you must remember that an increase of 3dB is double the sound power. So an increase of just 2 dB is very significant. Immediate irreversible damage is likely to occur at 140dB.

HEARING PROTECTION
In Australia hearing protection is sold in 5 classes that are laid down in Australian Standard 1270. Class 1 being the lowest level of protection class 5 the best. Below is the minimum reduction (the technical term is attenuation) in dB required of each class of hearing protection, Muff or plug at the ear.
1. 10 - 13
2. 14 - 17
3. 18 – 21
4. 22 - 25
5. 26 or greater

Muffs & ear plugs perform differently at various frequencies further complicating which muffs to purchase. The above is essentially an average at various frequencies.

So if the noise level of a 3006 is 170dB you can expect a class 5 muff to reduce the exposure to the ear down to at least 144dB, but perhaps not all frequencies. So the wearing of anything less than a Class 5 would be fairly useless to shooters. Even the class 5 may not completely prevent hearing loss. However it will certainly go a long way in reducing hearing loss. Continued and regular exposure to gun fire of say 130db will still damage hearing over time.

Many retailers such as Bunnings sell ear muffs but you get what you pay for and often it is not clear what “class” they are on the packaging. As mentioned above, this is important. In addition cheaper muffs generally wear out very quickly, significantly reducing the level of protection provided and the wearer is usually unaware that they now have reduced hearing protection. So you start off with say a class 3 and a yr later it is a class 1 muff for example.

WHAT SHOULD I BUY?
Ear muffs, both standard and electronic provide the best protection and I would recommend class 5 for shooting. The down side of standard ear muffs is the effect they will have on communication and possibly not being able to hear other hazards nearby, e.g a truck heading in your direction.
Ear plugs, I cannot recommend the use of off the shelf ear plugs I rarely see them worn correctly. However if worn correctly and they fine, very effective and convenient to wear in the field. Personally fitted plugs should be a better option for most users if you prefer plugs check what the expected attenuation will be before purchasing.

As mentioned earlier electronic muffs are great and fitted with a microphone and amplifiers that automatically switches off at 85dB. This allows you to hear normal sounds and your ears are protected from loud sounds. However quality ones are expensive & you get what you pay for.

If you are shopping around for a pair of muffs I suggest you visit a safety specialist retailer such as protector alsafe or safety equip. In my experience the staff generally know about the products they sell and will steer you in the right direction. And they also sell muffs of the less expensive brands. Stick to well known brands is always good advice. Avoid overseas purchases on ebay etc as you may not get the level of protection you need.

EDUCATION
Here is a couple of links for two very good videos. If links do not work copy & past the line below into your browser address bar.

Here is a link to a general video about sound and hearing protection that all shooters should watch, about 18 minutes. The hearing video
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications ... rtid=34284

Here is a link to a 70 second video showing how to fit ear plugs correctly
Fitting video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghNFKsxJuvY

I hope this helps people to better understand the importance of looking after their hearing and how to do just that.

[DaleH]

Great post Oldbloke.

I use class 5 ear plugs at the range for 22's and will be supplementing these with ear muffs (electronic or otherwise) when I state shooting centrefire - The 22 is very forgiving if you haven't fitted the plugs right but a 308 wont be so kind.

[Oldbloke]

I know it may seem suprising but a 22lr will still cause damage over time. It just gets back to how many shots you fire and where you are in relation to the end of the barrel. Also one ear will be effected more than the other depending on if you are left or right handed because one points more towards the noise.But there is no question that anything you fire from say a 223 or bigger is damaging the shooter. You cant trust your own judgement because long before you have pain you do damage. The 18 minute video is very good at explaining this and why.

[Carter]

Ha, I came into the thread thinking I'd have a little to contribute but Oldbloke has smashed it

[mobo]

Thanks all, especially Oldbloke.

Way more information than I was hoping for

[Oldbloke]

Thanks carter. Just trying to help. I can be "trying" at times, just ask my wife.

[Carter]

Ha ha