An estimated 50 million Americans are gun owners and each year thousands of hunters and recreational shooters suffer hearing damage, that can be prevented by wearing shooting ear muffs, when they enter the forests and firing ranges. Shooting pistols, rifles and shotguns without proper shooting hearing protection can cause hearing damage. Exposure to gunfire causes a temporary threshold shift. The symptoms include a temporary loss of hearing and a ringing sound in the ears for a short period of time. Too many temporary shifts will cause a permanent shift, or a permanent loss of hearing and possibly a persistent ringing.

Protect Your Ears At The Shooting Range

The noise level of a typical gunshot is 140 decibels. Even one unprotected exposure to a noise of this level can cause harm. Research has indicated that while the typical hunter fires only about 18 shots at game, he or she may take 1,500 to 2,000 practice shots annually.

Low Frequency Noise

Low frequency noise is one component of gunshot noise. This noise is not easily eliminated with traditional passive hearing protection devices. Low frequency noise waves are long and carry great distances. They can penetrate passive barriers like foam earcups or even cement walls (which is why you can hear the bass of your neighbor’s stereo).