22s and hearing protection?

[Canuck Bob]

Just wondering how others deal with this. In the past I just shot 22s without muffs. How about others.

There seem to be more products like subsonics and CCI Quiets that might be worth considering.

As a 50 yard iron sight shooter I've considered going to something like the CCI Subsonic HP for all my shooting. For years I used Rem Yellow Jackets and they worked well in my 10-22 for general use but they do crack a bit.

[AJMD429]

I mostly wear Howard Leight muffs that amplify non-gunshot noises and they are so clear-sounding I forget I'm wearing them.

I also have my favorite 22 lever gun (a 96/22) fitted with a replacement barrel that is integrally suppressed and my 10/22 has an aftermarket threaded barrel that is more accurate plus allows me to use my 223 can on it. I did the same (replacement threaded barrel) for my Charger 'pistol' and my much more compact Mk-III also came threaded.

When I (sigh ) have to use a 'normal' 22 though, I do like shooting the standard velocity or subsonics (would want HP's for hunting). Problem is they cost more than bulk 'high velocity' ones and ANY 22 LR is hard to find anyway...!

[GonnePhishin]

After reading your post you got me thinking about shooting and decibel levels. I've always worn some type of ear protection when shooting whether it be outdoors or indoors. At the indoor range I always use ear plugs rated @ 29 db but will also put on Peltor earmuffs as well, when someone close by is shooting big caliber stuff. I worked in a noisy factory many moons ago and always wore ear plugs, which I credit for preserving my hearing. I also use to wear earplugs whenever I went to rock concerts after learning my lesson once or twice.
One would think that just shooting off a couple of rimfire rounds outside W/O protection should be ok but why take a chance?

Here are a couple of links that I found that deals with different caliber's and sound levels.

http://www.freehearingtest.com/hia_gunfirenoise.shtml

http://www.metrogun.com/db_list.html

It would be interesting to hear from other and more experienced shooters.

[AJMD429]

I'll admit I'm a noise-wimp; I even wear hearing protectors when using a lawnower (push or rider), or a string trimmer, circular saw, chainsaw, belt sander, or . . . even a loud vacuum cleaner... .

But five decades of doing that seems to have left me good enough hearing to pick out bird calls or subtle parts of music I enjoy that guys twenty years younger don't hear.

I still have trouble making out certain high-pitched whining noises, which gets me in trouble with females from tiny to time...

[El Chivo]

and don't forget hearing protection when you turn on the blender...

[bdhold]

I wear hearing protection on airplanes, and sometimes when I'm driving with the window cracked.
But I don't wear hearing protection shooting .22 rf

[C. Cash]

I'll admit I'm a noise-wimp; I even wear hearing protectors when using a lawnower (push or rider), or a string trimmer, circular saw, chainsaw, belt sander, or . . . even a loud vacuum cleaner... .

But five decades of doing that seems to have left me good enough hearing to pick out bird calls or subtle parts of music I enjoy that guys twenty years younger don't hear.

I still have trouble making out certain high-pitched whining noises, which gets me in trouble with females from tiny to time...

Younger years....I was inconsistent but now always use at least some moist tissue stuck in the holes. It is almost impossible to go to the range without the mall ninjas trying out their AK next to you, so just wear the muffs when I see others. I should probably add a bullet proof vest and kevlar helmet to my range gear as well, based on a number of encounters at the range.

[Tycer]

What? Speak up fellers!
These days I always wear hearing protection. Power equipment, tools and guns have killed the higher sounds in my left ear and I live with ringing ears all day every day.

[FatJackDurham]

Yeah, I always listened to my car stereo too loud, and used weed wackers and powertools without muffs. Now I have a ringing in my ears, and each ear had certain dead frequencies, so my directional hearing is messed up, and I have a hard time hearing what people are saying in crowds.

I wish I had been more dilligent. I keep squishable ear plugs in my car and put them in immediately when I enter the range. I use them for shooting all guns. If someone is shooting a 30-06 or a 7.62, I add muffs.

Get a bunch of squishables, they are usually between .50 and $1, and keep them in your car, in your tool kits and where ever. Even subsonic .22 rounds like CCI Standard Velocity will affect your hearing over time.

[Model 52B]

I was less careful when I was younger and acquired some high frequency hearing loss from aviating, as well as from shooting without protection.

There is a big difference among .22LR that is worth discussing.

At one extreme, a HV .22LR from a 5" pistol is loud and the need for hearing protection is without question as it's a serious ear ringer.

At the other extreme, is a standard velocity, subsonic .22LR round fired from a 22"-24" rifle. For occasional field shooting, hearing protection for the shooter behind the rifle or for a buddy several yards off to the side, hearing protection os probably not strictly required.

In the middle is where I suspect most of the hearing loss occurs. For example, a HV .22LR shot out of a 16" carbine is not painfully loud, so the shooter may be tempted to skip using hearing protection, but it's loud enough that repeated shots are going to potentially cause damage, and inevitably, if you shoot often enough, a portion of that repetitive damage will become permanent.

-----

For just .22LR use I use a set of custom molded plugs. They are comfortable and effective for most shooting. On an indoor range however, or when the local rednecks show up to do mag dumps with their short barreled ARs or shoot their muzzle braked .300 Win Mags, I'll put a set of muffs on over the top. And, if I'm shooting one of my louder calibers, I'll also put on a set of muffs over the plugs.

And like the poster above, I keep disposable foam earplugs in my vehicle and in my range bag, in case I misplace or forget the other protection, or for shooters who show up without anything.

[Rusty]

IMHO a .22 rifle is the worst offender when it comes to hearing damage because you will not FEEL pain when shooting it. Since there is no pain one might be tempted to not bother with hearing protection at all. The damage from a .22 rifle while not drastic, is cumulative and it will sneak up on you before you know it.

[L_Kilkenny]

My hearing went by way of muscle cars and Alpine stereo equipment in the 80's. I'm sure shooting hasn't helped it at all. But I still don't use protection when shooting rimfire rifles and am not 100% religious about protection when shooting centerfire rifles and shotguns. I'm pretty good about it but I won't end a shooting session if I look for thru the bag and see I left the muffs or plugs on the table at home. I also don't use protection in the woods for any of the above.

Handguns are another story. Rimfire or centerfire, it's a very rare day indeed that I'll touch off a round with out hearing protection and that includes while hunting.

[North Country Gal]

Handguns are another story. Rimfire or centerfire, it's a very rare day indeed that I'll touch off a round with out hearing protection and that includes while hunting.

Speaking of 22s, when I was a kid I lost 30% of my hearing in my left ear from shooting 22 revolvers, mostly, because I didn't think I needed hearing protection with 22s. Dumb! I never shoot anything without hearing protection, now, except for air guns. Now, you could no doubt shoot the quiet stuff without any risk to your hearing, but after losing that hearing in my left ear, I just won't take the chance. Besides, a set of foam ear plugs will set you back, what? A whole quarter?

[Pete44ru]

.

If I've learned one thing about hearing loss, it's that it gets progressively worse - but so slowly that it's undetectable (w/o a hearing test) until it's too late.

When I was younger I used to shoot & ride motorcycles w/o ear protection, and the "temporary" hearing difficulty always seemed to go away after a short while - which reinforced the feeling that no permanent damage was done, when in reality there was.

No, I don't believe low-impact whirrs, like from a kitchen blender, will add to the loss - but loud & loud/sharp reports certainly do.

Even reports from a "lowly" .22RF add cumulatively to hearing loss, whether or not one realizes it - Please use ear protection.

FWIW, two of my Son's friends (40-somethings) are on their doctor's orders to use protection even while hunting ! Their solution is amplifying earmuffs with automatic shutoff when a loud report is about.



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[jnyork]

IMHO a .22 rifle is the worst offender when it comes to hearing damage because you will not FEEL pain when shooting it. Since there is no pain one might be tempted to not bother with hearing protection at all. The damage from a .22 rifle while not drastic, is cumulative and it will sneak up on you before you know it.

This. I shoot with a group of about 40 older guys , most of whom are over 70. EVERY ONE OF THEM has some hearing loss and/or tinnitus, many many hearing aids in the group, a few of them are deaf as a stone.

At all our events we require ear protection. If you think your ears are not being damaged when you are shooting "just" a .22 without hearing protection, think again, you will find out when you get older.

[Canuck Bob]

Rusty detailed my own concerns. I find my HV 22 stuff fairly loud in rifles. When I shot pistols years ago my S&W kit gun was a noisy little thing. However the fun of 22s is the opportunity to shoot a lot and often. On the farm as a kid a 100 a week for years was normal. Then I got a 12 gauge and 25 a week was common. Now you know why most Canadians say "eh". It was in my military training that guns and muffs always belonged together. The thing that hits the hardest is out for a walk in the bush or hunting while wearing hearing protection. If I was tempted to cheat it would be then.

My hearing has the high frequency damage and I have the symptoms like a bit hard to hear conversation in a crowded room with background noise or with phone clarity sometimes. I am particulary at a loss in my wife's exact voice range sadly. I got mild ringing from cancer treatment drugs! I'm ok without aids still but it is real and did sneak up on me. I noticed it because folks started complaining I talked too loud and shouted on the phone just like my grandpa.

The hearing gal told me that a large percentage of the male population is the same by 50 to 60 and in a way it is natural aging. She compared it to vision change with age and sees it in folks who did not have environmental concerns like urban guys with office jobs. Industrial noise is the worst she said because of the long hours of daily exposure for a lifetime for many and the lack of understanding for my era.

I read up on CCIs ammo pages and can see no reason why I might not add a quieter round. Depending on availability these days I think I'll try out the Quiet round but their Subsonic HP offers a little better punch for the money. The sonic crack alone must add a bunch to the harmful effects. I did try some Remington subs but the stuff shot terribly. I suspect QC problems. However, the HV stuff really shines for gopher popping and longer range work. I also wonder if the LV stuff might be prone to ricochet in the dry prairie.

[AJMD429]

The thing that hits the hardest is out for a walk in the bush or hunting while wearing hearing protection. If I was tempted to cheat it would be then.

That's when the option of 'electronic' muffs is great, especially if they are good enough at reproducing what you would be hearing if you weren't wearing them, that you can't tell you're wearing them until you shoot, and you realize you were hearing the wind in the pines, the bird calling, your own soft footsteps, but at the instant of the shot, there is this quiet pause instead of a loud noise...

When it is practical to use a suppressor, that helps as well, but our silly regulations make them not all that affordable, and unless they are 'integral' (which is really expensive), they dramatically alter the handling of the gun.

Check out the electronic muffs. Mine are good enough I've forgotten and left them on after coming in the house and sitting down to dinner, or getting in the car and driving somewhere. You hear everything perfectly, except gunshot-type noises.

[Chuck 100 yd]

I wish I had started wearing hearing protection at an earlier age. I have hearing loss from shooting without it. The little .22 will cause damage and it is not reversible. Better safe than sorry. Today`s ear plugs and muffs are inexpensive and comfortable to use. There is no reason not to wear them.

[pdentrem]

I use muffs when ever I am in a shooting area. Those 2" barreled 380 Autos are louder than most at the range. Earplugs at work. Muffs at home with any power equipment that is loud. Router, tablesaw stuff like that. Earplugs on the motorcycle too.

Subsonics I like and so does my rifles.
Outside I use Subsonics a fair bit, and in my 1022 all the shooter hears is the clack clack of the bolt moving back and forth if wearing muffs. An observer wearing muffs will be hard pressed to hear much at all. In my Lakefield SS that has a 27" barrel there is nothing to hear except the hammer spring going boing.
At the indoor range it is muffs all the time. Period and required by our rules includes eye protection as well.

I only have been issued 2 ears and 2 eyes. Safety glasses or goggles plus muffs/earplugs.
Pierre

[tom deinek]

The only time I use a vacuum cleaner is at deer camp. Because hearing protection is so readily available, I use it everytime I clean the floor.

Using eye & ear protection is not unmanly.

[7.62 Precision]

Using eye & ear protection is not unmanly.

When I was a kid, no one wore ear protection to shoot .22s, no one wore eye protection to shoot, and no adult would be caught wearing a life jacket, except for people who worked jobs that required it, like Coast Guard, or deckhands on a ferry. Chainsaw chaps stayed in conexes, new in the bags.

I can remember several times when my dad and other men I knew had to go get metal taken out of their eyes. When I was in the military, a unit once bought us all eye protection out of unit funds. We went to NTC and the command got chewed out for their soldiers having it.

I picked up some of this attitude and I used to drill with no eye protection. I drilled for a few years before I ever blew up a collar or shanked a steel in the dark. One night I shanked a steel just above face level and it was a fireworks show - tracers of white-hot metal going past my face in every direction. You don't see it in the daylight. I haven't gone near a drill since without eye protection.

I'm glad to see attitudes have changed and people are no longer embarrassed to wear safety equipment.