Kenneth L. Kieser
Shooting in a waterfowl hunting pit, especially with other hunters, is deafening. The same can be said of a shooting range. Studies show that most firearms create noise over the 140-decibel level and exposure to slightly louder noise can permanently damage hearing.
Scientists claim the actual organ of hearing is the inner ear cochlea that receives sound waves and passes them on to your brain. Ears receive sound waves and change them into signals that are sent along nerves to the brain. Your brain then analyzes signals, recognizes them as sounds and interprets them. Problem is, Hearing becomes uncomfortable if the sound pressure level is above 110 decibels and is damaged above 130 decibels—sure as shooting.
A small .22-caliber rifle produces around 140 decibels of noise, while big-bore rifles and pistols can produce sound over 175 decibels. A shotgun produces over 155 decibels of sound. Imagine the damage you can do or have done while target practicing without hearing protection.
According to the National Institute of Health, about one in eight Americans over the age of 12 years has hearing loss in both ears, based on standard hearing tests, nearly 30 million people.
I have lost much of my hearing from many years of shooting and wear hearing aids just to understand what is being said on television. A simple conversation with a family member is lost if they don’t speak up. Possibly even worse, I talk louder than most and don’t realize it—including in public—an embarrassment to my friends and family until someone reminds me to lower my voice. Hearing loss certainly affects controlling speech volumes. I, like many, can no longer hear distant gobbling or even song birds in the woods without help.
“Permanent damage to hearing is likely with long term exposures to noise levels low as 85 decibels, that’s like a busy city street,” said Jeff Morrill, Audiologist and Director of CAVCON Inc., manufacturers of shooter hearing devices. “The “never to exceed” noise exposure set by OSHA is 115 decibels. Physics of sound define a “doubling loudness effect” with each three-decibel increase. Thus, muzzle blasts from firearms at 135 to 160 decibels are thousands of times louder than the forbidden OSHA level. Firing only a few rounds without hearing protection can cause as much damage as a full-time exposure for one year in a noisy work setting.”
The good news is that there are new technologies available to protect hearing and simultaneously enable hearing others in close proximity.
Electronically controlled protectors amplify speech and game sounds, similar to a hearing aid, and instantaneously shut down the impulse noise from gun shots.
These are available in ear muff, in-ear inserts and custom fitted ear sets. It is important to have a reliable “seal” to prevent the gun blast from penetrating your ear canal. Without a seal creating the hearing protection value, the electronics are useless. The shutdown of these electronics must be fast enough to prevent the blast from entering the ear through the amplification system, if not, the user gets “double jeopardy” from the amplification. Less than ½ millisecond shutdown time is preferred.
Passive protectors dampen the background noise similar to any insert hearing protector. They control the gunshot blast with an “impulse filter” implanted in the in-ear or custom ear set. The filters are capable of allowing normal background noise and speech to pass through the filter and significantly reduce the gunshot impulse noise when it occurs.
The same “seal” principle applies to passive filters and the electronics; you must have a good seal in the ear canal or the filter capabilities are useless. Custom fitted ear sets are a more consistent option to achieve the ear seal. Universal ear sets employ either a flange plug, usually in three sizes, or an expanding foam tip and placement is critical to get a seal.
Bluetooth capabilities are found in some products, although, phone calls or listening to music should be considered as a possible distraction for safety. Power sources are either hearing aid batteries, which are inexpensive and easily available or rechargeable options. Failure to remove the battery at the end of each hunting season causes probable damage due to corrosion.
Prices for electronic units run from a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars. The old adage, you get what you pay for applies.
I have field tested many of these products and my favorite hearing device, WildEar Hunting & Shooting Product Series, are built for the shooting sportsman. WildEar products are said to provide the most advanced technology in hearing protection and enhancement on the market while protecting ears from extreme noise and gun blasts, yet provide hearing enhancement for safety and communication for those with or without hearing loss.
“Our products are designed and built with the latest digital technologies, with the goal of resolving known problems in competitive design,” said Katie Macke, director of marketing. “Our line of products has advantages in ease-of-use, simplified controls, field adjustment, durability under harsh field conditions, and product quality. Special attention has also been given to achieving the absolute best fit in a custom product.”
I personally recommend this product to save your important hearing ability while still enjoying hunts and target practice. More information is available at https://www.wildear.com/ or by calling 855-494-9453.