Meh hunting with hearing protection sucks. Thousands of rounds of shotgun with foam ear plugs when I was younger and didn’t think anything of it is what probably destroyed mine the most.
Are suppressors over rated?
- Thread starter Richard22
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Meh hunting with hearing protection sucks. Thousands of rounds of shotgun with foam ear plugs when I was younger and didn’t think anything of it is what probably destroyed mine the most.
I can see my kids lips moving but a lot of times I can’t hear what they are saying. Walked in the house one time and could hear the daughter’s alarm going off. Went to take my boots off and turned my body 180 degrees and thought “hmm she shut it off”. Spun back around and the alarm was going off again. Then figured it out my left ear wasn’t picking it up.
I use both silencers and loundeners. Both have their place for me for the time being, but I anticipate the new generation of suppressors combined with brakes may eliminate my use of traditional brakes.
Suppressors do have their drawbacks, and I was really slow to get on board vs those in my circles as the drawbacks certainly weren’t lost on me. I won’t be going back.
Suppressors do have their drawbacks, and I was really slow to get on board vs those in my circles as the drawbacks certainly weren’t lost on me. I won’t be going back.
That’s rough! I’ve taken piles of centerfire shots without ear pro, and a handful of them were with a brake. My hearing is compromised, but mild compared with what you describe. If my kids screw up their hearing, it won’t be because I didn’t warn them or give them the tools to protect it.
Yep. mtmuley
Wish I’d had that warning but grew up in a non shooting house so it was basically a “as long as you are out of the house”. My kids definitely won’t make the same mistake.
MTLabrador
Well-known member
I don’t have a lot of experience with suppressors on bolt guns or anything larger than a .223, but I’ve been shooting the crap out of on an SBR gas gun with a suppressor lately. For that type of use I love it and won’t go back to unsuppressed. I don’t see myself hunting with a brake or suppressor, and none of my hunting rifles are threaded. I like the size, weight, and balance of my rifles, and I don’t mind keeping some ear plugs with my binos.
Big Sky Guy
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You don’t think foam plugs are adequate hearing protection? I think they are great, literally all I’ve used. I’ll have to check but I thought the decibel decrease for them was greater than suppressor?
Foamies CAN be decent, they are rarely worn in a way that gets the full rated protection.
I still wear something for protection at the range (usually the earbuds I wear at work) when shooting suppressed rifles. Hunting I don’t worry about it.
My kids are out and making their own decisions. They grew up hunting and shooting before suppressors were available. They always wore ear protection growing up. Now they will make their own decisions. My hearing was wrecked by firing a framing nail gun hundreds of thousands of times in my youth. So far for me the cost just doesn't pencil out. mtmuley
No I don’t think are not enough by themselves for rifle blasts. With muffs over them yes. I still wear ear protection shooting suppressed when I’m not hunting. They say now that even plugs aren’t enough not to cause some damage just because of the vibration to the inner ear bones from the muzzle blast. These are the plugs I had because this is what dad brought home from work with him
I'm older than you, but I cannot hear a smoke alarm if I plug my right ear. My left ear is that bad. When we change smoke alarm batteries at scheduled intervals, I can test it with my left hand and leave that ear unplugged. I don't hear a thing when the test alarm goes off.
I cannot hear crickets chirping. Mrs. Fin will ask if I hear them. I may as well be six feet underground.
I have to put my phone alarm on vibrate, as most ring tones I won't hear if I'm sleeping on my right side.
I can't hear the timer on the stove. Good way to burn a meal.
What is overrated is the tinnitus so bad that I have to sleep with a fan running to provide white noise. If not, the ringing is so annoying it is hard to fall asleep.
What is overrated is sitting in a passenger seat of a vehicle and not being able to have a conversation in my left ear if there is much road/tire noise.
A friend who is an audio/ear doc told me immediately after my exam that I was a right-handed shooter. Says he sees this with many shooters/hunters who have not used adequate hearing protection. Always in the ear facing the muzzle.
To anyone doubting the frustrations that come with bad ranges in the hearing wavelengths, please, take the word of folks like me and others who bear the scars of ignorance. I don't care if it is muffs, foamies, or a suppressor. Make sure you are protecting your hearing.
Yep. Once it's gone it's gone. Nothing helps after that. Same boat here Randy. mtmuley
Hem
Well-known member
The tinnitus is the worst part of the whole deal. Makes for some long nights in a tent if it’s calm out.
Wife makes me drive when we go somewhere because I don’t hear good enough on the left to have a conversation. And I hate driving because I do a ton of it at work.
Funny story we have to take hearing tests at work. They take us into a sound proof van with a handful of people and we all put headphones on and a clicker button we are suppose to click when we hear a noise. A friend and I both have terrible hearing in our left ears. At the time we thought they tested us all at same time so him and I thought we’d be able to game the system and watch the others for when they clicked their button. So we start seeing others click so we start clicking ours. All of a sudden the lady comes on over the headphones. “Will occupant #2 and occupant #4 stop clicking your button the test has not started yet for you two”. Oops
Does it bother when trying to sleep? I guess I am so used to it I don't notice or maybe have grown to ignore it. Either way, it sucks. mtmuley
brownbear932008
Well-known member
I can remember as a kid hearing protection being the first two empty casings out of the 30-30 stuck in your ears. Yeah we were hillbillies and proud of it. Now I can't hear a darn thing. The plus side is I can't hear the whining hound in my house that drives the wife crazy.
I hated that van! But it was better than using the single booth/refrigerator if you missed your scheduled appointment.
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