Firearms with higher decibel levels

[David S.]

From the Scout Rifle thread

..... While I wear ear pro at the range, I never wear it hunting and never hear the shot.

Does "not hear the shot*" = no long term hearing damage?

*Auditory exclusion?

[Robinson]

From the Scout Rifle thread


Does "not hear the shot*" = no long term hearing damage?

*Auditory exclusion?

It's an interesting question, and I haven't seen a definitive answer. Different people process such noises differently -- some folks do hear the shot every time they pull the trigger. It's true that some (maybe most) of the damage to the delicate cells of the inner ear and the auditory nerve are the result of the body's own reaction to loud noise -- it might be because of chemicals released into the area, loss of blood flow, or some other mechanism. But it's also probably true that the noise itself does some damage regardless of the body's reactive processes.

[El Cid]

From the Scout Rifle thread


Does "not hear the shot*" = no long term hearing damage?

*Auditory exclusion?

I can't imagine that's the case. As I understand it auditory exclusion is a psychological effect. The brain knows you need to be focused on other things that are a threat. The noise and pressure wave still impact unprotected ears.

I'm also interested in the point brought up by Jaywalker about sound causing damage via the bones. I'd love for someone to study that if it hasn't been done already.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Am I the only one surprised .380 is louder than the calibers listed below it?

[LOKNLOD]

Noise-induced hearing loss is caused when the cells in the ear are damaged and/or killed by exposure to sounds that are too loud for too long. The louder, the shorter the definition of "too long" is, so some sounds are causing damage immediately (gunfire esp. in close quarters) while some noises take longer, such as the sound from running a chop saw all day every day. Anyone who's worked in an industrial environment in recent years has likely had some modicum of training regarding basic hearing protection.

Auditory exclusion is more like tunnel vision for your ears, it's the brain post-processing to ignore sound outside the bandwidth it wants. Damage is definitely still occurring to the ear cells, your brain is just ignoring the noises that aren't what it's worried about.

Remember that hearing damage is permanent, and cumulative. A single shot may not cause loss, but it is doing some damage. It may take 10 of them, or 100, or 1000, but sooner or later it's going to be noticeable and measurable.

Edit to add:
I double plug on indoor ranges or usually on outdoor ranges, esp. doing rifle work at all. I've even started wearing ear pro for mowing and yard work now. I wear ear buds under, which allows me to use them at the least possible volume, and then I wear muffs on top.

[Jaywalker]

I'm also interested in the point brought up by Jaywalker about sound causing damage via the bones. I'd love for someone to study that if it hasn't been done already.


Am I the only one surprised .380 is louder than the calibers listed below it?

I have an audiologist appointment this month and I'll ask her about these non-ear channel issues. Pending that, here's a search result: http://www.officer.com/article/11429...n-hearing-loss . One quote:

But here’s the kicker, this is something few people are aware of. Even if you get the best ear protection and then double up on both ear muffs and ear plugs, you still aren’t stopping the hidden danger of hearing loss through bone conduction. This is the area where traditional protection completely fails you.

Sound can be transmitted directly through the bones in your skull into your inner ear. Regular protection doesn’t stop this transmission of vibration and the skull only dampens between 40 dB to 60 dB of it.
...

Re the 380 loudness, it's likely a barrel length issue.

[Trooper224]

I've even started wearing ear pro for mowing and yard work now.

I also began this habit some time back.