Loud Noises and Damaged Ears
Currently have hearing aids (2) to mitigate high frequency loss from 50 plus years of shooting.
Sound familiar to anyone?
In deference to my hearing I'm shooting more .22 r.f. and target velocity c.f.s.
Wondering how much protection I'm getting from foam plugs (32 db?) with ear muffs over. (another 24?)
MOre effective protection options? Have a favorite .44 mag. Ruger Backhawk and about 750 rounds I've reloaded over the years. A few 1,000 fps loads , but mostly 1,350 with 240 grain pills.
Would love to burn some of those up, but if my hearing protection isn't up to the task I'll have a bonfire and stick to the .22's and lighter .38 special loads.
Opinions always appreciated, but especially interested in anyone with hard data; i.e. d.b. of .44 mag. at 24 inches from ears, protection, etc.
Merry Christmas to All,
Rob
Sound familiar to anyone?
In deference to my hearing I'm shooting more .22 r.f. and target velocity c.f.s.
Wondering how much protection I'm getting from foam plugs (32 db?) with ear muffs over. (another 24?)
MOre effective protection options? Have a favorite .44 mag. Ruger Backhawk and about 750 rounds I've reloaded over the years. A few 1,000 fps loads , but mostly 1,350 with 240 grain pills.
Would love to burn some of those up, but if my hearing protection isn't up to the task I'll have a bonfire and stick to the .22's and lighter .38 special loads.
Opinions always appreciated, but especially interested in anyone with hard data; i.e. d.b. of .44 mag. at 24 inches from ears, protection, etc.
Merry Christmas to All,
Rob
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I think the worst is my 6" model 53 Jet with full tilt loads. I wear both ear plugs and muffs. No recoil to speak of but I can feel the shock wave on the whole front on my body. New shooters are surprised by that. My Fireball was loud too.
My hearing is still good thought there are flat spots - no real 60 hz from hanging around generators for days to weeks.
added I bought a Forster style collet (actually a Herders) bullet puller back in the early 70's. I like the design because the harder you pull the tighter it grips not loosening like some green designs. Pulled buckets of military dud 06, 308, 5.56, 45ACP. Seating the bullets little deeper first breaks the sealant bond.
Not sure I ever used it on 44 Mag, the hammer type might be the better choice for soft bullets. Pliers work if you don't mind recasting them.0 -
My son got me a set of Peltor electronic muffs last year, and I told him they were the best present to date. Took me a little bit to get use to the amplified sounds, because I was hearing things outside of what's left of my normal range of hearing.
He says he likes them too, because now he doesn't have to listen to me saying "What, huh, can you say that again".[:)]0 -
I've been shooting since the 60's. Never liked the high velocity, heavy bullet loads. Always caused me, to have flinching problems. Mostly from the muzzle blast and recoil. Never could consistently hit anything with them anyway.
22, both RF and mag. Along with light loaded CF, is all I have shot for years.
Per my experience. I would pull the bullets on those hot loads. Dump or salvage the powder. Reload the primed brass, with 8 grains of AA 2 or equivalent fast burning pistol powder. All I use with my similar loads, are ear muffs.0 -
Just use plugs and muffs and call it good. 0 -
The foam plugs are among the most effective protection- IF YOU PUT THEM IN RIGHT. https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/mining/content/earplug.html
When you put muffs over plugs you cannot add the NRR numbers- they are a logarithm. And you get SOME sound no matter what you wear- called bone conduction. And how well hearing protection works is a function of the frequency of the sound.
If you wear a 34 plug and a 26 muff, you will actually get about 41dB reduction- for sounds at 1000 hz. But much of the noise from a gunshot is low freq impact sound.
I wear an electronic muff when shooting rimfire or shotguns (including dove hunting). For centerfire, foam plugs and muffs.0 -
My father lost some hearing in the service - mostly as a military police officer
He later served in a transportation company in the reserves and they had "gun trucks" made up with multiple belt fed machine guns and ersatz armor protection
They loved him in the reserves because he not only could keep all the guns running - he was great at teaching other troopers how to use their weapons - especially before summer camp readiness exercises
He further damaged his hearing at that duty station
As a child I never saw him shoot without plugs and muffs - and we were raised that it was a cardinal sin to not deploy ear protection
The damage was done already - and his hearing degenerated over the years - he is now profoundly deaf and it bothers him - it's a big loss for him and how he functions day to day
A number of men in my family had similar hearing damage while in the service
Even being mostly safe and having hearing protection I am certain I have some damage as well
I remember the old breed using .45 shell casings and putty and a string as ear protection
The first year I went to camp Perry for Nationals they had a guy who would pour hard rubber into your outer ear profiles (not deep into the canal) and you had custom fitted hearing protection
Mike0 -
Appreciate all the response.
Maybe this should be a new thread, but as long I have your "ears":
Ref. the bullet pulling and reloading idea.
I've done exactly that, for various reasons, with a number of rifle rounds.
Hadn't considered it with the .44 for 2 reasons; namely the profile angle of the nose (both lead SWC and Jacketed H.P.'s, and also the heavy crimp used on most of them.
Love the dies that allow a firm grip on the bullet and back out with the press. Not as fond of the hammer type inertia pullers and not sure how well one might work against those crimps.
Your thoughts?
Thanks,
Rob0 -
quote:Originally posted by RCrosby
Appreciate all the response.
Maybe this should be a new thread, but as long I have your "ears":
Ref. the bullet pulling and reloading idea.
I've done exactly that, for various reasons, with a number of rifle rounds.
Hadn't considered it with the .44 for 2 reasons; namely the profile angle of the nose (both lead SWC and Jacketed H.P.'s, and also the heavy crimp used on most of them.
Love the dies that allow a firm grip on the bullet and back out with the press. Not as fond of the hammer type inertia pullers and not sure how well one might work against those crimps.
Your thoughts?
Thanks,
Rob
I have been using a Hornady cam actuated puller, for years now. With very positive results.(Using a rockchucker,not a girlyboy press). If enough of the bullet is protruding from the case. It will get them out. The only down side Is that if the bullets are heavily crimped or held with neck sealer. You have go Charlies route,I.E. seating them deeper, to break the seal around the bullet.0 -
Rufe,
I actually had a cam puller like you describe and used it with great success in my Co-Ax press. Unfortunately I found that it only worked well if it was able to get a decent grip on parallel sides of the bullet; i.e. not on the ogive. Combining the typical slope of exposed .44 bullets, whether jacketed, cast or swaged just wouldn't have enough to grab onto without slipping off. The hardest were old military fmj's from the '40's, but even those came right out when first seated a fraction to break the "seal".
Off to Florida now. Will reconsider my options later.
Thanks again,
Rob0 -
37 years in L.E. many as range master plus SWAT with 5.56's in indoor settings. In the beginning hearing protection was either a couple of spent casings stuck in your ears or a couple of cigarette filters - Yeah, I've got a pair of aids, too. I double plug whenever I know I'm going to be shooting. I use The plugs with the valve ( used to be called Lee-Sonics) in them and Peltor muffs. Seem to work fine for me. Worst for me were the .22 mag, the Jet and an H&K G-3K .308 with an 11" barrel. 0
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