Is hearing protection needed with a suppressor?

[migrabill]

I have never fired a rifle with a suppressor before. A few years ago I had an incident that left me with permanent ringing in one ear. When I go to RSA next June I will be using my PH's .308 with a suppressor on it. Will I need to use hearing protection while hunting? TIA.

 

[Pirkan]

I have never fired a rifle with a suppressor before. A few years ago I had an incident that left me with permanent ringing in one ear. When I go to RSA next June I will be using my PH's .308 with a suppressor on it. Will I need to use hearing protection while hunting? TIA.

All of my older relatives who hunted had considerable hearing damage from never using ear pro so I'm extremely careful and always use it, even when hunting with a suppressor. In your case where you already have some damage I wouldn't risk it and use some just in case. IMO the discomfort from using some ear pro is way smaller than that caused by the hearing damage you'll get from not using it.

 

[TOBY458]

I've never felt the need to use hearing protection with a suppressor when shooting outdoors. Not sure how that would work out in an indoor range. The sonic crack is the main thing you hear when shooting suppressed, and that happens out in front of you when the bullet breaks the sound barrier. To my mind, one of the biggest draws of shooting suppressed, is not having to use ear protection.

 

[112Savage]

I use ear pro when shooting at the range suppressed (no other guns on my range) but do not when hunting. My ears are very sensitive but for 1-3 shots I don’t wear it.

 

[bowjijohn]

90 dB(a) used to be the threshold where noise attenuation or PPE was required in industry

Peak noise as a result of impact noise (rifle / shotgun) requires a different assessment

Without measuring the noise (impact or dB(A) in you're shooting environment I can't really offer a solution

I you're worried - wear reactive ear defenders

If you are not - like me - don't bother

the unexpected advantage of not wearing them is you can't hear the litany of your failures you're wife might 'explore with you'

 

[Ku-winda]

@TOBY458 is spot on in my book. All of my rifles are suppressed with the exception of the medium/big bores. When I'm at the range or under some kind of enclosure with any rifle (suppressed included) I always use hearing protection, just because it is easy and is that "belt and suspenders" approach, so to speak. Out in the field with suppressed, I never do and have never felt like I was taking on any undo hearing loss risk in the process. Once you shoot with one for awhile, you'll becomed addicted as recoil and of course noise are both vastly reduced. Good luck!

 

[gbflyer]

Sounds about like a .22 magnum rifle unless it’s a subsonic round.

 

[sgt_zim]

An unsuppressed rifle generates around 160 - 170 dB. A suppressor knocks about 30 dB off of that, about the same as good ear pro. So with ear pro, you can get down to around 100-110 dB, which is about the same as the noise level of a motorcycle or being inside a bar/club or a dog barking in your ear.

 

[Joker12]

Only if you want to be able to hear in the future. If I shoot at a range where someone near me is using one I pack up and go elsewhere.

 

[Tally-Ho HUNTING SAFARIS]

I have never fired a rifle with a suppressor before. A few years ago I had an incident that left me with permanent ringing in one ear. When I go to RSA next June I will be using my PH's .308 with a suppressor on it. Will I need to use hearing protection while hunting? TIA.

I would say only on the range
No need out in the field

 

[WAB]

Only if you want to be able to hear in the future. If I shoot at a range where someone near me is using one I pack up and go elsewhere.

Are you sure you’re talking about a suppressor ?

 

[Joker12]

Are you sure you’re talking about a suppressor ?

No, I misread that and was thinking about recoil reduction like magnaporting.

 

[Safari Dave]

Probably a muzzle brake. Those are terrible. I won't use one or shoot or hunt close to people who do.

IMO, if you need a break, then you need to be using a rifle with less recoil.


Many folks are under the assumption that a silencer makes a rifle "silent".
Hardly, but it does quieten them to the point that I don't feel like like hearing protection is necessary.

My dad was in an artillery unit in the U.S. Army in the late 50's and they were told just to keep their mouths open! (He's about to be 87 and can hear just fine)

Maybe, through heredity, I have very resilient eardrums!

 

[Deepfork]

I would say only on the range
No need out in the field

I agree with this.

 

[Safari Dave]

I may be an idiot, but I don't use hearing protection while hunting.

I want to hear everything and know the direction of every crushing leaf, snapping twig, or flapping wing.

 

[Longwalker]

Hearing damage from shooting, and every other loud noise, is cumulative, you can't feel it happening and it's irreversible. Anybody who says "it doesn't bother me" is fooling themselves and giving bad advice. I'd just as soon do electric arc welding without goggles as shoot without hearing protection. There are an awful lot of hearing impaired "tough guys" who never thought it would happen to them.

 

[dchum]

308 suppressed with at most 2 shot strings.
You will be more than fine. It’s a shame how hard they are to get in the USA. I would have had one a long time ago. It’s a much more pleasant experience. You will enjoy hunting with it.

 

[sgt_zim]

I may be an idiot, but I don't use hearing protection while hunting.

I want to hear everything and know the direction of every crushing leaf, snapping twig, or flapping wing.

There is plenty of ear pro that does all of that even better than your natural ears, and still protects your ears.

I just bought a pair of these

GS Extreme 2.0

AXIL GS Extreme 2.0: 3-in-1 earbuds for shooting, featuring Bluetooth, noise isolation, and electronic protection. Comfortable, long-lasting, 25hr runtime.

goaxil.com

I've been using over-the-ear electronic muffs at the range for years, and started wearing them in the deer woods 2 years ago. The timber where I hunt is really thick, visibility often no more than 50-60 yards. I don't know how far off I can hear the deer walking in the woods, but I can hear them far enough off that I know to start sitting as still as death, and only move my eyes.

 

[migrabill]

Only if you want to be able to hear in the future. If I shoot at a range where someone near me is using one I pack up and go elsewhere.

Why would you pack up if the guy next to you is using a suppressor?

 

[migrabill]

I may be an idiot, but I don't use hearing protection while hunting.

I want to hear everything and know the direction of every crushing leaf, snapping twig, or flapping wing.

That's why I usually hunt with a walkers game ear in the US. It MAGNIFIES those leaves, twigs, wings etc- while protecting against muzzle blasts.