Posted on 03/10/2023 7:44:00 AM PST by LouAvul
It's a rather controversial topic among shooters as there isn't much consensus on how to do it.
There's a formula for constant noise, like one would experience while operating a bulldozer 8 hours a day, etc.
That formula, IIRC, is NRR (the noise reduction of muffs, for example) minus 7. That result divided by 2.
But that formula doesn't apply to short duration, instantaneous noise as in a gun shot.
If the shooter is wearing electronic muffs with the NRR of 30dB, and he's shooting a firearm that produces 175dB, then the dB noise reaching his ears is 145dB? Or is there a formula that changes that final number?
I know the shooter can add 5 to the NRR with properly fitted ear plugs. That would make the NRR of 30dB, 35dB.
Unless, again, the NRR numbers advertised are not really the final NRR numbers.
Thanks for any help in this.
I’ve never wondered about this but I have some ear muffs that filter out loud noise and i can shoot all day, go to a auto race, and talk with people around me with ease.
Let us all remember that the dB scale is logarithmic:
Every 3 dB results in a DOUBLING in volume.
A dishwasher with a 54 dB rating is twice a loud as a dishwasher with a 51 dB rating.
Sometimes I wear ear plugs AND ear muffs. It sounds silly to some people but I like being able to hear.
Clearly not, as everyone who chimes in on the subject (on any number of gun forums), all suffer from tinnitus. Myself included.
That’s a lot of math. Just go with adjustable noise cancellers AND a pair of foamies.
You can converse perfectly and/or use comms but all loudness is gone.
From my Colt Commando CAR 15 firing, my Montagnards firing add two M60 machine guns plus our grenade launcher’s rounds blowing up and all kinds of incoming- nothing bothered my hearing.
My ear plugs are very efficient and even with high dollar electronic muffs turned all the way up, I still can't hear soft noises. Electronic muffs turned up sans plugs are good, but the NRR is in question. Hence, my OP.
I wear ear plugs with a 30+ db reduction, and ear muffs, with another 23 db of reduction.
Hearing is too precious a thing to lose.
Ear muffs with a microphone and speaker can be turned up loudly, overcoming a fair amount of ear plug noise resistance, while still blocking loud sounds.
You still have redundancy for your gun, yet, you can still hear you friend talking normally, but still muted, a bit.
I didn’t read the last part of your post before responding.
I do not know of any way to non-electronically try to hear whispers and the slightest noises, while adequately blocking all loud noises.
Is it time to learn sign language?
Not me. I hear everything with my ears turned up. One reason I like wearing them.
If you're already using a good headset - like Comtacs or Opscore - there's not really room for improvement.
My ear plugs are very efficient and even with high dollar electronic muffs turned all the way up, I still can't hear soft noises.
Not me. I hear everything with my ears turned up. One reason I like wearing them.
If you're already using a good headset - like Comtacs or Opscore - there's not really room for improvement tech-wise.
sounds silly to some people but I like being able to hear.
WHAT? WHAT YOU SAY?
Had custom molded plugs made. Block everything. Some of the best money I’ve spent on the shooting sports, and I’ve spent plenty.
This does work well - the only real issue is getting used to squirrels forty yards away in dry leaves, that sound like mutant elephants charging down on you.
That passes after a few “WTF!”’s...
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