Shooting with hearing aids

[KevininPa]

Good to know. Thank you sir!

 

[Bennj]

To add to the conversation, I've worn behind the ear type aids for the past 10 years. When doing anything loud like shooting or cutting the grass I take them out and wear muffs. When shooting, I'll wear Leight electronic muffs with foam plugs. It's not always easy hearing the RO or others but definitely better than the alternative.

 

[George Dickel]

I’ve worn hearing aids since 1983. Since 1996, my aids have had an electronic mute if sound levels exceed approximately 105db. One set had a 95db cut out. This causes the aid to essentially function as an ear plug.

I’ve found that for general range use, simply a good set of muffs is sufficient, still wearing the aids. When I was still active L.E., I generally used an electronic amplified muff, which also had the cut-off. Greatly aided hearing range commands!

Most audiologists will curl their toes and hiss if you mention shooting.... my current one is also a shooter and deer hunter. He’s MUCH more enlightened! Likewise my optometrist who is also a big hunter and shooter.

The worst thing I did to my hearing was operate patrol boats for 22yrs.

My hearing aids do the same thing and actually are effective ear plugs. I also use ear muffs also. I do turn down the volume on the hearing aids.

 

[whughett]

I have that type and I take them out to shoot. They wont work as ear protection.

Mine do to a point. At low volume setting I can be in the same firing line as some one 30 feet away shooting a 22. Approaching the covered firing line from the Open parking lot 50 feet away large bore is tolerable. As I mentioned hearing aid can also dampen loud noise. Doesn’t negate that vented ear piece though, and by practice I remove the aids.

 

[Terry G]

I take out the Hearing and use electronic muffs. My hearing has not gotten any poorer in the years I've been doing this. Some "Macho" types disregard hearing protection. You'll be able to pick them out. They say "Huh?" and "What" a lot.

 

[BreechFace]

Plugs are great but don’t discount what muffs do as well. Muffs play an important role of mitigating sound waves and vibrations that can damage hearing by blocking a wide area around the sensitive bones, membrane and nerves.

 

[GAF]

No use in talking about a product that is not being made.
I tried look them up but found that they are no longer made and I already posted.

 

[.38 Special]

My wife and I run a hearing clinic. She is the doctor and I am the hearing aid dispenser, though mostly I've ended up as the front office/accounting/gofer.

For what it is worth, every modern hearing aid comes with compression circuitry which limits amplification beyond a certain level. This normally is not a parameter adjustable by the user, though. It also does not make the hearing aid into hearing protection, outside of rare circumstances. Compression is designed to prevent the aid from amplifying loud noises like dishes rattling or a smoke alarm, but the circuitry can't prevent dangerously loud noises from getting past whatever bit of the aid is inside the ear. Same goes for volume controls, whether on the aid or paired with a cell phone.

The one exception is when a large, tightly fitted earmold is used. I have an old pair of behind-the-ear aids that I set up with full shell, unvented vinyl earmolds. They work well for outdoor ranges, compressing most gunshots reasonably well, but also allowing me to hear range commands. They aren't adequate indoors, though. For that I second all the other advice to double up. The research is pretty conclusive that ears which already have been damaged by noise exposure are much more susceptible to further damage.

 

[IlikeSA]

I have in ear hearing aids and found I could not hear range commands with non-electronic muffs. I bought e-pro and while the sound quality isn't there, I can hear commands now. I usually wear ear pro over the in ear hearing aids.

 

[JDeere]

I take my hearing aids out as well. I'm still using my old Peltor electronic muffs and no need to double up. The electronic muffs act as hearing aids to me and I can here range commands and conversation just fine. If I put plugs in with muffs I could not hear squat. I bought a pair of cheap electronic muffs once as a back up and you get what you pay for. I have muffs for chainsaw, mowing etc.