Rifles that aren't as horrible to shoot without hearing protection

[Skylerbone]

20” Henry .357 shooting .38 lead over a few grains of Clays always had me waiting on squibs. My ears did not believe my eyes on seeing fresh holes appear on a clean target. The sound was no louder than the pop of the primer but still all of this was done with electronic muffs, which for the record never cut the microphones.

No idea whether the threshold of damage was reached but I’m not one to find out either. My first protocol while hunting after being seated is to fully insert the right plug then partially insert the left. That allows me to pick up sound and only a moment away from nudging the second plug into place.

 

[Howland937]

Like asking how long a person can watch someone welding before it's harmful. Or how many 2nd degree sunburns is safe. Your body, your business. But wow @ some of these replies.

 

[243winxb]

Bullet velocities below the speed of sound. Avoid the sonic boom.

After the bullet leaves the barrel/suppressor, i dont think a lot can be done about the crack from the bullet breaking the speed of sound.

 

[.38 Special]

Like asking how long a person can watch someone welding before it's harmful. Or how many 2nd degree sunburns is safe. Your body, your business. But wow @ some of these replies.

Exactly.

 

[CoalCrackerAl]

When i hunt i don't wear ear pro. Even shooting my 30.06 in the open don't bother me. But under a range roof. Then yes it will.

 

[TimRB]

Your body, your business. But wow @ some of these replies.

I once was shooting service rifle at Camp Perry and was squadded with a young Marine, a member of the Marine rifle team. He was shooting without any ear protection whatsoever. As a geezer with lousy hearing I thought I should say something, but then decided he already has a mother. I was surprised, though, that someone on the team didn't MAKE him use protection. Go figure.

Tim

 

[toivo]

The only time anyone should shoot a firearm without hearing protection is in sudden, unexpected defense of one's own life or that of another. In every other situation, there's really no reason to. Modern technology has given us electronic devices that will simultaneously improve and protect our hearing. Why not use them?

 

[Pat Riot]

I have a pair of electronic ear muff type ear protectors. I decided to wear them while turkey hunting. I turned the sound up so I could hear somewhat normally. I hadn’t started calling yet and a couple of squirrels ran through the leaves behind me and it about scared the life out of me. I had them turned up a bit too high.
Once I figured out a good sound level I wore those for about 3 1/2 hours with no discomfort. I didn’t get a turkey but I know now that I can use those muffs when hunting and that will give me some protection if I fire my shotgun or rifle.
The muffs do have microphones on both sides so it does give you an idea where sounds are coming from.

 

[Walkalong]

Bullet velocities below the speed of sound. Avoid the sonic boom.

Still loud enough to do damage.

 

[Mike J]

Like asking how long a person can watch someone welding before it's harmful. Or how many 2nd degree sunburns is safe. Your body, your business. But wow @ some of these replies.

Getting your eyes burned is never a good time.

 

[Skylerbone]

Bullet velocities below the speed of sound. Avoid the sonic boom.

There’s no sonic boom accompanying a lawn mower or at the drag strip, or a rock concert and yet these things ruin hearing just the same.

 

[greyling22]

Low pressure, long barrels, complete powder burn before the bullet exits the muzzle, smaller case volumes all help.

Basically, the bigger the fireball that comes at the end of your barrel, the louder it is.

 

[AbbysDad]

Shoot a 24" 22lr with standard velocity or subsonic ammo and no hearing protection required; examples like a Marlin 39A or a Remington 541

 

[.38 Special]

Still loud enough to do damage.

One of my patients has significant high-frequency (which is almost always noise induced) hearing loss and a serious case of tinnitus. He denied any history of noise exposure, specifically pointing out that he's never even fired a gun. We'd ask him the same questions every time he came in and he was adamant. He'd been seeing us for several years when he somewhat sheepishly told us "You know, I'm an official for high school and collegiate running events, and I've been firing starter pistols for decades. It never even occurred to me..."

Which is a long way of saying that it's perfectly possible to wreck your hearing without actually firing any bullets at all.

 

[nettlle]

I just passed my 45th day wearing my first hearing aids. Years of shooting in my youth with no hearing protection. I never had any ringing in my ears, the loss wasn't painful, and there was no warning signs. The hearing is just gone one day. It's not worth taking a chance. Hearing aids help but I sure wish I had my hearing back.

 

[Hokkmike]

Many rifles - two ears. No reason not to wear protection at the range.

 

[Hunter 08]

Smaller case capacity cartridges with longer barrels will be less obnoxious.

I use Krink brakes on all my 16" rifles that I hunt with. They are extremely effective at cutting the blast to your ear but shorter than a suppressor and no tax stamp required. It is essentially a single chamber suppressor but does not suppress enough for the ATF to regulate it as a suppressor.

There original purpose was to trap some gas pressure to help very short barreled AK's cycle

View attachment 1237659

Hmmm wonder how well this would work on my 18" PA-10 AR? May have to adjust the gas block a bit.

 

[MachIVshooter]

I am not a fan of suppressors or what used to be called silencers. I see the name change as conforming to the modern tendency to change names of things to something requiring more letters. Back to the point they are expensive, the government makes them a hassel to obtain, and they are long and clumbsy IMO. I no longer feel the need to follow all the current trends to be the cool kid on the block and use what I prefer and a scilenced gun doesn't fit in that list. Hearing protection can be found almost everywhere with no tax stamp needed to purchase and I prefer to keep all of my dollars I can out of government hands.

The terms "Silencer" and "Sound Suppressor" have been used interchangeably for over a century. Its hardly a trendy new thing.

We don't use them to be cool, to impress others. We use them because they work, and they do more than protect your ears and the hearing of those around you. Recoil reduction, blast mitigation, flash suppression. Animals don't know where the shot came from. Night vision isn't wrecked by a muzzle flash when predator hunting.

Also, hearing can still be damaged even with ear pro doubled up. Sound pressure conducts through tissue and bone, and it's enough to be harmful with unsuppressed gunshots, especially the big boomers and concussive short barreled stuff.

They're also not the same boat anchors of yore. Our flagship titanium model in 9" .30 cal flavor is 10 ounces and knocks a .308 report down 34.2 dBA.

If they're not your cup of tea, that's fine, but you seem to be rationalizing your dislike with silly hyperbole.

 

[Riomouse911]

Like asking how long a person can watch someone welding before it's harmful. Or how many 2nd degree sunburns is safe. Your body, your business. But wow @ some of these replies.

Indeed. I remember back in the days when I was immortal and nothing seemed to hurt me, but to each his own, I guess. I realized far too late that we only get one set of eyes, and one set of ears. Things we do at 20 can come back to haunt us badly at 50 and beyond.

My eyes are fading with age. Even Lasik surgery couldn’t stop that. But glasses correct my vision well enough to keep shooting. My ears? Other than a ruptured right ear drum and some internal ear damage from a wicked ear infection I had as a high schooler, the damage to them has been self inflicted.

Guns, power tools, concerts-drumming, motorcycles, falls while waterskiing, etc. have given me the gift of limited hearing and tinnitus that sometimes wakes me up at night.

It is plugs at concerts and plugs and muffs for me from now on for tools and engines and anything louder than a Crosman Challenger PCP air rifle or Colibri’s from my 24” Remington 581. I realized that I want to be able to hear my grandkid speak to me when I have one someday.

YMMV.

Stay safe.

 

[CraigC]

The terms "Silencer" and "Sound Suppressor" have been used interchangeably for over a century. Its hardly a trendy new thing.

We don't use them to be cool, to impress others. We use them because they work, and they do more than protect your ears and the hearing of those around you. Recoil reduction, blast mitigation, flash suppression. Animals don't know where the shot came from. Night vision isn't wrecked by a muzzle flash when predator hunting.

Also, hearing can still be damaged even with ear pro doubled up. Sound pressure conducts through tissue and bone, and it's enough to be harmful with unsuppressed gunshots, especially the big boomers and concussive short barreled stuff.

They're also not the same boat anchors of yore. Our flagship titanium model in 9" .30 cal flavor is 10 ounces and knocks a .308 report down 34.2 dBA.

If they're not your cup of tea, that's fine, but you seem to be rationalizing your dislike with silly hyperbole.

I got my first three right before the 2016 rule change regarding trusts. Two rimfires and a .45 pistol can. My fourth is also my first centerfire rifle can, it came in last month. I need at least two or three more to have all bases covered. I can tell you that I waited WAAAAAY too long for it. In addition to preserving your hearing, it just makes all shooting that much more pleasant.

 

[rust collector]

Good ear protection lets me shoot anything. Silencers make it more fun. Why would one want to limit what they can shoot, take the hit in performance and pretend that it's not harmful if it doesn't hurt? "Until I need glasses" was a joke.

 

[someguy2800]

Hmmm wonder how well this would work on my 18" PA-10 AR? May have to adjust the gas block a bit.

I can tell you from experience it will work fantastic. I havn't really seen much affect on gassing. I don't think it makes much difference to gassing on rifle length barrels with more dwell time.

 

[Robert]

I need a can or two...

 

[doubleh]

The terms "Silencer" and "Sound Suppressor" have been used interchangeably for over a century. Its hardly a trendy new thing.

We don't use them to be cool, to impress others. We use them because they work, and they do more than protect your ears and the hearing of those around you. Recoil reduction, blast mitigation, flash suppression. Animals don't know where the shot came from. Night vision isn't wrecked by a muzzle flash when predator hunting.

Also, hearing can still be damaged even with ear pro doubled up. Sound pressure conducts through tissue and bone, and it's enough to be harmful with unsuppressed gunshots, especially the big boomers and concussive short barreled stuff.

They're also not the same boat anchors of yore. Our flagship titanium model in 9" .30 cal flavor is 10 ounces and knocks a .308 report down 34.2 dBA.

If they're not your cup of tea, that's fine, but you seem to be rationalizing your dislike with silly hyperbole.

Whatever you think and I can understand you taking me to task since you manufacture them. I wouldn't like some one dissing something I had for sale either.

 

[MachIVshooter]

Whatever you think and I can understand you taking me to task since you manufacture them. I wouldn't like some one dissing something I had for sale either.

I don't need to convince anyone or "defend" our products, nor am I personally insulted. Like I said, if they're not your thing, great, we're all entitled to our preferences.

I just endeavor to separate opinion from fact, and to dispel misconceptions that may be based on things like experience with something way in the past of which the current generation of products are vastly improved. If one only had a frame of reference from the 80s or 90s cans, I could see where they'd decide the juice isn't worth the squeeze. I've rebuilt & upgraded many hundred of those marginally effective boat anchors. 2024 is a whole different world with suppressors that are less than half the weight, twice as effective, far more modular/flexible, and comparatively a lot cheaper.