Admit it. You really, really don’t want to develop that non-stop ringing in your ears for the rest of your life that can slowly drive you nuts, do you?
That’s what I thought.
Loud explosive gunshots will mess with the teeny-tiny hairs in your inner ear, causing a high-pitch noise that never goes away. It’s called “tinnitus” and it happens because the brain is trying desperately to compensate for lost frequencies by amplifying other, still active ones.
That’s why I want to offer this up so you know what to look for to get the best ear protection out there today. Effective. Affordable. Dependable hearing protection.
Earplugs
Cheap, comfortable, and easy to use, these little suckers can’t be beat for price or convenience. One size fits all and they can be used over and over due to their high-durability factor.
Options range from brightly colored foam-on-string thingees to less flashy versions.
A noise reduction rate of 15dB is acceptable but 30dB is even better, so feel free to double up with a pair of ear muffs (see below) on top of the ear plugs.
Oh, and another good thing about earplugs is you can just toss ’em when you’re done. I mean, who wants to stick some wax-covered thing in your ear a second time anyways, right?
Earmuffs
High-tech headphones are the other option for optimal ear drum cover. I dig ’em because they really muffle the hell out of even the loudest loads!
For the ultimate in ear protection and for safe range protection, they can’t be beat! I’m talkin’ somewhere in the range of 30dB NRR of protection!
They’re lightweight and work best for handgun shooting. See, one big downside is this – like any earmuff option, they tend to get in the way when your face is pressed up against the rifle stock while you’re taking aim. And that kinda’ sucks.
That said, comfort is key and I find ’em to be super comfy for lengthy shooting sessions.
And I like to shoot, so that’s good. Plus I like to hear, so that’s even better.
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