Hearing protection for hunting / shooting

Hearing protection for hunting / shooting

When there are no noise spikes, the right hearing protection will attenuate the ambient noise, leaving voices and background noise still audible. Directional hearing is also retained. Custom-made hearing protection is also ideal for all-day use during hunting and shooting.

Our topics overview

• Why is it important to wear hearing protection when hunting and shooting?
• What kind of hearing damage can be caused by loud shots?
• When is hearing protection compulsory during hunting or at the shooting range?
• Which hearing protection is suitable for hunters?
• Which hearing protection is suitable for dogs when hunting?
• Which hearing protection is suitable for sports shooters?
• How does active and passive hearing protection work?
• Where can I buy hearing protection for hunting and shooting?
• How much does hearing protection for hunting and shooting cost?

Why is it important to wear hearing protection when hunting and shooting?

Gunshots suddenly produce high noise levels, often in the immediate vicinity of the ear. The human ear is particularly sensitive to this so-called impulse noise. The loud bang of the gun puts a lot of strain on the ear. It can even lead to permanent hearing damage. Hearing protection is therefore essential for both hunters and shooters at the shooting range.

What kind of hearing damage can be caused by loud shots?

A gunshot with 150 to 170 dB is far above the pain threshold of human hearing. If the ear is not optimally protected in this case, this impulse noise can even trigger a blast trauma. This causes severe damage to the inner ear with cochlea. The inner ear also contains the hair cells. A general distinction is made between the inner hair cells, which transmit the sensory stimulus to itself, and the outer hair cells, which dampen or amplify it. An undamped shot will overload or even damage the outer hair cells in particular. This can suddenly impair hearing ability. Overall, the ear can recover over time, but hearing loss for the high frequencies is often permanent. In addition, completely damaged hearing cells cannot be regenerated. After a blast trauma, the ear also loses hearing more quickly with age. Noise damage caused by impulse noise during hunting or shooting can therefore cause permanent hearing damage.

When is hearing protection compulsory during hunting or at the shooting range?

When shooting, noise levels of around 130 - 170 dB can be triggered in the immediate vicinity of the muzzle, depending on the weapon and calibre. It must therefore be clear to everyone that this impulse noise can lead to long-term hearing damage such as blast trauma. From as low as 130 decibels, people automatically cover their ears to protect their hearing. Above 150 decibels, even irreparable hearing damage can occur. Wearing hearing protection at shooting ranges is therefore already compulsory. However, hunters often do without this important protection in order to better perceive soft sounds in the forest. This leaves the risk of dangerous hearing damage from the loud shot. With the right hearing protection solutions, however, it is possible to perceive important noises during hunting and at the same time be protected from loud shooting noises.

Which hearing protection is suitable for hunters?

There are several special characteristics that make good hearing protection for hunters. In the following, we present some possible hearing protection variations for hunting.

Active capsule ear protection for hunting

Capsule ear protection is a popular hearing protection solution for hunting. An active sound amplifier control for hunting hearing protection is recommended. Active capsule ear protection enables you to hear and understand conversations or game passes well. The dangerously loud shot for the ear, however, is optimally attenuated.

Earplugs for hunting

Earplugs are also available which provide dynamic volume attenuation. This means that loud bangs are damped more than soft speech. In addition, earplugs for hunting are often more comfortable to wear than ear muffs. Since ear protection is usually worn for a longer period of time when hunting, this is an important factor. Therefore, ear protection should fit well and be comfortable for long hunts.

Custom-made hearing protection for hunting

For extra comfort when hunting, we recommend individual and custom-made ear molds for hunters. We make ear plugs for each ear canal to measure. For this we need your ear impressions, which you can have made by any hearing aid acoustician. You will then receive your personal hearing protection, which will fit optimally and comfortably. We will be happy to advise you personally.

Which hearing protection is suitable for dogs when hunting?

Dogs have particularly sensitive hearing. Therefore, you should also provide your dog's ears with optimum protection when hunting. You will find special dog hearing protection for this in our shop. The MuttMuffs dog hearing protection reliably protects your dog's fine hearing in various noise situations and thus ensures less stress. Your dog is therefore also optimally protected against the loud banging noises during hunting. This dog hearing protection is also ideally suited for guard dogs, rescue dogs, mantrailers, sniffer or patrol dogs of the police and armed forces, who often work in noisy environments.

Which hearing protection is suitable for sports shooters?

There are several features that make good hearing protection for sport shooters. In the following, we present possible hearing protection variants for shooting sports.

Capsule ear protection for sport shooters

Capsule ear protection is often chosen as hearing protection for sport shooters, police officers or soldiers on the shooting range. Since the shot often has to be attenuated for only a short time, passive capsule ear protection is often sufficient in this case. However, if sounds such as speech are to remain perceptible, active capsule ear protection is also recommended here.

Hearing protection for sports shooters with short guns

For sports shooters with short guns, the strong attenuation effect is also very important. For this purpose, we recommend thick ear muffs with an SNR of more than 35dB. If necessary, earplugs can also be worn in the ear canal. For special wearing comfort, custom-made earmoulds are also recommended for shooters.

How does active and passive hearing protection work?

Both active and passive hearing protection solutions have their advantages and disadvantages. In the following we explain the difference between these two types of hearing protection.

How does active hearing protection work?

Active capsule hearing protection refers to effective, dynamic hearing protection with variable sound attenuation. It is equipped with special technology and filters. The electronic capsule hearing protection amplifies ambient noise and only reduces the sound level when it becomes dangerously loud. Loud noises (e.g. shots during hunting) are faded out above a certain dB value. Communication and environmental perceptions in quiet and safe situations are thus possible despite hearing protection, so that you can talk without any problems on the shooting range and still be optimally protected from the loud shots. Active capsule hearing protection is therefore particularly suitable for hunting and shooting sports. It has been specially developed for the needs of hunters, sport shooters, police and military.

How does passive hearing protection work?

Passive hearing protectors, on the other hand, are basically equipped without electronic components and are therefore lighter. Passive hearing protection also effectively attenuates all sounds, regardless of the noise level. However, if the noise level fluctuates, the attenuation can be too high, so that communication or environmental perception in quieter and safer situations is not possible with passive hearing protection. In these cases, active hearing protection with variable sound attenuation is more suitable.

Where can I buy hearing protection for hunting and shooting?

You can find hearing protection products for hunting and shooting from various manufacturers and brands. Our wide range includes different types of hearing protection for every purpose.

Leading manufacturers and brands of hearing protection for hunters and sport shooters:

• 3M Peltor
• 3M Protac
• actiSafe
• Honeywell Bilsom Impact

How much does hearing protection for hunting and shooting cost?

The cost of hunting and shooting hearing protection can vary greatly depending on the type of hearing protection. You can find passive capsule hearing protection from about 25 euros. Active hearing protection, on the other hand, which has been specially developed for the needs of hunters and marksmen, costs between 100 and 200 euros.

Our tip: Custom-made hearing protectors with impulse sound filter for hunters and marksmen offer the highest wearing comfort.