

Hearing loss is not fun and can be prevented. LAWSUITS HAVE ALREADY BEEN RECOGNIZED FOR GUNFIRE NOISE THAT HAS RESULTED IN HEARING LOSS.ĪLWAYS CONSULT A PROFESSIONAL AUDIOLOGIST, OTOLOGIST, OR OTOLARYNGOLOGIST WITH YOUR HEARING PROBLEMS. BE SURE TO USE ADEQUATE EAR PROTECTION WHEN USING A FIREARM AND BE CAREFUL OF THOSE NEARBY. IF YOU INCORPORATE A PROCEDURE INTO YOUR SHOOTING THAT INCREASES THE SOUND LEVEL, YOU ALSO INCREASE THE RISK OF HEARING LOSS TO YOURSELF AND POSSIBLY THOSE WHO STAND NEAR YOU. The noise chart below gives you an idea of average decibel levels for. As sound intensity doubles with every increase of 3dB, the safe exposure time halves. AS THE SOUND PRESSURES INCREASE, SO DOES THE RISK OF PERMANENT HEARING LOSS. A one-time exposure to extremely loud noise Repeated or long exposure to loud. Noise is measured using the decibel (dB) scale, which reflects the. OUR WARNING IS SIMPLE AND IS IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF EACH SHOOTER. Imagine what the noise levels must be when we incorporate muzzle brakes or porting into firearms, or have a gun explode near the ear due to malfunction. No wonder we hear numerous reports about hearing loss as a result of firearms including acoustic traumas that take hearing completely as a result of one shot. The above averages are for all types of ammunition used in these firearms, and should be considered fairly representative. It should be noticed that this figure of 164.5 dB approaches the practical limit of impulse noise measurement capability inherent in most modern sound level meters. There was also a greater range, from 152.4dB to 164.5dB, representing 12 dB difference, or more than 10 time as much acoustic energy for the top end of the pistol spectrum. Krammer adds that sound pressure levels for the various pistols and ammunition tested yielded an average mean of 157.5 dB, which is greater than those previously shown for shotgun and rifle noise levels. This is approximately 14dB beyond the threshold of pain, and more than sufficient to cause acoustic trauma. Krammer continues to say that shotgun noise averaged slightly more that 150dB. Table-1-SHOTGUN-NOISE-DATA-DECIBEL-AVERAGES. Krammer, Ph.D., Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana has documented the following pressure levels. 357 magnum pistol, which can expose a shooter to 165 dB for 2msec, is equivalent to over 40 hours in a noisy workplace.ĭr. Louis, the damage caused by one shot from a. senior research scientist in charge of the NOISE LABORATORY at the Central Institute for the Deaf in St. Keep in mind that conversational speech is approximately 60-65 dB, and the threshold of pain is considered to be 140 dB.Īccording to Dr. Use this chart as a reference guide for promoting the need of using adequate hearing protection. With the introduction of MUZZLE BRAKES and PORTING, the risks of hearing loss dramatically increase. Download Gunfire Noise Level Flyer–PDF (154k).īelow we have listed critical data describing peak sound pressure levels produced by firearms used in shooting and hunting sports.Ī serious byproduct of this exposure is sensory-neural hearing loss, which cannot be restored to normal.
