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Gun Sports Hearing Protection
Student of the Gun
LUVERNE, AL --(Ammoland.com)- Hearing loss is not inevitable, it is preventable.
Far too many sportsmen will protect their ears on the shooting range and then damage them out in the field.
We should protect our hearing all the time, not just occasionally, and teach new shooters and hunters to do the same.
The feature article on Student of the Gun this week deals with that very topic and discusses practical ways to protect your hearing out in the field as well as on the target range.
Paul Markel c 2012
Follow Paul Markel at Student of the Gun.com .
This is excellent advice! I’ve been into shooting since I was about 12 or 13. I’ve been a professional DJ for more than 30 years now. I even did a brief stint as a drummer in a bar band. Needless to say, all of my work and hobbies have been LOUD. As kids, we’d take our .22s into the woods and plink away, never thinking about hearing protection. Few DJs ever considered what the constant exposure to music in excess of 90 dB had on their hearing either. Today, I’ve got measurable hearing loas. The effect is cumulative — exposure piles up over time, destroying the sensitive hairs in the innter ear that translate sound into something your brain understands. You probably have some measure of damage if you’ve ever endured sound that made it sound like you were wearing heavy ear muffs afterward, or if you were exposed to a report that caused a ringing sound in your ear immediately afterward. Some of us have a constant ringing or hissing sound known as tinitus, also caused by exposure to excessive noise.
Bottom line: jealously guard your hearing! Always use great (not “good,” but GREAT) hearing protection. If you have suffered some hearing loss, preventing more is a must! Plus, don’t be too proud to check into good hearing aids. Today, there are noise-canceling types that can nullify the ringing sensation of tinitus as well as conpensate for reduced hearing sensitivity. In short, keep what you’ve got and make the most of it. Safe shooting!