Has anyone tried making their own ear protection?

[Lavan]

I am still having a miserable time with a seemingly insoluble hearing problem.

I've gone to the 34 NRR passive Decibel Defense muffs...and... the ACTIVE Peltors that are around 31 NRR.

Along WITH....both... the audiologist custom molded plugs or the Flents earplugs and various spin em and stick em commercial plugs.

I am still losing my hearing with 22 LR in a TWENTY EIGHT INCH barrel and

....STANDARD VELOCITY!

I seem to have stumped my audiologist and the head, neck, ear and throat surgeon.

I am down to thinking of making my own from a set of cheapies an adding more SIZE to encompass the cranial bone part of my head just in front of the ear.

My thoughts are that if I take out the existing stuff and coat the inside of the shell with silicone and then either stuff dense foam in ...OR... fill it with foam SPRAY that maybe it will work.

i'm at my wits end on this.

I hate to give up shooting altogether but it looks very likely that I will have to.

If I come up with anything, I'll post it in this thread but I'm not optimistic at this point.

I've researched about as much stuff as I can and NOBODY makes a sound PROOF method of stopping gunfire sound.

[jmhyer]

Is acquiring and using a suppressor (in addition to muffs and/or plugs) an option? Or settle for performance air rifle/pistol? Hate to see anyone give up shooting altogether.

[Lavan]

Can not have a suppressor in CA.

[Lavan]

My 9422 reliably handles shorts and CB caps.....

But..... sheeeze.....

[Smoke & Recoil]

Shoot outdoors, don't shoot under canopy's, don't shoot next to walls.

Just for laughs...can you tune the Mrs. out ?

[Lavan]

I am (or was) shooting outdoors only.
And only 22lr SV in the CZ455 Ultralux with 28" bbl.

[jmhyer]

I suspect your progressive hearing loss is not shooting-related.

[10-96]

I agree with jmhyer. You're probably picking up more sound levels from cans of whop biscuits, can openers, garage door openers, and your TV than you are from your .22 with the ear pro you have in use now.

I could be wrong, and I hate to hear your having troubles- but there may be other sources/issues at play.

[jmorris]

My ENT made plugs that are so effective I have to remove them or wear electronic amplified muffs over them to here range commands.

If you are plugged, muffed and a 28” .22 lr is damaging your ears, you might need to quit shooting or move to another State and get one of these.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srXMYpYFZ8c

FWIW the one on the left is a PCP pellet gun and can do lots of jobs the .22 can and is legal in your State, so that is also an option.

[Lavan]

I suspect your progressive hearing loss is not shooting-related

I would agree had it not happened on the exact day some idiot shot off some MONSTER rifle next to me and did NOT use the drums the club provides for that purpose. (while I was wearing my Peltors even)

And even then.....although that led to getting hearing aids......


This LATEST problem started on Nov 18 of this year.
I am chagrined that the Drs. are unable to come up with any even POSSIBLE explanation.

The loss both times has been directly attributable to gunfire.


Meek though the present setup may be.

[johnwilliamson062]

Using plugs...
Did you yank them out really quickly?
That can cause a strong vacuum and damage your hearing. The better the plugs fit the more likely it can do damage in this manner.

With the hearing protection you describe and shooting out doors I find it hard to believe you suffered appreciable damage any other way. Many shoot .22s without protection and can't tell they have damage.

As already stated, if you are next to someone shooting a boomer with a brake it doesn't much matter what ear protection you are using or what caliber you are shooting.

Do you use compressed air to clean your guns after you shoot?

I will continue to think about anything that might be contributing to your problems. I am confident it is something abnormal and not a failing of that hearing protection.

[Lavan]

You think YOU are surprised at damage from only 22 LR?

I have been shooting the CZ for months with SV ammo with no ill effect.

Then just the other day I decided to "shoot up" the Mini Mags I have left.

BLAM! Hearing problem immediately.

DAMN! Makes no sense.

Still seeking solution.

My ...thinking... is that I can take a pair of cheapy Silencios, spray the inside of the shells with that foam stuff, DOUBLE UP on the regular foam, WITH a slice of soft leather between, then even maybe spray the OUTSIDE of the shells with the foam and then to top it off, add a bead of silicone to the pads to make it actuallly cut IN to my silly head.

Dunno.

Maybe even find some balls of foam to put IN the muffs to squeeze up against my actual ear.

Desperate measures.

Grrrr......


Oh yeah... also use plugs.

[johnwilliamson062]

You think YOU are surprised at damage from only 22 LR?

To be clear, I am not surprised it is causing hearing damage. I am surprised it is causing damage you can notice.

22lr starts at about 135 db. Hearing protection rarely works a well as advertised and stacking doesn't seem to be simply additive in my experience. Fit and user error contributing. The sound is still probably 90 to 100 db. OSHA limits to 100 for an 8 hour day. I've known many who worked in such an environment and had hearing loss. It just took time and they didn't notice. The employer provided PPE and made them wear it and no definite traceable cause, so they paid their own medical bills.

Ears do take time to heal after damage. Maybe you didn't wait long enough.

Hearing experts have posted on here before. Maybe onewill drop in to provide a better explanation.

[cslinger]

All I can offer is .22CB/primer only type ammo through a bolt gun (CZ452 in my case) is quieter then a medium powered spring air rifle.

That being said a Beeman R7 air rifle in .22 with hearing protection should be damn near silent and should provide you with a helluva good gun and a great shooting experience.

Any chance you are somehow having the recoil/sound impulse transfer into your bones through vibrations almost like a bone mike?

[cslinger]

So I just threw on a set of Peltors turned them off (not sure the air Gun would trigger the noise cancellation) and fired a shot indoors from a .22 HW30s Air Rifle. It still registers a noticeable noise the cocking stroke CLICK is slightly less loud then the firing of the pellet. The noise is way less then opening a champagne bottle or pop n fresh muffins but it’s there. Again much of it feels more like its transmitting through the vibrations. (Hard to explain). I realize sound is pressure/vibrations just trying to describe a “feel” if you will.

The point I am trying to offer is the noise is way way way less then .22LR and less then most stuff we do day to day (hammer nails, champagne, heavy stapler etc. ) but is by no means dead silent with ear pro on.

No idea if this helps just trying to give you “shooting options” beyond the normal suggestions.

Also be aware that some Pre Charged Pneumatic (PCP) Air rifles are easily as loud or louder then .22lr. They are however just about as or more powerful though in some cases as a firearm, just using a different compressed launching agent (Air vs burning gas) both come out the muzzle with a crack and should the pellet go Super sonic you will have that crack just the same as a bullet.

[cslinger]

Do normal day to day sounds hammer you? (Fire engine, drill/circular saw, staple gun, political speeches......you know the typical annoying noises in life)

I only ask because some of those certainly approach / exceed .22lr with ear pro decibel levels.

[Lavan]

Yes those sounds "bother" me. But only since I got the hearing aids that amplify "some" sounds.
A squalling baby is the worst.

However....... I just got back from the head and neck place and my hearing, all bones, and eustachian tubes are...

NORMAL!

Not the audiogram, of course.

BUT.....they diagnosed it as a muscle/jaw thing.

I got a mouth guard. (never ground teeth before) but it's at least a "maybe."

Also have an appt for a CLASS on jaw stuff.

AND.....knowing all structural things are where they are supposed to be, I am gonna continue shooting and take more xanax.

I ...just..... realized that the xanax scrip I've taken WITH GREAT EFFECT for over 40 years was JUST reduced at about the time of the start of this ear "thing."

If it's a relaxation thing (as they say it is) there's a good shot that I am ...NOT.... DAMAGING anything except my enjoyment.

Armed with this new info, I'll go from here a bit more optimistically.

I sure appreciate the concern I've found here and will try to keep you posted.

Thanks for all suggestions.


Incidentally, I just added another layer of foam to my Decibel Defense muffs as I figure it can't HURT.

I also have a Beeman R-8 rifle and a Feinwerkbau FWB 65 match pistol that are gonna get a LOT more use.

[Lavan]

Then too, there's maybe SHOOTING DRUNK !!!!!!


Huh?
Huh, huh, huh?

[gwpercle]

What you are thinking of doing may be on the right track. I had some old school , cheapie muffs that I liked but the old foam insides was falling apart , I took out the old open cell foam and layered the insides with layers of 3/8th inch thick closed cell foam, securing with a little hot glue, it came from an exercise pad, I left just enough room for my ears . The closed cell foam seems to work better than open cell foam.
I'm sure there are other types of foam to try now.
These bubba muffs actually work quite well. If yours don't, pull out the foam and try something else.
I did a search of the term "acoustic insulation" and came up with several products that might be better than closed foam. Sprayed Cellulose Insulation looks good but the spray application might be a problem.

Gary

[Lavan]

Thinking that maybe the....stock....was transmitting "CLANKS" (it is) I put some silicone on the bottom of my muffs.

It stuck to the Howard Leights, but just peels OFF of the Decibel Defense.

Maybe epoxy and a piece of leather.

Guns don't kill people; they just make them deaf.

[jmorris]

I have an Ear plug assortment that I wish I had had earlier. The plugs that work the best for me were not ones I would have picked out by sight.

That said my custom ones by my ENT are by far the most noise reducing ones I own. If you can’t shoot a .22 rifle with a good set of custom plugs, much less double plugged with them, you may need a bow of some sort.

[Lavan]

Turns out..... that my "plugged" feeling in the ears is JAW related.

AND...... in a fit of insight..... I thought about it and I have started smoking (but not inhaling) a pipe.

And whaddya do with a pipe? CLENCH !!

So... now smoking and not holding pipe in teeth and the problem seems to be resolving.

Went shooting yesterday (only 22 pistol...but still) and NO ill effect.

Sorry for all the folderol. It was such a way out diagnosis that I would never have thought of the jaw making the ears feel plugged and quit sporadically.

Thanks for all advice though.

jmorris, are your custom molded plugs in the above assortment the best you own?

[Smoke & Recoil]

Bill said he never inhaled too, but I think Monica knew better