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Charles L. Cotton wrote: Your attitude isn't appreciated.

The source you cite doesn't support your claims. Look at pages 16 - 17 where it recommends the use of ear muffs, or even ear plugs, in indoor shooting ranges. See also page 15 and the discussion of the danger of noise levels in the 138 to 140db, not the 82db range you experience with electric ear muffs. Noise measurement in db levels is not linear; it's logarithmic so the difference between 82db and 138db isn't a difference of 168%, it far far greater.

Show me the medical proof of that a person wearing electronic ear muffs can suffer permanent hearing loss from a 10 minute exposure to gunfire in an indoor shooting range. That's what it will take for the plaintiff to win this case. Your 37 year old paper doesn't support your argument.

Chas.

If you look at my original post you will see that I said hearing damage was possible in ten minutes if she had her muffs seated incorrectly, which is quite possible if she was wearing badly fitting shooting glasses, has long hair, or any number of other reasons.

I don't support this lawsuit in any way, and I was never making the argument you are implying I was making.

In regards to hearing loss at indoor shooting ranges while correctly wearing electronic muffs, it is still a real problem, though probably not in a ten minute time span. Noise levels from firing at ranges can hit 140db. The best electronic muffs will provide ~29db of noise reduction. Most are less than that. That leaves you well over the 85db recommended level. Hearing loss is cumulative, and over 85db, the louder it is, the less time it takes.

edit: sorry for being snippy earlier.

puma guy wrote:

koolaid wrote:It is completely possible she has hearing damage in ten minutes if her muffs weren't seated correctly.

One of the many reasons it is always a good idea to double up at indoor ranges. The other being that muffs alone aren't capable of bringing the noise level of gun shots in a cement room down to safe levels.

You're going to have to explain that one. Resonance may increase, but not volume.

I don't know why I need to explain it because I think it was fairly obvious what my meaning was. Shooting indoors increases your exposure to hearing damaging levels of sound, thus increasing the likelihood of hearing damage. The increased resonance is what causes this. Ear muffs alone do not provide enough protection from this exposure to prevent hearing damage.

If you want to be pedantic though, you can enjoy this exciting 1975 government paper on air quality and noise considerations for indoor shooting ranges, complete with exciting charts of sound pressure level decay.

It is completely possible she has hearing damage in ten minutes if her muffs weren't seated correctly.

One of the many reasons it is always a good idea to double up at indoor ranges. The other being that muffs alone aren't capable of bringing the noise level of gun shots in a cement room down to safe levels.