Braked rifle hearing protection for hunting?

[Garycrow]

I would have a thread protector made and remove the brake for hunting. Use the brake for practice sessions where you can wear adequate hearing protection. Remove the brake and put on the thread protector for final sight in (it'll change POI some) before hunting.

Both my prairie dog rifles are braked but when shooting PD's I wear double hearing protection, foam plugs under a set of muffs. For big game hunting I'm not going to do that, I rely upon my hearing too much while deer hunting and I'm not wearing a pair of electronic muffs around either, I've got too much equipment to manage already. I'm also not going to fumble with inserting ear plugs with game around, most of my hunting situations wouldn't allow for that much movement without getting busted nor do I always have the time for that. I see the reason for a brake for extended range sessions on a 7mm rem mag, but for hunting itself there shouldn't be a need for it. For PD hunting I'll shoot 2-300 rounds a day vs. maybe 5 shots a year deer hunting.

Practice with the brake and take it off for hunting, adjust the scope as needed.

 

[Greyfox]

I'm pretty much in the same boat, with hearing loss from shooting over 50 years. I have found that with my braked, LR rifles, hearing protection (when hunting)is much more critical when shooting prone. This can be painful without protection. For this I wear the shooting ear plugs that are attached with a cord and leave this around my neck when hunting. I always have time to plug them in when setting up for a shot A single shot from. More open positions is not such a big issue if I don't have the time to put them. For al practice , load testing, and competition I wear top quality muffs.

 

[J E Custom]

I know that some people don't wear hearing protection when hunting (I didn't at one time)
But I have had hearing loss and had to do something.

While testing Muzzle brakes we used a DB Meter to monitor the sound levels of rifles with or without
brakes and also to measure the so called "Quite Brakes".

Our findings were different than we thought and had been told for many years.

All High power rifles and pistols (No matter what caliber) Produced sound above the safe level (Below 80 DB) and the addition of a brake only raised the 'perceived' sound NOT THE ACTUAL SOUND LEVELS.

Here is a chart for reference. DdB: Measuring sound

They all ran on average of 106 DB to 108, and the lowest reading was 105 DB (Well above the safe level). armed with that information I highly recommend using some kind of hearing protection while firing any weapon where pressures exceed 15,000 PSI.

No matter what kind of hearing protection you find that works for you it is better than not using any and loosing your hearing. No type of hearing protection is as comfortable as not wearing any, but the benefits far out weigh the discomfort.

In other words, There is no free ride.

J E CUSTOM

 

[Technologist]

Did I miss the reason why you're not using a suppressor? Less recoil, much less noise, hugely increased comfort in shooting. I shoot my .308 without muffs when hunting, but with muffs when on the range (because of the amount of shots fired when practicing).

 

[BIGJOHNT]

In my state(Utah) it is not legal to hunt with a suppressed rifle . Only for non game animals. Not sure about Nevada? But shooting a rifle with a brake or not can still damage your hearing. Yes brakes are louder but a rifle without one is still loud enough to damage your hearing.

 

[stonehands1]

I've been using Walker Game Ears HD for the last seven years. I ran into your dilemma when I bought a 460sw pistol. It's shoots very comfortably because of the compensator. I made the mistake of shooting it one time without ear protection and my left ears rang for for hours. Not to mention that it felt like someone hit me in the side of the head with a 2x4.
My only complaint about the Walkers is that when in the on position I wish I could turn down the magnification a little more. Everything seems so loud but it does make you more aware of being quite while stalking. When I use them in a tree stand I turn them up and can hear deer walking before I can see them which is nice.
They work very well at cutting out the noise of the gun firing as well. I wear them all the time now while stalking game.

 

[Garycrow]

Did I miss the reason why you're not using a suppressor? Less recoil, much less noise, hugely increased comfort in shooting. I shoot my .308 without muffs when hunting, but with muffs when on the range (because of the amount of shots fired when practicing).

Technologist,

In much of the U.S. it's not legal to hunt with a suppressor. Even in places where it is legal there is still a big tax on suppressors and a lot of federal paperwork to go through to get one. It all dates back to the 1920's and 1930's when the mafia wars were going on in the big American cities, mob killings using suppressed firearms were common so the government effectively outlawed them by placing a very large tax on them. Those laws are still on the books so suppressors are difficult and expensive to obtain.

The laws need to be changed, but don't look for it to happen especially under the Obama administration which is very anti-gun.

I wish suppressors were in common use for hunting, we'd all be better off. However, with the laws in place now they're uncommon and expensive.

 

[6.5x300 WBY]

In my state(Utah) it is not legal to hunt with a suppressed rifle . Only for non game animals. Not sure about Nevada? But shooting a rifle with a brake or not can still damage your hearing. Yes brakes are louder but a rifle without one is still loud enough to damage your hearing.

NO brakes ARE NOT LOUDER. Its just perceived noise not actual noise. Just look at JE post its true and this myth needs to end. But its a long standing myth and its for it to end. But by education I hope it will end.

Just shoot and hunt with hearing protection. I just use my e muffs. Peltor tac 7's.

Brian