SSAA: Australia’s best hunting and shooting magazines

Protect your eyes and ears

by David Blanton

Earmuff-type protectors are the most effective

Impact-resistant glass or plastic goggles protect the eyes
Virtually all formal shooting ranges require shooters to wear eye and ear protection while shooting. These rules make excellent safety sense and must be obeyed. Further, recreational shooters on non-formal ranges should take heed and follow suit.

Impact-resistant glass or plastic goggles protect the eyes from windblown dust and grit as well as particles of burned powder, wadding, clay targets and the uncommon but not impossible pierced primer.

Hearing loss is permanent and irreversible. Sounds above 100 decibels (dB) damage the sound receptor cells of the inner ear. Virtually all firearms (including the .22 rimfire) produce muzzle blast at or above this threshold of potential damage. Earmuff-type protectors are the most effective but even the cheap disposable foam earplugs help a lot.

New technology has brought us electronic muffs and plugs. These allow normal sounds, such as conversation, to be heard and even amplified, but slams an electronic ‘door’ on loud peaking sounds like gunshots. Such devices are excellent for hunters who wish to protect their hearing.