Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Shooting with hearing aids, Yea or Nay?

Any time I am shooting at the bench I remove them and use hearing protection. Ok, when hunting I like to wear the aids to possibly be able to hear game approaching. I ask my self the question, what if I don't have time to remove them? To find out during a preseason sight-in with my grandson at the bench I stood about 30yds back behind the bench and left the aids in. The shot didn't seem to have been magnified by the aids so I kept going closer till I was right behind the bench. When still no problem I turned the aids all the way up and let him shoot again. Best that I could tell the aids blocked the 270 Win blast to the point that even wide open the sound was milder then if I had pulled the aids and stood there for the shot bare eared. When hunting I doubt anyone takes time to plug there ears before shooting a deer or turkey, so I have left my aids in while hunting the last 5-6 years. I know not all aids are the same maybe not all block loud noise. What say y'all.

Aids shut down at a certain decibel level. I'm not sure exactly what level that is, though. If they fill the ear snugly, they will act somewhat like ear plugs. The open ear type won't do that, though.

I wear mine elk hunting so I can hear em bugling. I never notice the blast from my shots being any louder, etc. I was concerned, however about ruining my hearing aids when popping off my 338....didn’t affect them in the least.

Leave them in all the time. As above, they actually shut down, or, at least attenuate, the shot blast. Even so, I still use muffs when target shooting, including rimfires.

The problem is that they are set to attentuate at a level that protects the circuitry - but way too high to protect you. You're damaging your already crippled hearing.

Amen

I don't leave mine in when I'm shooting, al though my hearing specialist said it was alright to do so. My hearing problems are when I'm in a confined space, say a restaurant, and there's lots of background noise. Outside, I can still hear pretty good. Anyway, I rarely wear mine as I can't tell a lot of difference.

I always wear mine and I'm able to turn down the volume before putting my muffs over them without feedback. Having said that, in loud public places like restaurants they are pretty much useless.

At the range, I take mine out and use ear plugs plus muffs.
When hunting I wear electronic muffs, usually with out my aids, but sometimes I’ll leave the aids in.
Have not fired a shot in many years without hearing protection. Shudda started that 40 years ago.

I don't wear mine either when shooting or just hunting. Electronic muffs allow me to hear elk bugling and animals walking, as well as conversation on the rare occasions that I visit a shooting range.

I specifically asked my audiologist about this. His advice: "Quit shooting or you will lose all of your hearing regardless."

I have noticed that my hearing is definitely getting worse.

To revive this thread a bit. Worst thing about a hearing loss is friends and family with good hearing get furious when you don't hear/understand them the first time or second time. They here every whisper even in noisy restaurants, they think, yea they have a hearing problem but I spoke louder second time and they still ( pretended ) they couldn't hear. I wish we could trade hearing for an hour or so. I wore hearing protection when target shooting and the 30+ years on extremely loud jobs in a plant. I suspect the foam plugs I used in the plant were not enough. You young folks with hearing take care of it its no fun at all without it. Yea I wear the aids to hunt with and on a good year maybe shoot 3-4 shots in the woods. Some say even with protection there will be hearing loss. Well at 67 I ain't going to give up shooting.