Measuring Recreational Firearm Noise

Recreational use of firearms in the United States is commonplace. It is estimated that approximately one-third of households in the U.S. own firearms.(1) There are 28 million Americans who consider themselves hunters, and 13 million went hunting in 2000.(2) Participation in shooting sports without the use of properly worn hearing protection exposes participants to high levels of impulsive noise that may cause hearing loss or tinnitus (ringing in the ear). Firearms may cause permanent hearing loss even after a single or a few unprotected exposures. The present study was initiated to gain a better understanding of the noise exposure created by contemporary firearms using state-of-the-art instrumentation and to ultimately increase our knowledge and awareness of this unique noise hazard.