What is the average decibels of guns?

I am looking to buy hearing protection and I need to know what the dB of firearms are, both handguns and rifles, from .22 to .50 and everything in between.

Anonymous2009-03-01T10:34:51Z

Favorite Answer

Gunshots can get up to around 140 dB. .22s are of course much quieter but you should still always wear hearing protection. Go to a gun shop or go to an online store and get some ear muffs with a rating somewhere in the high 20s to 30s dB. Get some ear plugs with a rating somewhere in the 30s dB as well so you can double up with the muffs and plugs.

Logan D2009-03-01T12:20:23Z

From .22 to .50 and everything in between? There are literally thousands of different cartridges from .22 to .50. Take, for instance the .22. There is the .22 short, .22 long, .22 long rifle, .22 hornet, and .22 magnum. And for .50, there's .50 BMG, .50AE, .500 magnum, and .500 NE. Now, the are all loud, just buy a decent pair of shooting muffs or plugs and you'll be fine

Master2009-03-01T12:54:09Z

> 150 dB

Start with both plugs and muffs. Especially at a range were others are shooting. At indoor ranges using both are mandatory imho.

Mouseinarmor2009-03-02T08:26:02Z

Even a .22 short is loud enough to warrent ear protection.Never shoot without it.