Shooting has been a recognised sport for well over 130 years – since 1896, in fact. During that time, the sport has become incredibly popular in the UK, with a number of different disciplines being created.
Each discipline utilises different guns, distances and targets depending on what you want to try your hand at. So, to get you started, we’ve outlined some of the most popular types of shooting...
Game shooting
One of the more controversial shooting disciplines is ‘game shooting.’ This type of shooting involves hunting wild mammals such as deer or game birds. This can be for either sport or food, or sometimes both. Due to its nature, the government have enforced strict guidelines that must be followed when game shooting, so if you want to take part, make sure abide by them.
Clay pigeon shooting
A great place to start for budding shooters. Clay pigeon shooting is where shooters aim for flying targets propelled out of a machine, traditionally in the form of a clay pigeon.
Fullbore target rifle shooting
Shooters try to hit paper targets with a rifle whilst in the prone position – laying flat with your chest on the ground.
Sporting clays
This style of shooting requires participants to move around a set course and aim for moving targets which move at various different angles, distances, and speeds. It's one of the more difficult shooting disciplines.
Practical shooting
Shooters use handguns to shoot at various different moving targets. To be effective at practical shooting, participants require a blend of accuracy and speed.
Do I need hearing protection when shooting?
When taking part in any shooting discipline, it’s vital that you limit the damage done to your hearing, all while ensuring you can still hear those important sounds around you. Here’s why.
Gunfire is known as ‘impact noise’ making it more of an assault on your ears than a constant noise, and can cause significant hearing damage as a result.
How? A gunshot produces a loud burst of sound, which causes energy that rattles the eardrum, the small bones in the inner ear and the cochlea – an organ that converts sounds into electrical impulses the brain can understand. This can be come damaged when exposed to these loud bursts.
People often find that after shooting, their hearing isn’t quite as good as it was before firing a gun. This is known as the temporary threshold shift (TTS) – which in short, is the hair cells remaining bent over. This leads to a ringing, muffling sound and a temporary loss of hearing. But if you constantly expose yourself to TTS, the damage can quickly become more severe and long-lasting.
Any sound above 85 decibels (dB) risks permanent hearing damage and tinnitus. Almost all weapons generate over 140dB when discharged, with some pistols exceeding 175dB and some shotguns firing at 150dB. Even suppressed firearms can operate at around 140db. Different caliber and barrel guns produce different shock waves, explosions, and levels of decibels that can easily damage your hearing. So without proper protection, the risk of permanent hearing damage becomes very real.
Fortunately, you can still enjoy the thrills of shooting and hear those crucial sounds around you before pulling the trigger, all while protecting your hearing with Auritech Shoot ear plugs.
Auritech Shoot ear plugs are designed to reduce damaging gun blast noise while keeping conversation and natural sounds audible. Precision-tuned, patented ceramic sound filters ensure maximum protection from shooting and other extreme noise activities like fireworks, yet allow you to listen clearly to surrounding conversation without a muffled effect.
Not only that, they are also comfortable to wear and suitable for all ages. They are the ideal earplugs for all types of shooting, as well as being washable and complete with a handy storage case. Give them a try the next time you’re out in the field, on the clay ground or at the gun club.
Hearing protection should be worn not only when you are the shooter, but at any time people around you are shooting.
Learn more: https://www.auritech.co.uk/universal-fit-earplugs/shoot.html