Rifle Silencers for a Hunter With Substantial Hearing Loss

July 9, 2015

Question: I have substantial hearing loss and my doctor recommended surgery to correct my problem. The issue is that my hearing will be very sensitive to noise afterwards and so shooting a rifle could actually damage it greatly. I am wondering if, when hunting, can an exception be made to allow me to use a silencer on my rifle? (Carlos)

Answer: Unfortunately, the answer is no. It is a felony to possess silencers, except for law enforcement and military purposes (California Penal Code, section 33410). Your best bet is to wear hearing protection while hunting. There are many choices out there and some actually enhance your ability to hear ambient noise while minimizing any loud noises, such as gunshots. Wildlife officers use this type of hearing protection during firearms training.

Commiefornia

There are plenty of good noise cancelling head phones that can both amplify sounds AND suppress the report of a gun shot.  I've got a set and they are great to use at a shooting range.  I can hear fine while talking to another person with them on, and when I shoot, they react fast enough to quiet the noise to protect my hearing.  I've also used them at work in very noisy environments.  They muffle the ambient noise, but still let speech come through. 

Noise cancelling headphones are also great on a plane.  Planes are loud and I have a small set I take with me when on longer flights.