No. A suppressor makes shooting safer for your hearing, but it does not make it safe on its own. In a study by federal and university hearing researchers, suppressors lowered peak sound at the shooter’s ears by 17 to 24 decibels. The authors still concluded that firearm users should wear hearing protection whenever they shoot or hunt.
This post is about the safety question only. For the sound level of each kind of gun, see our post on how loud a suppressed gun is. For plugs, muffs and how to fit them, see shooting ear protection. General information, checked against the sources below as of November 2026.
Are suppressors hearing safe? The short answer
Safer, yes. Safe, no. The paper behind these numbers, “The reduction of gunshot noise and auditory risk through the use of firearm suppressors and low-velocity ammunition”, ran in the International Journal of Audiology in 2018. Researchers from NIOSH, the federal agency for workplace hearing, and several universities measured real guns with and without suppressors.
Here is their own summary:
- Suppressors cut peak sound at the shooter’s ear by 17 to 24 decibels.
- They cut the 8-hour energy measure by 9 to 21 decibels, depending on the gun and the ammunition.
- About a meter behind the shooter, where an instructor or a friend stands, peaks fell by 20 to 28 decibels.
- Their conclusion: suppressors may reduce noise exposure, but the cumulative exposure from suppressed firearms can still be a significant hearing risk.
Lower is not the same as safe
The safe-limit numbers come from NIOSH. It recommends that a short, sharp sound like a gunshot never go above 140 decibels of peak sound. One event at 140 uses up a person’s entire daily allowance. For steady noise, its limit is 85 A-weighted decibels averaged over an eight-hour day.
Unsuppressed guns blow past that. In the suppressor study, the peak at the shooter’s left ear ran from 140 to 161 decibels across the test guns. With a suppressor on, it ran from 118 to 137. Every suppressed reading was below 140, which sounds like good news. It is, but the number is only half the story, for two reasons.
First, shots add up. NIOSH gives a formula for how many shots a person can fire in a day at a given peak level. It is 10 raised to the power of (140 minus the peak level) divided by 10. Using our own arithmetic on the study’s suppressed readings at the left ear:
| Suppressed setup in the study | Peak at shooter’s left ear | Shots per day by NIOSH’s formula |
|---|---|---|
| .308 rifle, high-velocity ammunition | 137 dB | about 2 |
| .223 rifle, high-velocity ammunition | 134 dB | about 4 |
| .22 rifle, high-velocity ammunition | 120 dB | about 100 |
| .22 rifle, low-velocity ammunition | 118 dB | about 160 |
NIOSH itself calls this formula conservative and says it ignores how long each sound lasts and what pitch it is. We show it to make one point: a suppressed rifle shot can still use up a whole day’s allowance in a couple of rounds. A range day is dozens or hundreds of shots.
Second, the sound does not drop as much as people think. Decibels work on a steep scale. NIOSH points out that 10 decibels more means ten times more sound intensity. The study’s authors add that every 3 decibel drop in the energy measure cuts the risk in half and doubles the allowable number of rounds. A 20 decibel cut is a big help. It is also not a drop to a safe level for a rifle.
What changes the risk most
The same paper and a peer-reviewed review in Seminars in Hearing list what moves the risk. Here is what they say matters most:
- The suppressor itself. On the study’s rifles and pistol, the authors report peak cuts of 17 to 24 decibels at the shooter’s ears, depending on the gun and ammunition.
- The ammunition. In the study, low-velocity ammunition, which has a bullet slower than the speed of sound, gave a bigger drop than high-velocity ammunition in the same gun. The authors tie this to the crack a supersonic bullet makes in flight, which a suppressor cannot remove. A suppressor and low-velocity ammunition together did best.
- The number of shots. The review lists shot count as a risk factor. More rounds is more exposure, however quiet each one is.
- Where you shoot. The review also lists the shooting environment, the distance between shooters and how well hearing protection fits and is worn. NIOSH notes that sound bouncing off the walls of an indoor range adds to the exposure.
- A muzzle brake. The review lists it as a factor too. The study’s introduction cites reports of peaks well above 175 decibels for a .30 caliber rifle with a muzzle brake.
Why hunters are the hardest case
Hunters often skip protection because plugs and muffs make it harder to hear a deer, a turkey or a partner. The study’s authors say exactly that: hunters do not typically use protection because their ability to hear their quarry is dramatically reduced. They also write that hearing loss from firearm noise often shows up as a sharp loss of high-pitched hearing, which is hard to treat.
So a suppressor is a real step for a hunter who would otherwise shoot with nothing in their ears. It is not a reason to go without protection. The authors point to electronic hearing protection, which lets ambient sound through and shuts down loud sound. NIOSH says such muffs protect against the shot about as well as the same muffs turned off. If you hunt with a dog, the dog hears the shot too, which we cover in do gunshots hurt dogs’ ears. Georgia has its own rules for using a suppressor on a hunt, explained in hunting with a suppressor in Georgia.
What to do about it
Treat the suppressor as one layer, not the whole plan.
- Wear hearing protection every time you fire. NIOSH’s advice for shooters is to wear earplugs and earmuffs together every time a weapon is fired. Our ear protection post covers the numbers and the fit.
- Pick the quieter option when you have one. If your gun and your purpose allow it, low-velocity ammunition plus a suppressor gave the biggest drop in the study.
- Watch your shot count. A quiet day with a few rounds is a different exposure than a long range session.
- Do not use ringing as a test. NIOSH notes that ringing in the ears and a feeling of fullness often follow unprotected or under-protected exposure, and that they mean better protection is needed next time. If you notice either, change what you wear.
A suppressor helps the people next to you too. The study found peaks about a meter behind the shooter fell by 20 to 28 decibels. That is a good reason to own one. It is not a reason to skip the plugs. We also debunk the “silent” idea in suppressor myths.
Where to go from here
If protecting your hearing is a reason you are looking at a suppressor, that reason holds up. It is one of the real benefits, and our is a suppressor worth it post covers the cost and the wait. We can talk you through the buying process at the counter in Cumming, including the federal forms we do with you in the shop. Start on our suppressor page, or send us a question first.
Sources: the International Journal of Audiology suppressor study (PubMed 29299940), NIOSH’s guidance for hunters and shooters (CDC Stacks 185948), NIOSH’s noise page, and the Seminars in Hearing review (PubMed 29026261).
