GUN HEADACHE?

[wymberley]

Isn't gun headache what you get when exposed to lots of loud gunshots in a short space of time?

 

Amazon are doing Silverline electronic ones that activate at 80 db's for 13.99 special offer at the mo, will be giving those a try as they seem to have all the EN numbers etc. Downside is they are a little large and look cheap with a see through plastic.

 

In short, no. Gun headache is a function of recoil with several causes, one being, when applicable, a gap between the action standing face and the barrels.

[Hamster]

The OP asked about gun headache and we've all responded with hearing loss/tinnitus, albeit sensibly, in mind.

The question is, did the OP mean these problems, as they have nothing to do with 'gun headache'?

 

 

I have been thinking the same here , tinnitus is a very real and usually avoidable threat so do as others have said and wear very good quality protection. I have it in my left ear despite wearing protection, now double up with in-ear as well as muffs.

 

However, gun headache is more likely the result of recoil, or concussion to be more exact. It affects people to different degrees but few are immune, it just depends on your tolerance level. Most people can luckily live with 50-100 shots in a typical clay session even without any real form of recoil reduction other than perhaps a decent weight gun and half decent pad and suffer no ill effects. Others can suffer intense pain if they don't take the right precautions.

 

What happens is that the recoil from repeated shots shakes the upper body which in turn transfers some of this to your head which in turn shakes your grey matter within it! Before we start getting expert opinions telling us about getting fitted and so avoid this recoil, let me tell you I am in a position of being able to say even with an expertly fitted gun you cannot avoid the laws of physics. My guns fit me well, I make sure of that, but because I have been known to fire 200-300 shells on a Sunday, I have to take the right approach. Pace yourself, use the right weight gun, good recoil pad, preferably fitted with some sort of mechanical recoil reducer and shoot shells that do the job without undue punishment. In my very early years I would suffer severe gun headaches within 10 shots sometimes using what I now know to be unsuitable weight etc.

[Livefast123]

You learn something everyday on PW

[humperdingle]

I dunno, I've used the same semi auto now for over two years. I've NEVER had a headache when firing the gun EXCEPT when not using any ear defenders. If I don't wear them, I get a headache every time. Even just a few shots.

 

I reckon the gun fits me pretty well - I've fired 200 shots in a couple of hours before (wearing ear defenders), and I haven't had any ill effects whatsoever.

[Hamster]

 

I reckon the gun fits me pretty well - I've fired 200 shots in a couple of hours before (wearing ear defenders), and I haven't had any ill effects whatsoever.

 

As I mentioned different people have different tolerance levels, you're just luckier than most. It is highly probable that the fierce noise from a gun won't help and I've even known people who complain that they develop headaches due to the pressure applied to the side of their head from wearing muffs but recoil / concussion is a definite cause. Many simply don't know or refuse to admit it but over the years I've known enough people to have had headaches directly attributable to recoil to be certain it is true.

 

A case in point is when a very good friend and England team member who as a rule doesn't suffer told me of a monster headache when one weekend he had to use steel loads in a competition and their recoil being higher tipped him over his particular threshold .

[Harnser]

I have recently been fitted with two hearing aids because of my cavalier attitude to wards hearing protection over the years . I have a serious hearing loss in both ears due to exposure to gun shot noise over to many years . Its not worth the risk ,cover your lugs up or finish up with a lemonade in each ear . Incidently the lemonades are very good ,although I am still not certain that I want to live in such a noise world with them turned on .

 

Harnser .

[humperdingle]

As I mentioned different people have different tolerance levels, you're just luckier than most. It is highly probable that the fierce noise from a gun won't help and I've even known people who complain that they develop headaches due to the pressure applied to the side of their head from wearing muffs but recoil / concussion is a definite cause. Many simply don't know or refuse to admit it but over the years I've known enough people to have had headaches directly attributable to recoil to be certain it is true.

 

A case in point is when a very good friend and England team member who as a rule doesn't suffer told me of a monster headache when one weekend he had to use steel loads in a competition and their recoil being higher tipped him over his particular threshold .

That's interesting. I wonder if any studies have been carried out on regular competition shooters over a period of time?

 

Any comp shooters out there who can point to such a study?

[Dunkield]

I am fairly sure there were studies relating to the the long term effects of firing many thousands cartridges at competition level. That was more to do with potential back injury from recoil than headache, but it resulted in the reduction in the cartridge weight from 32grams down to 28grams.

Perhaps one of our older members like Cat can comment with more accuracy.

[Hamster]

That's interesting. I wonder if any studies have been carried out on regular competition shooters over a period of time?

 

Any comp shooters out there who can point to such a study?

 

As mention by Dunkield there certainly have been studies on the effects of recoil and it directly led to the reduction of shot loads from 32 to 28 gram . I seem to recall that women tended to suffer more from irreversible shoulder injury which isn't at all surprising given that their body mass is generally less substantial. Without wishing to dig myself an almighty hole, it is also not surprising that most of the better shooters tend to be on the beefy side which is useful in absorbing the heavy dosage of practice birds necessary to get to and stay at the top, this includes some of the top women .

 

Recoil injury is cumulative, everybody suffers, the only variable is the level of threshold. If your threshold is 50k shells per annum you're lucky, if it's 50 birds a week then you're stuffed and won't get anywhere with or without talent / time / money.

 

The interesting thing in all this though is that recoil does not always affect peoples shoulders, I'm not qualified to medically quantify things but have rarely suffered shoulder pain. This could be because being lighter than most I ride recoil off but happen to have a lower than average threshold in absorbing concussion?! I have had large framed friends who wince like girls from shoulder pain firing tamer shells than I can handle , but rarely complain from headaches. This is what led me to ponder on whether how one's body receives recoil has a bearing on it's affects.

 

I don't believe noise alone can be to blame, after all we've all been to loud concerts and stood next to bungalow size speakers whilst drinking all night , you go home with a mullered ear and fuzzy head maybe but I can't recall concussive headaches. It sure is an interesting subject.

[humperdingle]

Thanks

 

I suppose the addition of extreme and sudden pressure change from shotgun blasts might contribute. As someone said, it's probably a cumulative effect, with many different variables and individual thresholds.