I hadn't really considered this before.

Big rifle calibers with the most concussive effect.

Indoor ranges much worse than outdoor ranges. Although I suppose outdoor booths worse than a no-booth setup.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/11/03/us/gun-ranges-brain-injuries.html

My dad took me when I was young to the PD indoor range when all the LEOs would shoot. They had a little offset play area for us youngsters. All the shooting was kinda down a hall from the range….but it was still loud as I remember. I have often thought if that did not contribute to the hearing loss and tinnitus I have now.

The inverse square law means that this issue is very largely overblown. Any wave propagation from a point source will dissipate in amplitude/energy rapidly.

This can be enough to affect hearing to be sure but I seriously doubt the human body is otherwise so sensitive to impact acceleration at even such a sudden impulse.


That being said, rifle ranges should have dividers and baffles that prevent a direct line from the muzzle location of one lane to the people to either side.

I will make a counter point. The outdoor range that I used to go to had a low tin roof over the firing line. It sloped down to force people to shoot below it to make sure they were hitting the berm. Even with good hearing protection, it was like sticking your head in a metal trash can while someone whacked it with a tire iron.

The new indoor range near my house has very tall ceilings. With the same, good hearing protection, it's a much more pleasant environment to shoot in.

Many years ago, I was stationed in Tucson and won a door prize at our Christmas party for a day pass for two at the indoor gun range/gun store. It came with some credit to rent a gun or two and a couple boxes of ammo.

It had an expiration date. When I finally went to use it my wife wanted to go. She was 7 months pregnant with our twins. When we checked in, one of the employees said she was not allowed to shoot and told us about the effects of noise. He said it could be worse for the twins she was growing because sound waves travel faster in liquid and have a potential to do more damage.

It made us think a little differently about the impact of loud noises after that. At the time, I joked that I was going to duct tape pillows all around her stomach and mid-section 360 degrees so she could shoot.

Some real fun is shooting steel targets with the family using our suppressed M&P15-22's. being able to carry a conversation in the background with others are shooting is nice, and it doesn't cost a fortune to go through hundreds of rounds in a day.

More suppressors for everyone

Are there many indoor ranges that allow the shooting of rifle caliber firearms? I assumed most only allow pistol caliber firearms.

Yes, and it's completely obnoxious. Muffs over plugs and it's still freaking loud.

It is for this reason that I'm not a fan of indoor ranges. The noise levels are magnified.

I took my new 308 to the Bullet Trap in Plano many years ago and assumed I'd be fine with just plugs. One shot on their indoor range and I couldn't hear out of my right ear. Promptly went to the counter and rented some muffs. My ears were ringing for a week.

Double ear pro and (eventually) suppressors ever since.

I got rid of my sig rattler .300 7" pistol because I tried shooting it without plugs one day (outdoors mind you) and I damn near went deaf. If I let loose on someone in a house or vehicle I would turn anyone around me deaf permanently.

Shooting suppressed is the only way! A .357 magnum in an indoor range is just dumb.