12-11-2017, 02:46 PM
just_john Wrote:There are a number of studies in various disciplines about the nerve systems in the jaw. That probably is the primary acoustic path. Possibly some form of soft foam, loosely attached or constrained so as to not resonate might be of benefit.
JJ - the foam (cheek weld & butt of stock) was my first thought as well. However, even though the main bone-pathway is probably cheekbone/jaw, and a secondary thru the shoulder/arm... and no disrespect to the studies, but it seems most of the acoustic shock wave would propagate out away from the muzzle (ie, in the air) with the expanding gasses/powder residue, and the bullet (both sets >> mach speeds), rather than back through the rifle? I haven't read those studies so I could be off-base. Anyway, the bulk of my hearing losses came from steam whistling through large pipes, and whirling machinery noises from large turbines (1000 MW-output steam turbines) and pumps (some >10,000 hp!!)...
As a p.s., wouldn't using foam at the cheek weld interfere somewhat with that very cheek weld, so a shooter will have a tendency to compress it before the shot, which then would interfere with the sound dampening...?
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