Shooting without hearing protection

[Merc1138]

Let me be clear, I'm not saying that I did it without fully understanding the potential consequences. I did it so in case I ever had to protect my family inside our home that I have a level of understanding as to what I might expect.
People on here advocate train like you would need to shoot. IF you have never done it, and expect that you will still have all of your faculties after having to do it you might be in for more shock. In a true HD situation I imagine not all of us will have time to don proper hearing protection.

Your train of thought isn't entirely out of line, and if this were something totally different it might make sense.

The problem is that you're taking a situation like learning that the burner on a stove is hot by touching it(and your finger will heal up reasonably quickly), and applying it to shooting without hearing protection(permanent damage). Instead this is closer to cutting off a toe to see how bad it'll hurt... even though it won't grow back.

You simply have to accept that in a scenario where you'd need to shoot to save a life, odds are you won't have any hearing protection but that's still better than not shooting.

[Sharp Shooter]

How many here are geezers? Meaning you started shooting back in the 50's, 60's and 70's. Nobody used ears and eyes. I started shooting trap back in the early 70's at a gun club. No one used ears or eyes. We just didn't know any better. My ears would ring for a couple of days after shooting. I was the first one to start wearing ears at the club.

So if you were shooting in those days, when did you start wearing ears and eyes?

[alfred1222]

Ummm I shoot without earpro all the time, assuming I'm outdoors and alone, doesn't bother me. I guess I'm just used to it. However, in an HD situation, you will have adrenaline running through you, and won't register the shots. You need to activate your fight or flight to properly practice for an HD scenario

[skilletboy]

I never use hearing protection with my shotgun when hunting ducks. I have a ported barrel too.

Im assuming that is louder than a pistol.

Inside though that's a different story.

[beretta929mm]

I use plugs and mufflers, and still find this hobby hearing damaging

[sigstroker]

I never use hearing protection with my shotgun when hunting ducks. I have a ported barrel too.

Im assuming that is louder than a pistol.

It's not.

[Your ad here]

I tried shooting once without ear protection. 38 special snub nose. 1 shot is all it took. It made me jump. Wasn't a smart thing to do but now I know what to expect if I ever have to fire without ear protection.

[ScottyXbones]

Question for those who've had the pleasure: what is louder indoors, a 9mm out of a 5" pistol barrel, or a 28" 12ga shotgun?

[Tommy C]

I do a lot of varmint hunting with a 10/22 & I don't use ear protection, just eyes. My tinnitus hasn't got any worse.

[TeddyBallgame]

OP, i've heard loud gunfire without hearing protection...happened a couple of times at the range, and, yes, it is extremely loud, it can even cause you to lose focus

so, in one respect, i kind of get what you did, but, sometimes i think one needs to put into perspective if the experiment is worth the results...what you did find out is that gunfire is very loud, but, in many cases of a HD situation, there may not be any other alternative to avoid it

i will admit, that, if i ever do find myself in that type of an unfortunate situation, where i need to fire my gun in my house, the last thing that will probably be on my mind is the noise it creates, because, someone's life is going to be at stake, and, that takes precedence, even to my hearing


but, you're words won't go unnoticed by me

[Hamsterbear]

DO NOT DO IT!!!!
Your hearing does NOT "come back". Hearing damage is permanent.
It is also cumulative, so loud noises from work, loud music, shooting, chainsaws, flying airplanes, loud engines, and so on all add up until one day you get people telling you the TV is too loud, you cannot hear on the phone, you say "what?" when people talk to you....
I know. I'm not a "geezer" either.

[Springfield45]

Yes, shooting guns with no hearing protection can hurt your ears. That is why you should wear hearing protection all the time. Especially if you carry concealed. No one will think it weird that you have on ear muffs while shopping at Wal-Mart.

Put in ear plugs when you sleep in case someone breaks in to the house at night. If you need to use your gun to defend your self and you are not prepared just call a "time out" and put on your hearing protection. You can also lean your head over to the non-shooting side and cover one ear with your bicep and stick a figure in your other ear. And it looks cool.

Hunters always wear hearing protection. So dose the Military. Anytime they need to shoot they just call "time out" and put them on.

Next week we will talk about wearing dorky shooting glasses.

[Ronin2]

Huh.....???? I can't hear you, would you mind SPEAKING UP?

[1CavScout]

If it's any consolation to the unlikely person who was thinking about doing this but read this thread first and changed their mind, there is no report that I've ever seen that anyone was unable to function due to loud gunfire in a shoot out.

There are numerous reports that participants claim they didn't notice how loud the gunfire was, down to denying ringing in their ears.

Op, I will bet you can't claim that.

^^^ This. I have experience Auditory Occlusion when I had to use my weapon as an LEO. I don't remember hearing the gunfire at all. I also don't remember actually thinking about drawing my weapon and pulling the trigger. I reacted to my training and the threat I faced. A real gunfight is most likely not going to go down how you think it is. Train as you would fight, but use hearing protection. I have tinnitus 24/7, and it's not fun.

[SWalt]

How many here are geezers? Meaning you started shooting back in the 50's, 60's and 70's. Nobody used ears and eyes. I started shooting trap back in the early 70's at a gun club. No one used ears or eyes. We just didn't know any better. My ears would ring for a couple of days after shooting. I was the first one to start wearing ears at the club.

So if you were shooting in those days, when did you start wearing ears and eyes?

Ahh yes.....the good 'ol days. 1 hand pistol shooting, then tea cup hold, then holding your wrist, then weaver......

As a 5 yr old in the 60's, no protection until complaining about the noise, then it was grab some free cotton from the range shack and stuff your ears with it. Helped some. Did use muffs later on but cotton was the norm until I was a teenager. But, I think 10+ 110dB rock concerts were more damaging, ears would ring until the next day. Plus roadying for a band in HS, setting up, mixing the sound through out the night might be cause for concern too. I hear fine except when it comes to selective hearing. That is accompanied with eyes glazing over as the gf talks, probably 30% of the time.