Growing up we usually did not use hearing protection, but it was mostly .22s and shotguns.
During adulthood I have always used hearing protection in anything other than a hunting situation. And, like sunscreen, I wish I had known enough to start earlier.
Hunting with long guns, I still often do not as it is awkward. Hunting wide open fields, the report is not as bad as a more enclosed space or where there is a wall for the sound to bounce from. Also, it is mostly shotgun and muzzleloader, which is less than rifle.
The exception is handgun hunting. The first time I went handgun hunting I shot a buck with a Taurus 41Mag, with a ported barrel. My ears rung for 15 minutes. I never made that mistake again; I invested in a good pair of amplifying/canceling muffs. No deer is worth my hearing.
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