Anybody Ever Fire a .357 in a SD Situation? - Page 3

Colorado Redneck · May 19, 2015, 10:35 PM

I don't wear hearing protection while hunting. Last winter I shot a mulie with my 25-06 with one hearing aid on--and turned on---brain flatulence (great terminology!). Funny, because the report wasn't that noticeable, but the bullet impacting the deer was amazingly clear and loud. Note to self--leave the hearing aids in the truck.

WVMountaineer · May 19, 2015, 10:47 PM

I've never fired one in a SD situation. I have fired a bunch out in the open shooting. I have only fired two 357 Mag rounds without protection over the years. Once while target shooting and once while shooting at a coyote. They are flippin' loud. However, a 357 mag rests on the stand beside my bed. And, I'd shoot it inside my house without thought if the safety of my family depended upon it.

My ears ring nonstop and I hear crickets 365 days a year from chemo treatments. Coupled with the nerves in a SD situation, I probably wouldn't even notice the blast anyways. God Bless

hornetguy · May 23, 2015, 01:21 AM

I have never fired a .357 in self defense, but I have shot a few outdoors with no hearing protection.... it was pretty loud. I'm certain it has a cumulative effect, as I've had permanent, all the time tinnitus for the past, oh, 30 years or so.
As bad as the 4" 357 was, it is junior league compared to the 7 1/2" Blackhawk in .30 Carbine I shot ONCE with no protection. .32 H&R mag seems almost as bad.

Model12Win · May 23, 2015, 01:31 AM

I've heard .30 carbine handguns are mad noisy. I bet that Blackhawk .30 carbine is super fun though!

Still kind of a miracle I don't have permanent hearing damage from my .357 incident. I just remember a loud POP!, those earbuds saved me. The load in the gun was Double Tap 125 grain loads... just about maximum power .357 magnum ammo, gun was a 6" .357 magnum GP100.

CajunBass · May 23, 2015, 05:09 AM

I may have given the impression in my earlier post that I don't think gunfire will damage your hearing. If so, that's not the case. I just don't think it was the main culprit in MY hearing loss. I used to shoot shotguns especially, and 22 rifles without ear protection. I'm sure they didn't help anything. I think the loudest, most uncomfortable gun I hear heard fired was a 12 ga. shotgun with a Cutts Compensator. You want to talk about unpleasant, those things are, especially if you're off to the side.

I've heard just about every pistol cartridge fired from under the tin roof of an outdoor range. They're all unpleasant, but a 357 will literally rattle the roof. To me they feel like a physical force smacking me. At my indoor range, a .357 will get everyone's attention over the run of the mill 9mm, 40's and 45's that most people are shooting. Even more so than the ones shooting 5.56 or 7.62X39. It may not be louder, but it's different enough to get attention.

These days I've got that ringing in my ears all the time. As I said, I blame it on the outboard motors and wind noise from a bass boat, mostly because for the 20 years or so I tournament fished, I hardly fired a shot. There was a lot more boat noise than gun noise, but these days, I hate to fire a 22 pistol outside. Even those are loud. I don't hunt much anymore, but when I do, I wear an ear plug in one ear, and keep another handy to slip in before shooting.

Self-defense will have to be played by ear...no pun intended.

Real Gun · May 23, 2015, 07:25 AM

I won't give you the story and invite being beaten up over it, but yesterday I found out what it's like to fire a 32 H&R indoors without hearing protection but WITH a hearing aid. Still some tinnitus today but not really that bad. I appreciate subsonic rounds with limited percussion.

psalm7 · May 23, 2015, 07:51 AM

I dont know what I was thinking when I use to shoot without hearing protection but now I wish I made better decisions about it . My hearing is not as bad as I have seen in other shooters but it is bad enough to make a difference in a normal conversation . I knew one old GunSmith that was retired but came around a shop I use to work at . He was a small guy with ears as big as most Mens hands but could not hear anything less than a shout . He talked at the top of his lungs all the time and would not admitt he had a hearing problem .

Deja vu · May 23, 2015, 08:22 AM

When I was young I never shot with hearing protection. This included lots of rounds through my S&W 640-1 (snubnose 357 magnum)

My ears did ring occasionally but I never saw any real hearing loss. 2 years ago I went to the Doctor for a physical and they tested my hearing. I had 10% hearing loss in my left ear and 5% loss in my right ear. The doctor says that for my age I have very good hearing. For a shooter I have excellent hearing.

I am not sure why I am so lucky. I dont want to push my luck though. I now shot usually with suppressors and muffs but always with at least one or the other. My Carry gun is a 357 magnum and I would use it if I had to even with no protection.

Real Gun · May 23, 2015, 11:18 AM

Quote:

When I was young I never shot with hearing protection. This included lots of rounds through my S&W 640-1 (snubnose 357 magnum)

My ears did ring occasionally but I never saw any real hearing loss. 2 years ago I went to the Doctor for a physical and they tested my hearing. I had 10% hearing loss in my left ear and 5% loss in my right ear. The doctor says that for my age I have very good hearing. For a shooter I have excellent hearing.

I am not sure why I am so lucky. I dont want to push my luck though. I now shot usually with suppressors and muffs but always with at least one or the other. My Carry gun is a 357 magnum and I would use it if I had to even with no protection.

Must be an alien.

joneb · May 24, 2015, 12:07 AM

Quote:

What?

My thoughts as well, the barrel length and load makes the difference between deaf, less deaf and ok.
Shooting in a confined space would be the worst case scenario.

Cosmodragoon · May 24, 2015, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Deja vu wrote:

When I was young I never shot with hearing protection. This included lots of rounds through my S&W 640-1 (snubnose 357 magnum)

My ears did ring occasionally but I never saw any real hearing loss. 2 years ago I went to the Doctor for a physical and they tested my hearing. I had 10% hearing loss in my left ear and 5% loss in my right ear. The doctor says that for my age I have very good hearing. For a shooter I have excellent hearing.

I am not sure why I am so lucky. I dont want to push my luck though. I now shot usually with suppressors and muffs but always with at least one or the other. My Carry gun is a 357 magnum and I would use it if I had to even with no protection.

It's a combination of genetics and probability. It's like an old man who smokes a pack of unfiltered before lunch, drinks like a fish, and can still clean your clock. It happens. So does winning the lottery. You are right not to count on it.

James K · May 26, 2015, 02:39 PM

Maybe Texans's ears are tougher, but this is what happened in a small city in PA. One night a patrol officer glanced down a narrow alley in town and saw some folks loading up TV sets from the back door of a department store. Since a 2AM delivery didn't seem on the up-and-up, he decided to investigate.

When he entered the alley, one of the "gentlemen" at the truck fired a shotgun at him, fortunately missing. He drew his personal .357 S&W (pre-Model 27) and fired one round of his super hot handloads. And found himself on the ground, screaming in pain. The brick walls, only ten feet apart, made the noise intense, not at all like firing in the open and, needless to say, he was not wearing any ear protection. He actually ended up in the hospital, and the damage was severe enough to leave him with a slight, but permanent, hearing problem.

Jim

P.S. Regulations allowed carry of personal weapons and ammo as long as the gun would accept the standard .38 Special.

P.P.S. The officer's shot missed; the thieves took off but were caught by the State Police a few hours later.

JK

Dragline45 · June 7, 2015, 01:55 PM

About 3 or 4 years ago I forgot to slip my hearing protection back on at an indoor range (had the range to myself that day) and fired a single federal 125gr 357B round out of a 3" S&W 60, my left ear took the brunt of it since the partition was closest and it rang for weeks. For a month I couldn't shower or drive with the window down without an earplug in that ear and for some reason the sound of crinkling plastic and tinfoil hurt like hell. I have permanent tinnitus in that ear now and high frequency hearing loss. After that experience I sold that gun and will no longer use the .357 for home defense or carry, a .357 especially out of a shorter barrel is just as loud a my 14.5" AR with a compensator.

sw282 · June 7, 2015, 07:32 PM

As a young and dumb apprentice in the 60s working at the Charleston Naval Shipyard l just HAD to go above deck one day on an overhaul sea run when they lit up those 5''/38s...But it was no better below deck ...Enduring the dust from all the grinding, chipping, sanding from 3 months in dry dock.. My head rang for a week after that boat ride...

Another LOUD surprise was when l fired the first factory round from my S&W 460 Magnum at Shooters last year...l had my old trusty muffs on, but it sure did hurt...That cannon has a muzzle break and operates @ 60,000psi w/factory loads.. Almost DOUBLE 357 mag pressures @ 35k...lt was almost bearable with plugs and muffs for the next shot... Now l only shoot 460 mag factory loads outdoors and reduced ones indoors

leadcounsel · June 9, 2015, 02:33 AM

I can't imagine how terrible war-fighting must have been all the way up to our current conflicts with no ear protection.

You might survive, but it would have been hell on so many fronts, even just sustained bombs, cannons and firing your personal weapon.

I wonder how many guys made makeshift ear protection out of cloth.

Doyle · June 9, 2015, 07:09 AM

Quote:

But it was no better below deck ...Enduring the dust from all the grinding, chipping, sanding from 3 months in dry dock.. My head rang for a week after that boat ride...

You've got that right. The needle guns were the worst. I tried to ensure the my men always used both plugs and muffs when using needle guns.

Dragline45 · June 10, 2015, 12:33 AM

Quote:

I can't imagine how terrible war-fighting must have been all the way up to our current conflicts with no ear protection.

My grandfather who fought in WWII was practically deaf and spent the better part of his life with two big hearing aids in his ears.

Texgun · June 11, 2015, 06:31 AM

Homer, I guess everything takes some getting used to. Fire 6 rounds from a 44 Mag and the 357 will become a tame kitten

Armybrat · June 13, 2015, 07:43 PM

My mom's cousin was in the US Field Artillery during WWI - he told us that the Germans attacked their lines in such heavy waves, that his fellow artillerymen set their shell fuses to explode a near point blank range.
Yes, he was almost totally deaf - and had COPD because he had been gassed.

2rugers · June 25, 2015, 11:23 PM

We had just gotten the wifes 2" sp101 back from Magna-port and couldn't wait to get it out and shoot it. Loaded it up with .38's and BANG! Immediate and permanent hearing loss. Live and learn I guess.

Model12Win · June 25, 2015, 11:38 PM

Why did you do that?

2rugers · June 25, 2015, 11:44 PM

Quote:

Why did you do that?

I have absolutely no idea.

FrankenMauser · June 26, 2015, 12:11 AM

.357 Mag
HOT loads.

6'x8'x7' shooting shack with one 6' side open, facing the targets.

Shooter went hot after a cease-fire, without making a hearing protection call to others in attendance.

And then there were the .44 Mag, .30-06, 7mm Mag, 9mm, and .22 LR incidents (mostly by the same shooter - some inside homes

)....

Never again, unless my life depends on it.

106RR · July 4, 2015, 04:09 AM

In 1968 I had to fire my GI issue 1911 inside a tunnel in I Corps, Vietnam. I lived but it felt just like someone has shoved chopsticks deep into my ears.
I still have severe hearing loss but that was only one damaging incident there were many others. Apparently we have about a 60% cushion before hearing loss becomes noticeable. Most people lose the 60% gradually and become hearing handicapped as they age. In the infantry you lose 55% in one year of combat. This allows the VA to claim you could hear when you left the service. What they did was remove the safety cushion and render you hearing handicapped at a much younger age.

4 th Battalion of the 31st Infantry, 196th Light Infantry Brigade

UncleLoodis · July 4, 2015, 10:13 AM

Heck, I've shot my 686 with hot loads and thin ear muffs and it was way too loud. Having said that, my dad and I used to go hunting. I had a 30-40 Krag, and he had a 300 Win Mag. We never used hearing protection. Yes, my ears would ring for a while, but when the adrenalin is pumping--I never really thought about it. Used to have a mobile DJ service too--always around loud music. Now my ears ring a little...but who knows what caused it, music or the 300 Win Mag. Bottom line, as others have said, better to fire than be dead. I have a couple of 9s and a .45 Auto in the house in case anyone breaks in. I only shoot my .357s at the range. If I had to, I'd carry a .357, but only if I had nothing else.

May 19, 2015, 10:35 PM	#51
Colorado Redneck Senior Member Join Date: January 6, 2008 Location: Northeast Colorado Posts: 1,993	Shot while wearing hearing aid I don't wear hearing protection while hunting. Last winter I shot a mulie with my 25-06 with one hearing aid on--and turned on---brain flatulence (great terminology!). Funny, because the report wasn't that noticeable, but the bullet impacting the deer was amazingly clear and loud. Note to self--leave the hearing aids in the truck.

May 23, 2015, 01:21 AM	#53
hornetguy Senior Member Join Date: January 14, 2011 Location: on the north side of DFW Posts: 970	I have never fired a .357 in self defense, but I have shot a few outdoors with no hearing protection.... it was pretty loud. I'm certain it has a cumulative effect, as I've had permanent, all the time tinnitus for the past, oh, 30 years or so. As bad as the 4" 357 was, it is junior league compared to the 7 1/2" Blackhawk in .30 Carbine I shot ONCE with no protection. .32 H&R mag seems almost as bad. __________________ I always felt that if I got to the point where I thought it was time to bury my firearms, it was actually time to pick them up..

May 23, 2015, 01:31 AM	#54
Model12Win Junior member Join Date: October 20, 2012 Posts: 5,854	I've heard .30 carbine handguns are mad noisy. I bet that Blackhawk .30 carbine is super fun though! Still kind of a miracle I don't have permanent hearing damage from my .357 incident. I just remember a loud POP!, those earbuds saved me. The load in the gun was Double Tap 125 grain loads... just about maximum power .357 magnum ammo, gun was a 6" .357 magnum GP100. Last edited by Model12Win; May 24, 2015 at 09:47 PM.

May 23, 2015, 05:09 AM	#55
CajunBass Senior Member Join Date: May 6, 2005 Location: North Chesterfield, Virginia Posts: 4,767	I may have given the impression in my earlier post that I don't think gunfire will damage your hearing. If so, that's not the case. I just don't think it was the main culprit in MY hearing loss. I used to shoot shotguns especially, and 22 rifles without ear protection. I'm sure they didn't help anything. I think the loudest, most uncomfortable gun I hear heard fired was a 12 ga. shotgun with a Cutts Compensator. You want to talk about unpleasant, those things are, especially if you're off to the side. I've heard just about every pistol cartridge fired from under the tin roof of an outdoor range. They're all unpleasant, but a 357 will literally rattle the roof. To me they feel like a physical force smacking me. At my indoor range, a .357 will get everyone's attention over the run of the mill 9mm, 40's and 45's that most people are shooting. Even more so than the ones shooting 5.56 or 7.62X39. It may not be louder, but it's different enough to get attention. These days I've got that ringing in my ears all the time. As I said, I blame it on the outboard motors and wind noise from a bass boat, mostly because for the 20 years or so I tournament fished, I hardly fired a shot. There was a lot more boat noise than gun noise, but these days, I hate to fire a 22 pistol outside. Even those are loud. I don't hunt much anymore, but when I do, I wear an ear plug in one ear, and keep another handy to slip in before shooting. Self-defense will have to be played by ear...no pun intended. __________________ For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16 (NKJV)

May 23, 2015, 08:22 AM	#58
Deja vu Senior Member Join Date: March 14, 2010 Location: Border of Idaho & Montana Posts: 2,584	When I was young I never shot with hearing protection. This included lots of rounds through my S&W 640-1 (snubnose 357 magnum) My ears did ring occasionally but I never saw any real hearing loss. 2 years ago I went to the Doctor for a physical and they tested my hearing. I had 10% hearing loss in my left ear and 5% loss in my right ear. The doctor says that for my age I have very good hearing. For a shooter I have excellent hearing. I am not sure why I am so lucky. I dont want to push my luck though. I now shot usually with suppressors and muffs but always with at least one or the other. My Carry gun is a 357 magnum and I would use it if I had to even with no protection. __________________ Shot placement is everything! I would rather take a round of 50BMG to the foot than a 22short to the base of the skull. all 26 of my guns are 45/70 govt, 357 mag, 22 or 12 ga... I believe in keeping it simple. Wish my wife did as well...

May 19, 2015, 10:47 PM	#52
WVMountaineer Senior Member Join Date: January 11, 2015 Posts: 330	I've never fired one in a SD situation. I have fired a bunch out in the open shooting. I have only fired two 357 Mag rounds without protection over the years. Once while target shooting and once while shooting at a coyote. They are flippin' loud. However, a 357 mag rests on the stand beside my bed. And, I'd shoot it inside my house without thought if the safety of my family depended upon it. My ears ring nonstop and I hear crickets 365 days a year from chemo treatments. Coupled with the nerves in a SD situation, I probably wouldn't even notice the blast anyways. God Bless

May 23, 2015, 07:25 AM	#56
Real Gun Senior Member Join Date: May 19, 2004 Location: SC Posts: 2,743	I won't give you the story and invite being beaten up over it, but yesterday I found out what it's like to fire a 32 H&R indoors without hearing protection but WITH a hearing aid. Still some tinnitus today but not really that bad. I appreciate subsonic rounds with limited percussion.

May 23, 2015, 07:51 AM	#57
psalm7 Senior Member Join Date: March 7, 2014 Location: Middle TN Posts: 543	I dont know what I was thinking when I use to shoot without hearing protection but now I wish I made better decisions about it . My hearing is not as bad as I have seen in other shooters but it is bad enough to make a difference in a normal conversation . I knew one old GunSmith that was retired but came around a shop I use to work at . He was a small guy with ears as big as most Mens hands but could not hear anything less than a shout . He talked at the top of his lungs all the time and would not admitt he had a hearing problem .

May 26, 2015, 02:39 PM	#62
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	Maybe Texans's ears are tougher, but this is what happened in a small city in PA. One night a patrol officer glanced down a narrow alley in town and saw some folks loading up TV sets from the back door of a department store. Since a 2AM delivery didn't seem on the up-and-up, he decided to investigate. When he entered the alley, one of the "gentlemen" at the truck fired a shotgun at him, fortunately missing. He drew his personal .357 S&W (pre-Model 27) and fired one round of his super hot handloads. And found himself on the ground, screaming in pain. The brick walls, only ten feet apart, made the noise intense, not at all like firing in the open and, needless to say, he was not wearing any ear protection. He actually ended up in the hospital, and the damage was severe enough to leave him with a slight, but permanent, hearing problem. Jim P.S. Regulations allowed carry of personal weapons and ammo as long as the gun would accept the standard .38 Special. P.P.S. The officer's shot missed; the thieves took off but were caught by the State Police a few hours later. JK

June 7, 2015, 01:55 PM	#63
Dragline45 Senior Member Join Date: November 30, 2010 Posts: 3,513	About 3 or 4 years ago I forgot to slip my hearing protection back on at an indoor range (had the range to myself that day) and fired a single federal 125gr 357B round out of a 3" S&W 60, my left ear took the brunt of it since the partition was closest and it rang for weeks. For a month I couldn't shower or drive with the window down without an earplug in that ear and for some reason the sound of crinkling plastic and tinfoil hurt like hell. I have permanent tinnitus in that ear now and high frequency hearing loss. After that experience I sold that gun and will no longer use the .357 for home defense or carry, a .357 especially out of a shorter barrel is just as loud a my 14.5" AR with a compensator.

June 7, 2015, 07:32 PM	#64
sw282 Member Join Date: July 19, 2009 Posts: 88	357 As a young and dumb apprentice in the 60s working at the Charleston Naval Shipyard l just HAD to go above deck one day on an overhaul sea run when they lit up those 5''/38s...But it was no better below deck ...Enduring the dust from all the grinding, chipping, sanding from 3 months in dry dock.. My head rang for a week after that boat ride... Another LOUD surprise was when l fired the first factory round from my S&W 460 Magnum at Shooters last year...l had my old trusty muffs on, but it sure did hurt...That cannon has a muzzle break and operates @ 60,000psi w/factory loads.. Almost DOUBLE 357 mag pressures @ 35k...lt was almost bearable with plugs and muffs for the next shot... Now l only shoot 460 mag factory loads outdoors and reduced ones indoors

June 9, 2015, 02:33 AM	#65
leadcounsel Junior member Join Date: September 8, 2005 Location: Tacoma, WA Posts: 2,119	I can't imagine how terrible war-fighting must have been all the way up to our current conflicts with no ear protection. You might survive, but it would have been hell on so many fronts, even just sustained bombs, cannons and firing your personal weapon. I wonder how many guys made makeshift ear protection out of cloth.

June 11, 2015, 06:31 AM	#68
Texgun Member Join Date: June 12, 2005 Posts: 32	Blast Homer, I guess everything takes some getting used to. Fire 6 rounds from a 44 Mag and the 357 will become a tame kitten

June 13, 2015, 07:43 PM	#69
Armybrat Senior Member Join Date: May 10, 2009 Location: Round Rock, Texas Posts: 976	My mom's cousin was in the US Field Artillery during WWI - he told us that the Germans attacked their lines in such heavy waves, that his fellow artillerymen set their shell fuses to explode a near point blank range. Yes, he was almost totally deaf - and had COPD because he had been gassed.

June 25, 2015, 11:23 PM	#70
2rugers Senior Member Join Date: August 21, 2005 Location: texas Posts: 762	We had just gotten the wifes 2" sp101 back from Magna-port and couldn't wait to get it out and shoot it. Loaded it up with .38's and BANG! Immediate and permanent hearing loss. Live and learn I guess. __________________ Pain Is The Quickest Teacher 2RUGERS AKA "HALFCOCKED"

June 25, 2015, 11:38 PM	#71
Model12Win Junior member Join Date: October 20, 2012 Posts: 5,854	Why did you do that?

June 26, 2015, 12:11 AM	#73
FrankenMauser Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2008 Location: In the valley above the plain Posts: 13,424	.357 Mag HOT loads. 6'x8'x7' shooting shack with one 6' side open, facing the targets. Shooter went hot after a cease-fire, without making a hearing protection call to others in attendance. And then there were the .44 Mag, .30-06, 7mm Mag, 9mm, and .22 LR incidents (mostly by the same shooter - some inside homes ).... Never again, unless my life depends on it. __________________ Don't even try it. It's even worse than the internet would lead you to believe.

July 4, 2015, 04:09 AM	#74
106RR Senior Member Join Date: July 10, 2002 Posts: 234	Hearing loss In 1968 I had to fire my GI issue 1911 inside a tunnel in I Corps, Vietnam. I lived but it felt just like someone has shoved chopsticks deep into my ears. I still have severe hearing loss but that was only one damaging incident there were many others. Apparently we have about a 60% cushion before hearing loss becomes noticeable. Most people lose the 60% gradually and become hearing handicapped as they age. In the infantry you lose 55% in one year of combat. This allows the VA to claim you could hear when you left the service. What they did was remove the safety cushion and render you hearing handicapped at a much younger age. 4 th Battalion of the 31st Infantry, 196th Light Infantry Brigade

July 4, 2015, 10:13 AM	#75
UncleLoodis Senior Member Join Date: June 28, 2011 Location: Oregon Posts: 160	Heck, I've shot my 686 with hot loads and thin ear muffs and it was way too loud. Having said that, my dad and I used to go hunting. I had a 30-40 Krag, and he had a 300 Win Mag. We never used hearing protection. Yes, my ears would ring for a while, but when the adrenalin is pumping--I never really thought about it. Used to have a mobile DJ service too--always around loud music. Now my ears ring a little...but who knows what caused it, music or the 300 Win Mag. Bottom line, as others have said, better to fire than be dead. I have a couple of 9s and a .45 Auto in the house in case anyone breaks in. I only shoot my .357s at the range. If I had to, I'd carry a .357, but only if I had nothing else.