Shooting a gun without ear protection - Page 6

Smilin Jack · March 19, 2013, 12:44 PM

Growing up we shot a lot and I never saw hearing protection on anyone untill I was probably 14. All I remember is how I enjoyed shooting but couldn't shoot much since I didn't like the noise. One other sidenote is I developed a terrible flinch anticipating the noise that still haunts me to this day. Many reasons to wear very good hearing protection.......all the time.

Holartic · March 19, 2013, 01:41 PM

There is no reason to ever not wear hearing protection while practicing. There is a phenomenon known as "auditory exclusion," where in a stressful situation you do not hear the shots.

I wear custom ear plugs from the doctors office and the highest NNR muff I can find. Exposure to noise is like radiation, cumulative gradual reduction in hearing ability. The sound scale is logarithmic so a NRR 28 muff will protect substantially less than an NRR 29 muff. When you get your ear plug molds make sure to open your mouth and move around your jaw, it seems to make for a better earplug. I can hear a lot of things pretty well with the custom plugs inserted even though they have an NRR of 29 or so, it takes a plug and a muff to really silence things.

I have permanent tinnitus in my ears from shooting 5.56 as a teenager and thinking that I needed to get my ears "used" to the sound so my reaction would be more effective in a defensive situation.

Take care of your ears, hearing protection is a lot cheaper than dealing with the intricacies of hearing aids.

This ear plug from the doctors office:

http://www.westone.com/defendear/

I cannot find the direct link but I use a style 40 NRR 29.

I use a Peltor H10A for comfortable high NRR:

http://www.peltor.com/peltor.com/non...od_num=H10A001

Some flavor of a this sort of muff is invaluable for shooting classes:

http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3...BC31gv%29&rt=d

Please note, that when getting a noise cancelling muff to look at the maximum NRR because that will be the maximum noise reduction limit of the muff. If you are in a rifle class next to other people's muzzles and muzzle breaks you will need all the NRR you can possibly stand. http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3...BC31gv%29&rt=d

budrock56 · March 19, 2013, 02:17 PM

My dad started taking me duck hunting when I was 8. That was around 1968. We did not wear any hearing protection back then . Never heard of anyone wearing it for hunting until many years later. I did not go to an official range to shoot until I was much older and hearing protection was the norm.
I always wear plugs and/or good muffs now. Gotta protect those ears. Only have the two.
I have been playing drums since I was 7. There has been a little damage done from that and the cymbals and playing in bands. I have been using ear plugs for that also for many years.

IZinterrogator · March 19, 2013, 02:44 PM

FYI, hearing protection is mandatory in almost all military units these days for patrols outside the FOBs. And yes, IEDs are loud.

msokad · March 31, 2013, 10:00 AM

Never leave home without it.

I forgot to put my hear protection on after talking to friends at an outside range with a roof above the ports. I found out really quick how loud a .357 mag really is. My ears were ringing and had trouble hearing the rest of the day.

deepcreek · March 31, 2013, 10:23 AM

I have shot 50rds of 357 without protection so I wouldn't be surprised or shocked if I had to shoot without ear protection. Made my ears ring for a day or 2 nothing permanent.

I go hunting without ear protection and shoot 308 and other large guns don't really notice until the adrenaline wears off a little ringing.

I have meet a few old timers mostly deaf that blame it on shooting with no protection, I guess back in the day ear muffs were not that popular.

Glenn E. Meyer · March 31, 2013, 04:11 PM

You have no idea if you did permanent damage. This is the kind of response which indicates a lack of knowledge. They occur over and over whenever this topic comes up.

There is no need to repeat inaccurate blather.

Thus, closed.

March 19, 2013, 12:44 PM	#126
Smilin Jack Senior Member Join Date: December 31, 2009 Location: West Florida Republic Posts: 131	Growing up we shot a lot and I never saw hearing protection on anyone untill I was probably 14. All I remember is how I enjoyed shooting but couldn't shoot much since I didn't like the noise. One other sidenote is I developed a terrible flinch anticipating the noise that still haunts me to this day. Many reasons to wear very good hearing protection.......all the time. __________________ History will never record how many men have performed great deeds because they were driven out of their homes by some unbearable trait of their wives, from which they fled, almost joyfully, to face as an alternative peril and even death. Major John Reid

March 19, 2013, 02:44 PM	#129
IZinterrogator Senior Member Join Date: November 8, 2004 Location: Prescott Valley, AZ Posts: 2,457	Re: Shooting a gun without ear protection FYI, hearing protection is mandatory in almost all military units these days for patrols outside the FOBs. And yes, IEDs are loud.

March 31, 2013, 04:11 PM	#132
Glenn E. Meyer Senior Member Join Date: November 17, 2000 Posts: 20,064	You have no idea if you did permanent damage. This is the kind of response which indicates a lack of knowledge. They occur over and over whenever this topic comes up. There is no need to repeat inaccurate blather. Thus, closed. __________________ NRA, TSRA, IDPA, NTI, Polite Soc. - Aux Armes, Citoyens

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March 19, 2013, 01:41 PM	#127
Holartic Member Join Date: March 26, 2006 Posts: 28	There is no reason to ever not wear hearing protection while practicing. There is a phenomenon known as "auditory exclusion," where in a stressful situation you do not hear the shots. I wear custom ear plugs from the doctors office and the highest NNR muff I can find. Exposure to noise is like radiation, cumulative gradual reduction in hearing ability. The sound scale is logarithmic so a NRR 28 muff will protect substantially less than an NRR 29 muff. When you get your ear plug molds make sure to open your mouth and move around your jaw, it seems to make for a better earplug. I can hear a lot of things pretty well with the custom plugs inserted even though they have an NRR of 29 or so, it takes a plug and a muff to really silence things. I have permanent tinnitus in my ears from shooting 5.56 as a teenager and thinking that I needed to get my ears "used" to the sound so my reaction would be more effective in a defensive situation. Take care of your ears, hearing protection is a lot cheaper than dealing with the intricacies of hearing aids. This ear plug from the doctors office: http://www.westone.com/defendear/ I cannot find the direct link but I use a style 40 NRR 29. I use a Peltor H10A for comfortable high NRR: http://www.peltor.com/peltor.com/non...od_num=H10A001 Some flavor of a this sort of muff is invaluable for shooting classes: http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3...BC31gv%29&rt=d Please note, that when getting a noise cancelling muff to look at the maximum NRR because that will be the maximum noise reduction limit of the muff. If you are in a rifle class next to other people's muzzles and muzzle breaks you will need all the NRR you can possibly stand. http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3...BC31gv%29&rt=d

March 19, 2013, 02:17 PM	#128
budrock56 Member Join Date: February 23, 2012 Location: North Carolina Posts: 28	My dad started taking me duck hunting when I was 8. That was around 1968. We did not wear any hearing protection back then . Never heard of anyone wearing it for hunting until many years later. I did not go to an official range to shoot until I was much older and hearing protection was the norm. I always wear plugs and/or good muffs now. Gotta protect those ears. Only have the two. I have been playing drums since I was 7. There has been a little damage done from that and the cymbals and playing in bands. I have been using ear plugs for that also for many years.

March 31, 2013, 10:00 AM	#130
msokad Member Join Date: January 17, 2013 Posts: 38	Never leave home without it. I forgot to put my hear protection on after talking to friends at an outside range with a roof above the ports. I found out really quick how loud a .357 mag really is. My ears were ringing and had trouble hearing the rest of the day.

March 31, 2013, 10:23 AM	#131
deepcreek Senior Member Join Date: March 30, 2013 Location: Colorado Posts: 320	I have shot 50rds of 357 without protection so I wouldn't be surprised or shocked if I had to shoot without ear protection. Made my ears ring for a day or 2 nothing permanent. I go hunting without ear protection and shoot 308 and other large guns don't really notice until the adrenaline wears off a little ringing. I have meet a few old timers mostly deaf that blame it on shooting with no protection, I guess back in the day ear muffs were not that popular.