Guns you've shot without hearing protection?

[MarkXIX]

Alright, For the most part im great at wearing ear protection when I shoot. I always wear it when i shoot for the most part. Theres been some instances though where i either forgot it and fired a shot or I didnt have any at all. I believe in always wearing it but ive had my mishaps. Ive shot some pretty beefy handguns without it that I normally wouldnt shoot without it. So just curious about what calibers and guns youve all shot without it for those of you that believe in hearing protection and the circumstances why you didnt have any on. Ill start.

.22LR: Various rifles, pistols, and revolvers. Circumstances: Didnt know any better, Didnt have any, didnt think it was loud. I usually wear it even with these though.

.410 Gauge: Some single shot shotgun, younger and didnt know any better. Only fired two rounds.

.223 Remington: Ruger Mini-14. Just saw my dad shooting it outside and wanted to try it, fired only 8 or so rounds in a field, loud but not too bad from what i remember.

9mm Luger: Smith & Wesson Model 6906 and a Luger P08, didnt know any better at the time and didnt have any.

.44 Magnum: Ruger New Model Super Blackhawk 7-1/2", shot a round without, just wanted to see how loud it was in all honesty. Never again, there was alot for the sound to bounce off and it was painful loud. Also shot a round in a Taurus Raging Bull .44 with a lil tissue in my ears but it did nothing cause i forgot my ear protection.

.50 Action Express: fired 3roundsut of my Desert Eagle 6" in a field, I forgot to put my muffs on in an aimed rapid fire. Loud boom sound but not painful because i was in a field.

7.62x54R: Fired 5-6 rounds in my friend's mosin nagant m91/30 at the range with very little tissue in my ears cause i forgot ear protection, the sound slapped me in the ears each shot and wasnt fun.

12 Gauge: fired a few birdshots without just cause i forgot to put my muffs on. have fired 3" Slugs with tissue in my ears but it doesnt help.

.40 S&W: Shot my cousin's S&W M&P40 in a field with tissue in ears. although it didnt help it wasnt bad cause there was nothing for the sound to reverberate on.

.308 Winchester: Shot two rounds in a Browning 1919A4 semi-auto with little tissue in ears because i forgot it.

500 S&W Magnum: fired a Shot in a Taurus Raging Bull chambered in 500 S&W with little tissue in ears. Big boom but i dont remember it being too bad.

.357 Magnum: Fired two rounds in a Taurus 605 2" snub with little tissue in my ears, horrible sound. worse then the 500. The first shot made my ears ring with the tissue.

.338 Winchester Magnum: Fired a round in a Remington 700 with little tissue in ears, loud but i dont really remember the sound.

hopefully my list doesnt get any bigger, I hate shooting without ear protection. Its definatly not something ive made a habit, just accidents happen. The 7.62x54R, .308, 500 S&W, .357, .338 Win Mag, and one of the .44 mags were all in the same day. I felt hearing impaired after that and occasionally if its quiet i hear a high pitched noise in my left ear that fades off after a second. Gah. Also ive heard someone else shoot a .357, .45, and 9mm indoors before cause some genius opened the door to the indoor range while i was by it. Probably the worst things for your ears out of the things ive shot are on my list unfortunatly.

[OJ]

Having served in WWII and the Korean War, I shot a lot of 30-06 without hearing protection - we didn't know any better then.

If you answer this, please speak up some -

[copenhagen]

Hearing protection? Come again?

Okay, yeah, I have pretty much shot the whole lot of 'em at one time or another with out ear pro, but it was that stinking explosion in Afghanistan that knocked out my left ear. here it is 4 years later and it still rings. It actually hurts from loud loud noises, so I HAVE to wear ear protection.

[Darren007]

The only gun I've ever shot without hearing protection was one of my Mauser K98s...Shot two rounds just to hear it "unfiltered".

Working around jet engines everyday for six years in the U.S. Air Force, I can tell I've lost a little of the top end of my hearing. Double hearing protection was mandatory, but not always enforced in the AF, but I'm used to wearing it. I can still hear just fine, but some of the "clarity" is gone. Regardless I make it a point to always wear ear protection now.

[Gbro]

Every so often we will be in a position where we should have our ear plugs and don't. As was posted on this forum before, an open mouth will help, And it will prevent the echo-ing effect in some too.

[SteelJM1]

I shot my SP101 3" with a hot 125gr .357 load without ears because I wanted to see how loud it really was. I'm young and stupid, and allowed to do things like this.

I regretted my decision the instant that hammer fell.

[BerettaCougar]

Mac 11 (full auto) with a suppressor
HK Mp5 (full auto) with a suppressor
P90 (full auto) with a suppressor

A few Suppressed Glocks, Sigs and a suppressed semi auto AR-15.

The only unsuppressed gun I've ever fired has been my Winchester 300Winmag while hunting, and that was one time.

I now wear ear buds while I hunt

[Ridge_Runner_5]

I fired a 9mm out of a carbine in a small room with doors and windows closed...I couldnt hear anything for maybe 30 seconds or more...doesnt seem to have any lasting effects, though...I can still hear just fine out of both ears...

[sureshots]

I shot A TC Encore Pistol with 15-inch barrel in 223Cal. I forgot to slip my hearing protectors on. Needless to say I had A ringing in my ears for over A week. Those high pressure Rifle cart. in A pistol are some kind of loud.

[Hawg]

When I was young(pre teens)and didn't know any better I shot a lot of .22's out of pistols and rifles both. .45 ACP, .44 spcl.,38 spcl. and all kinds of rifles and shotguns. My hearing is terrible now. I hear crickets and a constant ringing that never goes away. I'm always having to ask people to repeat themselves.

[rem870hunter]

2 and 3/4" and 3" buckshot, 2 and 3/4" slugs, target loads at clays. .22 maybe 30 shots all without ear plugs. i only wanted to see how loud it was. curiosity i guess. i like my hearing. what i have left of it. too much high volume rock and roll with headphones on back when i was a teen. i am pretty sure i can hear a dump truck driving through a nitroglycerine plant.

only shot once in the field when you maybe shouldn't be wearing earplugs or muffs because you need to hear things. i'd swear to this day that one slug i fired, i didn't even hear it. heck i don't even think the deer i shot heard it.

my dad ears work pretty good as of late. he had more than gunfire around him a few times in his life. rockets and mortar shells falling here and there. shooting in all directions, ma'deuce cranking it out.

[Moe Howard]

When I shoot with my brother it is usually an all day thing. Our time is spent between talking, shooting, and smoking cigars. Before I bought electronic headphones I was in the habit of pulling one side of the headphones up over one ear between shots, and I have on more than one occasion forgotten to pull it back down before shooting. I really hate doing that when shooting a .357 or a .45. I have never forgotten it with a rifle though, thank goodness.

[GWbiker]

Huh? Speak up young man.

M-1 Garand, M-1 Carbine, .30 caliber MG and .45 Colt.

Summer of 1957 to early 1961, when US Army personal didn't need hearing or eye protection!

[Kevin84]

AK 47, 44 mag, 22LR, 40S&W, 45 ACP, and 9mm

[shinnery jim]

you name it and I shot it with out ear protection. I am older and smarter now. but I worked in a boiler factory for years so they are not so loud anymore. or maybe they are and I just cant hear it any more. have had the ringing in the ears for most of my life anyway. and the kids say I`m deaf as a stump.

[Bottledestroyer22]

Only .22's. I'm starting to wear ear plugs.

[Horseless Trooper]

Shot from about age 3 to 28, rifle, pistols and shotguns w/o protection. In my early teens I shot skeet weekly for a couple of years and we had one guy in the league who used plugs and everybody thought he was kinda weird. Now at 52 I have some hearing loss, unless my wife is speaking in which case I am stone deaf. I always use hearing protection now unless hunting.

[Colt Delta Elite]

I always used hearing protection at the range but not when hunting with rifles. I didn't have any problems. But at that point, I had not really shot any handguns. Then a few years back I spent an afternoon shooting a 4" .357 mag that left a ringing in my right ear that I went to the doctor for. Took 10 days before it subsided. After that I got smarter about protecting my hearing.

[dwatts47]

before I knew better, just about all of them.


Nowadays none by choice.


I did once kill a rabid stray dog in my field that got too close too fast and I didn't have the 'ringing' that I'd have had if I'd have just been shooting for fun.

I guess that is auditory exclusion in its prime... I was excited, so I didn't really "hear" the shot... I'm sure the damage was still done though.

[rwilson452]

I have caught myself without ear protection on several occasions . Worst I have ever got nailed I wasn't the shooter. It was a 5"/38 and I was far too close, very painful. I just purchased a pair of custom made ear plugs. $115 out the door.

[Wildalaska]

Well I shot my Blaser 6.5x55 into the Indoor trap tonight without hearing protections, as I was using my new Thunderbeast can (thats Zak Smiths, place if you don't know).....

Like a .22

WildcantwaittogetoutsideAlaska TM

[farnorthdan]

The only time I don't wear hearing protection is when shooting .22shorts. I always wear full ear protection because plugs only protect part of your hearing. Once I had my left side muff off to talk to a shooting partner and forgot to put it back on and shot .45acp, my ear rang for days. Now I have electronic muffs, this is the way to go.

[Kreyzhorse]

Where do I start? The handguns were shot when I was young and dumb and didn't need hearing protection. The rifles and shotguns have been fired in hunting situations. I always wear hearing protection now during any type of target practice.

As a sidebar - Isn't it amazing that when you are hunting and fire a shot that you don't usually hear or even feel the gun go off?

.22lr

.22 mag

.38 special

.357 mag

.40 s&w

7.62x39

.308 win

7mm rem mag

45-70 gov't.

12ga.

[Inspector3711]

various .22's
30-30 marlin
.30-06
.300 savage
12 and 20 guage
.38 special
.357 magnum (OUCH)
.223
.25-06

The .357 I shot into a semi circular bank in the woods that worked like a natural amphitheater. Somebody bet I couldn't fire 6 Lawman rounds with no plugs. I won the bet but my head hurt for hours and the ringing went on for a couple of days. Young and stupid. That was 20 years ago and my hearing tests at work are always excellent (I'm a rabid concert goer as well). I'm a lucky SOB.

[finrot]

Duck hunted for about 10 years (14- 24) 12 gauge,had hat and hood on most of the time. Auto mechanic, air tools for 39 years with no protection I think did more damage.