All the sudden Im deaf, but for good reason.

[xsigma40cal]

Something Ive wondered about for awhile, say that a situation arises and you ultimately have to draw and shoot at the blink of an eye. For the sake of training and maintaining SA after the initial shot, would it be wise to train yourself to be accostomed[sic] to the loud blast of your firearm without the aid of hearing protection? Ive tried this in the past and was only left with a ringing in my ears and slightly dazed from the concussion.

Sure your all gonna tell me that hearing protection is essential but that means squat to the guy trying to kill/rape/maim etc.

Your thoughts....

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[joker1]

I would not practice hearing gunshots without hearing protection.

It would be like crashing your car without wearing your seatbelt or disabling the air bags.

I'd much rather have my hearing up until the point that I have to use my gun in self defense than to not be able to have that sense up until the point that I really need it.

I get what you're saying but the consequences are too great.

I've also heard that in the heat of the moment the human body reduces hearing sensitivity, so you may or may not be as dazed as what you were.

[Kyle18]

I have lost a good degree of my hearing from one incident involving a hammer and an exercize bicycle seat I was trying to adjust for a neighbor. One smack with the hammer and for 2 days I was totally deaf. The doctor called it "acoustic trauma". I have regained partial hearing but deep bass and some midrange tones are gone, as well as some treble tones. If you love music as I do, I suggest that you not tempt fate. As in my case, according to the hearing specialist, one chance in bazillion. My lucky day. Wear protection for your ears and eyes to practice. Should you need to "fire" in self defense, then that is a "have too" situation and you have little control over---a far as your hearing. Just my opinion, stay safe.

Respectfully
Kyle

[HotGuns]

When you get in the freakout mode, and you have to draw and fire, you will have an adrenaline rush. "auditory exclusion" is but one of many things that you will experience. In others words, you wont remember hearing much at all.

Its the very reason that people that shoot in self defense may recall shooting only once or twice, when in fact that have dumped every shot in the magazine.

It one of the ways that the body protects itself.

You dont have that advantage when you are just out plinking or shooting at targets on the range. Hearing protection should always be worn. IF you have to shoot in self defense...then do what you gotta do...

[bladenbullet]

damaging your hearing isnt a good training exercise...

[cinsc]

Not wise. Reserve your hearing, what's left of it, for situational awareness and maybe you won't need to discharge your weapon at all.

[Kyle18]

Cinsc, is correct about the situational awareness and hearing loss. I can no longer hear people coming up directly behind me until they are within "touching" distance. Hence I've developed a "swivel" neck. I definately depend more on mirrors, window reflections, and shadows more now than previously.

Kyle

[Treo]

When you get in the freakout mode, and you have to draw and fire, you will have an adrenaline rush. "auditory exclusion" is but one of many things that you will experience. In others words, you wont remember hearing much at all.

Its the very reason that people that shoot in self defense may recall shooting only once or twice, when in fact that have dumped every shot in the magazine.

It one of the ways that the body protects itself.

You dont have that advantage when you are just out plinking or shooting at targets on the range. Hearing protection should always be worn. IF you have to shoot in self defense...then do what you gotta do...

True as far as it goes.

Auditory exclusion or not you will suffer hearing loss, to some degree, if you ever fire that weapon in an enclosed area

[HKinNY]

Anybody who has had a car accident and the airbag depolys will tell you that the next thing I knew the bags were in front of me.

I have set off many airbags from junk cars with a AA battery. The bags sound like a shotgun going off 1 foot infront of you and nobody ever hears the BOOM.

Wild stuff. I would use hearing protection. I use a impact gun to tighten bolts for the hitches and I can tell you that my hearing is a little off. It effects me in the weirdest way. I can not hear a word that my wife says.

What did you say honey? I can not hear you.

[tartex]

Take it from a guy who has worn hearing aids in both ears since 1983, you don't want to fire a gun without hearing protection unless it's absolutely necessary! My loss is a result of over 5000 hours flying time (a lot of it on 18-22 hour missions in a B-36) and genetics. So bad now that if I have no aids on, my wife has to get within a few inches of my left ear for me to hear her. But...I'll gladly give up what little hearing I have left to protect myself or my family.

[Jason Storm]

You should always wear hearing protection when you practice firing your gun. In a real situation, your adrenaline kicks in and you will experience auditory exclusion (gunfire will sound like a firecracker). So do not worry about practicing or hearing gunfire w/o any hearing protection. Trust me, I have been there.

[QKShooter]

Hearing loss is cumulative...so it's not such a great idea.

[oneshot]

When you are hunting , you do not use(most people anyways) shooting muffs, but while at the range, Zeroing or target shooting, you will.
When I have had the opportunity to shoot at game, you most definitely do not take in the actual sound of the round(s) being fired. You heard them,but when caught up in the moment of the actual shooting part, its not the most significant aspect of the situation as a whole.
I think the circumstances surrounding the sound of the actual shots being fired would be similar,but can't say for sure,as I have never been involved in a SD shooting.
Hopefully that will not change!!!

[TheoryRealm]

I have everyone I shoot with "family/in laws/friends" fire a few rounds WITHOUT hearing protection. They need to know what that "ringing" is going to do to them, and FOR them.

This is basic combat training. I, and countless others, did this in the military, and in combat. People need to KNOW what happens when that "ringing" and shock wave occurs, and what it really does to the senses. Notice I am not advocating doing this on every range shoot, all the time. THAT......is damage and damaging.

But individuals are going to fire their weapons, IE, .45's and .357's IN.....their homes, IN their HALLWAY's often, and God forbid the "first" time they realize how loud that deadly weapon is doesn't need to be when they HAVE to use it, in a distracting manner.
The reason we train in so many "different" scenarios, is because it "helps" us sometimes to acclimate to things we aren't used to:
Room to room clearing, paintball, et cetera, are all training methods to perhaps help deal with reality.

They need to know....NOW

[NC Buckeye]

I took a class at the US Training Center last week and on one exercise, while going prone I knocked off my ear pro. My training style is if "something" happens in the middle of a drill, you finish the drill. The gun runs dry, you get a double feed, you grab a handful of shirt drawing from concealment, drop a mag, or lose your ear pro you go with it... But I never do it just because. My father has permanent hearing loss from a rifle fired inside a truck and I don't want to do the same to myself.