Anybody fired off a round w/o hearing protection?

[Ram Rod]

Back in the day...the military didn't supply 'in the field' hearing protection. Only hearing protection that was provided was at the range and for qualifications stateside. Back in the day.......you got cigarettes in with your C-Rats......many times cigarette butts picked up off of the ground sufficed as "hearing protection" for those who wanted it. One thing you cannot do is wear ear plugs when you need to hear. I thank the Good Lord I still can, and after many years working jobs that fall under OSHA control and workplace awareness........amazingly enough my hearing has actually improved steadily over the last five years.
My opinion? Many think about the home defense experience.......you don't actually want to sleep with earplugs now do you? Yeah....some do...but how are you going to hear the glass breaking or the dog next door? Then there are those that fire a shot from within a more confined space such as a vehicle. My thoughts? Maybe...just maybe one should experience firing off a shot without hearing protection just for the simple experience. I know.....this could be unhealthy in ways, but it may very well also be a good experience. One shot? I personally don't see the harm, and you will heal. Being stupid about it means doing it repeatedly. Being behind a 22LR isn't exactly a statistical point to base your question on either IMO. Depends a lot on whether it's fired indoors or under cover etc........ Regret? Please define at this point and exactly how I should regret what I've done in the past and under what conditions. I have however done plenty of 'stupid' things in the past. Once in a while I end up crossing items off the stupid list and listing them in the good to know list.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Knight85]

Worst experience (among many) was sitting in a duck blind. I had near side ear plug in. Off side out, so I could hear whispered conversation. Of course ducks arrived and no problem until one group flew over and we rotated for shot over the back side ( now unprotected ear right next to barrel of my partner. 12 guage boom! ...actual pain in the ear for about 10 minutes.
My recommendation,... Don't do that.
Second recommendation: make ear protection your number one thought when heading to the range. Don't get out of the vehicle without your ear protection.

[Inspector71]

Been a very long time since I've heard the cigarette filter story, but it was that or nothing back then. Most times I didn't happen to have any handy or forgot to put them in during all the excitement. Somehow protecting my hearing wasn't my top priority when the air was full of flying lead. I envy all you guys who have shot without hearing protection and not suffered hearing loss. As for me, my hearing is long gone and has been for years.

[msgt/ret]

Shot a 4” 357 once without hearing protection that was enough to convince me not to do it again. Twenty plus years on the flightline has done plenty of damage to my hearing also.

[Ram Rod]

Been a very long time since I've heard the cigarette filter story, but it was that or nothing back then. Most times I didn't happen to have any handy or forgot to put them in during all the excitement. Somehow protecting my hearing wasn't my top priority when the air was full of flying lead. I envy all you guys who have shot without hearing protection and not suffered hearing loss. As for me, my hearing is long gone and has been for years.

I went through live fire training USMC. I think they've made controversial movies about what we've experienced even before shipping out overseas.
My hearing has recovered over the years and to my surprise. IMO...nothing beats experience or being there at the time. Many can only guess now as to how things were. You obviously fit into this ERA.

[rays197]

A few years of hunting with my father shooting various shotguns, rifles 30-06 , 35 remington and a 270 never had an issue. Went to the hunt club and being a dumb ass not listening to my father shot his Ruger 6" 357 mag. Had tinnitus for a long time. LOL!

[Mr B]

I put 50 rounds through my glock 19 a couple of weeks ago, and it was no big deal and not that loud.

[framedcraig1]

I was deer hunting with my dad when i was about 12. He drew down on a deer as I was standing about three feet away from the muzzel, and about one foot in front. (NO danger of getting shot!) but I really think that it blew out my eardrum. Took about three weeks for my ear to feel" normal"

[CDRGlock]

Twice...not on purpose.

I was sighting my AR15. I took the protection off as I was changing a target. Same session. Ears rang for a while. That was unpleasant.

[Ram Rod]

A few years of hunting with my father shooting various shotguns, rifles 30-06 , 35 remington and a 270 never had an issue. Went to the hunt club and being a dumb ass not listening to my father shot his Ruger 6" 357 mag. Had tinnitus for a long time. LOL!

"LOL" can be seen and not heard. LOL doesn't exactly go well with hearing loss since it's no laughing matter.

Dumb ass is just like way too late and it's definitely no excuse.

[boutaswell]

I really don't think there was such a thing as hearing protection when I was growing up. I don't know of anyone that ever used it. I really don't even recall seeing hearing protectors anywhere. I don't think it was a macho thing, it just wasn't there. Where I was from, there was no such thing as a LGS, the LGS was really the local hardware store. If they didn't have it on the rack, they would order it. Like others have said though, after 20 years Army, my hearing is pretty well shot and I try to protect what I have. I have no trouble dropping the hammer without protection, in other words, I don't flinch or anticipate, it's just something that has to be done.

[Eagleks]

Good luck with his topic .

[retsupt99]

All the time when I hunt.

Same here...years ago.

[Cbuffett556]

I hunt pigs all the time without ears, at least a few hundred 5.56x45 rounds as well as about 100 .308 without them. Also 1000's of low brass 12ga dove loads and plenty of high brass duck steel. You don't really notice it until you get back to the lodge and you have a little bit of ringing and the volume of the world is turned down a little. I feel like my ears have a low ring pretty constantly now when I lay down to go to bed and it's real quiet

Only shot that has really hurt my ears was a .300 weatherby mag of of a shooting house. That puppy has some pop to it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk, please excuse typos.

[AZJD1968]

I have hunted for years without hearing protection, no problems. When I'm at the range, I always wear it. The range is WAY louder than the field. When inside a duck blind though.... if your not shooting, you better have you fingers in your ears... itll blow your eyeballs out!