BANG! Practice Without Hearing Protection - Page 4

Blackeagle · July 3rd, 2009, 12:27 PM

A couple of years ago I accidentally shot a scenario at a Utah Polite Society event. After the first shot I realized I didn't have any hearing protection on, but I decided to fight through it and finished the stage. It was loud, but not so loud it impeded my ability to shoot or made my ears ring afterwards.

I think it depends a lot on what caliber you're shooting and whether it's indoors or outdoors.

dukalmighty · July 3rd, 2009, 02:13 PM

Fired a 357 magnum without hearing protection ONCE,If you make a habit of it in the future you won't have any hearing to protect.In the service fired M16's and M60's with no hearing protection,that and jet engines increased my vocabulary one extra word,I say WHAT a lot

jualdeaux · July 4th, 2009, 01:24 AM

I'm 38. I have moderate to severe hearing loss and serious tinnitus. Two types of tinnitus actually. The usual ringing and an occasional clicking sound. If you all don't know, there is also something called "discrimination" in relation to hearing loss. They do a test to see if your brain processes the sounds it does receive properly. So, even if you do hear the sound, you may not understand what it is. What I do hear has to compete with my loss of hearing sounds, my tinnitus and my rapidly falling discrimination scores.

I can count the number of times I've been without hearing protection on one hand in my life. I've been to a couple of concerts that, looking back, I wish I had skipped. And I'm pretty sure mowing grass with earphones on when I was younger didn't help either.

Now, gong out to see a movie is pretty useless. I need subtitles on when watching a movie/tv show at home. I can't hear birds, crickets or my younger family members properly without my hearing aids in. And even then I have an extremely difficult time understanding them. I also hate using the phone for longer than 5 minutes at a time. If i can't see you speaking, there is a better than even money chance that I won't understand a word you are saying. I may hear you saying something, but it'll be gibberish.

Basically, protect your hearing. Wear proper hearing protection whenever you are going to be around something loud. Anything loud if possible. I use some shooting muffs when I mow the yard.

Eagleks · July 4th, 2009, 02:40 AM

I have a few that will leave your ears ringing , and you won't be able to hear for awhile. In a real situation, you don't really hear it that much ... your concentration is on other things..... and after the first shot you can't hear anything anyway.

Never recommend doing it in an inside range.

Saint77 · July 4th, 2009, 02:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by C9H13NO3

When you're in a firefight, you don't really hear your weapon. After everything cools down, your ears will be ringing, but adrenaline and whatever else your body is pumping through your blood when TSHTF really dulls it out when it's happening.

Now you've got a good idea of why hearing protection is important. Even with good earplugs, lots of guns are still loud as hell.

Agreed.

The one time I heard it without hearing protection, I had no choice, and the adrenaline dump was large enough that I dont recall hearing anything, but after all was said and done, my ears were ringing hard.

alexcantslee · July 4th, 2009, 04:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by onetuza

I wonder if any of you tried it with a 9mm?

Yes. I shot a rat with my 9 mil inside my barn, which is made of brick.

I learned a few things.

a. I was able to hit a rat, dead center in his body at 7 or 8 yards in the shadows.

b. Gold Dot ammo really fractures nice when it hits.

c. Gold Dot 9mil ammo is really, really really loud!

Ive played in bands since I was a teenager and started playing drums when I was 11 and my ears have had way, way more than their share of abuse. If Im using a 22 outdoors for a rodent or critter, Ill fire a shot or two without my "ears" on but otherwise its ear plugs for me.

That said though, Im sort of glad I experienced it in a weird sort of way. Not for morbid curiosity but just to know what it would be like. You never know if in a situation that requires you to shoot that you aren't returning fire and still recovering from the report of a BG's firearm. Obviously, a real life or death situation would be very different but I equate it more to men in basic training having to experience the gas without the gas mask. It probably doesn't do them much good but some real life "Been there, done that" experience might come in handy.

Just my two cents though, YMMV.

Alex!

July 3rd, 2009, 02:13 PM	#32
dukalmighty VIP Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: texas Posts: 6,301	Fired a 357 magnum without hearing protection ONCE,If you make a habit of it in the future you won't have any hearing to protect.In the service fired M16's and M60's with no hearing protection,that and jet engines increased my vocabulary one extra word,I say WHAT a lot __________________ I like Poetry,Long Walks On The Beach,And Poking Dead Things With A Stick

July 4th, 2009, 01:24 AM	#33
jualdeaux Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Waponi Woo Posts: 928	I'm 38. I have moderate to severe hearing loss and serious tinnitus. Two types of tinnitus actually. The usual ringing and an occasional clicking sound. If you all don't know, there is also something called "discrimination" in relation to hearing loss. They do a test to see if your brain processes the sounds it does receive properly. So, even if you do hear the sound, you may not understand what it is. What I do hear has to compete with my loss of hearing sounds, my tinnitus and my rapidly falling discrimination scores. I can count the number of times I've been without hearing protection on one hand in my life. I've been to a couple of concerts that, looking back, I wish I had skipped. And I'm pretty sure mowing grass with earphones on when I was younger didn't help either. Now, gong out to see a movie is pretty useless. I need subtitles on when watching a movie/tv show at home. I can't hear birds, crickets or my younger family members properly without my hearing aids in. And even then I have an extremely difficult time understanding them. I also hate using the phone for longer than 5 minutes at a time. If i can't see you speaking, there is a better than even money chance that I won't understand a word you are saying. I may hear you saying something, but it'll be gibberish. Basically, protect your hearing. Wear proper hearing protection whenever you are going to be around something loud. Anything loud if possible. I use some shooting muffs when I mow the yard. __________________ Unreasonable men are ever unreasonable, and only become more so when threatened. Truth always threatens the false-hearted.

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July 3rd, 2009, 12:27 PM	#31
Blackeagle Distinguished Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Columbia, SC Posts: 1,992	A couple of years ago I accidentally shot a scenario at a Utah Polite Society event. After the first shot I realized I didn't have any hearing protection on, but I decided to fight through it and finished the stage. It was loud, but not so loud it impeded my ability to shoot or made my ears ring afterwards. I think it depends a lot on what caliber you're shooting and whether it's indoors or outdoors.

July 4th, 2009, 02:40 AM	#34
Eagleks Distinguished Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Kansas Posts: 1,686	I have a few that will leave your ears ringing , and you won't be able to hear for awhile. In a real situation, you don't really hear it that much ... your concentration is on other things..... and after the first shot you can't hear anything anyway. Never recommend doing it in an inside range.