Practice with no hearing protection?

[Guy Masterson]

Always wear quality hearing protection. Recently an older cowboy came through our CCP authorization class, he shot a Smith revolver and just got ready to shoot without "Ears & Eyes." He said he's never used protection and grew up shooting on the ranch and its never been an issue. I asked him if he'd be willing to put some on just for the day and his response was, "What'd you say?"

In our recent instructor certification training we had one of the candidates say the only hearing protection he uses is his cigarette butts. He was a helicopter gunner in Vietnam, and talked about the live ammo coming back the other way plinking on the outside of the copter body. He's missing some of his hearing too.

[CharlieK]

About 15 years ago, I was out on the open range in New Mexico with my Walther P5 (9mm). I put up some targets and popped one off having forgotten to put on my hearing protectors. Wow!! I'll never do that again.

[cjs]

In my last class by a local instructor, he wanted the class to fire one shot without hearing protection under some idea about showing how loud it was so we'd know what to expect. We declined. I wear hearing protection even when using a nail gun...I can hear a mouse running through the grass and want to keep that ability as long as I can.

[billwot]

..I can hear a mouse running through the grass and want to keep that ability as long as I can.

As well you should. For those of you that have not dealt with it (yet), hearing aids are 1) very expensive and 2) even the most sohpisticated hearing aids cannot restore you normal hearing.

[jlutin]

At Air Force Officer Training School in 1966, we qualified on the range with .38 cal S&W M-15's. It rained and we spent all afternoon in a tin roofed shed either firing or waiting to fire. None of us were given hearing protection. My hearing was muffled and I had tinnitus for about three days. Although it went away, the tinnitus and hearing loss returned with a vengeance a few years later. The VA agreed that my hearing loss was caused by my exposure on the range and furnished me 10% compensation and free hearing aids.

Although I would still do my USAF service over in a minute, I would gladly give everything back to the VA to restore my hearing and enjoy silence without tinnitus. I still shoot, but wear plugs and muffs. NEVER SHOOT WITHOUT EAR PROTECTION!!!!

[bigrebnc1861]

Does anyone practice a few magazines of ammunition with no hearing protection before you don the ear muffs for the rest of the session? (Poll...because I like polls)

I have read on here and other sites, you will not hear the percussion of the shot, or get blinded by the muzzle flash. Having not had to fire my handgun in a room or in the dark, with the fight or flight onset, I wouldn't know first hand if this is true.

I have purposefully shot a few magazines during a session only a couple times to remind myself of how loud it really is. Should I plan on doing it more often? Or is it not worth the damage to my ears, and I will be able to handle the noise if the time ever curses me?

back in 87 when I was police officer I went to the range which was outside, I had forgotten my hearing protection but wanted to shoot because the range was out in the booney's. So like stupid I did shot 50 rounds 357 could not hear I reapeat I could not hear anything for 3 hours. It's not worth the lose. Take hearing protection when you go to the range, and keep a pair with you when you carry. Just my hummbel expreince.

[citadel45acp]

I wear hearing aids at the ripe age of 31 because of noise exposure. Guns,cars, music, ect. DONT TAKE YOUR HEARING FOR GRANTED!!!!!

[echoawake]

I started out with a 357 SA and 22 SA revolvers back in the 60's. Never wore hearing protection. ( Also worked in a machine shop and safety glasses weren't required either)I was lucky enough not to lose an eye. Not so much for hearing. I now have hearing protection every time I shoot. Unfortunately I use a hearing aid now.

[tuts40]

Its funny how everyone here posts something decent to say except for Tuts...I guess there's gotta be one a-hole in each thread...

I am a firefighter and a paramedic. I have trained in live fire scenarios, had IV's started on me by people who have never done them before, and have done other harmful training. It hurts getting stuck 6 times, fishing for the vein each time, but I go back year after year to help new paramedics train because they save lives, and its worth training. That was just part of the process. Police get tazered and pepper sprayed during their academy (at least in Clackamas county they did). Fighters practice taking punches to toughen up. Muy Thai spend days kicking tree trunks to harden their shins. Tuts, have you every had to fire your firearm in a fight or flight exchange? Did you feel the auditory exclusion? I have heard of it, I wanted to know more about it. If its worth training for or not. I have fired less rounds then an average soldier would hear in 1 second during a gun fight.

How about you stop acting like your child and answer the questions like everyone else in this thread?

Is the quote below the one you are refering to?

...I'm sorry, could you repeat that a bit louder, maybe a lot louder?

Good grief, man, are you serious? To quote my kid's texting: "OMG".

I fired a .38 (S&W .357 seven shooter but had .38's in it) once without hearing protection out in a field. I did in once. That was enough for me to learn not to ever do that again, at least not just for shots-n-grins.

Insofar as being able to handle it if you ever needed to shoot without "ears", well, Mr. Adrenaline will likely not let feel anything or hear much of anything painful during the exchange. Then again, those who have been there and done that could elaborate.

Seems I gave two answers, one stating I did it once and I learned from it and the other was that due to adrenaline you will likely not suffer at the moment from the noise. Then, I mentioned that someone who has "been there done that" could elaborate.

What made your question, or your original post, amusing to me is that you did (or do) it a couple of times doing a few mags worth each time as per your post. Several mags worth a few times. I mean, can't you picture it? Boom!!!, ouch. Boom!!!, ouch. Boom!!!, ouch. Boom!!!, ouch. Boom!!!, ouch. Boom!!!, ouch. Whew! Boom!!!, ouch. Boom!!!, ouch. Boom!!!, ouch. ...I mean, it's Laurel and Hardy stuff there. Bummer you are offended but I hope you can see the humor in this for the average person out here.