Does anyone train without hearing protection?

[96firephoenix]

Well you raise an interesting point. A few months ago I took a couple of shots with my 45 at a tree stump when I saw a truck pulled off on our property (during mushroom season). I was stunned at the percussion that a 45 makes! I think the factor hear (yes a pun) is going to be addrenaline in any situation that would require taking some's life. Kinda like hunting, even when bird hunting with a 12 gauge, I can't recall ever noticing the sound of my firearm.

this is my thought as well. at the range, I pretty much have my plugs in before I leave the car.

 

[riverman67]

Er... well, sometimes I cut myself just to feel alive, does that count? (goes back to putting on black eyeliner and listening to Morrisey).

Thats funny, right there

All kidding aside , I have partial hearing loss from years of working around loud equipment. If you have the option use the hearing protection

 

[The Bubba Effect]

Thank you all for your input.

Like I said in my original post, I ALWAYS use hearing protection when possible and thanks to everyone's responses, I will continue.

Thanks INGO, for helping me stay safe!

 

[mercop]

huh?

 

[The Bubba Effect]

huh?

I SAID, THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR INPUT.

LIKE I SAID IN MY ORIGINAL POST, I ALWAYS USE HEARING PROTECTION WHEN POSSIBLE AND THANS TO EVERYONE'S RESPONSES, I WILL CONTINUE.

THANKS INGO, FOR HELPING ME STAY SAFE!

 

[JBrockman]

I agree with pudly! I to have tinnitus and it is extremely annoying as you loose a lot of your hearing!

 

[1032JBT]

Auditory exclusion is a very real thing. When you get that fight or flight adrenaline dump, you most likely will not hear the gun go off. I can say from first hand expierence that when someone is activley trying to harm/kill you, you won't hear it. I heard nothing........I saw the muzzle flash and the slide coming back but did not hear any of the shots.


Save your hearing and wear them when you train.

 

[dieselman]

i think i should start wearing hearing protection to the 1500 too. i was standing 3 feet away when ol boy had his AD. ears rang for a while.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

Bubba, as someone who just came off a long string of having a steroid shot injected into one of his ears to treat an ear problem I can safely say this:

You do not know what you have until you (nearly) lose it. (Thanks to modern drugs, I am much better).

Always wear your ears. No, not ear plugs as sound can be transmitted through the bones and those spongy things can spring out of the ear canal especially if you are moving about.

 

[redpitbull44]

No, never. I shoot .22 rifle without earplugs. Other than that, I ALWAYS use earpro. I probably should when grinding metal/mowing/etc, but I rarely do.

 

[stephen87]

I can hardly hear and have constant ringing anyway, so I always use hearing protection. What's the point of making my girlfriend really think I'm ignoring her because I truly can't hear?

 

[Dead Duck]

Was married for 10 years and at first, it was really annoying but after being exposed to it for so long, I could barely even hear her anymore let alone understand what the hell she was saying! Damaged ears? - maybe but priceless. X=red

Guaranteed if you don't use protection while your shooting, after awhile you wont even notice at all. And you might get along with your wife better!


Don't know if they are still doing this in training, but I knew guys in Nam that would plug only one ear so they could tactically hear before the firefights and then switch after to the next ear to prepare for the next one. Made since until you had three that day then your out of ears. And have definatly been told by trainers and Docters that adrenaline can help the ears block sound somehow to survive but I wouldnt count on it all the time.

I do know that the ear protects its self after a while by building up a great supply of wax to defend against loud noises like machinery at work when without hearing protection. (You could make your own candles)


Just protect yourself!

 

[85t5mcss]

Agreed. Always wear earpro. I HAD a friend who shot and SKS right next to my head and suffered from that along with a serious ear infection (same ear). Needless to say my hearing isn't the greatest on that side and certain pitches/tones/frequencies have become unbearable or hard to hear. That and working in a factory that was just noisy to begin with.

Treasure the hearing u have left and protect it.

 

[Gamez235]

After my time in the military I am 70% deaf in one ear and 30% in the other ear. I wear ear pro more often than most people wear shoes. Surefire EP-3 are my best friends. I can hear normal conversation and block out most of the lour bad stuff.

 

[EM45HP]

Sometimes I double up. Put plugs in and put over ear headphones on when shootin' the guns and playin' the drums. Sometimes my tinnitus will keep me up for hours. Wish I would of started with hearing protection sooner.

 

[dice dealer]

HUH??????

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

Auditory exclusion is a very real thing.

yes indeedy.

And not even all that related to an adrenaline dump type of incident, either.

BUT, damage is still being done even if you can't "hear" the bang.

The one ND that I was responsible for...I hardly heard it at all even though it was in a small room.

-J-

 

[bluewraith]

I didn't wear any when I used to shoot .22 and 12ga when I was younger, but now that I've gotten back into it I wear it all the time. I pulled the plugs once for the .22 just to see what I had been doing to myself years ago and quickly put them back in. Not really interested in testing that with the .45!

I keep a small bag of the rollup style in my range bag, as well as a couple sets in my turnout gear. Q siren gets old after a while.

 

[TREETOP]

Between my Tinnitus and some high frequency hearing loss (possibly just freqs drowned out by the constant ringing), I'm in bad enough shape without contributing further to a possible future handicap. I went shooting today, just .22lr, 9mm and .45, and I still doubled up on the ear pro- softies in the ear and muffs too.

 

[.45 Dave]

I started using hearing protection about the same time I stopped looking down the barrel of the gun to see if it was loaded!

Seriously though, I shot .22s as a kid and never used it. Later when I got some big bore guns I shot them a few times without protection just to acquaint myself with the sound so I wouldn't jump if I ever had to use it for self-defense. Now, I always use it. See, I not only want to be able to put a good grouping into a bad guy if I need to, but I also want to be able to hear him coming before he fires a shot.