I fire the second shot, if I am not dead! My hearing comes second to my life if someone is shooting at me, my post was in reference to my house, so at my house there are several levels before the first shot. The 100 pound GSD is not happy when a stranger comes around. I have been in a shooting situation twice in my former career and my hearing seemed to turn off or at the least turn down.
Finding out you forgot your ear protection, the hard way
- Thread starter sroc112
- Start date
I thought my first time would be a once in a lifetime event, how foolish of me. In my favor, never more than once in a day.
When you close the bolt on a live round and it somehow sounds different and more crisp, stop and put your ear pro in/on before you pull that trigger. I've caught myself that way a couple of times. That just didn't "sound right".
My worst ear pain came from a duck blind. First the sound hurt my right ear and then the ejected three inch hull hit me in the right eye.
Now, that's gaming the system. Shooting a 6.5 CM without a manbun. Clever.It's a mini brake, I like it.
I'm bald, no manbun
I like having hearing. In construction, when I had to use hammer drills and electric jack hammers, I would wear earplugs. I will wear them to run the lawn mower. At the range, I double up. Especially the indoor range. earplugs and cans.
I try to learn from the folly of others. Ted Nugent has hearing loss. As does Pete Townsend. Huey Lewis has lost so much hearing that he can no longer perform professionally.
Brian Johnson has hearing loss but he says in his memoirs, it was not from the singing for the band. It is from being in the garage and working on his race cars and testing engines. In fact, his memoir is a history of the cars and race cars that he owned. Brief mention of being in the Geordies. And once in a while, and the band went on tour.
So, I try to protect my hearing. But I would like to get a suppressor. Granted, it does not make a gun quiet but it can signifantly reduce the sound impulse.
I try to learn from the folly of others. Ted Nugent has hearing loss. As does Pete Townsend. Huey Lewis has lost so much hearing that he can no longer perform professionally.
Brian Johnson has hearing loss but he says in his memoirs, it was not from the singing for the band. It is from being in the garage and working on his race cars and testing engines. In fact, his memoir is a history of the cars and race cars that he owned. Brief mention of being in the Geordies. And once in a while, and the band went on tour.
So, I try to protect my hearing. But I would like to get a suppressor. Granted, it does not make a gun quiet but it can signifantly reduce the sound impulse.
Not sure what is more the cause of my slight ringing and hearing loss in my ears since I was in my early 20’s, hunting(rifles and shotguns) in the 80’s I didn’t ever wear plugs, Harley straight pipes, or Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, and Metallica, it’s pretty much a toss up. 30 years later I wear electronic ear muffs, have at least pipes that reduce the decibels on bikes, and tore up a napkin and stuck it in my ears at a Iron Maiden show 6 years ago. One of the ranges I go to sometimes I’m the only one there so once in a blue moon I will forget to have my ears on, unpleasant but it hasn’t made anything worse.
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“Deaf Old Men”. Sounds like the MRA NRA convention in Reno in the Late ‘80’s, talk about a group of Deaf Old Men.
Even a 22 will damage but is more of a cumulative damage. A brick a day doing rodent control will take its toll on the ears. Add in running a chainsaw on wildfires where you are listening for your crew, equipment, and aircraft won’t help your hearing either. I wish that some of the ear pro available now had been available 30+ years ago.
Axil and plugs go EVERYWHERE with me now.
Even a 22 will damage but is more of a cumulative damage. A brick a day doing rodent control will take its toll on the ears. Add in running a chainsaw on wildfires where you are listening for your crew, equipment, and aircraft won’t help your hearing either. I wish that some of the ear pro available now had been available 30+ years ago.
Axil and plugs go EVERYWHERE with me now.
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Remember: The sound of freedom is tinnitus!!
Sirhr
Sirhr
they do!
i shoot in the southern az desert all year long and this time of year electronic ears are good for hearing rattlers so i leave them on the whole time, couple hours at times because i'll go hike a hill with my rifle and pack just for some extra fun. no surpises that way.
the gel filled pads help with comfort on the HL's too.
Hearing protection is not that important.
Now, if you will excuse me, I need to go try and find where that high pitched squeal is coming from….
Now, if you will excuse me, I need to go try and find where that high pitched squeal is coming from….
Gel cups are the way even on my cheap walkers muffs
Facts. I remember the almost life changing feeling the first time I had gel cups. It was like sorcery.
The worst was rolling my window down to shoot a rattlesnake with a Model 19 snubby, I swear it was like the old cartoons and my eyeballs hit the windshield. It took me 5 minutes to get my shit together to drive home.
Ive done it about 3 times with 556 308 & 6.5cm. All with breaks b/c in my libtard state I cant get a can.
You still really have to use ear protection even with a can but man I wish I had one.
I have worse tinnitus b/c of those 3 mistakes.
You still really have to use ear protection even with a can but man I wish I had one.
I have worse tinnitus b/c of those 3 mistakes.
Firearms, Fireworks, Rock Concerts, Harleys, Jets..................what did you say?
The best you can afford.
Seriously, get the best you can reasonably afford, and double up with foamies inside the muffs. We have several flavors of Peltor/3M, Walker, and others here at the house, but I prefer MSA Sordin Supremes with gel cups; can wear ‘em all day long and actually forget I have ‘em on sometimes. I’ve literally driven home from the range that’s next door to our neighborhood and walked in the house with them still on. LoL
Super comfy with a behind-the-neck wire loop, and a soft harness over the top, even under a baseball cap:
I have the Ops-Core Amp NFMI setup on my helm, really nice during sustained fire training sessions:
I’ll repeat: Buy the best hearing pro you can afford…if that’s just foamies and regular $5 over the ear muffs that you use when mowing the lawn, fine…just wear it! I wish I’d taken ear pro more seriously when I was younger, and after a lifetime of shooting, flying, and rock concerts with little or no hearing protection, I’m paying the price with profound hearing loss now. It sucks.
Edit: and I only shoot suppressed now, even .22 pistols. We have 13 cans, and about to buy a couple more…with very few exceptions, every firearm that goes out to the range or ranch has a can on it before it leaves the house.
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Out in the boonies of northern Idaho when I was in high school, 1976 to narrow that down some, at one of my friends parents cabin, out on the deck, decent range to shoot everything from 22LR to large centerfire to clays.
His oldest brother, about 35 years old then, presented an Ingram MAC-10 in 45ACP. I am about 99.9% sure it was completely legal just because he was a sort of battlefield legend with scars and medals trying to last until retirement age. There remains that sliver of doubt.
I can tell you that 30 rounds of 45ACP from that short barrel unsuppressed left a lasting impression. That the deck had a ceiling only 8' from the floor only amplified everything. Then my buddy shot a mag dump, and then my turn and so on until we had burned thru an ammo can of surplus 45ACP. Even suppressed it was loud enough to need ear pro but we were not pussies. Actually, it was not bravado...we NEVER wore ear pro and didn't even consider it.
Sure, that was dumb.
Now that I am MUCH older with the constant ring of tinnitus, I can honestly say that I would 100% repeat the experience if I were given the chance to be there at 16 again and I'd do it again tomorrow at more than 6 decades of Solar orbits.
A full mag will dump in about 1.5 seconds. It's amazing to watch the foliage just collapse.
His oldest brother, about 35 years old then, presented an Ingram MAC-10 in 45ACP. I am about 99.9% sure it was completely legal just because he was a sort of battlefield legend with scars and medals trying to last until retirement age. There remains that sliver of doubt.
I can tell you that 30 rounds of 45ACP from that short barrel unsuppressed left a lasting impression. That the deck had a ceiling only 8' from the floor only amplified everything. Then my buddy shot a mag dump, and then my turn and so on until we had burned thru an ammo can of surplus 45ACP. Even suppressed it was loud enough to need ear pro but we were not pussies. Actually, it was not bravado...we NEVER wore ear pro and didn't even consider it.
Sure, that was dumb.
Now that I am MUCH older with the constant ring of tinnitus, I can honestly say that I would 100% repeat the experience if I were given the chance to be there at 16 again and I'd do it again tomorrow at more than 6 decades of Solar orbits.
A full mag will dump in about 1.5 seconds. It's amazing to watch the foliage just collapse.
I did that with an M82-1 , I heard nothing but the action cycle for two days, then it calmed downto a steady, loud whine. That was near 20 years ago and its still whining.
Fella's-
"Listen" (pun intended) to 'ol Lucky Duck here- protect your hearing at all costs if/while you can.
I'm not "that" old but I've got a bit of experience here. I've been to bars where things were just "too loud". I've come back from concerts where the next day I was left with a "humming" sensation in my ears that thankfully went away after some time.
I've heard the crack of a gunshot without hearing protection that hurt. I've been in situations so loud that my hearing quit. Quite literally- my ears said that's enough of that you're done listening for now. I've been in situations where my ears said no more but the source of the noise continued to cause physical pain. It's a surreal experience- you can't hear & you know because things are "too loud" and your body shut off that sense to protect you yet the source/stimulus continues and actually causes personal harm from what essentially is a 'ghost'.
In my best ear I've measurably lost over 30% of my hearing permanently. My worst ear- well I'll just say it's over 30% and again permanent. The kissing cousin of that is bad tinnitus. Frankly, I wouldn't wish that nonsense on anyone.
I suppose it's different for everyone but imagine the most annoying sound... say a baby crying and to never be able to get rid of it. From that day forward in one or both of your ears, to never experience silence again but just "EEEEEEEEEEEEE" in varying pitches (which likely corresponds with the frequencies you no longer can hear).
I can only speak for myself and my experience growing up on what I understood hearing loss to be and who experienced it. For my perspective- that was an "old person thing" and essentially meant that things just needed to be "louder" to be heard and it was across the board.
But- that hasn't been my experience. I used to think everything would just be "quieter", like someone turned the volume down and eventually I'd need hearing aids to "turn up" the volume. The reality, or at least 'my' reality, however is that I feel like I hear mostly the same/at least things are at the same volume that they always were before. But, what's different for me at least, is the tones/frequencies of what I used to hear I no longer do/can.
In my example- women's voices in particular are challenging (higher frequencies). I just cannot hear them. As for the hearing aids being an "old person's thing" I likely qualified for needing them in both ears before I turned 30.
So, not trying to hijack the discussion here by any means, but good lord- protect your hearing if you can.
-LD
"Listen" (pun intended) to 'ol Lucky Duck here- protect your hearing at all costs if/while you can.
I'm not "that" old but I've got a bit of experience here. I've been to bars where things were just "too loud". I've come back from concerts where the next day I was left with a "humming" sensation in my ears that thankfully went away after some time.
I've heard the crack of a gunshot without hearing protection that hurt. I've been in situations so loud that my hearing quit. Quite literally- my ears said that's enough of that you're done listening for now. I've been in situations where my ears said no more but the source of the noise continued to cause physical pain. It's a surreal experience- you can't hear & you know because things are "too loud" and your body shut off that sense to protect you yet the source/stimulus continues and actually causes personal harm from what essentially is a 'ghost'.
In my best ear I've measurably lost over 30% of my hearing permanently. My worst ear- well I'll just say it's over 30% and again permanent. The kissing cousin of that is bad tinnitus. Frankly, I wouldn't wish that nonsense on anyone.
I suppose it's different for everyone but imagine the most annoying sound... say a baby crying and to never be able to get rid of it. From that day forward in one or both of your ears, to never experience silence again but just "EEEEEEEEEEEEE" in varying pitches (which likely corresponds with the frequencies you no longer can hear).
I can only speak for myself and my experience growing up on what I understood hearing loss to be and who experienced it. For my perspective- that was an "old person thing" and essentially meant that things just needed to be "louder" to be heard and it was across the board.
But- that hasn't been my experience. I used to think everything would just be "quieter", like someone turned the volume down and eventually I'd need hearing aids to "turn up" the volume. The reality, or at least 'my' reality, however is that I feel like I hear mostly the same/at least things are at the same volume that they always were before. But, what's different for me at least, is the tones/frequencies of what I used to hear I no longer do/can.
In my example- women's voices in particular are challenging (higher frequencies). I just cannot hear them. As for the hearing aids being an "old person's thing" I likely qualified for needing them in both ears before I turned 30.
So, not trying to hijack the discussion here by any means, but good lord- protect your hearing if you can.
-LD
Don’t screw around with avoiding ear protection or you could end up not only with hearing loss and tinnitus but a host of other not so fun ear conditions. It’s possible to have all of these hearing conditions at the same time due to prolonged and/or acute hearing loss all of which have no cure although there are experimental treatments available.
1. Hyperacusis is the umbrella term for 4 hearing disorders of which 3 are usually related to acute hearing loss, viral infections, and/or certain medications (ototoxicity.)
A. Sound Hyperacusis (Loudness Hyperacusis)
B. Noxacusis Hyperacusis (Pain Hyperacusis)
C. Dysacusis (Sound Distortion Hyperacusis)
D. Mysophomia (Selective sound sensitivity syndrome - not normally related to just hearing loss)
2. Reactive Tinnitus - Reactive or variable tinnitus is a type of tinnitus where everyday sounds, even at low or moderate levels, can trigger an increase in the intensity or perception of ringing in the ears. It is often associated with hyperacusis, a condition characterized by heightened sensitivity to sounds.
3. TTS or Temporary Threshold Shift - Temporary threshold shift (TTS) refers to a temporary loss of hearing that occurs after exposure to loud sounds, resulting in symptoms like muffled hearing, a feeling of fullness in the ears, and ringing (tinnitus). While TTS is usually short-lived, repeated exposure to loud noises can lead to permanent hearing damage. Possible to lose up to 50% of your hearing which can reset overnight back to normal followed by repeated instances of TTS on a daily basis from moderate sound exposure.
4. TTTS or Tonic Tensor Tympani Syndrome - TTTS usually presents with symptoms such as fluttering of the eardrum, a sensation of heat, pain, blockage and fullness in the ear, tinnitus, hyperacusis and dizziness.
1. Hyperacusis is the umbrella term for 4 hearing disorders of which 3 are usually related to acute hearing loss, viral infections, and/or certain medications (ototoxicity.)
A. Sound Hyperacusis (Loudness Hyperacusis)
B. Noxacusis Hyperacusis (Pain Hyperacusis)
C. Dysacusis (Sound Distortion Hyperacusis)
D. Mysophomia (Selective sound sensitivity syndrome - not normally related to just hearing loss)
2. Reactive Tinnitus - Reactive or variable tinnitus is a type of tinnitus where everyday sounds, even at low or moderate levels, can trigger an increase in the intensity or perception of ringing in the ears. It is often associated with hyperacusis, a condition characterized by heightened sensitivity to sounds.
3. TTS or Temporary Threshold Shift - Temporary threshold shift (TTS) refers to a temporary loss of hearing that occurs after exposure to loud sounds, resulting in symptoms like muffled hearing, a feeling of fullness in the ears, and ringing (tinnitus). While TTS is usually short-lived, repeated exposure to loud noises can lead to permanent hearing damage. Possible to lose up to 50% of your hearing which can reset overnight back to normal followed by repeated instances of TTS on a daily basis from moderate sound exposure.
4. TTTS or Tonic Tensor Tympani Syndrome - TTTS usually presents with symptoms such as fluttering of the eardrum, a sensation of heat, pain, blockage and fullness in the ear, tinnitus, hyperacusis and dizziness.
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Great point-
One last thing I'll add to the conversation is the ugly cousin of hearing loss is often connected with eardrum damage. Makes sense on the surface of course but just want to offer the "not so obvious" component is your balance is tied to your eardrums and permanent hearing loss likely will result in permeant balance issues.
IYKYK.
-LD
When I mow the lawn, I wear the foam ear plugs. When go to the range, I wear both plugs and ear muffs. Especially at the indoor range. But also at the outdoor range.
When hunting, I wear the cans, ready to deploy at a moment's notice.
