Can you hear me now ?

[wahsben]

In the 1960's as a kid shooting I don't remember ever wearing any ear protection with whatever I shot. I can still hear many years later but my hearing certainly isn't what it used to be. I actually probably did much more damage to my ears listening to all the loud rock music at concerts, at home and with headphones on.
I recently took off my ear pro to do something at the range and forgot to put them back on and touched a round off on my RPR 6.5 it definitely was loud and I made sure to put the ears back on but luckily no pain or ringing.

 

[jake]

My father was a fanatic about hearing protection, having lost much of his in WW2

 

[mikeboston]

In the Greek military they didn't provide conscripts with ear plugs. Standard issue rifle was the G3 and we were also equipped with HK11 and MG3s.
I don't have hearing loss only selective hearing

 

[dennism]

I am anal about hearing proteftion, usually double up and leave plugs in when chit chatting do not want to go deaf like my father from construction

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

 

[MaxStravinsky]

One 9mm shot at an indoor range without hearing protection (by myself and a little distracted, just plain forgot). Not the end of the world, no permanent damage, didn't even really notice a short term problem.

I'm usually super conscientious about it, sometimes doubling up.

 

[weekendracer]

I forgot to mention, I just had my hearing actually tested. I was well within the standard for 'good' hearing, with one set of freq's that was getting close to 'moderate hearing loss'.

The thing is, I have tinnitus so bad I have to sleep with some kind of noise maker going. I don't know what gave me the tinnitus, but the ringing in my ears is a pretty bad deal.

 

[tuna]

I started shooting at 8. I started wearing earplugs at in high school, but the damage was done. And since its cumulative, it's gotten worse.
I've got tinnitus bad, and can't hear well out of one ear.
Upside is I have a reason not to listen to my wife, boss, kids, etc.

 

[fencer]

Most guys who have served have been without earpro at one time or another. Same with most hunters.

Being behind the trigger isn't nearly as bad as being next to a shooter. I saw a guy about five feet in front of, and to the left of, a 50 being fired go right to his knees and clutch his head. I think it was 4 or 5 rounds. He was out of the fight.

 

[FalArAk]

Unfortunately ya,and most of it happened in the military,couple of times at the range.

I think the one that really did my ear in was the TOW simulation,I think it was like an M80 going off 20" behind my right ear simulating what happens when you fire the missile.

 

[Manomet]

40 or 50 rounds of 300 win mag will do a lasting job.

 

[cams]

Numerous times with rifle fire, my own and buddies beside me, sometimes with their barrel resting on my shoulder so we could feel where the other guy was and not move in front of their muzzle. Again with numerous grenades (I'd guess 5-6) exploding just outside a doorway, maybe 1-3 feet away on the opposite side (I was inside the doorway firing out) of a concrete building, and twice from flashbangs going off within inches of my face from some ******* short-arming them. The last FB incident left me with a ruptured eardrum and caused the right side of my face to droop as though I had had a stroke. It was from fluids building up inside my ear/face and Doc said only thing I can do is give you antihistamines to try and dry up the fluids.

Took about 3 days and thankfully my face went back to its normal state (ugly), but at least it wasn't sagging down like it was. That would suck.

Now several years later I get ringing in my ears several times a day, sometimes to the point that it hurts and makes me whince in pain when it initially hits me. Other times, mostly at night when it's quiet and I'm trying to sleep, I get a thumping in my ears, seems to go with my heartbeat, but sounds like there is a little Japanese guy in my head banging on my eardrums with a sledgehammer trying to break out. Really annoying and last for a couple hours at a time.

While it may not affect some, I just believe that each person will have their own experience much like some folks have worse allergies than others or any other physical differences.

 

[whacko]

Numerous times with rifle fire, my own and buddies beside me, sometimes with their barrel resting on my shoulder so we could feel where the other guy was and not move in front of their muzzle. Again with numerous grenades (I'd guess 5-6) exploding just outside a doorway, maybe 1-3 feet away on the opposite side (I was inside the doorway firing out) of a concrete building, and twice from flashbangs going off within inches of my face from some ******* short-arming them. The last FB incident left me with a ruptured eardrum and caused the right side of my face to droop as though I had had a stroke. It was from fluids building up inside my ear/face and Doc said only thing I can do is give you antihistamines to try and dry up the fluids.

Took about 3 days and thankfully my face went back to its normal state (ugly), but at least it wasn't sagging down like it was. That would suck.

Now several years later I get ringing in my ears several times a day, sometimes to the point that it hurts and makes me whince in pain when it initially hits me. Other times, mostly at night when it's quiet and I'm trying to sleep, I get a thumping in my ears, seems to go with my heartbeat, but sounds like there is a little Japanese guy in my head banging on my eardrums with a sledgehammer trying to break out. Really annoying and last for a couple hours at a time.

While it may not affect some, I just believe that each person will have their own experience much like some folks have worse allergies than others or any other physical differences.

Thanks for your service.

In my experience grenades are just a tid bit louder on the db scale than rifles.

 

[cams]

Thanks for your service.

In my experience grenades are just a tid bit louder on the db scale than rifles.

Appreciate the sentiment and right back at ya. No need for thanks though, I asked for it, and for my sins, I got it. lol

And yes, my older and wiser self would agree with that. God bless the M2.

 

[Da_lucche]

Loud noises don't really effect me much after playing drums without hearing protection for 20 years.

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk

 

[whacko]

Appreciate the sentiment and right back at ya. No need for thanks though, I asked for it, and for my sins, I got it. lol

And yes, my older and wiser self would agree with that. God bless the M2.

Browning m2 heavy barrel machine gun......absolutely the best defensive position weapon system ever created. I HATED going on convoys with only pintle mounted m249 and m240b........I swear the hajis knew the ****ing difference........we very rarely took inbound small arms fire when we had ma deuce on the turret mounts! She earned some respect early on!!!

 

[eboos]

Yesterday I shot trap for the first time in months. After the first round, I took my plugs out to talk with people. When I went out again, I started on 5 and when the squad leader fired his first shot I realized I forgot to put my plugs back in. Luckily they were custom fitted plugs on a cord (thanks again Stephen Brown from Ear Safety Systems) and I had them back in by the time the third shooter fired.

 

[whacko]

Yesterday I shot trap for the first time in months. After the first round, I took my plugs out to talk with people. When I went out again, I started on 5 and when the squad leader fired his first shot I realized I forgot to put my plugs back in. Luckily they were custom fitted plugs on a cord (thanks again Stephen Brown from Ear Safety Systems) and I had them back in by the time the third shooter fired.

A couple of stations of trap isn't that much different than a morning in a duck blind. Get 2-3 hunters with you sitting side by side when a flock comes in to land.....3 shots each in rapid succession times 3-4 flocks by 9am. That's alot of gun fire with no ear pro......still no detectable damage and i get tested yearly.

Yes guys wear your ear pro.......but don't worry so much LOL
A couple of shots on the clay field without plugs is not exactly going to make your ears bleed.