My stupid range move of the month-No ears

[News Shooter]

I'm at the range Sunday and took my grandather's Colt 1908. I walked downrange to get close to the steel target (which is hanging by a thread Jim), went through my checklist and realized I had left my electronic ear muffs on the table. I started to walk back and then thought, "What the hell, it's only a llittle .380."

I fired the first shot and OMG! I scared the crap out of myself!

My ears immediately started a high-pitched ringing that is only now going away.

I dropped the magazine, unloaded the gun and walked back to get my ears.

I'll never experiment with that again. The only thing I can figure is that I have worn good hearing protection for so long my hears are especially sensitive, but my god was that loud.

 

[EddieCoyle]

I walked downrange to get close to the steel target (which is hanging by a thread Jim)

I fixed it Sunday night.

Even a .22 short can be loud if you use the right (wrong?) gun. My son and I fire .22 shorts out of a Winchester rifle in the back yard without hearing protection - it's about as loud as a pellet gun. I tried the same thing with an NAA Mini and my ears were ringing.

 

[C-pher]

I can remember skeet shooting on my Grandfathers land in the back yard when I was a kid. We didn't use any ears. And if one of us complained, one of the smokers would put a cigarette butt in each of our ears. LOL!

 

[Chris]

Long time ago, I was late for a shoot and got out of the car, and ran around to the truck to get my gear out. My muffs were in the trunk and in the time it took me to get at them, my ears were ringing. Ever since then, I put my eyes and ears in the front with me and have them on when I get out unless its too early for anyone to be shooting.

I started a few years ago even wearing hearing protection while mowing and such. My son likes to ride on daddy's lap while I mow with the tractor. The deal was that he could do so ONLY if he kept the ear plugs in and the glasses on. He's only 19 months, but he caught on fast. Now, he brings his glasses and plugs to me hoping for a ride. Oh well.

 

[jamz]

Shotguns don't seem so bad, but pistols and revolvers seem really loud. I'm noise sensitive, and a 20 guage going off doesn't bother me much. Once patridge hunting with a friend, I had a 20 SxS, he had a pump 12, we shot at a bird low and away, 5 shots total (missed all of them) and that was the only time my ears ever rung while shooting shotguns without protection.

 

[matt1956]

I did something similar a couple of weeks ago.

I took a buddy to the range and was firing his HK 94 (fun gun )

Anywho, the range lights went on, so I put the safety on, removed the mag, emptied the chamber, placed the gun on the table with the action open.

then my buddy and I were talking and I removed my muffs to hear better (but left my shooting glasses on).

Range lights where turned of after a minute.

So I checked the line, scanned the range for persons, picked up the HK 94, put in the mag, chambered a round, took aim and fired.

paused... and said, "umm... that was loud..." then I looked down and realized my muffs were still on the table .

luckily only a 9mm and not a very loud report.

 

[Arioch]

Many years ago when Camp Curtis Guild was hosting handgun silhouette shoots, a friend of the guy I had gone with had a .44 Automag. I was just a spectator so I had no hearing protection with me, but I didn't want to give up the chance to fire it once. OMG! Talk about LOUD! By the way, the match was won by an Army Reserve Captain (Cpt. Clarke) shooting a 1911. He used more than your average amount of hold-over.

 

[wchandler]

I fixed it Sunday night.

Even a .22 short can be loud if you use the right (wrong?) gun. My son and I fire .22 shorts out of a Winchester rifle in the back yard without hearing protection - it's about as loud as a pellet gun. I tried the same thing with an NAA Mini and my ears were ringing.

A bit off topic, but can your fire .22 shorts out of a .22lr rifle?? Say a lever action Winchester or Henry.

 

[JoeT]

I don't hunt with ear protection (never have, I know it's stupid) and never get that ringing sound.

However about a year ago I shot my .357 sig without ear protection (one round by accident) and they rang for 3 days.

 

[CRSIII]

I fired 1 shot, 1 time from my 1911, and perforated my left eardrum. .45 white box ammo. Hurt like an icepick to the ear. Never again!

 

[Rockrivr1]

I took my Dad to the range last year to shoot my Serbu 50 BMG. He was all excited. Now my Dad is 72 and has a good amount of hearing loss, so he always wears hearing protection at the range to keep what little hearing he has left. Well, I set him up with the Serbu and he spent a good amount of time getting ready for the shot. Just before he pulls the trigger he accidentally pushed his hearing protection off his ear as he was getting a tighter cheek weld. Well he let it rip and yep, you guess it, instant deaf in his right ear.

To top it off, at the last second he put his left hand on top of of the rifle right behind the scope. When he pulled the trigger the recoil sent his hand back and he punched him self in the mouth.

He stood up from the bench, one hand over his ear, the other hand wiping the blood from his split lip and he was smiling ear to ear.

Of course when we got home Mom was pissed. She yelled at me saying that he was already deaf and that I didn't need to do things that would make it worse. Whoops.

 

[EddieCoyle]

A bit off topic, but can your fire .22 shorts out of a .22lr rifle?? Say a lever action Winchester or Henry.

Yup. The rifle we use is a 9422 (lever action). I'm not sure about the Henry, but you can fire shorts, longs, or long rifles with a Marlin 39.

 

[Jake L]

You never wear hearing protection in a firefight!
You never hear anything in a firefight!