shooting 9mm without ear pro? (hearing damage content)

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so I was in a hurry to go shooting yesterday and neglected the earpro. I had my Sig P220 and my friend had his Ruger P89. I only had 5 rounds to function text my Sig p220 and man oh man. .45 ACP is loud. I haven't shot a .357 lately, and I'm thankful for that but I had forgot just how loud the .45 really is. One shot and an Audible "OW F%^#!" on my part. We commenced to shooting around 300 rds out of his 9mm and it didn't affect me. This probably had something to do with the intitial abuse.

My question is, just how bad is repeated exposure to a smaller round, say from 22 through .380 on up to 9mm for your hearing? I will NOT attempt the .45 acp w/ out earpro again. I meabn, if I can help it. Let alone a bigger wheelgun caliber. Honestly I can't see how someone who's ever had to use a .357 or .44 in an enclosed space in self defense has avoided at least a considerable partial hearing loss.

My other question, does adrenaline, in a situation like that, reduce the effect of the muzzle report on your hearing? Meaning if you don't notice it, does it still have the damaging effect? I'm not trying to find a way out of using earpro here. That would be idiocy. Just discussing the meat and potatoes of it all. If it came to savibng my life and going a little deaf or being afraid to pull the trigger and dying a very auditorily perceptive man, I'm still firmly committed to the first decision, don't worry. :neener:
 
I won't fire any handgun without ear protection.

Once, back in 1978, I fired ONE shot from a .357 without ear protection. Never again.

I went shooting with a guy who didn't have any muffs, so I offered him mine. He said, "That's ok, I'm used to it."

"Really?" I said, somewhat amazed.

"Pardon me?" He replied........

If you're "used to" the loud noise, that means you're going DEAF !

In a "shoot or die" situation, the ears hear the noise, but the brain disregards it as extraneous, so the perception is much different than what you experienced the other day.
 
It's very bad to shoot without some sort of hearing protection..PERIOD! I shot like two 9mm rounds outdoors once and stopped immediately. My ears were ringing just from those two rounds. Adrenaline definitely plays a part in it. Just because you can stand it, doesn't mean it's not permanently damaging your hearing.

I remember shooting clay pigeons w/ a 12ga when I was a kid. I never used hearing protection and remember it being a shock for the first round or two, but then it was tolerable. I think pistols are worse because the muzzle is closer to your ears than with a shotgun. I'd never shoot without hearing protection nowadays. You shouldn't either.
 
shooting any gun, even a 22LR will PERMANENTLY DAMAGE your hearing

In my opinon the "macho guys" that refuse to wear hearing protection are idiots
 
My other question, does adrenaline, in a situation like that, reduce the effect of the muzzle report on your hearing? Meaning if you don't notice it, does it still have the damaging effect?
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I have about hearing loss due to shooting at various times without hearing protection. I think it has to do with pressure waves, but certainly not whether you notice it or not.

I was told by my doctor that hearing loss is cumulative. Worse, it's irreversible and permanent. You know that ringing in your ears that you have after shooting? I have that all the time. I've just had to get used to it.

So I now want to preserve the hearing that I have left. If I don't have hearing protection with me, then I don't shoot.
 
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HUH? YOU SAY SOMETHING? SORRY CAN'T HEAR YOU...MAYBE BECAUSE OF ALL OF TENS OF THOUSANDS OF .22s I SHOT WHEN I WAS A KID. OR MAYBE THE 20 GAUGE WHILE DOVE HUNTING. OR THE AIR COMPRESSORS WHILE WORKING. OR THE LAWN MOWERS WHILE MOWING.

Point: I'm now at the point where any loud noise - ANY! - including clapping at a concert makes my inner cringe so badly I can feel it. I can hear a pin drop in a quiet room and tell you point up or point down. But put the TV/radio/other background noise on and someone talks to me --- fuggadabout it. It's all lost.

Hearing protection is a must. I don't let my kids outside when I mow or be in the garage when I'm working with power tools unless they have plugs (or thumbs) in their ears.

Q
 
So now all you big bore blasters are going to need ear muffs to carry around with you and by your bed at night when you take on a bad guy!
 
Meaning if you don't notice it, does it still have the damaging effect?
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Yes. The damage is a physical effect, not noticing it is from mental factors.

I never shoot anything at the range without hearing protection. I do duck hunt without hearing protection because I feel that it is simply too dangerous to not be able to hear what is going on around me in a little boat where people are rapidly swinging shotguns and firing. I should probably get some electronic muffs and plan on it when I have a little more $.
 
I'm noticing a trend of pretty much everyone in this thread wishing we'd used earpro earlier. Too bad we didn't do it from the get go. I do it 9/10 now, soon 10/10, but not before. Countless shooting trips to the country with no earpro. Mostly shotguns. Add to this all the concerts I've been to, and man. It's just damage control at this point!
 
Hearing damage results form how loud the noise is and how long you are exposed to it. All firearms have a noise level of greater than 125 Db(generally 140 to 165Db). One shot will leave your ears ringing indicating damage but the duration of exposure to one shot is very short and the damage isn't likely permanent but repeated exposure with less than a several hours between exposures will damage your hearing so exposure to 300 rounds of 9mm in a relatiely short time probably damaged your hearing to some extent. An audiological test would be needed to determine how much and to get accruate results you'd need to have earlier results to compare to As others have pointed out, hearing loss is accumulative so don't do it again or you'll soon be hard of hearing.

Many people damage their hearing playing their radio and stereo's loudly or attending concerts. Generally hearing loss is a reduced ability to hear the full frequency range of normal hearing. Age also takes a toll on your hearing as well as your eyesight.
 
I guess I'm not too smart about it either.

I wouldn't dream of going to the range without ear protection, but I dove hunt (usually only once a year on opening day) regularly without it.

That box and a half of 12 GA that I shoot without hearing protection is definitely not doing me any good.
 
I use single level earpro for .22LR. double level earpro for everything else. I also wear earpro when doing anything with loud noise- mowing yard, power tools, etc.

I wouldn't dream of going to the range without ear protection, but I dove hunt (usually only once a year on opening day) regularly without it.
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Strongly urge you to consider some form of earpro that allows you to hunt and keep your ears protected. Yes, it may cost a little bit now but it's a lot better than loosing more of your hearing.
 
I would absolutely never fire any gun with no ear protection.

I took my dad to a range a few months ago with an XD in 9mm. My friend came with, and he had an XD in .40. I told my dad to roll up his ear plugs, put them in, and let them expand. Apparently he didn't, and he never had the greatest hearing to begin with, so he wasn't feeling the pain I would feel from each shot. There was another guy I know on the line with an AK-47.

He could hardly hear anything the rest of the day and needs hearing aids now.
 
i went to the ranger early, as it just opened one day, i hadnt put in my earpro yet, low and behold some dude drives up with a bolt action .50 bmg, it only took one bullet and i grabbed my plugs
 
I don't shoot pistols or rifles without double protection - plugs inside and muffs over the outside - even more critical if firing indoors or under a cover where the sound is louder.

Hearing loss is cumulative over time - even one shot can have a deleterious effect on your hearing and result in some loss. You might not notice it after a few shots, but the damage is there and gets worse as you age
 
Not very smart.
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I agree that I should be using some kind of hearing protection, but not at the expense of loss of awareness of my surroundings. I would rather be a little deaf in my old age than have to deal with tragedy that costs someone their life. That being said, I just need to save up and get the electronic muffs.

I will also say that the last concert I went to (Tom Petty fyi) left my ears ringing and my hearing temporarily impaired for far longer than any amount of shotgun shooting I have done.

Also, a shotgun with a long barrel (28-30") does not compare at all to a centerfire hangun as far as the amount of noise that reaches your ears (I learned this the hard way with a .38 snubbie).
 
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Search the forum for hearing protection threads and you'll find plenty of advice, amateur and professional, that will tell you that you should always use as much hearing protection as possible while shooting regardless of caliber. You'll also find plenty of folks that will tell you they wish they had worn their hearing protection in their youth because of the hearing loss they suffer.

Yes, you may be injured by noise from shooting even if you don't think it sounds loud.

No, your body doesn't protect you from repeated high noise levels.

Always wear plugs and muffs when shooting. If you forget your hearing protection, get some before you start shooting or don't go shooting.

If the choice is between deaf and dead no one's going to tell you dead is better than deaf (or permanently ringing ears), but we've also had plenty of discussions with advocates of putting on electronic muffs if the time permits.

Always use hearing protection while shooting recreationally. Never shoot recreationally without hearing protection.
 
I just ordered a pair of the remington electronic muffs off of Bass Pro Shops using some gift cards I had. They had come down in price quite a bit since I had last priced them. After reading this:
deaf (or permanently ringing ears)
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I decided to just get the darn things.
 
Hearing nerve damage is accumulative.

As a young shooter I often didn't bother when shooting .22 bullseye comp or during practice at the range. The range problem was that the guy next to me might be shooting a .44 Auto-Mag or a Contender in some really big caliber.

To make a long story short I wear powerful hearing aids now, and I don't enjoy not being able to talk on the phone or hear my granddaughters clearly.

USE HEARING PROTECTION every time.
 
I have no idea why I would not want to use hearing protection. It's just such a foreign concept to me I use earmuffs currently but I am thinking about using plugs in addition since I have been shooting more 44 mag lately. Also, earmuffs keep your ears protected from the cold in the lovely New England winters we have in CT.
 
I made the mistake of forgetting my ear pro one day during Boot camp while going to the rifle range. After the day was over My hearing had gone to Sh*t. That was the last time i made that mistake. I always wear plugs, or muffs, but mostley both. There are other posts on here talking about DB's and the best way to protect yourself. But muffs and plugs are what I recommend.

Also when I got off active duty and went to the VA, they gave me a hearing test that measured air pressure and all kinds of High speed low drag stuff. They said that the hair folocules were damaged. I never knew that this was even possible or you had little hairs inside your ear but apparently you do.

Best advise good muffs and plugs.



HuH? What did you say? Drives my wife nuts:)
 
Never ever go to the range without hearing protection. How do I know? Well I have this thing in each ear, $3000, each ear.

I would hope this would convince someone to wear hearing protection.
 
Best advise good muffs and plugs.
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Yup, whenever possible.

Even in combat, I've seen shooters putting in yellow foamies when going on an operation. Seemed a little strange to me, so I asked one if that didn't impair his hearing, and he said when the shooting started you couldn't hear anything anyway.
 
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