Snubnose 357: Too much blast for unprotected hearing?

[Macchina]

In my search to find a lighter hiking gun, I have a 38 special LCR on order with my LGS, and I'm considering asking for the 357 version instead. I have shot a S&W snub 357 and was very impressed with the dramatic recoil. I can practice to overcome the recoil, but my biggest concern is firing a gun with that must blast and blowing my ears out. On the other hand, most people tend to carry 38 Specials in these guns anyway...

The pros of the 38 Special version are it's cheaper, lighter, slightly higher velocity with 38 Special, and comes with an XS tritium sight right off the bat. I don't know if the 357 really gives me anything with the development of the 1000 FPS 158 grain BB load.

The question I'm asking: I understand that hearing is less important than life, but is 200 fps worth the potential for significant hearing loss? As a hiking and a side-carry hunting gun (no bears, don't go there please), there exist the very real possibility of firing this gun without hearing protection. I fish every weekend and hike a few weeks a year. I have already have run-ins with crazy wild dogs I've had to take care of, aggressive coons that kept coming back at night, and other critters that may not kill me but sure didn't like me. Not to mention having to signal for lost hunting partners, taking game-of-opportunity while hiking in hunting season, etc. (all done with rifles up to this point).

 

[Clippers]

Outside of a 22 rifle, I've never shot any rifle, shotgun, or handgun without earplugs that didn't leave my ears ringing. I've always carried small earplugs along when hiking or just being outdoors while packing a handgun. I just pop them in when I need to shoot a critter. My hearing would be the least of my worries in a self defense situation.

 

[Deltaboy1984]

I had a snub 357 back in the 1980's and it made massive fireballs at dusk or night.

 

[Deaf Smith]

Decibels is what you check for how much noise a instrument makes.

http://www.freehearingtest.com/hia_gunfirenoise.shtml

Death of hearing tissue is around 180 db.

A .357 Mag is 164.3 dB.

Deaf

 

[Macchina]

Decibels is what you check for how much noise a instrument makes.

http://www.freehearingtest.com/hia_gunfirenoise.shtml

Death of hearing tissue is around 180 db.

A .357 Mag is 164.3 dB.

Deaf

What? Does that mean gunfire doesn't cause hearing loss?

 

[ShelbyV8]

Actually anything above 85db causes hearing damage.

 

[Macchina]

Time is a variable in hearing loss. What is the threshold for hearing loss with impulse sounds? You can listen to 90 dB for 8 hours before hearing loss...

 

[kellmark]

Although I don't shoot frequently, I have been shooting for more than 40 years, sometimes outdoors and sometimes indoors.

When I was young, we just stuck cotton in our ears and blasted away. We had Winchester .308s and Mauser 7.92 rifles. Loud guns. Plus a variety of pistols, mostly 9mm and one very loud Ruger .30 carbine revolver. We survived with no permanent damage as far as we know.

But these days we know better. Now I shoot only with both good ear plugs and good ear muffs.

I also have a Ruger LCR .357. I love the gun. I normally shoot .38s or .38 +P, but have also fired .357s out of it. With those, it is a blaster. Especially indoors. Again, I always use both plugs and muffs. I prefer the .357 version for the bit of extra weight, and the additional flexibility it provides by allowing .357.

What would happen to my hearing if I was using it for self defense indoors? I don't think I would care at the time, if life was at stake. Most any gun fired inside will make significant noise and is potentially damaging to hearing. My little .22 magnum NAA revolver makes a heck of a lot of noise, for example.

Its just a matter of accepting the good and bad of a self defense situation.

But you can practice with any round in the LCR and protect your hearing appropriately.

 

[kellmark]

One more thing. I note that you want it for hiking, outdoors stuff, possible defense from critters, etc. Just carry some ear plugs with you. That is what I would do. The LCR is a fine gun. And for that purpose I definitely would go with the .357.

 

[Macchina]

One more thing. I note that you want it for hiking, outdoors stuff, possible defense from critters, etc. Just carry some ear plugs with you. That is what I would do. The LCR is a fine gun. And for that purpose I definitely would go with the .357.

I always carry plugs, but I might a well pop in some 38s if I have time to put plugs in... I'm worried about a dog or something I have to take care of RIGHT NOW.

 

[HadEmAll]

Just to touch on that "200 fps thing", these are 5 shot averages from my LCR .357

Remington 125 grain SJHP .357 magnum - 1245 fps - 432 ft/lbs ME
UMC 125 grain SJHP .38 Special +P - 910 fps - 232 ft/lbs ME

Speer Gold Dot 125 grain JHP .357 magnum - 1210 fps - 409 ft/lbs ME
Speer Gold Dot 125 grain .38 Special +P - 869 fps - 211 ft/lbs ME

That's differences of 335 fps and 341 fps, with muzzle energies almost, but not quite, double for the .357 magnum out of the little LCR.

Sure you can go to BB for hotter .38s, but you can also do the same for the .357.

Just sayin'. Now back to your topic, it's a good one,worthy of discussion.

I got rid of my .38 LCR, as I just don't have real confidence in the .38 in that short a barrel. I carry the .357 on the rare occasion I am carrying only a 5-shot revolver, and am prepared to take the risk to my ears.

I think a 3" .357 LCR would be a wonderful thing. My 3" SP101 gets another 100+ fps out of both the above .357 mag loads, and I'd guess would help the .38 out considerably as well.

I can't help but add, since you've mentioned them twice, that if dogs, plural, were a real potential worry, I'd want more than 5 shots before attempting a reload. They're pretty quick. That's why I usually carry a semi-auto.

 

[gamestalker]

Honestly, I cringe at the thought of having to experience unprotected discharge of my .357 mag SD gun. And I carry H110 / 296 hand loaded JHP's, so the blast is massive, the muzzle flash is incredible, as is the ear shattering report. So your concerns are in fact very realistic, to say the least. But in truth, I think it is well worth it to carry a quality self defense 38 spcl. round, rather than a full house .357 mag round, despite the fact that I carry the full magnum loads. And I don't honestly feel that there is much to be gained in a self defense situation by carrying .357 mag., considering how it could very well cause problems with follow up shots, because one would be trying to regain their composer.
As it is, I can barely tolerate the physical muzzle blast against my face, so I know the report is extreme. I vote for carrying 38 spcl. self defense ammunition.

GS

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I carry a quality .38 Special SD load in a J frame and I'm sure it will perform well. I would not want to fire off a .357 Magnum without ears on, a .38 Special is bad enough.

 

[murf]

critters said it right, imo. don't worry about your ears if a bear, or whatever threatens you, requires a shot. otherwise, use earplugs or muffs for the 357 magnum.

murf

 

[gk2410]

I'm a retired police officer and, as will everyone on the forum, don't recommend shooting anything without hearing protection - on the range. Trust me - I'm old enough that we did our training at the academy without hearing protection, and we're all suffering for it now.

That said - you are talking about the occasional shot outdoors in a tactical/survival scenario. In that situation you won't even remember the report of your gun. I've been there and ask anyone else who has. Plus, you will likely only discharge a round or two, and my hearing, while important, would be the last thing on my mind.

 

[Lj1941]

I,as a youngster NEVER wore hearing protection.I to this day,blame that for my hearing loss.A selfdefense situation may not give you time to put in hearing protection but anything short of life or death situation IMO is not worth it.

 

[X-Rap]

Given the choice between the 38 & 357 I would pretty much always take the 357 if just for the convenience of using both rounds.
As far as the blast goes, I will fall in with those who say that it is part of what you sign on for when you decide to be proactive with your personal defense. Keep protection on while shooting at the range but do what you have to do when it counts. For me personally I can't imagine fumbling with ear pro of any kind in a life and death situation.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

I am concerned about this as I carry a 460V in griz country. Getting hearing protection in and drawing quickly enough is a concern. 460 would cause instant permanent loss of hearing. Better deaf than dead though.

 

[dfariswheel]

People also are concerned about using hot ammo in guns for fear of causing excess wear, as example using +P ammo in small revolvers that may not be rated for +P.

If you're in a real world shooting incident, whether against an animal or a human, potential wear of the gun or possible/probable hearing damage will be the least of your worries.

The .357 from a short barrel gun, especially in an enclosed area does a good imitation of a SWAT stun grenade. The muzzle flash and literally ear-splitting CRACK is bad enough that both shooter and shoot-ee can be momentarily stunned by the blast.
The answer for this for the shooter is practice WITH ear protection.

Police have a long history of having to fire .357 revolvers inside cars, hallways, and other confined areas, and they report experiencing some hearing loss.
However, in a literally life or death situation you may have no choice.
Most any pistol in an effective defense caliber is going to cause some hearing problems, and you have to accept that possibility if you intend to defend yourself.
In a real situation you will not have time to be putting on hearing protection.

 

[Monster Zero]

The report of any firearm is enough to damage hearing if repeated often enough. Even the sound of a .22lr rifle is actually harmful without hearing protection.

Some are more harmful than others...

I, myself, have some tinnitus from shooting a lot of firecrackers as a kid, and also from a few painfully loud rock n' roll concerts - thus my days of shooting magnum handguns and really loud rifles like Nagants are finished.

My suggestion would be to go ahead and carry your .357, and if the only times you shoot it without hearing protection are those occasions when you're jumped by a bear or a couple of two-legged critters you ought to be okay.

"I'm not an audiologist, I just post on THR."

 

[Dr_B]

Part of what I do for a living is study sound pressure levels in human factors applications. A .357 magnum cartridge fired from a barrel of any length is loud enough to cause hearing damage and WILL damage your ears regardless of whether you are indoors or outdoors. You may have varying levels of damage depending on whether you have structures around you that reflect sound. But you will have damage.

Its not all that important, in my opinion, if you are carrying the gun for self-defense. Your choice might end up being either deal with hearing damage or be dead.

 

[HadEmAll]

This topic is sure making a good case for the snub-nosed laser.

 

[Dave T]

I have a good friend, retired LEO like myself, who got medically retired when a SWAT officer cut loose with a 12g a about a foot from my friends head while he was teaching a shotgun class (don't ask about all the things that SWAT guy did wrong, it's too depressing). Anyway, in the battery of tests and examinations my friend went through, one doctor told him if your head is turned just right one round of handgun ammunition can cause a 25% hearing loss. My friend lost 90-90% on the side next to that shotgun from one round.

Oh, and that Buffalo Bore +P 38 Special sounds more like a Magnum than any factory 38 Special I had heard before it came along. It's my carry ammo right now.

Dave

 

[PorkChopsMmm]

What about carrying a mixture of 38's and 357's in the gun? E.g. Have 357 ready to go but if you have the time you could rotate the cylinder to 38? And for a dog you could use a light 38 load, right? So the hearing issue could be even less than using hot 38 rounds.

 

[bigdaa]

I've done my share of shooting without hearing protection and spent allot of time in front of cranked up stereo speakers, so here I am at 57 having had full blown Tinnitus for the last 20 years.

I can tell you with all my heart to protect and cherish that particular sense!

As far as protection in the wild in some unknown situation, I would not be worrying at all about your hearing for the sake of concentrating on the possible threat.

I will say that the blast from full tilt 357's is different than the 44's and even the 500 S&W I have in that they are a higher more piercing pitch and intensity.
They hurt like mothers! But..........having pounded a box of these things straight, it would be the repetition that I would be concerned with. I recall my hearing returning to normal after experiencing a shot or two in the early days of my shooting.

Depending on the threats you are likely to come by in your area, you may or may not need the full power so it's up to you to assess the situation for that.