Hearing protection?

[B1shooter]

I have been around a while but not posted.
I have been shooting guns in one form or another for over 40 years. The other day someone made a statement (or recommendation) that when training (any firearms training) I/you/everybody should not wear ear protection. They said this is "to get your ears used to the noise."
I have never heard such a thing. And it goes against all knowlege I have about hearing loss and loud noises especially gun fire.
Am i just the idiot here? If so, can someone on here please explain to me what I don't seem to be able to understand?
Thanks in advance for answering what i believe to be a "stupid question."

 

[M-Cameron]

yeah, your ears can get used to the noise......its called permanent ear damage and going deaf.......

this is completely rediculous.....you dont "get used to the noise".......you just perminantly damage your hearing....and once its gone, its gone for good.

ask any qualified firearms instructor and they will all tell you to ALWAYS wear hearing protection.....and dont listen to the yahoos at the range.

 

[moxie]

Find whoever "someone" is. Lock him up before he contaminates the entire human race.

 

[loose noose]

Stupid is as stupid does, is what Forest Gump always said. Never have I heard such nonsense, and I've been shooting for over 55 years.

 

[jcwit]

Nope, you aren't the idiot.

But I've got a good idea who is.

 

[JSH1]

I'm 37 with ringing in my ears. (From shooting, music, and working in manufacturing plants)

Ear protection at all times is the only way to go.

 

[Sovblocgunfan]

Protect em. Ignore the know it all.

 

[bannockburn]

Only went shooting once many years ago with less than adequate hearing protection. Had ringing in my ears for the next couple of days. Never again. Ever since I have used both ear plugs and ear muffs.

 

[digsigs226]

Even from a tactical standpoint this is utter nonsense. What good is your reduced sensitivity to gunshots when you can no longer hear the baddy creeping around the corner?

 

[Hammer059]

I always wear plugs and muffs for anything centerfire. .22lr I just wear plugs. I'm 22 and want to keep my hearing as long as possible. I know people my age who are too cool to wear hearing protection, or think that you don't need it for .22… I'll be interested to see how that goes for them in 20 years.

 

[Walkalong]

Experience a gunshot one time in your life without hearing protection and you have all the training without ear protection you need.

shooting, music, and working in manufacturing plants

For me it was shooting, music, and working around chillers. When a screw chiller in an enclosed area doesn't [strike]bother[/strike] hurt your ears anymore, it's a bad sign. I wish I had won ear protection around shooting as a young man and later in the boiler/chiller plant.

Protect your ears at all cost. You only have two and they don't know how to fix them yet. No, that's not the telephone, it's tinnitus..

 

[oneounceload]

WOW...............
Just WOW.........
Amazing some of the idiocy one sees on the Net.......
Double up with plugs and muffs and be able to hear your grandkids whisper something in your ear

 

[Arkansas Paul]

Am i just the idiot here?

There is definitely an idiot in this story, but it is not you.

Shooting with no hearing protection is the worst advice I've ever heard of.
I learned that when I was a young man. I don't even shoot .22s without my ears on.

 

[Jackal]

I'd have told him to practice by hitting himself in the face with a brick, you know, to get his face used to it.

 

[B1shooter]

Thanks! Yall have made my day. Some of your responses are hilarious.
When I asked, I already knew the answer but the statement has been bothering me for some time. I just had to vent I guess.

AND thank you to all the Vets on here for your service. God Bless you and your families!

On another note I just watched American Sniper for the 1st time. WOW!
Now i must read the book.

 

[Jackal]

Read the book and you will be disappointed in the movie...

 

[GRIZ22]

This goes along with those who "condition their hand" to deal with the painful recoil of the uber light 357s that are on the market now. In this case, if you do enough nerve damage in your hand the recoil won't bother you anymore. You will also have less sensation of touch all the time not just when shooting.

 

[Hookeye]

They make these electronic ones now, that allow some sounds to be heard.
I could see that type of hearing protection declared best for training (over the regular muff only type).

 

[ku4hx]

A close relative of mine used to believe he didn't need ear protection. Why that noise just didn't bother him. That was fifty years ago and just a month ago he was fitted with hearing aids that set him back $6,000. That's right ... six grand and they are not covered by insurance.

Seems his hearing loss was diminishing input to his brain and being hard of hearing he shied away from conversations. That further reduced input to his brain. His MD told him all that diminished brain stimulation was leading to brain partial shutdown better known as dementia. His words; not mine.

Wear that hearing protection, your brain will thank you just like your ears will.

 

[Drail]

Yup, for years I have worked with guys who never wore hearing protection on a flight line filled with screaming jet engines and claimed the noise "didn't bother" them. I watched a bunch of them develop severe tinnitus (ringing in the ears) and lose most of their hearing.:banghead: I'm sure they all got used to the noise in their head when they try to go to sleep and being unable to understand what people are saying to them. I have had severe tinnitus for almost 10 years that drove me almost insane when it first started - I can assure you it's nothing you want to deal with. Mine was not caused by exposure to noise but by a neurological condition which doctors tell me is inoperable. Take care of your ears or you will pay dearly for it. I would pay anything to stop the noises in my head.

 

[joem1945]

Best hearing protection I have is a Sordin muffs. Expensive but worth it IMHO.

 

[Spade5]

Don't know the individual but....

Maybe what he meant was you might want to fire a round at an indoor range to get an idea what it might sound like if you had to fire the weapon inside your home. The same thing could be said about muzzle flash in low light conditions.

I agree it is ridiculous to say you will get used to it. Of course I always wear a helmet when I ride the Harley and I have people tell me that is dumb and not needed.

I did a tour in Nam as a grunt and have had electronic crickets constantly singing in my head ever since. Eventually you can block it out most of the time but you will never get that hearing back.

 

[M-Cameron]

Maybe what he meant was you might want to fire a round at an indoor range to get an idea what it might sound like if you had to fire the weapon inside your home. The same thing could be said about muzzle flash in low light conditions.

most accounts ive read of people who have actually been in a gun fight claim that they did not even hear the gunshots, or only recall small pops.....

and as for muzzle flash......ive shot .357 snubnose revolvers in low light situations......i cant recall ever actually seeing a flash, much less being blinded by it......but sure enough when i checked the camera, there was always a nice round fireball being shot out.....

 

[Lord Teapot]

whoever said that is 90% fool, 10% correct. the 10% is you should learn not to flinch due to the noise of your gun going off. the 90% is his advice will cause people to go deaf.

 

[hso]

The other day someone made a statement (or recommendation) that when training (any firearms training) I/you/everybody should not wear ear protection. They said this is "to get your ears used to the noise."

Anyone that tells you to not wear hearing protection while shooting is to be ignored as either a fool or moron.