Ever Shoot with No Ear Protection for Training?

Gun, shooting and equipment discussions unrelated to CHL issues

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Ever shoot with no ear protection for training?

No. Never plan to, for any number of reasons.
37
47%
No, but never thought about it before. I might consider it now.
0
No votes
I have done it in the past, but I have no reason to do so any longer.
16
21%
I don't need to. I have fired a weapon in a defensive situation, and know what it sounds like.
3
4%
Yes, I do so on rare occasions (less than once per year).
4
5%
Yes, I do so fairly often (several times a year).
0
No votes
Yes, I do it all the time.
0
No votes
Not a concern for me. All my defensive firearms are suppressed.
1
1%
Dude, you're WAY overthinking this thing!!
17
22%
 
Total votes: 78

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Lynyrd
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Re: Ever Shoot with No Ear Protection for Training?

#31

Post by Lynyrd »

cyphur wrote:
Lynyrd wrote:
cyphur wrote:
Lynyrd wrote: There is something you are not factoring in, and cannot train for. Namely, adrenaline. Don't sacrifice you hearing unnecessarily. Adrenaline will keep you from even noticing the sound.
I am going to disagree to an extent about adrenaline. Enter a two-way kill house using simunitions. You'll get close - it is a legit two-way non-lethal shooting range. It also hurts like heck.

You can also combine high intensity physical exercise on an action range to simulate physical exertion and the adrenaline that accompanies it.

The degree of fight or flight is tough to replicate but the kill house gets awfully close.
Okay, I'll concede that you can somewhat train for it. But do you agree that adrenaline, and maybe fear, more or less make you ignore the sounds?
Yes, adrenaline will drown out the sound. If anything that makes it more dangerous.

My point for training for adrenaline is more along the lines of smoothing out motions, avoiding jerks, handling a weapon under stress, etc.
I agree with your points. But back to the OP's question, wear hearing protection. I am functionally deaf. I read lips better than I hear. Wear ear protection. Just my 2 cents.
Do what you say you're gonna do.
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Pawpaw
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Re: Ever Shoot with No Ear Protection for Training?

#32

Post by Pawpaw »

crazy2medic wrote:Years of exposure to gun fire, sirens, air horns has damaged my hearing, I have been tested and found to be deaf to certain frequencies of sound, weird to be talking to a cashier or other person and I can see their mouth move but not understand everything they say, for those in the younger crowd PROTECT YOUR HEARING!
I know your pain. When I was a kid, I knew nothing of ear protection other than maybe stuffing some cotton in your ears.

As bad as that probably was, the real damage happened while stationed in Germany back in 1990. I was in the back room of a hardened aircraft shelter when some clowns decided to fire up an F-16 without clearing the building. In addition to the hearing loss, I have a constant ringing in my ears 24/7/365.

Thank God for the VA providing hearing aids!

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Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence. - John Adams

OlBill
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Re: Ever Shoot with No Ear Protection for Training?

#33

Post by OlBill »

cyphur wrote:
Lynyrd wrote: There is something you are not factoring in, and cannot train for. Namely, adrenaline. Don't sacrifice you hearing unnecessarily. Adrenaline will keep you from even noticing the sound.
I am going to disagree to an extent about adrenaline. Enter a two-way kill house using simunitions. You'll get close - it is a legit two-way non-lethal shooting range. It also hurts like heck.

You can also combine high intensity physical exercise on an action range to simulate physical exertion and the adrenaline that accompanies it.

The degree of fight or flight is tough to replicate but the kill house gets awfully close.
Or just do one on one quick draw with sims in shorts and t shirts. Loser has to take a round in the 4th point of contact.

You'll get quick from the holster too. ;-)

Wear eye pro.
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surferdaddy
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Re: Ever Shoot with No Ear Protection for Training?

#34

Post by surferdaddy »

I was master helmsman on a destroyer. When I was training I asked how you hear the conning officer commands; I was told to remove the ivcs headset from one ear so I could hear. I was told to choose one and always do the same so I could preserve one ear. I didn’t think things were all that loud. Missile exercises and ciws were tolerable. The 5” was a different story, especially if it were fireing any direction other than 000.

Now my left ear is not too good. I don’t really notice it is effected until someone speaks on that side of me; their words are “muddy” and hard to understand. Hearing damage is definitely for real and it is culmulative it seems.

I don’t think there is any need to not use ear pro when training. Especially indoors. The damage is not worth it.

Surfer
CHL/LTC instructor
NRA basic pistol/home firearm safety instructor.

stroo
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Re: Ever Shoot with No Ear Protection for Training?

#35

Post by stroo »

When I was growing up nobody even thought about ear protection. So I shot a lot of .22 and shotgun and some 30.06 without ear protection. My hearing doesn't seem to be any worse for it but maybe that's because I have always had a problem with excess wax in my ears! Maybe the was acted like ear plugs.
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