shoot without ear plugs and at night..

[1s1k52]

Its a very obvious that shooting without ear plugs is just a really stupid idea. However, having done it I will say this. I learned that if you have excess fluid in your ears it could cause almost disorientation for me anyways. I also have shot at night and was able to see that it impairs night vision.

Has anyone tested this themselves? First of all I am not recommending doing any of this. I feel pretty dumb even posting it because of how it may seem. Part of what brought this up was I was watching a training video on ARs and clearing a room. They mentioned the fact that a flash hider/compensator may be good OUTSIDE, but butcher the guy next to you. I am assuming since suppressors are heavier its not the optimal choice all the time? The guys were wearing hearing protection. So I just think it is interesting I hear the term train how you fight. I have seen recommendations of getting your adrenalin up before practicing a SD shooting scenario as well. Clearly if you practiced every single time with out hearing protection it would not be a very healthy thing. I just wonder if anyone has done it and continues to do it.

go easy..

[remington79]

I have done some night firing, mainly critters snooping around camp. When it comes to low light or night firing I can not stress how important night sights are. Just shining a light on the target will not allow you to see the sights especially if the thing you're shooting at is any color besides neon or white. I was able to marginally hit the target if I held the flashlight nest to my face so that the sights were lit up. A good light and night sights work in combination. For me based on my experience any pistol that is ever going to be used in a defensive role is going to have night sights on it.

[budroux2w]

Most, if not all, of my shooting in my younger years was done without any hearing protection at all. It was all outdoors, privately held land. If i could go back and do it different i would because i cant hear squat now and I'm only 31. I shot everything from a .22lr which doesnt really require ear protection up to a S&W model 29 in .44 that left my ears ringing for 8 hours straight, and many guns in between. I guess the only upside to so many years of shooting without the ear protection is I'm not afraid of what will happen if i was ever faced with a SD situation and had to draw and fire. I dont recommend training this way tho and as i have gotten older i always wear more than sufficient hearing protection to save what hearing i have left.

[Jumping Frog]

In my opinion, it is idiotic to practice any form of shooting -- including self defense shooting practice -- without hearing protection.

[jmra]

In my opinion, it is idiotic to practice any form of shooting -- including self defense shooting practice -- without hearing protection.

In most of the accounts I've read about defensive shootings the noise generated by the firearm didn't play a factor in their aim or reactions. In fact, due to the adrenaline surge many don't even remember hearing the shots.

[Unicorn Rancher]

Loud noise can permanently damage hearing for sure. I wear hearing protection at the range, as well as when I do yard work. I don't when hunting but perhaps I should.

I haven't seen evidence muzzle flash causes any permanent damage so I continue to train in low light conditions. Hopefully I won't regret that in 30 years.

[Keith B]

I'm sorry, was someone saying something?

In all seriousness, hearing protection is VERY important. Wish I had felt that way back in my younger years or lots of shooting and loud music. I have a significant loss of hearing. I have a lot of trouble hearing my wife (and not selective hearing that many have), due to the frequency range that I can't hear and where her voice frequencies are. I have a real problem with intelligibility on voices when there are low frequencies also present, like road noise in the background, which to me that is way louder than the person speaking's voice, even if the road noise is low.

Please, all you young folks, don't listen to your music in your headphones at high volumes and make sure to wear hearing protection. You may not realize what it is doing to your hearing until it's too late.

[J Wilson]

When I was in VietNam,the Marine Corps forgot to issue hearing protection.

[jmra]

I'm sorry, was someone saying something?

In all seriousness, hearing protection is VERY important. Wish I had felt that way back in my younger years or lots of shooting and loud music. I have a significant loss of hearing. I have a lot of trouble hearing my wife (and not selective hearing that many have), due to the frequency range that I can't hear and where her voice frequencies are. I have a real problem with intelligibility on voices when there are low frequencies also present, like road noise in the background, which to me that is way louder than the person speaking's voice, even if the road noise is low.

Please, all you young folks, don't listen to your music in your headphones at high volumes and make sure to wear hearing protection. You may not realize what it is doing to your hearing until it's too late.

I cringe when a young person is wearing earbuds and I can make out what song is playing halfway across the room.

[TomV]

My tinnitus isn't so bad it keeps me up at night, but right now, there is a constant ringing in both ears. My issues are mostly from hunting without hearing protection.

[The Marshal]

In my opinion, it is idiotic to practice any form of shooting -- including self defense shooting practice -- without hearing protection.

In most of the accounts I've read about defensive shootings the noise generated by the firearm didn't play a factor in their aim or reactions. In fact, due to the adrenaline surge many don't even remember hearing the shots.

+1 !

[jimlongley]

When I was in VietNam,the Marine Corps forgot to issue hearing protection.

When I was in the Navy, during VietNam, and requested hearing protection, I was issued cotton. At least it soaked up the blood when my left eardrum tore.

Night shoots with 5 inch guns were always fun. We had "flash supressed" ammunition, but didn't always use it. The after image of the muzzle flash was kind of fun, you could walk around and blink your eyes and see the scene again. I worried about permanent eye damage but was told, but the corpsman that issued the cotton, that there was no permanent damage, to either eyes or ears (after he noted my torn eardrum, which, btw, was not on my permanent medical record.)

[RogueUSMC]

*snip* I shot everything from a .22lr which doesnt really require ear protection*snip*

Actually, from what I understand, the .22LR is MORE damaging to the hearing than say a .45ACP due to the different sound frequencies generated but I didn't hear the rest of the explanation...

[ShootDontTalk]

When I was in VietNam,the Marine Corps forgot to issue hearing protection.

They weren't the only one who failed to do so. In fact, no military unit issues them even today - at least those who fight on the ground - except for some special forces who use silenced weapons.

I can only echo what has been said here. I might mention that hearing loss, regardless of why it happened, is probably the most under respected disability (it is a real disability) by the medical and insurance professions. I am told almost no one wants to officially determine hearing loss to be a "real" disability. But try wearing your shooting muffs for a day around the house. Most insurance allows around $200 per year for hearing aids, if they allow anything at all. That goes a long way in providing a set of $1,000 a pop hearing aids. And you'll need one for each ear.

Guys, protect your hearing AT ALL COSTS! You cannot imagine what it is like living with your wife, who already thinks you don't listen to her, when you really can't understand what she is demanding you to go do.

[RogueUSMC]

When I was in the corps, they had really good ear plugs...they were formed to fit you ears by the corpsmen. They were too good in fact that I had to have one pulled out a little bit to hear the fire commands on the gunline resulting in what we called 'artillery ear' (An M198 with an M203 powder will assault more than just the enemy.) I discharged with 30% hearing loss in my right ear which was the one I pulled out a little bit all the time.

Fast forward to present day, I have been married 10 years and she is just now getting to the point where she doesn't think I am pretending not to hear her...lol