Other thread on elk got me to thinking. How many of you are religious on using some type of ear protection when shooting any firearm?

I have so many friends and hunting buddies (mostly older guys in their 60's or 70's) who never used anything and many of them are literally deaf. Most have hearing aids. My Dad made me use protection as a youngster and I have always done so. Result is no hearing loss at all at my age 70.

Hope the younger guys on this forum see this post and think about it.

Have used them religiously as an adult, but didn't as a kid, so some loss in right ear (shoot left-handed). I don't shoot, period, without ear plugs. Plenty on here say they don't use anything in the blind.

Same here. Hearing loss from my job in the USAF didn't help.

Correctly righteous. Youth should always sip from the cup of knowledge already filled by the more mature.

I wear some Peltor earmuffs at the bench, and when using chainsaws, weed eaters, wood planers, Jointers. Until recently, I never used hearing protection when hunting. But then I bought a 6.5 Grendel upper, which didn’t bother me at the bench. But in the blind one evening, I cranked off a round at a big hog, and Owch! It had a muzzle brake, and the blast was amazing. So I have hearing protection in the blinds and I got rid of the muzzle brake.

Might have lost some hearing in the Marines.

And anybody shooting here WILL wear hearing protection. I insist.

I’m religious in using my suppressor.

I never have but wish I did. I've noticed a little bit of hearing loss, but most my issue is the constant ringing in both my ears.

Walker Razor rechargeable is the way to go. A silencer helps, but I already have hearing damage from work injury so supers still are too much for me

TLK, your dad did you a huge favor. I'm one of those that didn't realize the importance of hearing and eye protection. I'm in my 70's now and have lost the majority of hearing. I have religiously worn hearing protedtion for the last twenty years, but too little too late. I've found that regular earplugs seal the best. I've tried most all of the muffs and Walker's products. I wear them (earplugs) whenever I run a mower, chainsaw, or on the tractor. I've got to prserve what little I have left. I hate my hearing aids.

Rifles suppressed won’t shoot an unsuppressed rifle anymore. Shotguns and handguns always wear hearing protection same with my son.

I'm religious about for the past 5 years. 25 years too late. Tinnitus sux.

I do now. Never did as a kid. I still don’t in the blind though. 45 and have some hearing loss. Also a contractor/carpenter so that didn’t help.

What, in the hell, is a blind supposed to do acousticly? It don't make no sense!

No but I’ve got some hearing loss and tinnitus from my military service. Used hearing protection for those jobs, have hearing protection for Kiddos though.

What? I can't hear you.

Jk. At the bench, always have hearing protection. In the field, I never wear hearing protection. When the barrel is outside the blind, I never have had issues with noise. If I'm in an open tree stand, no issues either. Now, I did light off an inline ML in the stand once, and that hurt. 209 primers are LOUD! I wear earpro with inline muzzleloaders, but that's about it. No hearing loss to date.

Be careful, unclebubba. I hadn’t fired a gun in 6 months when my ears started ringing one night. Thought I’d go crazy. Went to the doc and he said sometimes that’s how it happens….damage gets done but doesn’t show up for a while. This coming spring it will be 40 years. Right ear hearing is almost gone, left ear about 50% loss. Trust us, people get REALLY TIRED of having to repeat themselves to you.

Huh?

Damage is done but I’m suppressed now. Even so, most times I use the highest rated foam plugs (33s) as well, and I use them anytime I’m running the tractor, leaf blower, mower, even hammering. Tinnitus sucks.

I've been a hearing Nazi during 99% of my adult years. In my early Army days I did get caught stupidly doing a rifle qual or trench clearing live fire without ear pro. Ears went numb quickly after the shooting started.

Last 25 years, I usually wear ear plugs even when mowing/weed-eating/chain-sawing, and plugs/muffs certainly while shooting. Heck, I even wear ear pro most of the time when shooting suppressed, as most still aren't hearing safe. Might let a shot or two of .22LR go from a rifle without ear pro, but never from my Single Six. Almost 50 and no ringing yet.

Tinnus probably from being around 5 & 8" guns but hearing is still good - well, she says it isn't. Can't hear the old TV whine anymore - can hear her whine though.

It doesn't have to hurt or even be noticeable to do damage. It can happen a little at a time. You won't notice it until it's too late. Wear protection or suffer loss of hearing.

Always at the range obviously but I use some old Silenco ear plugs that I keep in my pack unless I have a beanie and hoodie on and then I blow it off.

Bring them every time I go hunting, can’t say I always remember to put them on when the target walks out

Only at the range. I'm seriously considering a set of high-end ear buds that offer improved hearing of ambient sounds and loud noise reduction.

Walker Razor Slim have probably 6 pair and wear them religiously. Hunted with a buddies dad a couple of weeks ago who wears hearing aids and still can't hear all that well. Put a pair on him and whispered as softly as I could in the blind and he was amazed he could hear me.