hunting with a muzzlebread without ear protection

[Big Jack]

Well I lost my hearing in my left ear with one shot in a treed laneway because the reflected sound wave.

Completely gone for three weeks and will never be the same.

Wear something all the time....

[Fox]

W

Wear the electronics at ALL times when shooting!
I’m on my 4th set of hearing aids because I wore ear plugs trap shooting, but nothing when hunting for 50 years!! Now I’m paying for it!! I’ve put over $12,000 in my ears so far, and I continually bemoan the fact that I could have bought a lot of guns for that money if I’d worn ear protection when hunting all those years!

When my wife starting hunting we went out and bought electronic muffs, they work great for hunting and also keep your ears warm.

I always wore something when target shooting but not while hunting, I blame rock/punk concerts and goose hunting for my hearing loss, a single shot from a rifle at a deer is one thing, hunting geese with a group of 5 guys all opening up for a morning and off to the side of you is a totally different thing.

[Hawkman]

Oh yeah... The "macho" way is not to wear any ear protection, and MANY hunters and shooters are suffering in the hearing department as a result. As mentioned above, you CAN'T get your hearing back when it's gone!!!

I always use this analogy: Your finger heals when you get a cut on it, your hearing doesn't heal. EVER.

I have never been the kind of person who shoots a lot, but I have been shooting guns since my early teens. My right ear rang a lot when I fired guns and I do shoot right shouldered. I was in my early 40's and working in a large factory when we got mandatory hearing test. The technician asked me after, "Do you shoot guns?" Well, I was stunned by the question to be honest and I replied, "Yes".
He told me that it was evident from my hearing test and told me to protect my ears, especially the right one!

I have paid attention since, wearing good ear plugs and sometimes muffs WHENEVER a loaded gun is in my hands - or my friends' hands for that matter. Don't go with the cheap spongy ones that do nothing. Industrial safety shops sell good plastic or rubber plugs that at least take the sting out of the blast. Your hunting capabilities will not suffer. Trust me!

Of course my wife and my daughters constantly make fun of my poor hearing. I blame them for mumbling...

[Fox]

Oh yeah... The "macho" way is not to wear any ear protection, and MANY hunters and shooters are suffering in the hearing department as a result. As mentioned above, you CAN'T get your hearing back when it's gone!!!

I always use this analogy: Your finger heals when you get a cut on it, your hearing doesn't heal. EVER.

I have never been the kind of person who shoots a lot, but I have been shooting guns since my early teens. My right ear rang a lot when I fired guns and I do shoot right shouldered. I was in my early 40's and working in a large factory when we got mandatory hearing test. The technician asked me after, "Do you shoot guns?" Well, I was stunned by the question to be honest and I replied, "Yes".
He told me that it was evident from my hearing test and told me to protect my ears, especially the right one!

I have paid attention since, wearing good ear plugs and sometimes muffs WHENEVER a loaded gun is in my hands - or my friends' hands for that matter. Don't go with the cheap spongy ones that do nothing. Industrial safety shops sell good plastic or rubber plugs that at least take the sting out of the blast. Your hunting capabilities will not suffer. Trust me!

Of course my wife and my daughters constantly make fun of my poor hearing. I blame them for mumbling...

I am surprised that your right is worse, the audiologist said that the ear down on the stock is generally better as there is a shadow effect of the stock.

She told me I was not at the point of needing hearing aids but close and the fact that one is worse than the other makes the better one compensate so it is not noticeable.

I had ringing for 24+ hours and freaked out a bit so that is why I bothered going in to get tested.