It’s o’ dark thirty. You hear someone busting through your kitchen door. Why didn’t the alarm go off? Did I forget to set it? No time to worry about that. You grab your specs and your gun, wake your significant other and implement your home defense plan. As hard as it is to believe, you hear footsteps headed in your direction. It’s the bad guy. With adrenalin coursing through your veins (like a thousand railroad trains) you take aim and pull the trigger. And miss. Maybe. Maybe you hit him. Who knows? Luckily the bad guy turns tail. But now you don’t hear his footsteps . . .
Because you’re deaf. If you shot a handgun, your ears are ringing, painfully, blocking out all ambient sound. If you shot a shotgun, you are stone cold deaf – a condition which may or may not repair itself in time, and then perhaps only partially. Never mind. You stopped a lethal threat. You survived. Your hearing is a small price to pay. Only . . .
Another bad guy comes up behind you and clocks you with a baseball bat. Or shoves a knife in your back. Or shoots you. As you fall to the floor, your first thought is for your family. The cops will be here soon. Soon enough? God I hope so. Your second thought: get up and fight! Only you can’t. And somewhere in the back of your mind another idea emerges: if only I’d heard him coming.
Your sense of hearing is a key component of armed self-defense. It provides you with mission critical information about the location, number, speed, size and direction of friendlies and potential threats. If you severely diminish or lose your sense of hearing – as you surely will if you discharge a firearm inside your house – you lose an enormous amount of situational awareness. So why do it?
Keep a pair or electronic earmuffs by your self-defense gun. If the S hits the F, put ’em on before you do anything else. Not only will they protect your hearing in the advent of a defensive gun use (DGU), enabling the continued use of your hearing as the event unfolds, but they amplify ambient noise. In effect, they give you super hearing – increasing your strategic capabilities.
The argument against donning electronic muffs during armed home defense: the more you have to do in a DGU, the more chance that you’ll fail to do it properly. You do not want the bad guy to find you futzing with ear pro. Although small, the extra time needed to ear-up could put you behind the self-defense curve.
That’s your cost – benefit calculation to make – after practicing donning e-muffs. In your bedroom. In the middle of the night.
It’s not as easy as it sounds: the combination of adrenalin and grogginess plays merry hell with manual dexterity. You need to position the cans by your bedside in a particular fashion – so that the on-off switch is in the same place every time you slip the headband over your noggin. And yes, you can talk to 911 with electronic earmuffs on.
I reckon e-ear pro is worth the risk. Protecting your hearing in the heat of battle could save your life. And I know this sounds odd, but I wouldn’t consider a DGU a win if I repelled the bad guys and lost [more of] my hearing. Alternatively, if you can, buy a can. Mind you suppressors are still damn loud; one left me with tinnitus. So . . . why not both electronic ear pro and a suppressor?
Good grief.
I use electronic earmuffs for practice. The time it takes to put them on, adjust the headband, turn on the switch, and adjust the volume … that’s time I just don’t have in any DGU scenario I can think of.
What’s more – You lose any directional orientation of the sound coming through the muffs. You might hear something, but you have no idea where it’s coming from.
And… it can and will be used against me in a court of law. If I had time to prepare to shoot, time to put the headphones on – well, that might just blow a hole in the whole “imminent” part of the imminent threat argument that I will need to prove to a jury in a self-defense case.
Let’s get real. It’s not gonna happen.
Yeah maybe I’m just poor but my home isn’t so big that I can justify delaying a couple extra seconds to get and fumble with hearing pro before getting the gun to protect my family from the person who broke into our home.
You don’t actually have to tell anyone you put on ears.
22 sub sonics in a revolver or rifle may be a better option than getting your killed while messing with electronic earmuffs.
Having fired them many times in various firearms, I can assure you that .22 sub-sonics in a revolver are very nearly as loud as conventional ammo. The quieter aspect of sub-sonic rimfire ammo is only seen in longer-barreled firearms, where they do not break the sound barrier like high-velocity ammo does. In a revolver (or even a short-barreled pistol) with uncovered ears, they will ring your bells just like any other ammo.
I was actually just playing around with some sub sonic ammo in my .22 at the range. In a rifle there wasn’t enough of a difference between my high velocity ammo and my sub sonic ammo to make me even think of firing more than one round of each without ears. With a can on the end that is a different story but not without one.
Have you actually used E- muffs? The ones I have can be put on in 3 to 4 seconds. And they are directional.
Maybe it’s because I’ve been a firefighter, but the idea of jumping out of bed in a hurry and putting on various protective equipment before dealing with a life threatening event is just second nature to me and so it makes no sense when someone like yourself is so disparaging of using a few simple and quick tools to protect yourself from injury.
Next they will tell us to get used to sleeping in a plate carrier and helmet. Knowing the layout of your own house and having a weapon light are all you realistically need. Chances are, with adrenaline pounding and your fine motor skills gone with tunnel vision closing in, you wouldn’t hear an elephant’s footsteps in a quiet room at that point.
My defensive weapon wears a Silencer and a Streamlight.
Unless you shoot sub-sonic ammo, you can still sustain hearing damage.
I guess this is one instance where already having partial hearing loss comes in handy lol.
The dog’s ears are better than mine – she wakes me up if anything weird is going on.
This ^ and in Arizona .45 cal under 1100fps is almost always subsonic.
I will admit it’s cheaper and easier to buy e-ears, but not nearly as much fun 🙂
Amateurs. I sleep with my ear muffs on along with ear plugs. Problem solved. 😉
Excellent!
That way you get killed in your sleep. Now that is the way to go.
Solves the problem of that lady next to me snoring as well….
or arguing
+++++ 1,000,000,000,000
I just make sure I get to sleep before she turns in. Problem solved.
Really?!?! If you hear something go bump in the night and grab your gear your body is getting amped up on adrenalin and your senses are on high alert. At that point your ears are not going to fail on you after a shot or two. So how about all you combat veterans chime in on how deaf you were after a firefight let alone one or two rounds going off.
You’ll still get hearing damage…
Adrenaline makes you temporarily not feel pain, but the physical damage is still present
Shooting outdoors is a little different from indoors when it comes to the sound levels.
I was standing between two Sheridans parked about 15 feet apart on a stationary range when they both fired. Like shoving ice picks in both ears. Drove me to my knees. I was replacing a stop sign to prevent idjits from walking in front of them. And yes, tinnitus is now my friend. But I wasn’t deafened, I could hear perfectly well around said ice picks.
I hope that I’ll have enough presence of mind, to don hearing protection. We keep it right next to our bed.
I decided against adding a silencer. It certainly would be cool-looking though.
If there is ever a need to go to battle station ready, it’s gonna be LOUD!!!
Same. Mine is hanging on a peg right behind the headboard. It is already set for band adjustment, I just have to remember to turn it on.
When on you can hear a mouse fart from 2 stories down.
Better stock up on e-muffs for the entire family while you’re at it ’cause it’ll affect their hearing, too.
They’re instructed to stick their fingers in their ears.
If you’re on the gun and they all have their fingers in their ears, who is calling 911?
Call 911 after it’s over if you win. It’s not like the cops are going to serve and protect.
Unless they are standing right next to me there is at least one or two walls between me and them. It will be loud, but it will knock it down enough hopefully. Its not like I will be doing live fire drills every week inside the house.
I keep the emuffs on top of the lockbox where I keep the AR. I made a conscious decision to do that after the first time out at the range with an FSC556 installed on my AR. At the indoor range you can feel the concussion in your teeth, its pretty rowdy.
Reminds me of an episode of Doomsday Preppers where a guy shot off a rifle inside a metal blind. His partner passed out from disorientation right after throwing up. I’m not saying this is the norm, but if you’re not expecting the mayhem it’ll knock you off your feet.
I remember that episode and I REALLY want to know what his ear pro was rated for. Both of those dudes were pretty derptastic iirc.
Derptastic is putting it nicely, but at least he didn’t shoot his thumb off. There are a lot of gun owners who only shoot their guns slowly on a square range trying to hit a tiny circle from 20 yards away and consider that “tactical training”. Imagine what it would be like for them firing one for the first time in their house without ear protection, they’re likely to drop the gun.
I keep electronic hearing protection next to my scattergun in the closet… I got enough hearing damage from the military to know I don’t want anymore…
Peltor make some great, cheap hearing protection. The Sport Tacs are the best and I think about 100 bucks.
Remember, adrenaline dumps will help you to not feel pain, but they won’t stop physical damage. Anyone who has been punched in the face or been in fist fight knows this fact. Your face and knuckles don’t hurt until after the fight is over, but the damage is done during the fight, hearing loss works the same way.
In theory, wearing e-muffs sounds ideal. In the real world how long do you have to prepare for a dgu? I would guess that getting to e-muffs, putting them on, and turning the sound on would cost you at least 10 seconds. On the other hand, if you have e-muffs on they will give you super hearing. I walked around my house with them on and it did not make me loose a sense of direction and I was able the hear clocks ticking in other rooms.
Yeah, the super hearing with e-muffs gives you more information.
Doesn’t take more than a few seconds to put them on.
Keep a pair on the headboard or nightstand.
My AR is leaning against the wall next to the bed with the e muffs hanging on the mag. I have it butt end up so all I have to do is grab the pistol grip and get busy. It is just like drawing a pistol.
I had 3M Ultra S600 film installed on all my windows and sliding glass door. While it won’t stop a burglar, the time it takes to go through the window goes from 10 seconds to 1 minute. Gives me enough time to get my wife situated calling 911 while we ear up and ready our defensive position. I have 25 decibel hearing loss in both ears from being in the artillery, so I don’t want to lose any more- I am 5 decibels away from being “disabled” as it is.
You have the right idea. My view is that the first line of defense is an effective perimeter defense. If doors and windows are all well secured it will probably dissuade the invader from continuing his assault on your home. Nevertheless, one can’t count on any assumption of a rational actor; so, the last line of defense must be lethal force. If one has armored-up the perimeter there should be adequate time to overcome the fog of sleep, recognize what is happening, lock and load and don ear protection.
The VA turned down my claim, said my record showed no evidence of ‘head trauma’. Serving 20 years on battle buggies wasn’t good enough for them. Stick your head out the hatch when a 120mm smoothbore goes off and that’s ‘head trauma’ CVC helmet and earplugs notwithstanding.
If you have dogs, of almost any size, they would likely buy you plenty of time to put on ear pro as well as get a bedside safe open. With the added benefit that any intruder with half a brain will do an about-face as soon as they see the dogs anyway.
Attack-poodles
This article is ridiculous. I would like to see the case study (if any exist) that validate it.
How about simple logical reasoning?
You can make the decision on whether or not to put them on based on the situation, but just having them ready to go has no downside. If you can hear someone downstairs you probably have time to put them on. If someone is looming over you or banging on your bedroom door that’s another story entirely. There’s no good reason to deny yourself the option though.
+1 !!!!!
+1
Also, we all know that flash-bangs have the effect of stunning a person in a way that slows their reaction time. In the same way, I suspect that firing a gun in a mostly dark room without earpro will cause a home-owner to experience a similar sense of shock that impairs his ability to fight back.
You can quickly validate it for all of us… Go down the nearest indoor range and pop of 10 or 20 rounds without ear pro… Then come back and report how your hearing is doing.
I bet you won’t need to see a case study afterwards.
“HUH? FACE PUTTY?”
Since I am an infantry vet, consider it done. Flash bang experience? Got it. Wait for it. Still ridiculous. I base my self defense preparations on vital requirements, not nice to have. Keep it simple. Under stress your motor skills will be poor.
There are also these wonderful devices that can fit on a properly equipped firearm that suppress the sound of a gunshot…
Shame the antis never think of lawful uses before banning (sorry, “regulating”) things.
The extra length of the can, especially on a rifle or shotgun, is a tactical disadvantage in a typical residential structure.
Everything’s a compromise.
That’s why you get an SBR and attach it to that. Similar overall length, but quieter (albeit, not as quite as a longer barreled suppressed gun).
It’s too bad they ban those too…
Yeah I would love a suppressed 300BLK for home defense.
But I already pay enough taxes.
AR pistol, 10″ bbl w/suppressor. Doesn’t eliminate the headaches, but does reduce it significantly.
I’ve had a pair on the nightstand for a couple of years, right next to the Streamlight. If I have time to put them on, great. If not, the shots probably won’t be as loud as the Toby Keith concert that gave me tinnitus. 8~)
I confess that, when I was taking my NRA Defense in the Home class and mentioned this idea, I was surprised at all the blank stares I got from the other students.
That you admitted going to a Toby Keith concert?
Zing!
LOL…
In a perfect world. One would have time to properly setup for the impending threat from the bad guy after being altered to his/her potential threat. Then again in a perfect world there would be no need for such measures in the first place. I like the idea of a legally owned suppressor attached to your home defense weapon. Whether it be a pistol, rifle, shotgun or all the above. Even though I still think 300 Blk is entirely too expensive to go plinking at local range without taking out a small personal loan or a second mortgage on the house. I think it would be ideal for use in a home defense situation especially coupled with subsonic rounds, a decent suppressor, and maybe a flashlight or laser if you are feeling fancy. I would like to preserve my hearing and not wake the neighbors simultaneously. I don’t consider myself an expert in home defense just offering my humble opinion.
Hearing loss in combat is something you can deal with. My off side ear was generally still able to hear sufficiently. I mean, unless ninjas are attacking your house… In which case just remember – keep your head on a swivel. You should be doing this anyway in a self defense scenario.
My home is not large. This sounds great in theory but I doubt I’d have time. Good to be prepared though. A shotgun is my weapon of choice so yeah I know it would damage me.
Again, there are many arguments for and against, but isn’t the bottom line protect you and yours?
Do what you think is right and hope for the best outcome.
Defend your castle boys and girls!
I’m torn on this subject. I do keep a pair of ear pro resting on my shot gun butt stock and it takes about 2 seconds to put on.If I don’t have the time to put them on I simply won’t, but it’s good to have options.
Second being in a few firefights in Afghanistan with a M240 machine gun firing inside a building I could still hear my squad/team leaders issuing orders and don’t remember ever being so rocked I had trouble hearing. Even at my VA physical my hearing loss was minimal enough not to warrant a disability rating.
I’ve fired a 12 gauge inside a structure (upstairs bedroom, 10 x 8) without ear pro before, and believe me, I didn’t even really register the noise. As far as I can remember, I suffered no ringing, tinnitus or further hearing damage. Massive adrenaline dump? Oh yeah, like a room full of toddlers on meth, but no hearing issues.
Put a silencer on the gun, that way no silly adjusting or fumbling with ear pro.
The solution isn’t equipment. The solution is training. When most of us see operators operating operationally with hand gestures we think “Ah…they want to surprise the bad guy”. Not really. They know that when the shooting starts they will lose their sense of hearing to a degree and sight will be the only reliable communication method left. We need to train the same way. Be prepared to use lose some to all of your hearing and rely on your eyes as your primary method of detecting targets. Train, train, train…
I don’t want to protect my hearing to detect bag guys. I want it to hear my loved ones for years after such an incident. Though, there are an awful lot of caims here about indoor gunfights not turning people deaf, so… *shrug*. Good to have in general, no trouble to store next to you loaded home defense gun.
I recommend a pair of dark sunglasses too so the flash doesn’t blind you for 5 to 15 minutes depending on your age.
Cory Hart had the right idea after all
I’ve already got tinnitus from instructing indoors and out for a couple of decades.
I have 3 pairs of E-muffs. All in different places. I’ll Definately use them if I have to.
If God forbid it ever happens, I’m gonna just have to deal with the hearing damage. I’d be too disoriented putting on muffs, and wouldn’t even think of it (or take the extra few seconds) if I’m shitting myself because someone just broke into my house.
This happens all the time (DGU’s) and I don’t hear many stories about permanent deafness – nor even see many folks coming out holding their ears after, etc.
I get it, don’t get me wrong. You are correct. But reality is, I aint gonna do it.
And I also aint gonna defend myself with a can, because that can and will be used against you (pun intended) by the folks who only see guns on the TV and thinks cans are for assassins.
I wont use a can because I dont want my thousand dollar suppressor sitting in a damp evidence room without being properly cleaned to be returned to me god knows when even if I am not brought up on charges. I had a gun stolen from me and it took nearly 8 months from the time it was recovered to when it was back in my safe. 2 of those months elapsed after the judge in the case signed off on the return (case against the person who had it when it was recovered was closed in early May, motion to restore was signed 2 weeks later, gun arrived at the sheriff’s office where I originally filed the claim at the end of July/ early August). This was with me calling them every month to check the status. That’s not as big of a deal when its $300 shotgun or a $500 Glock. I guess if the can is made well it doesn’t matter how it is stored, but that’s a lot of money to loan to someone who isn’t going to take very good care of it for however long it takes you to get it back.
Is your hearing worth $1000? There may be valid reasons not to use a can, but this one is silly.
Being forced to shoot someone in self-defense is a serious, life-changing event. If it does happen, losing the suppressor will be the last thing you worry about.
Watch a prosecutor say that you intended to kill the guy because you put headphones on beforehand.
More ridiculous claims have been purported by the grieving family of the attacker/intruder.
Your no doubt excellent defense attorney would respond by stating how much better one can hear small noises inside the house with e-muffs on. I’d like to hear when it’s safe to come out or hearing when the police arrived.
And just how, perzactly, would anyone know you wore muffs?
This is crazy. First we see on TTAG justifications for warning shots, now hearing protection. Here are all the things I see wrong with this;
1) People have been defending themselves with guns for centuries without electronic hearing protection, including lawmen, soldiers, citizens, but now that we have them, they are “tactically indispensable?” Why aren’t cops and soldiers using them now? And if they are necessary for home defense, why aren’t you doing EDC with them? Same hearing situation. Oh, I see, NOW they are too inconvenient.
2) My main shooting instructor at the NRA Range uses those things. You still have to yell to get him to hear you and he is always fooling with the batteries. I’m not going to trust my life to a gadget just to protect my hearing.
3) You are going to explain to a jury how you put on your hearing protection and then went and shot some guy in your house. The prosecutor will say to the jury, “He must not have been all that concerned for his life!”
4) The scenario says you’ve already implemented your defense plan. So how does a guy get behind you with a baseball bat? The only way is that you are trying to clear the house, which you should never try to do. Apparently having “super ears” means now you think you are Superman.
I think TTAG should be renamed to TBAG. The Buzz About Gadgets.
I can solve all of these problems at once.
Get a real dog.
His hearing will be better than yours, always. His sense of smell is better than yours. He’ll probably have better tactics that you will, with or without a gun. You’ll be awakened before the intruder gets into your inner living space. Then the dog will tell you exactly where the intruder is, because you’ll hear the intruder screaming.
Why is this so difficult for some people to grasp? For the cost of a bunch of kibble, TLC and putting up with dog hair, you can have a large, (>120 lbs), affectionate companion who won’t go on vacation, who you don’t need to remember to “set” before you go to bed, who won’t just make noise, who will have your back when no one else will.
The only downside is that real dogs live such short lifespans.
“The only downside is that real dogs live such short lifespans.”
Especially with militarized police around!
I wonder if they make camouflage suits for doggie to wear?
Preach it, brother !
Had a huge Rottweiler make some hit and run follow up a real challenge yesterday. Nobody was going in daddy’s house. I’m glad I didn’t have to shoot or spray it.
My wife and I understand that after I get my gun/light and she gets her TAser the hounds of war get released.
But my wife isn’t happy when the flowers get dug up, and I’m not happy when the dogs knock concrete blocks out of the wall.
“The only downside is that real dogs live such short lifespans.”
That’s the biggest downside.
In all seriousness, even a rat dog can function as an alarm.
That’s half the battle right there. Cats are completely useless in home defense, and I happen to like cats.
I dunno man, my cats have almost killed me enough times weaving through my legs and under my feet as i’m trying to walk that if they could channel that towards an intruder…could be helpful. 😉
How about a cheetah? 😉
I have a set of plugs by each storage area, at least throw one in your right(or left if left handed) and stub ur fingure in the other ear when firing. still get to protect ur ears and hear your target without worrying about batteries or switches
How are you supposed to hear the 2nd bad guy coming up behind you with the ball bat if you have the ear muffs on? Either way your hearing is impaired.
Read it again… he said “electronic earmuffs”. You know what those are? What they do?
The Critical Piece of Kit Armed Home Defenders Always Forget — Resolve Carpet Cleaner. ‘Cause that dead thug on your carpet is gonna leave a mess.
Just get a new carpet. Trust me, washing out blood is one thing but washing out blood combined with bile and all the other crap in people is just gonna be ugly.
Now I don’t want any lunch.
I’d lose the carpet and get rugs. Much easier to replace.
Rug? Isn’t a rug a small carpet? By carpet I mean those medium-big ones that aren’t fastened to the floor.
ServPro business card.
Read any TTAG gun review and they’ll tell you a thumb safety is too much bother …but stopping to put on your electronic ear protection is recommended. smh
Zing!
Got the nail on the head there!
Got to be a way to work in a caliber war.
The .9mm caliber is very quiet.
I have a high capacity pin cushion full of them. I also have a hypodermic needle in .9mm. Shot placement is not as critical with the right serum.
Assuming that you have time to put them on, there is another hugely important reason to wear electronic earmuffs during a home invasion: you will be able to hear, respond, and interact with police if they show up. I cannot think of anything that would suck more than prevailing over a home invader only to have police shoot you because you didn’t hear their orders to drop your firearm or get down on the ground.
Having a dog can be immensely helpful as well. Just beware that an armed intruder who has no qualms harming the home’s occupants will not hesitate to immediately shoot your dog. And, if they fail to promptly kill your dog, loud yelping will hinder your ability to hear what the intruder/s are doing as well.
Well two things…
1) I don’t intend to go looking for a home intruder. Me and mine sleep upstairs and my room is closest to the stairs, so the intruder gets the fun task of coming to find me. I have no need to go looking for problems. Anything that makes his job harder/ slower give the police more time to respond and me less probability of having to call ServePro
2) Thats why I send my dog down there, not one of my kids. Yeah an armed criminal may shoot your dog. Your dog might also bite him and cause him to leave DNA evidence etc. even if he runs away and like I said above, if the criminal wants to take extra time to deal with my dog before coming to find me or someone in my family, then so be it. If the barking and crashing doesnt wake me up, the gunshots will so again, another layer of security giving me more time to get to my electronic ear pro.
A good idea in theory…in practice, questionable.
Horse Hockey!! If you’re in a situation where you hear the bump in the night, all of your sense amp up at once. It’s called the ‘tachy psych effect’. Even if using your weapon INSIDE during an attack on your home, there will be very little if any damage to your hearing.
Think I’m talking bull? Then why is it I’m not deaf after 2 tours in ‘Nam. And we sure were not issued hearing protection!
I’m right here. You don’t have to talk so loud.
I don’t have anything negative to say about the article. Whether or not people want to implement hearing protection into their home defense strategy is their choice. I choose not to but I’m also cogniscent of the fact I may become temporarily deaf and also may develop tunnel vision. That’s why I always practice scanning side to side with a peek behind my back now and again.
I have poor hearing and rely on covering avenues of approach placing myself in an ambush position. Remembering the axium, if your attack is going well, it’s most likely an ambush.
Having tinnitus, I opted to get a can for my M&P 9; I foresee a low chance of doing any further harm to my hearing. If I need to apply more ‘gun’, I have noisier options.
I would say tens of thousands of Marines and Soliders engaged in Close Quarters Combat with no ear protection and doing the job and saving the day is evident that is not required.
Cant tell you last decade how many rounds I fired inside, outside and I heard everything just fine. Wearing ear muffs would of been ill advised.
I have a set of emuffs with my defensive firearm at all times for that very reason. Mock that all you guys want but while evaluating the situation I have the choice to use them or not. If time doesn’t permit them I can go with out them but having the choice is a better than not having one at all.
And yes, my muffs are directional.
Yup, I’ve long been planning out the ideal kit. A light on gun, light in hand, vest attached to a bathrobe (Velcro?) , with a breast pocket for a phone and electronic ear muffs that can amplify the phone whilst cutting out the gunshots.
All I need now is a home to defend.
In a DGU episode inside your home, you would never even hear the shot(s). Ever been deer hunting?
It was my understanding that e-muffs don’t work well in enclosed spaces. The reverb causes the cans problems. Never tried it though, so not sure.
My house is not big enough for someone to sneak up on me even if I was deaf AND nearly blind. Standing with a shotgun at the end of the hallway has 60% of the place covered. My hearing is already screwed up from being USAF aircrew for 6 years, a couple shots one night isn’t going to hurt for long. Certainly not worth the time to dig out some earpro.
Check out the physiological effects of a high stress incident. You won’t notice the gunshots, you won’t notice the muzzle flash. I didn’t. It is far different on the range or even when you are in a semi-controlled environment/far from imminent danger. When you really feel your life is in danger, it is a whole different ball game. You can’t even imagine it unless you have been there.
Late to the party here but.
Ive fired many different calibers in a 20×20 room over the years just for the purpose of finding out just exactly how my hearing is actually affected.
The only calibers I will go out of my way to NOT use for home defense are magnums.
As a shooter I have my hearing checked every year. Im happy to say its way above average for my age actually any age.
22-45 and all hand gun calibers in between don’t affect me too much at all.
Would I pull the trigger multiple times in an enclosed area?? I hope not.
357 mag is the only caliber that had any real negative affect to my hearing and may have actually damaged my right ear drum a tad,
22s 38 380 9mm and 40 S&W not to forget 45acp have had very little if any effect on me.
So do I keep a set of muffs handy??
NOPE.
Now I know why the tomahawk and bowie are better.
Footsteps in the dark are so exciting though…….
The wife snores but is a light sleeper. I sleep like a rock with foam disposable earplugs. Fringe benefit is no need to don ears in the middle of the night!
Simply a bad statement, great for training or mission specific but when Things go bump in the night and I hear it, grabbing my self defense Ears then my weapon of choice, that scenario is not going too happen! adrenalin pumping so bad you’ll be lucky too hit your target, auditory perception will shut down briefly so the sound is muffled! While Training your body is not faced with the same level of threat. on the other hand a cross bow would be quieter then go too the Tomahawk and Bowie! now that’s messy have to spend all day cleaning up, then relive the scenario in your head for the rest of your life!
How about investing in a suppressor? No muzzle flash, reduced report, and in .45 ACP with 230 gr you’re already subsonic, meaning you’re safe to shoot without ear protection. Total advantage for you.
This article is misleading. As someone who has been in armed encounters and teaches how to survive them I know first hand about a physical reaction called auditory exclusion. When you find yourself in a life or death situation your body reacts, the capillaries in your eyes, ears, and extremities constrict so that more blood is routed to your vital organs in preparation for physical trauma. As a result you tend to get tunnel vision, your dexterity suffers, and your ears literally shut off. While experiencing auditory exclusion and acute stress your ears are simply incapable of recognizing soft sounds. Your ears don’t “ring” due to the report of a gunshot. It simply takes time for your body to relax to the point that oxygenated blood is allowed to return to your eyes and ears. Ear protection make absolutely zero difference.
This is really very good advice. You can choose to take it or leave it. I, for one, will plan to keep my ear protection with my gun and light. You can do otherwise and move to Canada after an incident. They all say “eh?” up there so you will fit right in.
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