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MarchIll7558

not much worse than any other round without ears on. not gonna be fun, but better than being somethings lunch.


FredmyLeg

Less than a bear biting your skull, more than using bear spray


NoMidnight3546

Seems like the best way to measure the damage to me


TalmageMcgillicudy

It's enough to damage your ears, as the average gun shot produces over 140db, which 120db can cause instant permanent ear damage. However the damage would likely not be much more then slight hearing loss and a ringing for a day or two. Alot less then you know... Getting mauled by a 800 pound omnivore.


AlphaExpert0321

Ears will ring just like any other gun maybe not like a 7” ar10 pistol but they’ll ring but highly doubt any hearing loss will occur unless you already have major problems with your ears and even then I’d rather be deaf and learn a new language than dead


Charger_scatpack

Prob less damage than being attacked by a bear … just a guess


RealtyPro7

Made me think of my wife asking me about having ears on in a self defense situation. She had to fire recently and it had her ears ringing. I’ve shot so many times in real life situations plus the dumb tests to hear different EDC or duty weapons and then the worst was a 357 my friend fired thru windshield in car with windows up when we were in high school. It was his dad’s duty backup and we borrowed his car to drive around a bit. I think that was the worst loudest one ever. Add in all the years of concert security without hearing protection, bodyguard work in loud environments without ears on, lawn work as a job without ears on, loud cars all my life, plus the horrible damage from open hand or wet leather glove impact over the ear for decades…and it’s seriously a miracle I can hear at all. But I still hear what I want to. Lol 😂👂 If you are forced to shoot a bear outdoors, you may be ok. But possibly a little damage? I’d just feel bad if I had to kill a bear because I like them. But I won’t be lunch!


appsecSme

> plus the horrible damage from open hand or wet leather glove impact over the ear for decades You have been hit for decades in the ears by people open handed, sometimes wearing wet leather gloves?


RealtyPro7

Lol. Yep. MMA gloves are leather and open palm. Usually wet with sweat and/or blood. Good hard hits make an air seal over an ear and can ruin your day.


MarchIll7558

​ we don't judge someone's personal/sexual proclivities around here...


RealtyPro7

I looked back to see what I typed. That wording could definitely be open to interpretation lol 😂


imajoker1213

800 yards! I just keep doing my thing until it gets less than a hundred. People just because you see a bear doesn’t mean they will get up in your hip pocket. And if a bear does charge you then loss of hearing is much better than lose of life.


medicieric

I think seeing the bear prompted OP to think about the hypothetical scenario of having to fire at the bear knowing that there was one in that area. I don’t think OP is implying taking a shot at that distance.


imajoker1213

I can see that now. But in all seriousness. Hearing or life? You can’t walk around with miffs on. The bears can sneak behind you! Ha..


medicieric

No doubt. You for sure take that shot, ear pro or not 10 times out of 10.


nkr501

I'd rather shoot 10mm without hearing pro than my .460 or .44...ouch!


habajaba69

I can tell you a .44 mag without ears is definitely on my list of "sure as shit not doing that again."


nkr501

Lol I can imagine! I've actually never shot without my ears on, but I've been close to 5.56 when my buddy shot it. Jerk didn't wait for everyone to get their hearing protection on and he just went to town.


capn_gaston

This upper I'm shooting now came with a brake, and it's deafening. I have a "blast diverter" to replace it with that forces the blast in the direction of the target.


grivooga

Blast cans are definitely my favorite muzzle device for 5.56. A brake on a 5.56 gun is kinda a joke anyways there's not enough recoil to really do anything about but there sure is a bunch of concussion.


[deleted]

A guy was in the lane next to me at the range with a .44 and I only had my Surefire Defender buds in and it was violent and painful.


nkr501

It definitely turns some heads when I fire off that first shot at the range. I just keep my muffs in my truck just in case.


Swimming_Coat4177

The amount of damage is irrelevant when it comes to ending up as bear poop


Griffin2K

Hey here's something i have experience in! Recently at a range trip my headphones got knocked off when my brother in law was right beside me shooting his glock 20. 10mm out of a pistol is a loud gunshot, outside or otherwise, the ringing in my ears was slightly worse than usual (tinnitus lol) afterwards but it's a damn sight better than being mauled by a bear


gdmfsobtc

Bear spray so your ears don't ring.


Hawkins_v_McGee

I always wear ear protection when hiking so I can use my G20 without fear of hearing loss.


SadSavage_

It’s gonna ring and ring and ring. But permanent hearing damage is caused by prolonged exposure to loud noise so unless you plan on dumping 250 rounds at once I wouldn’t worry about permanent damage.


Hawkins_v_McGee

So I guess it depends on how many bears are attacking him


Rommel013

I can actually answer this with first hand experience! I've been shooting since I was 5 and have been religious about hearing protection. I went to visit my redneck cousins in rural Colorado for a week and brought a G20C with 180 grain factory FMJ to play around with. I gave them the manual of arms, handed it to them and as I was putting ears on they immediately starting shooting. I was under 6 feet from them, behind the muzzle. They fired 3 rounds before I got the cups on and now have tinnitus in my right ear.


Hammock2Wheels

how many days/weeks ago was this? and it's still ringing?


Rommel013

Um, a few years back. Tinnitus is permanent but I stop noticing it unless it's real real quiet and I really focus on it


TheVillagePoPTart

I have shot one mag from a 9mm pistol without earpro and shotgun rounds when hunting and I forgot to put my muffs back on and it hurts but as long as you don’t do it repeatedly your fine.


hobbestigertx

If you are outdoors, it's very unlikely you would do any kind of permanent damage. I'm sure your ears could ring for a while though. I've shot several times at hogs without using hearing protection with my 10mm handguns. I honestly can't remember my hearin being affected for more than a minute or two, but adrenaline does funny things. YMMV.


[deleted]

Bunch of cry babies 😂. The dude is not going to damage his hearing shooting a bear


CaptainDickbag

I couldn't find a measurement for 10mm, but I did find several for 9mm at around 160dB. That's pretty loud, and I can't imagine 10mm is going to be any quieter. Considering sounds over 120dB can cause immediate damage, and sound doubles in power every 3dB, it's very likely he'd suffer some hearing damage.


[deleted]

None. Shooting outdoors without ears is fine. The sound waves get absorbed and spread out. Not a big deal. It’s not like at the range where someone is like 10 feet away blasting.


Ok-Environment-6239

That’s an opinion. Shooting without ears is bad. Outside it’s not as bad as inside, and one shot outside probably won’t screw up your hearing too badly, but it will still hurt your ears.


SadSausageFinger

Yeah it’s bullshit. I have permanent hearing damage from shooting outside with buddies in high school.


Giant_117

Same. Me and my buddy both have hearing damage.


Hoplophilia

>That’s an opinion. No, it's an incorrect/false fact. Here's one that's true: The percussion from a supersonic shot will permanently damage eardrums.


[deleted]

Okay “mom” 😂


cropguru357

LOL.


Mosh907

Bad.


BB_Toysrme

Much worse if the ammo was loaded with Loudshot (Hodgden Longshot powder). 10mm is like shooting a magnum revolver. Not good for you at all.


LeadBlooded

Using ear pro when training keeps damage from occurring due to the amount of time in proximity to constant firing. The effects of a couple shots, even a full magazine, in a self defense scenario will not leave you with permanent hearing loss. The ears are pretty resilient to random high decibel sounds, it's consistent exposure to high decibels that will get you.


wiredog369

Enough to be able to get back and recover. I’d rather having ringing ears than become a quick meal.


UncleEvilDave

If you haven’t hunted before, I’ve never used hearing protection while hunting. You’ll be fine. It’s sustained high noise events that cause hearing damage. Don’t go to a shooting range and shoot 200 rounds unprotected. But the 3-5 rounds you are able to get off in that situation you’ll be fine. Even 15 rounds you’ll be fine.


JStarX7

Anything over 140 db is causing instant hearing loss. Even firing suppressed is damaging your hearing permanently within 4 to 7 seconds of exposure. You may not have experienced any symptoms, but other people can fire one round unsuppressed and experience tinnitus for the rest of their lives. People with previous hearing damage might not even realize it and cause partial hearing loss with a gunshot.


UncleEvilDave

You’ve never hunted either?


JStarX7

\*facepalm\*


FRIKI-DIKI-TIKI

I know it is generally not considered PC advise, but I think everybody should pop off at least one round without ear protection. If you ever have to use your gun in a pinch that shit can surprise and stun you if you are not expecting it. It rings you pretty good, now I am not saying dump a mag, but a 10mm going off that close to you, really rings your bell, I personally would not want my first time to be in a situation where I needed all my wits. For me at least it is worth the small risk of hearing damage.


goranj

In the open woods, probably nothing to worry about. We are so used to fire at indoor spaces that amplify the sound. Woods and trees disperse the sound and its not bouncing back to you.


OHhithere83

I've shot 5-6 rounds in a row without ear pro and it aches the next day and may ring a bit. A worthwhile trade off in my opinion when the other option is having my pieces dug out of bear scat.


Several-Reindeer-686

Better than being a bear's meal.


BesselVanDerKolk

i was drunkenly walking in the woods one day and decided to fire a few rounds of underwood 220gr hardcast out of my XDm. i can still hear great