Do you wear hearing protection while hunting?

[jasent]

I try to but alas I like to be able to hear my self when I am stocking. Some day I will be able to buy some electronic hearing protection, that will be the day.

+1

 

[theo98]

This tread was originally started to promote hearing protection but what we should really be promoting is the deregulation of silencers. Hearing protection is a band-aid fix. Band-aid fixes aren't always reliable. They are meant to be used as short term solutions until the problem can be engineered away. We've known for over a hundred years how to engineer the harmful noise out of firearms but thanks to a bunch of misguided regulations silencers are either illegal, too expensive, or too unreasonably difficult to obtain for them to be practical for most hunters. So instead they attempt to rely on hearing protection that they either forget or refuse to use and their hearing suffers.

Silencers are safety devices that should be free for anyone to buy, sell, and manufacture; just like they are in New Zealand and Norway. But they kind of have an evil reputation in America. I guess because too many people have seen movie scenes where an assassin with a silencer quietly pops someone in the head and all you hear is a faint whisper. Those of us who have actually used silencers know that isn't how they work. They reduce the sound to safe levels but they still make plenty of noise. You couldn't fire a suppressed rifle inside an occupied building or out on a city street without anyone hearing it.

America used to be the land of the free. Today it seems to be more like the land of the over regulated. But there has been a trend in recent years to take our freedom back. If concealed carry, marijuana, and automatic knives can all be legalized then silencers can be deregulated.

Bravo-Bravo...Very Well said Trev08 ! lightbulb

In Europe, hunting without a suppressor is strongly frowned upon, just like driving our American neighborhoods without a muffler. Attenuating muzzle blast does reduce the need for hearing protection. Several US states allow hunting with suppressors, a few include big game hunting. However, purchases still has to be through an FFL dealer and the good units are not cheap! As you stated Trev, de-regulation is the key to offer the majority of shooters the greatest opportunity in accessing this important "safety device".

Through the LSA, my son is introducing strong legislation to legalize the use of suppressors for all hunting situations in La. The more states that successfully address this freedom, the quicker competitive pricing and availability for all hunters will also increase.

 

[schmi015]

No, but my rifles do.

 

[1Hunter]

Schmi015

Nice picture.

You could use it along with a story on Sound Suppressors to start a new thread.

Good Luck.

 

[schmi015]

Yea, I talked about a little on the suppressed or unsuppressed thread

What more would you like to know?

 

[Len Backus]

Please move your discussion.

 

[jay blaze]

I usually don't use hearing protection on hunts. I have rested my rifle on the pod and used my finger to plung my left ear. seeing that i am a right handed shooter my right ear is subjected to the bang of the rifle. I have made the mistake of using a 44mag with no muffs on a deer hunt after the 4 th shot i couldn't handle it. never again for weeks i hear ringing and i didn't get the deer. When i practice rifle or pistol ear plugs all the way.

 

[1Hunter]

jay blaze,

44 Mags have a habit making a lot of noise.

I learned that lesson the hard way too. Now I don't think of shooting a firearm
with our HEARING PROTECTION. When I go to the range my MUFFS are the first
thing loaded and are on the front seat within easy reach.

 

[bearrug]

Only when sighting in the rifle, not hunting.

 

[1Hunter]

bearrug,

Welcome, I shared that statement for a while. I was hunting where I very
seldom heard a shot all day. Then I got interested in long range shooting.
and reloading. To shoot that one long distance shot, I spend a lot of time
on the rifle range. Wearing hearing protection has become a habit.

 

[theo98]

Wearing hearing protection has become a habit.

+1!

 

[1Hunter]

theo08,

Thank you

 

[banjo318]

I can help but laugh when people say "I never wear protection." Please specify what kind of protection. Thank you!

 

[1Hunter]

Banjo318,

That's quite an arsenal you have.

I suspect your quite aware of the various types of hearing protection
devices that are currently available in the market place.
Whether or not you choose to use any them is your choice.