Ear Trauma with Frontier 358

Whelen B

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Yes I know - what did I expect?
Correction;
Earlier I reported no ear trauma when firing this gun in the field. I had asked my son within 15 minutes of him shooting it while hunting if he experienced any pain or ringing ears etc. He told me no - none. I was a bit suprised but thought - great! That was last week. Now he tells me that he later throughout that day definitely noticed a hearing problem for 12 hours or so after touching off that shot in the morning. He describes it as a hearing dullness or slight muffling in both ears equally.

I have 16" barrel Trapper in 30-30 that doesn't hurt my ears at all to shoot when hunting with my fav full power load. I was kind of hoping the Frontier 358 might be the same - early indications suggest perhaps not - time should tell more.

Forewarned is forearmed.
 
You know, I was wondering that about the 16" barrel guns. I find my Finnlight with a 20" has a good pop to it, and not sure if I'd want to go any shorter than that.

Does anyone wear earplugs while hunting?? If there's any wind/rain I find I'm hunting by sight anyway, can't hear shjt in the wind.
 
Naw I dont bother while hunting. but I rarely ever shoot anything without ear protection while just shooting targets.

I'm usually so excited I never hear the shot anyways while hunting.
 
Funny you should mention this.

I have permanent hearing loss in my left ear that started when a guy at the next shooting bench let loose with a magnum with a muzzle break at the end of a cease fire without first confirming all around were ready.

Muzzle blast is nothing to take lightly if you value your hearing.
 
"Ear Trauma with Frontier 358"

I'm not surprised.....that's a short one....reminds of an 18-1/2" 350 Rem Mag a buddy had a few years ago...it had the most earsplitting muzzle blast I'd ever heard...once...22" is my minimum for ANY cartridge...
 
I remember my grandfather was deaf in one ear from hunting.
I always wear corded rubber EAR earplugs around my neck when I hunt and have them at the ready for when I see an animal. I hunt by 'spot and stock' so I always have time to pop them in , takes all of 1 second.
Cheers
 
....reminds of an 18-1/2" 350 Rem Mag a buddy had a few years ago...it had the most earsplitting muzzle blast I'd ever heard...once...
I own a 350RM with the 18 1/2" barrel and hunt it regularly. Actually it's no problem for my ears when hunting in the open at all - with my handloads. Shot it last week hunting and honestly there was zero ear trauma - not even for an instant. The loads you use can make a short barrel more or less tolerable I believe.

But I always wear ear protection at the range with ALL my guns. Often I think onlookers are more affected with the muzzle blast than the shooter is.

But I love my carbines for hunting. But I'm still "exchanging howdies" with this latest 358 shorty.
 
Try turkey hunting with a 14" fabarm. :D

It's funny how you don't feel or hear the shot when it comes "down to it". At the range, I'd fall over and die if i shot a turkey load with this thing without ears on....
 
I have a pal up here who keeps me entertained with his mishaps. Seems one day he had a polar bear in his yard, and decided to drive it away with live fire from his braked .375. To make matters worse he was shooting against the side of his house - and of course with no hearing protection. He fired 3 rounds but only heard the first one, followed by that high frequency hum. Ever been laughed at by a polar bear?
 
I have a pal up here who keeps me entertained with his mishaps. Seems one day he had a polar bear in his yard, and decided to drive it away with live fire from his braked .375. To make matters worse he was shooting against the side of his house - and of course with no hearing protection. He fired 3 rounds but only heard the first one, followed by that high frequency hum. Ever been laughed at by a polar bear?

At least he couldn't hear the bear laughing at him... :D

I'll bring earplugs when going after deer with the 20" rifled slug barrel on my 870. Fired three magnum slugs out of it without earplugs once. Never again.
 
Forewarned, is forewarned, but its in your head :)

6 inches of difference at the decibel level of your rifle going off isnt going to change the SPL more than one decibel, and the frequency will be close to the same. I heard all of this hoopalah when I bought my first 14 inch 870... the only thing increased is the muzzleflash. Get a decibel meter, (or talk your local car audio shop into letting you borrow theirs).
The proof is in the numbers. You should allways wear hearing protection, but its not the first thing that comes to mind when a deer, moose, bear runs by. I think Im going to invest in a set of game ears this year. My hearing is good, and I want to keep it that way. ;)

(I know someone is going to come along, and quote something from Chuck Hawks)
 
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I remember my grandfather was deaf in one ear from hunting.
I always wear corded rubber EAR earplugs around my neck when I hunt and have them at the ready for when I see an animal. I hunt by 'spot and stock' so I always have time to pop them in , takes all of 1 second.
Cheers

Now, if you are gonna go deaf, going deaf from hunting is the way to go....

I've been known to have a bit of cotton in each ear when I get out hunting. Just enough to take some edge off the blast. And the wax and cotton make good fire starter too....:D;)
 
Now, if you are gonna go deaf, going deaf from hunting is the way to go....

I've been known to have a bit of cotton in each ear when I get out hunting. Just enough to take some edge off the blast. And the wax and cotton make good fire starter too....:D;)

Hee, hee, hee....:D
 
Funny you should mention this.

I have permanent hearing loss in my left ear that started when a guy at the next shooting bench let loose with a magnum with a muzzle break at the end of a cease fire without first confirming all around were ready.

I hope He gets eye herpes...I hate asshats that pull that sh!t. :mad:
 
Now, if you are gonna go deaf, going deaf from hunting is the way to go....
I've been known to have a bit of cotton in each ear when I get out hunting. Just enough to take some edge off the blast. And the wax and cotton make good fire starter too....:D;)

I never thought about it before but he must have been a leftie since he was deaf in his right ear. It caused a few other problems for him too, the most notable one was when he dropped his (then) wife off shopping in downtown Winnipeg. He drove away but couldn't hear her pounding on the outside of the passenger door...her coat had gotten caught in the door and grandpa drove off. He dragged her for almost a block before someone jumped in front of the car to stop him...grandma wasn't impressed and neither was her broken hip. True story.

Cheers
 
How loud?

I once had a model 600 Remington, with the 18½ inch barrel in 308. I couldn't get standard ear muffs adjusted well enough to prevent an ear ring when I shot it. Was shooting at the range, then walked into the clubhouse. Two shooters there asked me what calibre magnum I was shooting! I never shot it without hearing protection, then sold it, mainly because of its noise.
 
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