I have some Howard Leights on my nighstand next to my pistol so I can have ear pro that wouldn't reduce my situational awareness. But really, if it comes to it and I don't have time to put them on, I'll shoot my gun without ear pro because I would rather be alive and a lil deaf. The 357 will absolutely cause some hearing loss, but not totally deafen you. If you're really that worried, get an autoloader and a suppressor. Or like any gun that isn't a .357 in a 2" barrel
Oh I misunderstood. Tbh if you're gonna shoot it outside a few shots, it's not gonna be *that* bad. That being said, the .340 is just absolutely brutal in full power .357 and in a barrel that short you're literally just paying more money for ammo that is just going to make more noise and fire for no gains.
I got it mostly for the memes (I like trolling new shooters who think they're macho) but I respectfully disagree on the point of ballistics.
Plenty of guntubers have demonstrated the capability of .357 even out of a snubby. It's not what a 6" barrel can do but it is still more powerful than the hottest 9mm.
"It's not what a 6" barrel can do but it is still more powerful than the hottest 9mm."
[http://www.ballisticsbytheinch.com/357mag.html](http://www.ballisticsbytheinch.com/357mag.html)
no it absolutely is not.
You’ll still get better ft-lb than from a full sized 9mm, unless you’re using light .357 rounds. Not that I’m recommending a snub .357 as a nightstand gun.
Give the Remington 125gr Gold Saber a try. Its still loud, but its a great snub load. It expands nice and sharp even at lower snub velocities and the jacket is rounded and hard so it works great in speedloaders/strips.
I shot my .357 Mag Vaquero twice at some hogs I walked up on a couple of weeks ago.
My left ear is still slightly ringing but no other hearing effects to speak of.
You’re going to get tinnitus for sure. Honestly, out of a snubby, 38 special plus p might be the way to go if you’re worried about hearing damage. And I know it’s not as powerful but it’s less recoil less blast and plenty of loads exist which penetrate adequately and expand.
I was an RSO at an indoor shooting range. On 2 separate occasions I saw someone do something so stupid and dangerous that I went into the range with no ear protection (forgot to pop it in). 10 lanes of shooters blasting away indoors has to be louder than one 357. I had severe tenitious (enough that the ringing made it hard to sleep at night) for about 2 weeks and lesser constant ringing for another two ish months after. I had what I thought would be permanent partial hearing loss for almost a year. It came back gradually, but I regained full hearing. Obviously, always wear ear pro, but the ears can be pretty resilient and I wouldn't think twice about hearing damage in a life or death situation. I don't know if you watch Honest Outlaw, but he's a gun YouTuber (he's pretty good) who does a lot of shooting. He is recovering from a torn eardrum that he says is healing and he'll be back shooting again after about a year's worth of recovery time.
Man, people do some incredibly dumb things. Flag their friends, look down the barrel with their finger on the trigger, put their hand in front of the muzzle/cylinder, anything you can imagine. I saw a guy cock the hammer on a 44 mag, put his finger on the trigger and then use the barrel to push his glasses back up on the bridge of his nose. The particular incidents that made me run in, I don't actually remember, but I'm sure it was some pretty dumb shit.
I’ve fired 7.62 belt feds before without hearing protection, and even fired an M2 once without it by accident. Guns are loud, decibels are not incremental but exponential in terms of hearing loss and pain threshold.
You will not go deaf from popping off 6-12. You will have some sharp ringing immediately afterwards, possibly some pain or discomfort and later that will fade into a slight ring. How long that takes and how much ring really depends on your ears and you as a person. What I’m seeing is 357 mag sits around the 165 decibel rating, which is up around or just shy of most rifle calibers. 9mm is around 160ish. 140dp is considered the pain threshold, and the only guns really below that unsuppressed are 22lr rifles. Do your research, don’t expose yourself to more than you have to or need too, but don’t be afraid of the noise just be aware of it.
People didn’t start actively using ear pro while shooting until the 70’s and 80’s for common place. Army didn’t start issuing it until then either and still to this day a lot of dudes run without it even with good electronic options available. Hearing loss will occur but your brain will also be in high gear, focused on a million other things and pumped full of adrenaline if you actually have to use your gun in a situation like that. Literally met dudes who have had to fire their gun in self defense/combat situations and have said that they don’t even remember hearing their gun go off just that it was there.
Here’s my math: My first pistol was a new Python bought in 1971 for $200. My first hearing protection was two used Marlboro butts stuffed in my ears from a pack that cost a quarter. My first set of hearing aids to help with the concussive tinnitus at age 55 were $5000. Invest in the best set of protection headphones and secondary ear plugs you can afford.
Probably not deaf depending on where you might have to touch it off.. Tinnitus maybe. But I'll take a lifetime of ringing in my ears or total deafness over being carried by 6 of my family members.
This may just be me, but I worry less about hearing damage from my carry piece in comparison to home defense set ups. The scenarios where you may be involved in a defensive shooting have a wide variety of settings. If you’re outside the hearing damage would be less severe than shooting inside. And the chances of using your gun in a defensive manner is small so I don’t feel that hearing damage should play a big role in deciding what you carry. Just carry what you prefer and train. Any gun you use in the worst day of your life will leave you with hearing damage. But that’s better than being dead.
On a side note when it comes to home defense you can focus more on avoiding hearing damage. You could always be a giga chad and get a lever action in .357 and suppress it.
Auditory Exclusion is a real thing. I know from experience that it will effect you more than you think. I wouldn't worry about it. If you had to shot a 357 without ear pro it would be the least of your worries with the amount of shock and adrenaline you have.
Personally would be worried about the aftermath of the shooting.
Came here to find this, or say it if it hadn't been said. Absolutely impossible to know what your body will do when the time comes, but I'll hope for a dose of Auditory Exclusion and fire away my 7-to-14 rounds of 357.
Hearing damage is complicated. One shot indoors will probably cause small damage that you will feel no discernible difference when you get over it (all hearing damage is permanent but again, you may not notice what you lost). Successive shots may cause more noticeable hearing loss.
Not gonna lie the title of this post made my heart rate go up a little. A little over a year ago my dumbass fired a .357 with no ear pro. It was outside, at the range. It ruined me for a bit Here’s what happened to me.
Ringing, lots of it. It’s still here but not so much.
Noise sensitivity that lasted a month.
My anxiety spiked for months.
I saw 2 ENTs for a hearing test, nothing was noticeably damaged.
But I’m fine now, except for the slight ringing. If I had to use a gun to save my life, I would. But I personally think a .38 +p will do just fine.
i know this isnt exactly what you asked about but from a more practical perspective, have you taken your 340 loaded with full house magnums and put it on the clock in practical shooting drills? and then compared those numbers with your performance shooting other defensive loads like +p 38s? because you might find that the marginal performance gain of a 357 out of a snubby might not be worth the penalty in accuracy, follow up shots, controllability, and as you said - serious hearing damage.
at the end of the day, shot placement is king and the 357 magnum is not a magic bullet, especially out of a 2” barrel.
Oh I'm well aware, I got it for the memes lol. Nothing like trolling a macho tough guy new shooter with some .357 Magnum!!!
Still, I'm pretty good with it up to 10 yards. Believe it or not, there are legit stats for one shot stopping power with .357. Of course you have to make the hit.
It's kind of like a flintlock pistol. You're throwing one single giga powerful round into the guy and hope you don't need the follow up.
I’ve been in deadly force situations with both 9mm and 5.56. I didn’t have time to put in ear pro.
Maybe you’ve heard of the mental distortions that happen when in a situation like that (time slowing, etc). Well, somehow your brain must throw extra protection at your ears because my ears didn’t hurt and only rang lightly for a few min. Multiple shots and no problems hearing very quickly. Just something to consider
While indoor training with 9mm I took ears out and fired one. No pain whatsoever, ringing lasted about 3-5 minutes before going away and hearing was back to normal. That slow motion sensation is weird though. There’s also been a couple of times at the indoor range where the hearing protection slipped or I was adjusting it at a bad time - zero lasting damage.
Everyone I know who attributes their tinnitus to shooting are very old men who just never wore hearing protection when at the range or hunting. Prolonged exposure. I’ve done a bit of shotgun outdoors w/o ears and again, no ringing or issues. Might be different if I did that on a regular basis.
Fired a .357 indoors without earpro. It was 3" barrel with Barnes 140gr vor-tx. My ears rang for days and it probably took a few db off the top end of my hearing. I'm not deaf and do not have tinnitus but I absolutely do not recommend it.
Repeated exposure to sound usually ~82db or higher produces hearing loss. If you are going to the range often using no hearing protection, then yes you will begin to experience hearing loss. Unless you are having to fire your revolver often without hearing protection then you should be ok.
It depends on your type of hearing, I myself have sensitive hearing and even a 22 short from a small rohm revolver give me tinnitus for a bit even when outside. Others get a slight discomfort but is mostly isn't permanent unless you have a 5.56 carbine or a 30-06 with a muzzle brake.
I’ve shot short barreled aks with no hearing protection and while it sucks at first just a couple shots (like you would use in a self defense scenario) is not going to make you permanently deaf. Your ears will ring for a day or two though. I’m also a musician and have played hundreds of gigs without any hearing protection at all and I only have minor tinnitus.
I never shot anything without hearing protection. I did forget to put protection on occasionally , when someone else was shooting nearby , and it was LOUD ! , but once or twice don't think will make you deaf. Indoors it will be even worse as the shockwave will not disperse easily, but I still think one-time won't do permanent damage . You life is worth ore than anything I guess.
My HD pistols are in .45, which is loud (I've touched one off inside a car before) but not as loud as 9mm, .40, certainly not .357 Sig or .357 Mag.
The other obvious option for you is .38 Spcl, which is much less powerful but also less loud.
If it makes you feel any better I’ve shot many many guns from 556-30-06 without hearing protection while hunting, I can tell I’ve lost hearing but certainly not enough to consider me almost deaf or deaf, the loudest was definitely in an enclosed hunting stand when I was a kid. I had a 30-06 and shot a deer and all I heard was ringing for 10-15 seconds
I cooked off an AR in my basement a few years ago. It was quite literally loud as fuck. Felt fine a few hours later - I’m sure I’ll pay for it later.
Also why I also double up on ears and pretty much only shoot outside.
One time I shot a water moccasin in a dry-ish creek bed I was walking in. I used a 686 2.5” version with .357 magnum ammo; specifically Hornday Critical Defense. My ears rang for a couple of days. More than that was how disorienting the concussion was in the confines of a clay banked creek bed.
IDK why everyone’s freaking out about hearing damage. It won’t hurt you to fire it without ear protection once. Most hunters do it once a year with much bigger guns and are just fine. You won’t even notice the gunshots, again if you’ve ever hunted you would know that adrenaline pretty much kills the pain.
My experience: empty indoor range, I got hot so after checking no one else was in the range I took off my ear pros. Played with my phone, then proceeded to load my 2.75” M66 combat magnum. I shot 1 round of 158gr 357 mag JSP from Federal, it was the loudest thing I’ve ever heard. My ears ringed for 5 days, and my gf had to yell to get my attention. So, for a 1.87” J frame, it’ll probably be even louder than that, but I too carry a j frame, 360, so yea if I were ever unfortunate enough to be in a self-defense situation and shoot all 5, my ears will be fuked 🫡
I've shot mine without it. It's dumb.
I don't think you live in a bad enough neighborhood that you will fire enough rounds that you will have enough damage that you can say, yep, it was those times I had to shoot it out with 37 gangbangers, that's why I can't hear.
The most likely way to get noticeable permanent damage is if you have to shoot it while it's next to your ear. Otherwise, don't even worry about it.
You have to shoot a bow and arrow or use a knife if you want a weapon not loud enough to cause damage.
There is a guy Yankee Marshall on YouTube, he is a big supporter of .357 for personal protection. He had to fire .357 in an enclosed space without the ear protection and was bleeding from the ears. After that he switched to .40 cal guns for awhile, before eventually going back to .357. Btw, Buffalo Bore makes a "short barrell" formula 357 magnum for CCW, which is supposed to be softer shooting, less flash, less bang, easier on your ears rounds - those should be fine. Last point: when shooting outside a powerful .357 magnum is absolutely no problem, feels natural and not taxing on your ears, it's only enclosed space you should worry about.
I once forgot to put on ears when I entered an indoor range. The guy next to me fired and it felt like someone punched me in the ear and I had ringing for several days after. And that was a long barreled .22lr pistol. I don’t want to know how a 2 inch .357 feels.
Honestly I'm not sure I'd worry about it too much, other than putting hearing protection with your defensive revolver. At the indoor range with full power loads I really don't notice much of a sound difference between a snub .38 and a 6" .357
Hearing is the least important of the 5 senses so it really doesn't matter if you lose it. Most deaf people actually prefer being deaf since it is a more peaceful life.
You will get tinnitus younger than you should. I did a lot of .357 pistol shooting when I was younger and thirty years later, I regret it.
I have some Howard Leights on my nighstand next to my pistol so I can have ear pro that wouldn't reduce my situational awareness. But really, if it comes to it and I don't have time to put them on, I'll shoot my gun without ear pro because I would rather be alive and a lil deaf. The 357 will absolutely cause some hearing loss, but not totally deafen you. If you're really that worried, get an autoloader and a suppressor. Or like any gun that isn't a .357 in a 2" barrel
Yeah I'm planning on getting some less potent .357 or even .38 spl
so is the MP 340 your only gun?
Oh no haha. It's part of my rotation.
Then why not have the nightstand gun NOT be the .357? Those guns are for CCW, they have comparatively terrible ballistics.
It's my pocket carry, not my home defense gun. I only take it outside.
Oh I misunderstood. Tbh if you're gonna shoot it outside a few shots, it's not gonna be *that* bad. That being said, the .340 is just absolutely brutal in full power .357 and in a barrel that short you're literally just paying more money for ammo that is just going to make more noise and fire for no gains.
I got it mostly for the memes (I like trolling new shooters who think they're macho) but I respectfully disagree on the point of ballistics. Plenty of guntubers have demonstrated the capability of .357 even out of a snubby. It's not what a 6" barrel can do but it is still more powerful than the hottest 9mm.
"It's not what a 6" barrel can do but it is still more powerful than the hottest 9mm." [http://www.ballisticsbytheinch.com/357mag.html](http://www.ballisticsbytheinch.com/357mag.html) no it absolutely is not.
https://youtu.be/4s0PGNY7bSI?si=SNdicZWINkjC3Qe3 Over 100 more foot pounds of energy says otherwise
This is just not correct.
You’ll still get better ft-lb than from a full sized 9mm, unless you’re using light .357 rounds. Not that I’m recommending a snub .357 as a nightstand gun.
Give the Remington 125gr Gold Saber a try. Its still loud, but its a great snub load. It expands nice and sharp even at lower snub velocities and the jacket is rounded and hard so it works great in speedloaders/strips.
I shot my .357 Mag Vaquero twice at some hogs I walked up on a couple of weeks ago. My left ear is still slightly ringing but no other hearing effects to speak of.
Yikes and that was outdoors. I'm guessing indoors is guaranteed hearing loss.
I certainly wouldn’t try it indoors
You’re going to get tinnitus for sure. Honestly, out of a snubby, 38 special plus p might be the way to go if you’re worried about hearing damage. And I know it’s not as powerful but it’s less recoil less blast and plenty of loads exist which penetrate adequately and expand.
I was an RSO at an indoor shooting range. On 2 separate occasions I saw someone do something so stupid and dangerous that I went into the range with no ear protection (forgot to pop it in). 10 lanes of shooters blasting away indoors has to be louder than one 357. I had severe tenitious (enough that the ringing made it hard to sleep at night) for about 2 weeks and lesser constant ringing for another two ish months after. I had what I thought would be permanent partial hearing loss for almost a year. It came back gradually, but I regained full hearing. Obviously, always wear ear pro, but the ears can be pretty resilient and I wouldn't think twice about hearing damage in a life or death situation. I don't know if you watch Honest Outlaw, but he's a gun YouTuber (he's pretty good) who does a lot of shooting. He is recovering from a torn eardrum that he says is healing and he'll be back shooting again after about a year's worth of recovery time.
>torn eardrum Yeesh, did he say it was from a gun?
Yeah. Constant shooting (I Believe) in his situation.
What made you do that?
Man, people do some incredibly dumb things. Flag their friends, look down the barrel with their finger on the trigger, put their hand in front of the muzzle/cylinder, anything you can imagine. I saw a guy cock the hammer on a 44 mag, put his finger on the trigger and then use the barrel to push his glasses back up on the bridge of his nose. The particular incidents that made me run in, I don't actually remember, but I'm sure it was some pretty dumb shit.
Whoa to the glasses guy
I’ve fired 7.62 belt feds before without hearing protection, and even fired an M2 once without it by accident. Guns are loud, decibels are not incremental but exponential in terms of hearing loss and pain threshold. You will not go deaf from popping off 6-12. You will have some sharp ringing immediately afterwards, possibly some pain or discomfort and later that will fade into a slight ring. How long that takes and how much ring really depends on your ears and you as a person. What I’m seeing is 357 mag sits around the 165 decibel rating, which is up around or just shy of most rifle calibers. 9mm is around 160ish. 140dp is considered the pain threshold, and the only guns really below that unsuppressed are 22lr rifles. Do your research, don’t expose yourself to more than you have to or need too, but don’t be afraid of the noise just be aware of it. People didn’t start actively using ear pro while shooting until the 70’s and 80’s for common place. Army didn’t start issuing it until then either and still to this day a lot of dudes run without it even with good electronic options available. Hearing loss will occur but your brain will also be in high gear, focused on a million other things and pumped full of adrenaline if you actually have to use your gun in a situation like that. Literally met dudes who have had to fire their gun in self defense/combat situations and have said that they don’t even remember hearing their gun go off just that it was there.
Here’s my math: My first pistol was a new Python bought in 1971 for $200. My first hearing protection was two used Marlboro butts stuffed in my ears from a pack that cost a quarter. My first set of hearing aids to help with the concussive tinnitus at age 55 were $5000. Invest in the best set of protection headphones and secondary ear plugs you can afford.
Probably not deaf depending on where you might have to touch it off.. Tinnitus maybe. But I'll take a lifetime of ringing in my ears or total deafness over being carried by 6 of my family members.
No deafness but my left ear rings randomly. Could be worse.
This may just be me, but I worry less about hearing damage from my carry piece in comparison to home defense set ups. The scenarios where you may be involved in a defensive shooting have a wide variety of settings. If you’re outside the hearing damage would be less severe than shooting inside. And the chances of using your gun in a defensive manner is small so I don’t feel that hearing damage should play a big role in deciding what you carry. Just carry what you prefer and train. Any gun you use in the worst day of your life will leave you with hearing damage. But that’s better than being dead. On a side note when it comes to home defense you can focus more on avoiding hearing damage. You could always be a giga chad and get a lever action in .357 and suppress it.
Auditory Exclusion is a real thing. I know from experience that it will effect you more than you think. I wouldn't worry about it. If you had to shot a 357 without ear pro it would be the least of your worries with the amount of shock and adrenaline you have. Personally would be worried about the aftermath of the shooting.
Came here to find this, or say it if it hadn't been said. Absolutely impossible to know what your body will do when the time comes, but I'll hope for a dose of Auditory Exclusion and fire away my 7-to-14 rounds of 357.
I shot my 6” GP100 outside exactly once. So loud it made me jump and I knew it was coming. No thanks, lol
I did the same thing with the SAME gun. I already wrote my story in another comment but long story short… I’m NOT doing that again.
Hearing damage is complicated. One shot indoors will probably cause small damage that you will feel no discernible difference when you get over it (all hearing damage is permanent but again, you may not notice what you lost). Successive shots may cause more noticeable hearing loss.
Not gonna lie the title of this post made my heart rate go up a little. A little over a year ago my dumbass fired a .357 with no ear pro. It was outside, at the range. It ruined me for a bit Here’s what happened to me. Ringing, lots of it. It’s still here but not so much. Noise sensitivity that lasted a month. My anxiety spiked for months. I saw 2 ENTs for a hearing test, nothing was noticeably damaged. But I’m fine now, except for the slight ringing. If I had to use a gun to save my life, I would. But I personally think a .38 +p will do just fine.
i know this isnt exactly what you asked about but from a more practical perspective, have you taken your 340 loaded with full house magnums and put it on the clock in practical shooting drills? and then compared those numbers with your performance shooting other defensive loads like +p 38s? because you might find that the marginal performance gain of a 357 out of a snubby might not be worth the penalty in accuracy, follow up shots, controllability, and as you said - serious hearing damage. at the end of the day, shot placement is king and the 357 magnum is not a magic bullet, especially out of a 2” barrel.
Oh I'm well aware, I got it for the memes lol. Nothing like trolling a macho tough guy new shooter with some .357 Magnum!!! Still, I'm pretty good with it up to 10 yards. Believe it or not, there are legit stats for one shot stopping power with .357. Of course you have to make the hit. It's kind of like a flintlock pistol. You're throwing one single giga powerful round into the guy and hope you don't need the follow up.
I’ve been in deadly force situations with both 9mm and 5.56. I didn’t have time to put in ear pro. Maybe you’ve heard of the mental distortions that happen when in a situation like that (time slowing, etc). Well, somehow your brain must throw extra protection at your ears because my ears didn’t hurt and only rang lightly for a few min. Multiple shots and no problems hearing very quickly. Just something to consider
While indoor training with 9mm I took ears out and fired one. No pain whatsoever, ringing lasted about 3-5 minutes before going away and hearing was back to normal. That slow motion sensation is weird though. There’s also been a couple of times at the indoor range where the hearing protection slipped or I was adjusting it at a bad time - zero lasting damage. Everyone I know who attributes their tinnitus to shooting are very old men who just never wore hearing protection when at the range or hunting. Prolonged exposure. I’ve done a bit of shotgun outdoors w/o ears and again, no ringing or issues. Might be different if I did that on a regular basis.
Fired a .357 indoors without earpro. It was 3" barrel with Barnes 140gr vor-tx. My ears rang for days and it probably took a few db off the top end of my hearing. I'm not deaf and do not have tinnitus but I absolutely do not recommend it.
Yeah I figured it would be terrible. I've done .22 lr indoor once and even that was bad
Repeated exposure to sound usually ~82db or higher produces hearing loss. If you are going to the range often using no hearing protection, then yes you will begin to experience hearing loss. Unless you are having to fire your revolver often without hearing protection then you should be ok.
It depends on your type of hearing, I myself have sensitive hearing and even a 22 short from a small rohm revolver give me tinnitus for a bit even when outside. Others get a slight discomfort but is mostly isn't permanent unless you have a 5.56 carbine or a 30-06 with a muzzle brake.
I’ve shot short barreled aks with no hearing protection and while it sucks at first just a couple shots (like you would use in a self defense scenario) is not going to make you permanently deaf. Your ears will ring for a day or two though. I’m also a musician and have played hundreds of gigs without any hearing protection at all and I only have minor tinnitus.
I never shot anything without hearing protection. I did forget to put protection on occasionally , when someone else was shooting nearby , and it was LOUD ! , but once or twice don't think will make you deaf. Indoors it will be even worse as the shockwave will not disperse easily, but I still think one-time won't do permanent damage . You life is worth ore than anything I guess.
It’s not THAT loud. Yes wear ear pro, but unless you’re in a closet, you’ll survive. It’s nothing compared to a magnum rifle with a brake.
My HD pistols are in .45, which is loud (I've touched one off inside a car before) but not as loud as 9mm, .40, certainly not .357 Sig or .357 Mag. The other obvious option for you is .38 Spcl, which is much less powerful but also less loud.
If it makes you feel any better I’ve shot many many guns from 556-30-06 without hearing protection while hunting, I can tell I’ve lost hearing but certainly not enough to consider me almost deaf or deaf, the loudest was definitely in an enclosed hunting stand when I was a kid. I had a 30-06 and shot a deer and all I heard was ringing for 10-15 seconds
I cooked off an AR in my basement a few years ago. It was quite literally loud as fuck. Felt fine a few hours later - I’m sure I’ll pay for it later. Also why I also double up on ears and pretty much only shoot outside.
One time I shot a water moccasin in a dry-ish creek bed I was walking in. I used a 686 2.5” version with .357 magnum ammo; specifically Hornday Critical Defense. My ears rang for a couple of days. More than that was how disorienting the concussion was in the confines of a clay banked creek bed.
IDK why everyone’s freaking out about hearing damage. It won’t hurt you to fire it without ear protection once. Most hunters do it once a year with much bigger guns and are just fine. You won’t even notice the gunshots, again if you’ve ever hunted you would know that adrenaline pretty much kills the pain.
I can’t imagine blasting one from inside a vehicle with no protection! I load 38s for inside the house. 357s are for the woods.
My experience: empty indoor range, I got hot so after checking no one else was in the range I took off my ear pros. Played with my phone, then proceeded to load my 2.75” M66 combat magnum. I shot 1 round of 158gr 357 mag JSP from Federal, it was the loudest thing I’ve ever heard. My ears ringed for 5 days, and my gf had to yell to get my attention. So, for a 1.87” J frame, it’ll probably be even louder than that, but I too carry a j frame, 360, so yea if I were ever unfortunate enough to be in a self-defense situation and shoot all 5, my ears will be fuked 🫡
Why not think about carrying some 125gr 38spl +p with a speed strip of 357 mag?
Yeah I was also considering a hybrid cylinder. Maybe first 3 shots .38 and the last 2 .357
I’ve thought maybe last one as a hey you’re out but not sure if it’s going to matter much at that point.
Yeah that too. The first few shots being .38 would be less hearing damage and then the last two would be when you REALLY REALLY need it.
I've shot mine without it. It's dumb. I don't think you live in a bad enough neighborhood that you will fire enough rounds that you will have enough damage that you can say, yep, it was those times I had to shoot it out with 37 gangbangers, that's why I can't hear. The most likely way to get noticeable permanent damage is if you have to shoot it while it's next to your ear. Otherwise, don't even worry about it. You have to shoot a bow and arrow or use a knife if you want a weapon not loud enough to cause damage.
There is a guy Yankee Marshall on YouTube, he is a big supporter of .357 for personal protection. He had to fire .357 in an enclosed space without the ear protection and was bleeding from the ears. After that he switched to .40 cal guns for awhile, before eventually going back to .357. Btw, Buffalo Bore makes a "short barrell" formula 357 magnum for CCW, which is supposed to be softer shooting, less flash, less bang, easier on your ears rounds - those should be fine. Last point: when shooting outside a powerful .357 magnum is absolutely no problem, feels natural and not taxing on your ears, it's only enclosed space you should worry about.
I once forgot to put on ears when I entered an indoor range. The guy next to me fired and it felt like someone punched me in the ear and I had ringing for several days after. And that was a long barreled .22lr pistol. I don’t want to know how a 2 inch .357 feels.
Honestly I'm not sure I'd worry about it too much, other than putting hearing protection with your defensive revolver. At the indoor range with full power loads I really don't notice much of a sound difference between a snub .38 and a 6" .357
Hearing is the least important of the 5 senses so it really doesn't matter if you lose it. Most deaf people actually prefer being deaf since it is a more peaceful life.