Best caliber and bullet for shooting from inside car without hearing protection?

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Best caliber and bullet for shooting from inside car without hearing protection?

Posted: 5/5/2017 12:17:41 AM EDT

I know any handgun in an enclosed space is very bad for hearing but I was wondering if any of you knew if there was a certain caliber load that would be the least damaging if you had to shoot a carjacker through a closed window.

I am wondering if the quietest 230gr .45 ACP load will be perceived as much quieter than a heavy 9mm. At the range .45 ACP seems to have a "less damaging lower" sound. I have never fired handguns except at the range with hearing protection.

I don't want to be overly paranoid but if it were a really bad area you had to be in I suppose you could have some tactical earmuffs on the seat next to you, turned on while you drive. Not saying you would have 2 seconds to put them on but if you "saw it coming" maybe you would. Just to be clear in my personal situation I don't see that as a high enough risk, I was just wondering if this area would be a pro of .45 ACP 230gr.

Thanks in advance for any answers!

Posted: 5/5/2017 9:23:11 AM EDT

[#1]

Get a Gemtech GM-9 for the end of your muzzle and buy some subs...

Posted: 5/5/2017 10:03:19 AM EDT

[#2]

It's called a Knife.

Posted: 5/5/2017 3:40:23 PM EDT

[#3]

@kujoe
Yes, silencer is a good idea I hadn't even thought of that. For a car gun that would make perfect sense.

@morrisammo_1
I've been considering installing a heavy bowie knife concealed right inside my door. The main disadvantage is if they have a gun I'd want a gun. I would agree a good knife keeps someone from dragging you out of a car.

Posted: 5/5/2017 3:46:33 PM EDT

[#4]

Posted: 5/5/2017 10:14:07 PM EDT

[#5]

.22LR std velocity.

Posted: 5/6/2017 12:04:05 AM EDT

[#6]

There's dash cam video of an Oklahoma State Trooper firing his AR15 through the windshield at a murder suspect. He fires more than 30 rounds while driving. He seems to be functioning just fine. I'm sure his hearing suffered though. I imagine pistol fire would be less intense.

Posted: 5/6/2017 6:32:05 PM EDT

[#7]

I've fired from the inside of my car out of necessity before. Auditory Exclusion has it's perks; and adrenaline is a hell of a drug. It's not something you want to do all the time though. I wouldn't worry about it. I had no damaging effects on my hearing. Pistol used was a 9mm BHP, 147gr Golden Sabres were used.

Now if you have some land or a private range an are training/shooting at paper targets or steel silhouettes for practice then you will want some ear pro.

Posted: 5/7/2017 10:23:27 AM EDT

[#8]

Quote History

Quoted:
I've fired from the inside of my car out of necessity before. Auditory Exclusion has it's perks; and adrenaline is a hell of a drug. It's not something you want to do all the time though. I wouldn't worry about it. I had no damaging effects on my hearing. Pistol used was a 9mm BHP, 147gr Golden Sabres were used.

Now if you have some land or a private range an are training/shooting at paper targets or steel silhouettes for practice then you will want some ear pro.

View Quote

Actually, you did have damage, even though it wasn't perceived. Auditory exclusion doesn't "protect" your hearing, it simply allows you to fight through the shock of firing the shots in a closed environment. The sound waves still entered the canal and still shocked your inner ear.

Hearing damage is cummulative over the course of your life.

If you want to minimize the damage to your ears for "in the moment" scenarios, you can't beat a can.

Posted: 5/8/2017 4:08:23 PM EDT

[#9]

Quote History

Quoted:
It's called a Knife.

View Quote

Yep...Caliber doesn't matter they all will damage your hearing inside a car. Though if you really had a stress induced event where you had to shoot, your body wouldn't ever hear the shot until after it was over.

Posted: 5/9/2017 9:02:33 AM EDT

[#10]

Part of the problem is the pressure from the expanding gases so no matter what caliber you still have this issue. Getting your barrel out the window or having multiple windows open will help but anytime you crack off a round in a confined space it is not going to be pleasant. Theoretically the less gas you have expanding out the end of the barrel the better you will be off (this is why suppressors are useful and how the work by containing the pressure wave) but realistically any service caliber is going to suck shooting it off inside your car.

Posted: 5/9/2017 6:51:03 PM EDT

[#11]

Roland Special yo!

Posted: 5/10/2017 2:22:49 PM EDT

[#12]

Auditory Exclusion

View Quote

Does not protect the cochlea from damage.

Posted: 5/18/2017 10:09:17 AM EDT

[#13]

Quote History

Quoted:

Does not protect the cochlea from damage.

View Quote

Correct. And an audiologist explained it me this way: When you are younger you can have an incident that causes a lot of damage but you might experience an apparent recovery to near normal. But when you get older, that damage starts to present as measurable hearing loss.

I avoid +P defensive rounds because so many defensive scenarios are in a car or a room.

Posted: 5/18/2017 11:49:30 AM EDT

[#14]

Quote History

Quoted:
Actually, you did have damage, even though it wasn't perceived. Auditory exclusion doesn't "protect" your hearing, it simply allows you to fight through the shock of firing the shots in a closed environment. The sound waves still entered the canal and still shocked your inner ear.

Hearing damage is cummulative over the course of your life.

If you want to minimize the damage to your ears for "in the moment" scenarios, you can't beat a can.

View Quote View All Quotes

View All Quotes

Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:
I've fired from the inside of my car out of necessity before. Auditory Exclusion has it's perks; and adrenaline is a hell of a drug. It's not something you want to do all the time though. I wouldn't worry about it. I had no damaging effects on my hearing. Pistol used was a 9mm BHP, 147gr Golden Sabres were used.

Now if you have some land or a private range an are training/shooting at paper targets or steel silhouettes for practice then you will want some ear pro.

Actually, you did have damage, even though it wasn't perceived. Auditory exclusion doesn't "protect" your hearing, it simply allows you to fight through the shock of firing the shots in a closed environment. The sound waves still entered the canal and still shocked your inner ear.

Hearing damage is cummulative over the course of your life.

If you want to minimize the damage to your ears for "in the moment" scenarios, you can't beat a can.

Your post was/is in fact, spot on. The damage to my hearing was insignificant because it was the one and only time I've ever had to shoot from inside a closed vehicle. I wish I would have at least had all (4) windows down. I'm 39 now and my hearing is my strongest sense still. My wife sometimes cannot believe I hear her say stuff under her breath in another room, hahahahaha! But I cannot help but think my hearing would be a hair stronger if I had not had that unfortunate incident; because damage on some level certainly occured...

Posted: 5/18/2017 11:53:35 AM EDT

[#15]

Quote History

Quoted:
Yep...Caliber doesn't matter they all will damage your hearing inside a car. Though if you really had a stress induced event where you had to shoot, your body wouldn't ever hear the shot until after it was over.

View Quote View All Quotes

View All Quotes

Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:
It's called a Knife.

Yep...Caliber doesn't matter they all will damage your hearing inside a car. Though if you really had a stress induced event where you had to shoot, your body wouldn't ever hear the shot until after it was over.

This! I remember vividly a lasting tuning fork ping AFTER everything was over for minutes on end. But I didn't "hear" anything during the shots and everything felt as if I was in slow motion.

Posted: 5/18/2017 12:08:56 PM EDT

[#16]

Years ago I was driving down a country road in an old farm truck when a coyote ran across in front of me. The passenger side window was open so I took a shot with my 1911. It was awesome, coyote died, 20 years of dirt stored in the headliner came down on me and I couldn't hear a thing and that was with the drivers side and passenger side windows open. I can't imagine doing that with all the windows closed.

Posted: 5/19/2017 10:58:45 PM EDT

[#17]

Take it from a old shooter with permanent ringing in the ears...As others have said. The damage is cumulative. One trophy animal at a time, doves hunts, quail hunting, AD, took your muffs off to have a conversation at a match..... it all takes a toll on your hearing. In the excitement of the moment..it may not matter. One day it will. shoot with plugs and muffs or with a can.

If your life is at stake, it wont matter.

Or one day you will be old...maybe have a shelf full of trophies, a dozen or so trophy mounts to cover the wall...this ringing in your ears that NEVER goes away.

Back to your question. I have fired several guns from inside a car and more than a few rifles out the passenger side window. None of them were pleasant with the exception of a suppressed UZI.

Posted: 5/19/2017 11:18:38 PM EDT

[#18]

This being arfcom I'm surprised somebody hasn't already insisted on the 6.5 Grendel (cough) as the best caliber.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Best caliber and bullet for shooting from inside car without hearing protection?

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