A local store here in Alaska has the 460 XVER in an 83/8 inch barrel and I am considering purchase for Bear protection.

We hunt in Collinsville once a year and encountered a griz and a black bear last year while moose hunting on separate days, each time from a good distance. The grizzly is now in my buddy’s den.

We get around on six wheelers with my 338 Win Mag across my back which is not quickly accessible for a shot in a bear attack. I’m considering the 460 with a Galco chest holster for a real put down weapon over the hot loaded 10mm I currently wear.

Should I ever discharge that thing without ear protection is that permanent damage to my hearing pretty much?

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We have not talked about bear guns in forever.

Two thoughts immediately come to mind - a rifle scabbard for quicker access, or some form of hearing protection such as earplugs that cut off noise above a certain dB threshold. Of course, if you just want a .460 that is no problem either.

Do you fire your .338 without hearing protection?

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

I'd stick with the 10mm.

But then, there are no Grizzly bears in S.E. TX.

You will regret a long barrel anything in bear country... because they are just so un-handy. Just get a Glock 10mm or a short barrel revolver - if a short shotgun is not your style.

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S&W factory revolver armorer

Everyone likes bear gun threads. But this is more of an ear gun thread than a bear gun thread. Jus' sayin'....

I'm skipping the gun advice part........

Here's the deal. You know that the .460 is loud. But if there's a choice between saving your life and some hearing loss I think the former idea is your real plan. Will you damage your hearing a little? Likely. Especially if you fire it more than once. The long barrel will be somewhat helpful in diminishing the decibels in front of your face.

Many years ago, whilst deer hunting, I was carrying an old H&R 9 shot, 2" .22 caliber revolver. As the day wore on and I was returning to camp, annoyed and bored, I took some target practice with it in a grove surrounded by trees. No ear protection. It was deafening, especially because the sound came back to me due to the trees. My ears rang all evening. That is just one incident in a lifetime of shooting guns and I'm sure it contributed to my tinnitus but so did every other shot I ever fired, indoors or outside, with or without ear protection. Mostly with ear protection for that matter but it doesn't matter, there's bone conduction, too, and it is cumulative. So one or two shots from a .460 to save your life or someone else's is just a small drop in the decibel bucket of your lifetime of shooting. I wouldn't spend a lot of time worrying about it even if the likelihood of a bear is higher than in downtown Dallas, Texas.

For the record, my bear gun is a Model 25 in .45 Colt. Should I happen to be in bear country - which is exceedingly unlikely.

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Come and take it!!

The answer is, perhaps.

You might end up with Tinnitus, a ringing in your ears that may not go away (ask me how I know).

Why not go out with some ear plugs, not the typical earphones we wear at the range? You can get used to those and still hear everything - they just might take the edge off a really, really loud sound that you're close to.

I live with black bears nearby. I usually wear a 357, 41, or 44 revolver while hiking, but that's mostly for mean dogs. Our NM bears are a lot more afraid of people than people are of them. A few injuries a decade happen, usually with folks sleeping in remote areas.

To somewhat play of the "need an ar15" thread but an AR pistol in .50 Beowulf, .458 SOCOM, or any of the other big ones, with a 10 round magazine mounted in a holster on an ATV would serve well.

Just my opinion, but I'd gladly ask people to speak up, as long as we were around to speak at all.

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The best I can with what I got

I always carry a pair of electronic ears when I am handgun hunting. A good pair will actually enhance you hearing, and protect your hearing if you shoot. Keep your ears warm too.

I have worn ear muffs for so many years on various ranges, and while just shooting in general, that wearing them seems like second nature. Usually not when hunting with a .22 rifle, and sometimes not with a centerfire rifle either, but that is why I hear crickets in February...

Larry

That 8 3/4” 460 is no quicker to get into action than the 338 slung on your back, so this seems to me to be an itch looking for an excuse to scratch.

Buy it if its calling.

The noise is a big deal: probably won’t deafen you outright but you risk lifetime tinnitus. That’s no minor annoyance: the CEO of Texas Roadhouse committed suicide because of it in the past week.

If you are seriously concerned about your hearing. Invest $400 for some Otto ear buds. They work great and have 2 modes. With one they protect your hearing but amplify ambient sounds. Great for listening to nature. Otto has a MAP of $399, but if you PM me, I can tell you where to get 10% off.


Sent from my SM-N986U using Tapatalk

Every round you fire of high velocity ammo without ear protection will have a negative impact on your hearing; mostly in the high frequency range. Some of that you won't miss at all, eventually some you will. I fired a few rounds of 106mm recoilless rifle and 50 cal MG without hearing protection many years ago (we were tough in those days. . .and stupid) and I can still hear. . . .a little. Oddly enough, and rambling here a bit, that might have saved my life as afterwards I couldn't pass a flight physical so no pilot training for me. Life expectancy for UH-1 pilots wasn't all that long at the time so maybe just as well. A couple of 460 rounds to save your butt from a griz isn't going to be a big deal. Go ahead, buy that 460. Mine has been in the safe for years; sighted it in once, that was enough for me. Good luck.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

I shot a 460 once, WITH hearing protection.
I felt the concussive THUMP when that thing went off - hit me right in the chest.
I'm thinking with no ear protection hearing damage would be a given.
But as others have said, better deaf than dead.

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Send lawyers, guns & money...

What did ya say?

WEAR YOUR EARPLUGS!

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Send lawyers, guns & money...

Only without a muzzle break.

Well that’s just wrong on both points, but it’s always cute to shade motives we have no idea about. Occasionally I’ll use my gun boot for the rifle. You can see the boot frame on the six wheeler left side.

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I live with black bears nearby. I usually wear a 357, 41, or 44 revolver while hiking, but that's mostly for mean dogs. Our NM bears are a lot more afraid of people than people are of them. A few injuries a decade happen, usually with folks sleeping in remote areas.

My local outdoor range has a roof guns are very loud. I shot a blackbear in the wilds with a 338 win.mag. I never heard the shot. I guess it’s the open air that absorbs the noise. I took a practice shot with it on top of a mountain the blast rolled across the cloud cover so bad the whole town heard that shot. It never bothered my ears. But at 70 yo I’m losing some hearing. But I can hear most of the time.

I wonder if the German and newer American army helmets with the angled flared out sides deflect some of the noise.

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Plant garlic in the fall

This may have been asked a hundred times before, but what did shooters do before hearing protection was prevalent? Just go deaf?

My misses thought she was feeding the deer till I seen the fresh bear scat and tracks in the freshly tiled garden. We finally seen a 400# bear roaming by near the property line. Years later a cub showed up. Very docile and wanted to be friendly. I had no problem but what about the other humans. Not all of us are good hearted. There has been stupid bear shooters for no reason. The sow was in his garage, no real threat so he shot it. Next I had its cub on my property. We left it alone.

Trust me to defend myself I’ll do what I have to do. I worry about two legged humans first.

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Plant garlic in the fall

I wouldn't take the chance even with this. But it sure helps quite a bit.

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Μολὼν λαβέ
NRA Life Member

Yes. Maybe not deaf but they developed hearing impairments beyond what the average joe did with age.

As for the 460 without protection? Very bad idea. I had a TC Contender with a Super 14 barrel in 7X30 Waters.
One time and one time only did I forget to put the ear protection in. I had a ringing in my ear that made hearing very difficult and it lasted for 3 or 4 days.
I doubt the 460 is any more forgiving of careless acts. Personally, I won’t hunt with anything that absolutely requires hearing protection for just one shot and wont ever wear hearing protection when hunting. You need to be aware of every noise around you.
Your opinions may vary, just my experience

You will have some permanent partial hearing loss. The bear will have permanent total hearing loss.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I use the Triple K Big Thunder scoped torso rig for my 629 6.5" with a Trijicon RMR 2 red dot. They also have the same rig for non-scoped. I really like the Triple K rig much better than the Galco chest holster I already have. The Triple K adjusts in less than 60 seconds to fit, such as wearing hot weather T shirt to wearing very cold weather parka. The Galco adjustment takes much more time and multiple try on then adjust etc.

Don

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U.S. Coast Guard, retired CPO

In 2015 I shoot a charging grizzly with a 460, I was wearing hearing protection and my guide who was about 12 feet to my left was not. His ears have been ringing ever since.

While i don't want to turn your post into another bear thread. If you don't have the gun in your hands and are not attentive, a charging bear with malice in his eyes is going to get to you before you get a shoot off. Your gun need to be in your hands not in a holster on on your shoulder.

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be safe
Ruggy

Heh!! "Non-Adult caliber"... That'll git somethin' stirred up!!

I found this info with a quick search, Quote: "The highest NRR rating for earplugs is 33, and the highest available NRR rating for earmuffs is 31. These values reflect the level of noise protection available for each device when worn alone. Combining earplugs with earmuffs can offer a NRR protection level of 36."

Hope this helps!!


Non-Adult..... 🤣😂🤣😂🤣

I do have a .460XVR. Do please use ear protection.

No, I don't know where you can find slugs!

Good question and I think it will not be good for you.

About 25 years ago I shot and killed a nice buck with my Model 29 4'' full powered loads. Of course out hunting no sort of ear protection I wanted to be able to hear things approaching.

After I fired and ascertained the buck was dead I re holstered reflected a few minuets on my good fortune. We were hunting on private property and I knew my buddy would know it was me that fired and come over. About a 1/2 hour later he arrived and came up from behind me and then I finely heard him yelling. He had yelled to me a few times and I never heard him til he was about 10' away. The rumblings in my ears covered up everything.

I could not even begin to hear sort of decent for at least 2 hours and that was with plenty of background noise that garbled a lot. It took 2 days to fully regain my hearing and I had headaches for about the same time. Since then I have had bouts of tinnitus on and off. Sometimes its not too bad and other times its rather nasty.

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14 S&W Revs none with locks!

i don't have a 460, but i can tell you that my muzzle braked rifle is significantly louder than similarly powerful guns without a brake. all my emergency use guns are un-braked in case i don't have time to put ear pro on.

Regarding the whole "bear defense" scenario, There's a study that shows a wide variety of handguns being successfully used to stop a bear attack. It seems that being able to get hits quickly and accurately does matter. The study has been posted several times in similar threads here.

This is different from "hunting", where an ethical one-shot kill at longer ranges is desirable.

My opinion (and it is just that, issued from the safety of my armchair), is that any reasonably powerful handgun with the right ammunition that you can use quickly, repeatably, and accurately at short range may be a better choice than something that might work better in a hunting scenario. Each individual must make that choice for themselves.

For me, that would probably mean a Glock Model 20/40 or a Smith and Wesson 686+ (probably four-inch). That's based on MY history of drawing, handling, and shooting long-slide Glocks and L-frames.

Your experience may vary.

This is similar to the other end of the spectrum when hunting large dangerous game in Africa with big bore rifles.
If your keester is on the line you'll never feel the recoil!
I'd guess the same would apply here if staring down a large bear - but its the blast that will be immediately forgotten.

Overall sounds expensive and an incredible waste of money.

I hunt deer with my 14" 460XVR up north. I always use a minimum of active noise reduction (ANR) ear muffs.

The ear muffs keep my ears warm. I can hear better than with bare ears. Sound direction is not compromised since each cup has its own microphone. I can hear the rustle of leaves and branches and know which direction any sound is coming from.

But it's really not sufficient for the 460XVR. I insert passive ear plugs into my ears and use the ANR on top. I turn the volume up on the ANR so I can still hear sounds through the passive plugs.

They don't come off unless there's no chance of shooting, e.g., when indoors. I don't want to be caught unprotected in case I need to shoot quickly so fortunately, I can't answer how deaf you'll end up.

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NRA Benefactor - Life

I would expect a full strength .460 load to cause some permanent damage. Most loads are operating around 55,000 PSI and obviously pushing a bullet way past the speed of sound. When it comes to noise level it’s basically a short barreled rifle with a barrel cylinder gap to make it even louder.

Tis better to be a little deaf and with tinnitus than to end up as Bear poop. A shorter Barrel like a 5 or six inch might be easier to handle and Quicker on the draw

I would rather have tinnitus instead of being a memory and name on a cross surrounded by a bunch of flowers on the side of a trail.