Hearing Loss in the Old West?

Cobol2Java · Dec 4, 2020

I'm a fan of the 50's black & white Old West TV shows, and I've been wondering whether gunslingers suffered hearing loss from shootouts, especially in saloons.

From doing some casual research, I learned that both Buffalo Bill and Annie Oakley complained of hearing loss later in life. Of course, one could argue that most gun fighters in the Old West may not have lived long enough to notice hearing loss, LOL.

Also, there are some historians who say that black powder ammunition is not as loud as today's powder. But, if not from handguns, then more likely hearing damage would have come from rifles and shotguns - such as .50 caliber Sharps rifles, Springfields, or Remington Rolling Blocks. All were large caliber and extremely loud.

And of course, the Old West was not really as "Wild" as depicted on the TV shows. Despite what you may see on "Gunsmoke", Dodge City had a strict ordinance against carrying weapons in town - you turned them in to the Sheriff and got them back when you left. I'm sure Kitty would have actually seen more fistfights in the Long Branch than gun fights, I guess, heh...

Finally, I wonder if anyone in the Old West stuffed wax or something else in their ears. Don't know.

Melnic · Dec 4, 2020

Civil War soldiers would have had more hearing loss due to the volume of fire and the duration.
Occasional outdoor pistol black powder shooting would not likely be as rough as Buffalo Bill and Annie Oakley who did it weekly and maybe practiced more often.
Tinnitus takes effect with a compounding of how loud and how many times.

I would bet an infantryman of Vietnam would have had it even worse as I have read that Vietnam infantry men were on average in more fire fights than any other war.
Not sure if this is true but I have read this comparison from several places:
https://www.uswings.com/about-us-wings/vietnam-war-facts/

Fact: The average infantryman in the South Pacific during World War II saw about 40 days of combat in four years. The average infantryman in Vietnam saw about 240 days of combat in one year thanks to the mobility of the helicopter. One out of every 10 Americans who served in Vietnam was a casualty. 58,148 were killed and 304,000 wounded out of 2.7 million who served. Although the percent that died is similar to other wars, amputations or crippling wounds were 300 percent higher than in World War II. 75,000 Vietnam veterans are severely disabled. MEDEVAC helicopters flew nearly 500,000 missions. Over 900,000 patients were airlifted (nearly half were American). The average time lapse between wounding to hospitalization was less than one hour.

gwchem · Dec 4, 2020

I don't think they shot nearly the same volume of rounds as some of us.

Cobol2Java · Dec 4, 2020

My Son-in-Law was in the Infantry during the Gulf War, and he complains about some hearing loss. Also back pains from carrying those 50-pound packs and gear heh.

Bullfrog · Dec 4, 2020

Cobol2Java said:
But, if not from handguns, then more likely hearing damage would have come from rifles and shotguns - such as .50 caliber Sharps rifles, Springfields, or Remington Rolling Blocks. All were large caliber and extremely loud.

oh?

I see your 'large caliber' rifles and raise you... 40 to 50 cannons firing in an enclosed space.

There were a lot of unhealthy vocations in those days.

Alan3413 · Dec 4, 2020

Warfighting is generally an unhealthy vocation in any era.

Bullfrog · Dec 4, 2020

Alan3413 said:
Warfighting is generally an unhealthy vocation in any era.

Very true... but the individual risk has decreased dramatically in recent conflicts, at least for the side with the significant technological advantage.

tourrider · Dec 4, 2020

WHAT ??

I'm sure it takes it toll.

Growing up in the 60's-70's we never heard of hearing protection as we were out in the woods with our shotguns and rifles. Even when Dad brought out his colt 357 for the boys to fire off a few. No wonder why my two older brothers have new fangled hearing aids, and they say I need to get checked, but I cant hear them say it.

Jed195 · Dec 4, 2020

TheOriginalMexicanBob · Dec 4, 2020

It's been about twenty yers since I first started having hearing issues and Tinnitus. When I went to a hearing specialist and he looked in my ears, he asked "Have you been around guns a lot?" I answered yes and a lot of very loud rock concerts when younger.

My last hearing test several months ago show my hearing loss at abut 50% in one ear and somewhat better in the other plus the ringing in one ear is still there. I guess if I had to choose I'd rather lose some of my hearing than my eyesight.

Blacksmith101 · Dec 5, 2020

TheOriginalMexicanBob said:
It's been about twenty yers since I first started having hearing issues and Tinnitus. When I went to a hearing specialist and he looked in my ears, he asked "Have you been around guns a lot?" I answered yes and a lot of very loud rock concerts when younger.

My last hearing test several months ago show my hearing loss at abut 50% in one ear and somewhat better in the other plus the ringing in one ear is still there. I guess if I had to choose I'd rather lose some of my hearing than my eyesight.

Do you wear glasses yet?

Hearing aids, glasses, teeth are getting fewer, wife with metal parts installed, getting old sucks but it is better than looking at the brown side of the grass and I can still out shoot some of the young whippersnappers.

duckslayer · Dec 5, 2020

What?
Seriously my hearing is going as well no ear plugs when I was younger plus lots of diesel motors. The relief when the Detroit was stopped at the end of the day was actually a physical release.
As to the old west the black powder loads were lower pressure and don’t have the sharp crack. Though I’m sure they lost hearing ,they had to. Also I don’t think they had as many other damaging environmental issues like loud radios, rock concerts ,etc.

Bikebreath · Dec 5, 2020

Clovis · Dec 5, 2020

Fan of the 50's and 60's westerns myself. I can't think the actors working on all the sets even with blanks were not suffering from hearing loss, especially with all the retakes that may have been necessary. Some of these actors were in small roles in nearly every show.

K31 · Dec 5, 2020

Bikebreath said:
.

I hate this commercial.

About all they get right is that unaddressed hearing loss can cause isolation.

Bikebreath · Dec 6, 2020

K31 said:
I hate this commercial.

About all they get right is that unaddressed hearing loss can cause isolation.

"I love you."

"What?"

:lol:

Saccharin sweet crap.

TheOriginalMexicanBob · Dec 6, 2020

Blacksmith101 said:
Do you wear glasses yet?

Hearing aids, glasses, teeth are getting fewer, wife with metal parts installed, getting old sucks but it is better than looking at the brown side of the grass and I can still out shoot some of the young whippersnappers.

Oh, yeah...reading glasses are a must after having cataracts removed. Not a big deal but a pain to carry the glasses with me everywhere. I have a set in most every room of the house.

Teeth...no problem...have always had good teeth.

I know exactly when my hearing issues began...back in the '70s I saw many rock concerts...saw Ten Years After at Merriwether and was sitting close to the stage...at the end Alvin Lee hit a chord on his guitar then leaned it against a huge speaker and walked off stage. The feedback was so loud and piercing my left ear rang for days and has never been the same. That's the ear with Tinnitus and maybe 50% hearing now.

I went to a lot of rock concerts...as the saying goes...got to see all the cool bands. That and a lot of shooting over time...even with hearing protection...has taken its toll.

But...as you say...it's better than the alternative. Every day you wake up sucking air you've cheated the Grim Reaper out of another one.

remrug · Dec 6, 2020

duckslayer said:
What?
Seriously my hearing is going as well no ear plugs when I was younger plus lots of diesel motors. The relief when the Detroit was stopped at the end of the day was actually a physical release.
As to the old west the black powder loads were lower pressure and don’t have the sharp crack. Though I’m sure they lost hearing ,they had to. Also I don’t think they had as many other damaging environmental issues like loud radios, rock concerts ,etc.

lawn mowers,chainsaws,weed trimmers...etc

MaxVO2 · Dec 6, 2020

remrug said:
lawn mowers,chainsaws,weed trimmers...etc

****Jewish Grandmothers.... :lol:

"Max: Bubbe will Plotz if you marry a Shiksa! Now eat your soup! You will hopefully remember me after I'm dead when her food isn't as good as mine, right!!!??"

Blacksmith101 · Dec 7, 2020

MaxVO2 said:
****Jewish Grandmothers....

"Max: Bubbe will Plotz if you marry a Shiksa! Now eat your soup! You will hopefully remember me after I'm dead when her food isn't as good as mine, right!!!??"

If her cooking was good just imagine how good her husbands Grandmother's cooking must have been.

Hearing Loss in the Old West?

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