I shot two deer with my 45-70 guide gun as they were running by in the woods. This was the first time I had shot the gun without hearing protection. 3 shots is 10 seconds or less (one needed a coup de gras). I could not hear out of my left ear for a week. That gun went down the road after that. I now have a guide gun unported. It is not the gun.
There are usually a bunch of nay sayers that it is no louder than x gun and you must be a whimp to suffer hearing loss. This is my experience. No one can deny that.
Everyone at the range notices someone shooting the guide gun, ported or not.
