Eh?What'd you say?...couldn't hear ya.J/K.I would get some kind of hearing protection,no matter what.Your hearing is worth the money.You shouldn't need to hear him if he's close.I mean it's an Elk they are huge you can see him 100yds away right?I wouldn't take a chance on losing my hearing.I think also your trigger may be a little stiff causing the flinch.A pachmayer pad will get rid of the kick also.My '06 doesn't kick near as much as it did before the pachmayer.My wife shoots it,and she doesn't flinch with a 150gr bullet.I could imagine what 180gr loads would kick like though.Assuming that's the size bullet you are using.Hope I helped.