Absolutely use hearing protection. If you are shooting off a bench, you get additional blast from the bench or shooting enclosure, making doubly important. I am a pretty big guy, but allways wear a heavy sweater and coat when shooting, or pad my shoulder if firing more than a few shots. Things add up to create a flinch. Practice dry firing each day, (first of course double ensuring an empty weapon with magazine, etc. removed). Pick a fine spot on a wall, practice the slow squeeze, breathing and follow through. You need to re-learn habits to break the flinch habit.