I am speaking here of cannons like the .505 Gibbs and .450 Ackley. The problem is partly psychological and partly physical, but it also has a lot to do with blast and concussion. Obviously, when sitting at a bench in a covered firing line, you wear both ear plugs and shooting muffs, which dull the sound, and you may even use a sandbag between buttstock and shoulder, which reduces the impact.
Nothing, however, can be done about the concussion. This is all made much worse by muzzle brakes, which may
