Best hunting load and gun for NO HEARING PROTECTION

[DrCaveman]

What say you

I feel that my 38 spl keith target loads (158-170 gr, 850-950 fps) in a 4" barrel are my limit for a full cylinder without muffs. Thats kinda pushing it

My 45 colt (4.75" barrel) trail boss loads (255 gr @ 750 fps) are also about the top end

357 mag loads are deafening to me. 45 colt unique 8.5 gr also. 44 mag i havent shot much but i think it may be too much. 460 magnum, no way

Seems to me that 41 mag might be a little better...but 200 gr at 1300 fps, its still gonna disorient

I know this is a question asked a million times in a different way, but im wondering if you all have found potent loads at a reasonable decibel level.

Maybe the 45 colt with 300 grain at 650? Accurate in an SAA?

Thanks

Edit: if im just overly sensitive, thats fine, let me know

[Lonegun1894]

I am curious as to what responses you get. I have shot various things enough (and done hearing damage in the process) to where I block out the noise. I still wouldn't recommend this to be a habit, knowing what I have done to my hearing, but understand why you want this. I hunt without hearing protection, except for a suppressor on my .22LR now, but still use .357 Mags, .44 Mags, .45 Colts, and even a 14" .223 Contender and a 10" .30 Herrett, but you get the idea. I don't think you can decrease your muzzleblast enough to be comfortable without slowing the bullets velocity enough to be fairly ineffective. I guess this would depend on your intended game too, but you didn't specify so I'm assuming we're not talking squirrel and rabbit. I think your options are either use hearing protection, or do as I do and just accept the muzzleblast involved. However, please use hearing protection at the very least while practicing, because you will fire much more and do more damage on the practice range than hunting just due to the round count if nothing else.

[Catshooter]

I find the 45 auto 230 to 255 grain loads (no more than normal max) to work ok.

If you shoot right handed you can always stuff the left ear with a plug. The opposite ear usually leads and takes the brunt of the damage.

That's about top end for me.


Cat

[chsparkman]

I now take my electronic muffs with me into the field. I find if I turn them up I can hear movement in the woods much better and when I shoot my ears don't ring. It's a little cumbersome but worth it to me.

[gtgeorge]

I now take my electronic muffs with me into the field. I find if I turn them up I can hear movement in the woods much better and when I shoot my ears don't ring. It's a little cumbersome but worth it to me.

+1 on this. I have found myself doing exactly the same the last couple years and appreciate the sounds I have been missing.

[gunarea]

Hey DrCaveman
For me, either IMR 4227 or Alliant 2400 in a 44 will get the job done with a boom rather than a sharp pop. Our Florida deer are no match for light 44 loads using these propellants and a 215gr Keith type SW. Pig killing here demands much more whump and I do that with heavier slugs. A 315gr cast pushed with 2400 at 900fps drops pigs, even big ones. After several trips out west, I would agree with using power muffs, if only to keep my ears warm. The deer I saw in Oregon, North Nevada and Washington state looked very 44able. Wish I knew how they tasted, I hunt with handgun and never once got a shooting opportunity.

[bobthenailer]

i have 2 pairs of electronic earmuffs for hunting or when shooting matches ! , ear plugs and sometimes plugs with muffs any other time . i hunt with a FA 454 casull and hearing protection is a must for hunting or shooting anytime. FME some powders have more muzzel blast than others in the same burn rate but you would have to experment and find a Decible meter to test noise differences but in any case all should need some type of hearing protection.

[tazman]

I now take my electronic muffs with me into the field. I find if I turn them up I can hear movement in the woods much better and when I shoot my ears don't ring. It's a little cumbersome but worth it to me.

Good idea. I damaged my hearing years ago with a 357 mag and will have problems for the rest of my life. If the electronic muffs have amplifiers built in I could see how that would help as long as there is a cutout for loud noises.

[brtelec]

The electronic muffs are nice. They not only protect against the loud noise they allow you to turn up the volume on normal sound. Having hearing damage from decades of abuse to my ears this is nice. However with the law changes in Arizona that took place in 2012, we can hunt with suppressors now. That took care of that in regards to rifle hunting for me.

[garym1a2]

My guess is a lonnnng barrel rifle with a heavy boolit going slow. I am thinking a Handi-rifle in 45-70 with a big bullet and the speed low with a fast powder. Maybe Trailboss?

[Piedmont]

Veral Smith of LBT molds has written on this. What he does is deep seats a heavy .44 bullet and loads to relatively high pressures with a fast powder in .44 magnum cases. What he says happens is there is a quick pressure peak, combined with a long distance from the base of the bullet until that base has passed the barrel/cylinder gap, then what pressure is left bleeds off out of the gap until the bullet has exited the barrel and this results in a low muzzle pressure.

The low muzzle pressure makes for less noise. The other factors are important too, because you will be getting some noise out of the B/C gap. Using the heavy .44 bullet gave him decent power and using a .44 gave him a strong gun to begin with (unlike, say, a .45 Colt SAA) to load to high pressures. Velocities aren't high, but that is why he uses a heavy, blunt .44 bullet--it still hits hard.

I have not tried this yet but did notice NATO ball 9mm ammo wasn't as loud as I thought it should be from my 4" 9mm revolver. It had the high pressure and long bullet jump to clear the forcing cone. I don't know what type of powder the factory used though (how fast burning it was).

It is an interesting subject.

Brian Pearce has commented many time that low noise is one reason he likes the factory equivalent .45 Colt loads. They operate at low pressure, somewhere in the 14,000-16,000 psi range.

[DougGuy]

I can't believe someone actually posted a thread wanting a quiet hunting boolit. No words.

[ole 5 hole group]

All I can tell you is you'll be paying (in today's dollars) approximately $6,000.00 every 3 to 6 years for hearing aids, if you're lucky enough to live to be older than 65/70.

If you've been in the Service, then it's no financial cost to you, as the VA will take care of that but still, not a good idea if you can prevent it.

[Doc Highwall]

Just to let you know a 22lr out of a (RIFLE) is 140 Decibels well above what it takes to damage your ears.

[chajohnson]

I've been shooting since I was age 7 (NRA small bore), thru military school, and then into the service (Air Force - Security Police). Later, in civilian law enforcement as well. All involved shooting competitively, usually on a team, and also lifelong hunting and hand loading. I've always used hearing protection, except in combat. Something about the adrenalin seems to shut down some senses. Had my hearing checked at the VA Hospital a few months ago and for a 65 year old my hearing is normal. Moral of this is if you take care of your hearing with protection it will continue to work well.

[DrCaveman]

Thanks for the useful responses. Ive seen the charts showing various decibel levels of different calibers, supressed and non-supressed. To say the least, i was unimpressed with the levels of reduction even with a 22. The numbers still showed pain and moderate damage

I am wanting to set up a little test, since i have access to some high quality sound meters. All decibel readings are not the same... Certain frequencies can do more damage than others, and also, hearing loss in certain frequencies is more of a detriment than others.

I wanted some suggestions regarding gun and load, and i think Piedmont has pointed me in a good direction. Also i will shop around for some good electronic muffs.

I mixed sound for live music shows for years, and so that might have made me more sensitive than some. I surely sustained a bit of hearing loss, but nothing like an old fella shooting matches for 30 years with no muffs, and shoeing horses on the side. The only guys my dads age i know that need aids are also the most avid shooters.

Amazing to remember that we neved used plugs or muffs when plinking as a kid. No wonder we saved the 7mag for last, and only shot it about 3-4 times

Hey, i just want to throw in that i hunt waterfowl with no plugs, no prob. Thats with 2-4 guys shooting 12 gauges. Something about that is less damaging than pistols. Probably mostly barrel length and lack of cylinder gap, but maybe the fast shotgun powders help the issue

[NavyVet1959]

My hearing tends to just be impaired to the frequencies that are around the ones of my wife's voice. Unfortunately, not completely deaf to those frequencies since some of her noise still gets through.

[robertbank]

My hearing is damaged. We used to shoot indoors all the time as kids with .22lr thence as I got older hunting birds in Alberta. Damaging your ears is just not worth it. Ringing in your ears was considered normal back in the day after a day iof shooting Northern Mallards.

Wear muffs of some kind. Having a constant ringing in your ears is not fun and if you are lucky enough to have your life partner with you turning the tv set up is not an option.

Take Care

Bob

[JHeath]

I can't believe someone actually posted a thread wanting a quiet hunting boolit. No words.

I can believe it. My ears have rung non-stop for the last 35 years because of a .38 snubbie. Noise management is a major issue for a lot of us.

As noted above, I am pretty sure correctly, the issue is muzzle pressure. Longer barrels with faster powder and heavier bullets. I think Veral Smith is right.

If I return to hunting I'll probably wear earplugs. Depending on the kind of hunting. But I won't be out there with a .30 Carbine Blackhawk, I know that.

[osteodoc08]

My 1894 CB 45 colt with powder puff TB load and 255gr LRNFP is about as quiet as it gets for me. That and Colibri out of my Remington 41 TargetMaster.