Lower Noise loads

[roundgun]

What are your favorite regular loads or subsonic loads to reduce noise.

[Outpost75]

In any .30 cal. rifle from 7.62x39 to .30-'06, 4 grains of Bullseye with SOFT lead 125-150-grain PLAINBASED bullet, is good starting load, lightest which reliably exits barrel in .30-'06 without fail. No filler is needed. You can increase up to 6 grains of Bullseye as accuracy indicates. Above that loads will no longer be subsonic. Titegroup, WST, 231, Red Dot, Green Dot, 700X, etc. can be used with similar results. These bullets from Accurate are designed especially for this "gallery practice" purpose:

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A good source for load data is: http://www.gmdr.com/lever/lowveldata.htm

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[Tatume]

Using a large diameter, long barrel makes a difference too. The difference in sound levels for a long-barreled High Power Rifle target rifle and a 20" hunting rifle is dramatic, if light and quiet loads are fired.

[Outpost75]

Off the shelf recipe is to fire .38 wadcutters from a 24" .357 or .45 Colt lead Cowboy loads from a similar length barrel, lead .44 Specials from a 24" .44 Magnum, etc.

[roundgun]

Thanks for the tips gents. now I have to cast a bunch of different bullets and vary my powders and test shoot all of these loads. Oh the agony, but I'm committed.:bigsmyl2:

[dverna]

Good post Outpost75 Nothing to add!

[w5pv]

I shoot 45C from a 24" Barrel Rossi,My loads are a 255 cast lrfn over 6.4 grains of titegroup.Very little noise or heavy recoil.In my revolver it is a lot louder and heavier recoil but still manageable and not a wrist or hand wrecker.

[tja6435]

2.7gr Bullseye under 50-60gr cast boolits in .223 Rem, less noise than a .22lr out of a rifle.

[historicfirearms]

My Marlin 1894 shooting a medium load of 38 specials, is o E of my quietest guns. You can probably shoot it safely without ear protection.

[Michael J. Spangler]

I shoot my little 1894C with 148 wadcutters and 2.5 grains of clays. Quiet enough to not need hearing protection.
I'm sure I could go lower with the powder but never got around to trying it.
That's a 16" barrel. I'm sure anything longer would give less noise.

Accurate enough to lob into the 200 yard gong 10/10 resting on a bench.
Up close they shoot great.


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[ironhead7544]

For Squibb loads, 2 to 4 grs of Unique with your favorite cast bullet. You will have to find the lightest that will clear the barrel.

I used to use the 158 gr 38 cast bullets in my 358 Winchester rifle. Good accuracy at 25 yards and about as powerful as a 4 inch 38 Special revolver.

You have to keep the brass for the bottleneck cartridges separate from ones that are used for full power loads. Do a search for Squibb loads for more info.

[John Taylor]

Picked up some CCI quiet ammo that seems to do the job. These are 22 LR that are around 740 fps. Says on the box to use barrels that are 24" or less. I use standard velocity ammo in my 29" model 90 that makes about as much noise as an air rifle. Got to be careful with light loads, I have had several guns come in with bullets stuck in the barrel. Making a new barrel now for a Ruger 44 mag rifle that must have at least 10 stuck and several bulges. Had a Colt Bisley with 7 and a S&W with 10. The only reason the S&W did not have more was the cylinder would not turn because one bullet was half way in the barrel. Some people think they can just fire another round and push the stuck bullet out with it, most of the time this will ring the barrel. I took 10 bullets out of a camp 9 and it had several rings in the bore but it still shot OK, but then they probably were not that accurate when new.

[Michael J. Spangler]

Scary what some people do with their guns.


The 22 quiet is awesome stuff. Hits with authority considering how quiet it is.


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