22 short rifle - sound signature vs barrel length?

[daveoakley]

I have gift card for a box store -- and looking at two rifles -- a lever action 22 with an 18" barrel, and a bolt action with a 22" barrel.
My desire is to have something to shoot 22 shorts and 'have fun' too.
I know that a longer barrel in subsonic rounds will be quieter -- but will 3" make a difference? (I really want the lever for fun factor, but if the bolt is noticeably quieter, I'll go with that -- plus is cheaper and I can spend the money on ammo, when they get some....)

 

[Certaindeaf]

I'd get the lever. pow pow!

 

[holdencm9]

I doubt there's a difference in .22 short. Even in .22LR, most of the velocity and powder burn is accomplished in the first few inches of travel through the bore.

 

[firesky101]

.22 shorts will be pretty darn quiet out of an 18" barrel. Maybe not quieter than an air gun like my old remington 41p with darn near a mile of barrel hanging out there, but quiet.

 

[natman]

I have gift card for a box store -- and looking at two rifles -- a lever action 22 with an 18" barrel, and a bolt action with a 22" barrel.
My desire is to have something to shoot 22 shorts and 'have fun' too.
I know that a longer barrel in subsonic rounds will be quieter -- but will 3" make a difference? (I really want the lever for fun factor, but if the bolt is noticeably quieter, I'll go with that -- plus is cheaper and I can spend the money on ammo, when they get some....)

Not to quibble but 22 to 18 inches is a 4 inch difference. Yes, it will be somewhat quieter with the longer barrel.

 

[daveoakley]

What's to quibble about? that's not a disputed fact -- the question is if 4" will make a noticeable difference? I don't want to say "yes, with a decibel meter, you can see it's quieter" -- I was wondering if it was noticeably (ie: with the human ear) different...
It's almost a moot point (I would still buy one, but...) -- They had neither fire arm, and after asking "Why would you put one on sale, then have none, and not offer to order one?" they didn't have any ammo either -- so I bought some 270 and 7.62x39 (only ammo they had that I could use) I was really looking forward to a cheap quiet rifle to plink around with... This ammogeddon is annoying... not to mention the fire-armageddon. I want to find 22 brass and load my own at this point...

 

[Gordon]

I use 27"old Winchester 67sand 69s and the sound is likean air rifle if the short is standard velocity. Actually some HV shorts are slowed enough bythe long barrel that they are just subsonic and thus very quiet.CZ also offers a long 27" barrel model.

 

[daveoakley]

Thanks -- will have a look at those.

 

[LeontheProfessional]

22 short is significantly quieter than 22 lr out of a rifle barrel. We used to use 22 short rounds to pop rabbits in our back yard and the neighbors never thought anything of it.

Edit: You can shoot them in a semiauto rifle like a 10/22 but you just have to single load them.

 

[Starter52]

Every summer we shoot .22 target shorts from Henry rifles and Savage bolt actions side-by-side at the same range. I've learned to tell the difference in the two reports, but the difference is slight. Truth is, both guns are pretty quiet with .22 shorts. Often the sound of the bullet hitting the dirt backstop is just as loud.

Bottom line - not much difference.

 

[daveoakley]

Every summer we shoot .22 target shorts from Henry rifles and Savage bolt actions side-by-side at the same range. I've learned to tell the difference in the two reports, but the difference is slight. Truth is, both guns are pretty quiet with .22 shorts. Often the sound of the bullet hitting the dirt backstop is just as loud.

Bottom line - not much difference.

Thanks -- that's exactly what I was after -- so the 4 (or more) doesn't make enough difference to matter -- glad they were out of the marlin then -- wish they did have the henry -- but now my search will be more focused; thanks. You can't be lever actions for fun factor...

 

[TIMC]

I would get whatever you want it will not make much difference. If you really want quiet then get a suppressor if they are legal in your state. They can be vewy-vewy quiet!

 

[daveoakley]

They are legal here (Washington state) -- but at the cabin (there's more than 1 cabin on the river) is in california, where it seems less and less is legal there. That's what the ultimate goal is .

I did read an interesting idea -- it was the use of a 55 gallon barrel and add dampners and then shoot "thru" the barrel -- (Open on both ends, at a shooting bench) Since it's not attached to the firearm, it's not a silencer as defined by feds...

For here -- it would be fun, but down in california it'd just get me arrested.

 

[RedBowTies88]

Yes there is a noticeable sound difference with the 4" shorter barrel.

I have a Marlin xt22 and 795

There is a difference in both LR's and Shorts... however the blowback action of the 795 may also add a bit to the volume

 

[daveoakley]

How do you like the xt22? ok accuracy? Any cheap brittle/plastic parts? I have a model 60 from the 80's and it's been a really nice shooter. It has one hard plastic piece but surprisingly, it hasn't been an issue.

 

[RedBowTies88]

The XT is an awesome rifle function and accuracy wise, but you need to remember it is a $189 piece so it's not as perfect looking as some more expensive guns. However it doesn't feel cheap. What it does feel with the synthetic stock is nose heavy... So I would recommend the wood option if you can find it.

The trigger is amazing out of the box, and mine with the tube magazine feels like you're never going to run out of ammo! Accuracy is impeccable and the action is smooth.

 

[daveoakley]

Right -- I have a fondness for inexpensive rifles... especially if they're accurate and don't feel cheap... thanks.

 

[Gordon]

For some oddreason these are the quiet non suppressed rifles I've found in 50 years of trying hundreds.
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=340069447

 

[CaliCoastie]

Don't know who says there's not much of a difference, i imagine its going to also have to do with ammo. I have tried the quietest ammo i could find from my 39a(24"barrel) to a cricket we have(16" barrel). Huge difference, and this was with quiet ammo. Is say ask some friends(who have some 22's), go shooting with them and some of the ammo your looking at using and seeing the difference first hand, then make your decision.

 

[daveoakley]

I would expect that 8" would be a difference... 4" wasn't so sure about...
Unfortunately, most of my friends are either avid hunters (and think of the 22 as a childs round) or non-gunners... so I really don't know too many that shoot the 22 around here --and hanging out at the range usually results in seeing expensive target shooting rifles rather than 'el cheapos" -- Even a kid that was shooting laughed at my glenfield (marlin) 60....

--

I'll see if I can't find a winchester 67...
thanks