How loud (quiet) is subsonic .22lr?

[cbrgator]

Perhaps compared to supersonic .22lr? Or compared to an air rifle? I don't know.

 

[ZombiesAhead]

Way louder than an air rifle and not _that_ much quieter than supersonic. It's very handy when firing with a suppressor but if you want a quiet .22 shoot .22 CB longs.

 

[IndianaBoy]

I disagree to a point. I have a CZ with a ~23 inch barrel, and subsonics are noticeably quieter. With a suppressor they would be much quieter than supersonic ammo. If you want hollywood silencer quiet, you will be very disappointed firing them without a can.

 

[cbrgator]

Not looking for a certain level. Just honestly curious.

 

[JShirley]

May also depend on the load. Remington subsonics aren't really noticeably quieter. It's been a while since I had my Dynamit Nobel subs, so I don't remember.

For feral cats at close range, the CBs are good.

John

 

[Jubjub]

Subsonics definitely have a different quality to the sound than high velocity. It's not that much quieter at the muzzle, but the sound that bounces around is much less. It's like a pop instead of a craacckk.

My squirrel gun is a 10/22 loaded with subsonic hollow points. If a shot is a clean miss, they rarely react, and I get another try. That doesn't happen with high velocity ammo, or with guns that require any movement to reload.

 

[JonB]

If a shot is a clean miss

Trade the 10/22 in on a Marlin 60 and you won't have that problem.

 

[briang2ad]

CB Caps are noticeably quieter. Super Sniper Subsonic Colibris are not aqs quiet, but better than a regular 22. If you want essentially air rifle sound and ballistics, go to Super Colibris!

 

[CZguy]

Trade the 10/22 in on a Marlin 60 and you won't have that problem.

Good one.

Subsonic ammo doesn't have the crack of high speed ammo, just the bang.

The only way to find out really is to shoot some.

 

[WardenWolf]

Try .22 Short if you want quiet. I've heard from more than one place that they're quieter than the average air rifle when fired from a full length rifle. Granted, I have not tried it, having only 1 rifle capable of chambering it, and it's currently out of action while I refurbish it.

 

[jpwilly]

It's like a pop instead of a craacckk.

Exactly the Craacckk you refer to is the supersonic bullet breaking the sound barrier. The Pop would be nearly the same between subsonic and supersonic ammo. The pop is the hot gasses suddenly escaping their confines (barrel).

 

[dagger dog]

The Agulia 60 gr sub sonic sniper .22 cal rimfire, out of a 20" barreled 10-22 makes a loud POP about the same as a brown paper sack (lunch bag size) makes when inflated and smacked agsainst the hand. Very quiet and could be even less with a pop bottle supressor.

 

[Jubjub]

Trade the 10/22 in on a Marlin 60 and you won't have that problem.

Believe me, when I miss it's me, not the gun. It has a VQ tension barrel, and shoots well under half an inch at 50 yards off the bench with the Eley subsonic HP ammo that we go hunting with. The squirrels seem to have a way of making the shots much more challenging than a bench session.

 

[redneck2]

The Agulia 60 gr sub sonic sniper .22 cal rim fire, out of a 20" barreled 10-22 makes a loud POP about the same as a brown paper sack (lunch bag size) makes when inflated and smacked against the hand.

They are not as quiet as I thought they'd be. That said, I can hear them when I shoot but my neighbors can't. Guess it's proximity. As noted, the lack of sonic crack has to be a factor.

FWIW...they are very accurate out of my Browning BLR. I've head shot muskrats at 60 yards. Don't get a hit every time, but it's often enough to know that they're pretty good.

 

[black_powder_Rob]

i shoot 22 lr from CCI they are the low velocity and low noise ones. When i hold the bolt closed on my marlin 60 it is very close to the sound of an air gun. I actually had my wife try to tell the difference while she was in the house. I fired my air rifle and then the marlin 60 with the LNLV rounds, she couldn't tell which was which. and yes i was out in the back yard.

 

[fireman 9731]

Yep, If you want quite, the CB shorts are the way to go, The loudest noise I hear is the hammer falling on my Henry!

 

[jgatsios]

It sounds like hands clapping. It hits about as hard as hands clapping, too.

Don't trust it in a semi-auto...single shot, lever, pumps and revolvers only.