Does anyone know the sound level in decibels for calibers .44 mag, .460 and .500 and for different barrel lengths in those calibers? I've searched but can't find any test data. I'm thinking of a situation where you can't wear hearing protection. If there is a significant difference between different calibers and and barrel lengths, it could be a factor in choosing a gun for hiking in bear country (since one isn't going to wear hearing protection when hiking). Subjective impressions would be quite interesting but I'm most interested in test data if anyone knows of any.
How many decibels with big bore hand cannons?
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Depends on the load and where you shoot it. A wide open meadow won't sound like a shot fired into the ground in a deep tree-thick hollow.
Defensively, hearing protection is your least concern--you want to keep your ears and eyes open. Thais goes for pleasure hikers NOT in bear country. Could go for bird watching or whatever.
I know often when hunting with a full power rifle, the shot doesn't really 'register' as a gunshot would, say at the range.
I fired a 44 magnum with a 7.5 inch barrel and a 300 gr bullet into the ground about 15 feet or so from a bear in 2007 near Crested Butte, CO. Early morning, light fog, wide open meadow campsite partially encircled with vehicles. It was enough to ring my ears. It didn't bother the bear much.
Defensively, hearing protection is your least concern--you want to keep your ears and eyes open. Thais goes for pleasure hikers NOT in bear country. Could go for bird watching or whatever.
I know often when hunting with a full power rifle, the shot doesn't really 'register' as a gunshot would, say at the range.
I fired a 44 magnum with a 7.5 inch barrel and a 300 gr bullet into the ground about 15 feet or so from a bear in 2007 near Crested Butte, CO. Early morning, light fog, wide open meadow campsite partially encircled with vehicles. It was enough to ring my ears. It didn't bother the bear much.
BCRider
Member
Any of the big bores even in a wide open field is going to leave your ears ringing a little bit. I've never seen any data on it either. But I know from personal experience that even cowboy action loads shot in an open area from 7.5 inch barrels definetly are more than I want to listen to at arm's length without plugs or muffs. The big bores are going to be WAY over the top of that.
teumessian_fox
member
I don't have all the data but you can extrapolate the results.
.380 157.7 dB.
9mm 159.8 dB.
.38 S&W 153.5 dB.
.38 Spl 156.3 dB.
.357 Magnum 164.3 dB.
.41 Magnum 163.2 dB.
.44 Spl 155.9 dB.
.45 ACP 157.0 dB.
.45 COLT 154.7 dB.
Re your concern about hearing damage, it's all bad. You can suffer immediate and permanent damage with any of the calibers you mentioned.
As far as a bear attack, I suppose your life is more important than your hearing, but still......
.380 157.7 dB.
9mm 159.8 dB.
.38 S&W 153.5 dB.
.38 Spl 156.3 dB.
.357 Magnum 164.3 dB.
.41 Magnum 163.2 dB.
.44 Spl 155.9 dB.
.45 ACP 157.0 dB.
.45 COLT 154.7 dB.
Re your concern about hearing damage, it's all bad. You can suffer immediate and permanent damage with any of the calibers you mentioned.
As far as a bear attack, I suppose your life is more important than your hearing, but still......
BCRider
Member
Keep in mind too that the "permanent hearing loss" is SOME damage. Not that you lose it all with one exposure. So the need to shoot a gun with unprotected ears a few times during your life isn't going to result in complete hearing loss or even a major degradation in later life. But you sure won't be able to hear dog whistles....
But obviously it's not something you want to do on a regular basis. Meanwhile all the other stuff you do such as working around noisy equipment or going to rock concerts and just the general age related degradation is going to have just as much or more of an effect than a couple of shots taken with no hearing protection.
Factor this against being mauled by a big bear and I'll take the "some permanent loss".
As for Fox's post I'm not sure I believe all the numbers or the injury levels. Something ain't right with the figures and how they match up.
For example having gotten caught a couple of times by folks shooting 9mm or .38Spl nearby when I didn't have my muffs in place yet I found that the noise level made me move smartly to correct the situation but I wasn't bleeding from the ears or anything. So something doesn't quite add up right for the actual damage done at the decibel levels. But either way it's still obviously not good.
But obviously it's not something you want to do on a regular basis. Meanwhile all the other stuff you do such as working around noisy equipment or going to rock concerts and just the general age related degradation is going to have just as much or more of an effect than a couple of shots taken with no hearing protection.Factor this against being mauled by a big bear and I'll take the "some permanent loss".
As for Fox's post I'm not sure I believe all the numbers or the injury levels. Something ain't right with the figures and how they match up.
For example having gotten caught a couple of times by folks shooting 9mm or .38Spl nearby when I didn't have my muffs in place yet I found that the noise level made me move smartly to correct the situation but I wasn't bleeding from the ears or anything. So something doesn't quite add up right for the actual damage done at the decibel levels. But either way it's still obviously not good.
Maj Dad
Member
Huh?
When I retired from the military I had to have a hearing test by a PhD at the VA. She said, "You have a substantial hearing loss." I said, "What?"
Seriously, unprotected ears around gunfire (friendly or otherwise), constant loud equipment, and piston and jet aircraft have left me with constant and loud tinnitus (ringing in both ears) not to mentionn the hearing loss. The best advice I could give to anyone is to wear ear muffs not only when firing weapons, but also when you cut the grass, use the weed eater, or are around anything remotely loud. My range bag is stuffed with a hundred or so disposable foam plugs that I hand out free to anyone who shows up without a good quality hearing protector (they are required at the range where I volunteer as a range officer, but some folks bring some really inadequate stuff). I use a pair of those (NRR 30) and a pair of high-quality muffs (NRR 32) when firing magnum pistols or center-fire rifles) or if I'm sandwiched on the line (I usually take the end table to avoid some of the noise). Take the advice of someone who learned too late, and suffers the consequences every waking moment. The VA will give me top-quality, state of the art hearing aids, but that won't stop the tinnitus...
At least I'm old enough that people just say, "danged old people, can't hear crap..."
When I retired from the military I had to have a hearing test by a PhD at the VA. She said, "You have a substantial hearing loss." I said, "What?"
Seriously, unprotected ears around gunfire (friendly or otherwise), constant loud equipment, and piston and jet aircraft have left me with constant and loud tinnitus (ringing in both ears) not to mentionn the hearing loss. The best advice I could give to anyone is to wear ear muffs not only when firing weapons, but also when you cut the grass, use the weed eater, or are around anything remotely loud. My range bag is stuffed with a hundred or so disposable foam plugs that I hand out free to anyone who shows up without a good quality hearing protector (they are required at the range where I volunteer as a range officer, but some folks bring some really inadequate stuff). I use a pair of those (NRR 30) and a pair of high-quality muffs (NRR 32) when firing magnum pistols or center-fire rifles) or if I'm sandwiched on the line (I usually take the end table to avoid some of the noise). Take the advice of someone who learned too late, and suffers the consequences every waking moment. The VA will give me top-quality, state of the art hearing aids, but that won't stop the tinnitus...
At least I'm old enough that people just say, "danged old people, can't hear crap..."
It appears that data was from a Dr. Kramer, here's an article about his gunshot noise tests http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...EmWfpUjRA&sig2=j61g-fhLXG7yGdYmLLCgmw&cad=rja. All his noise measurements were taken at the shooter's ear.
More detailed results from his work together with additional data is here http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...L0H3czLzAsN6sP0yQ&sig2=fwjh733l3lIAurj6q479FA.
It appears the loudest gunshot he ever measured was 172 dB from a rifle with ported barrel. Unfortunately, I don't see any test data for .44 mag, .454, .460, .500 etc.
IIRC, isn't the decibel scale like the Richter scale? That is a jump of 2db is double or 10X the noise level? Can't remember which.
I have tinnitus in both ears from the service and the factories. Like Dr. Rob said, it makes a big difference where you shoot.
The handgun range at my local club has a low steel roof over the firing line, it's awful under there with magnums, but if I step out from under it and shoot when there are no other shooters, it's much more pleasant.
I use a Pro Ears nr33 muffs and molded plugs.
I'm switching over to .44 special for most of my shooting because I can get a satisfying level of power with a reasonable noise level. I feel for the guys who are limited to indoor ranges.
I have tinnitus in both ears from the service and the factories. Like Dr. Rob said, it makes a big difference where you shoot.
The handgun range at my local club has a low steel roof over the firing line, it's awful under there with magnums, but if I step out from under it and shoot when there are no other shooters, it's much more pleasant.
I use a Pro Ears nr33 muffs and molded plugs.
I'm switching over to .44 special for most of my shooting because I can get a satisfying level of power with a reasonable noise level. I feel for the guys who are limited to indoor ranges.
pikid89
Member
remember bore size and sound level are not always directly related...higher pressure cartridges in shorter barrels can have incredibly high sound pressure levels, despite their small bore size
one of the loudest guns ive ever heard w/o ear pro was a 22 magnum revolver, far louder than a 9mm or 45 pistol...6 shots of the WMR was enough for me to have tinninitus in my left ear for over a week, and i was pretty much deaf in my right ear for a few days
@ PO2hammer...the decibel scale is a nonlinear scale that increases logarithmically...a 10dB increase would sound 2x as loud, and a 20dB increase would sound 4x as loud, etc...
one of the loudest guns ive ever heard w/o ear pro was a 22 magnum revolver, far louder than a 9mm or 45 pistol...6 shots of the WMR was enough for me to have tinninitus in my left ear for over a week, and i was pretty much deaf in my right ear for a few days
@ PO2hammer...the decibel scale is a nonlinear scale that increases logarithmically...a 10dB increase would sound 2x as loud, and a 20dB increase would sound 4x as loud, etc...
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This is not a simple question. It depends how you define loudness -- there is a good article here http://www.sengpielaudio.com/calculator-levelchange.htm. If I understand the article correctly, a 10dB increase is twice the perceived loudness, a 6dB increase is double the sound pressure, and a 3dB increase is double the sound intensity. All figures are approximate especially for perceived loudness which depends on many factors.
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