Lowest noise deer rifle

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Kachok

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OK here is the situation, I am hunting within 600 yards of an inhabited area, no I don't shoot anywhere near the direction of the houses, and all of them know this, but I don't want to wake anyone up at first light with a gunshot if I see a nice buck. Currently my lowest noise deer rifle is my 6.5x55 with old Mauser pressure loads which have about half the bang of my 270 WSM. Is there anything that would give me less of a kabang and still drop whitetail with an authority? Would a handgun caliber make less noise? Somthing along the lines of a lever action or single shot 44 mag. Or would a longer heavier barrel rifle caliber be the ticket to noise recuction? somthing like a 26" barrel 12 FV in 243/308. I don't have a permit for a scilencer and I like to stay legal. In this perticular area I won't be shooting over 150 yards so crazy high WSM speeds are not needed or even wanted. I handload so I do have the option to load a little on the light side but I would still need enough UMPH for a clean kill.
 
Blackpowder is much quieter than centerfire rounds. A nice muzzleloader with 80 to 110 grains of pyrodex or similar will get the job done and will be quieter than any cf rifle.
 
I'm no help, but this is what I'd do if money wasn't an option. . .

on a more serious side, you could have the 308 barrel threaded and just fill out the paper work for the suppressor (or do a trust) and then have it. It's not as hard as some might think. A suppressor will be another G though.

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I would call your State DNR/Dept. of Cons. / whatever they call themselves or ask a game warden should you run into one before you begin the process of purchasing a suppressor. I would not be surprised that it is illegal to hunt with a suppressor in any state because the only people that (usually) don't want their shots heard are poachers.

If hunting with a suppressor is illegal in your state you may end up getting charged with poaching and get your firearm confiscated if caught.
 
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At 600 yards you won't be waking anyone up with one shot, provided they don't sleep outside with their hearing aids turned all the way up.

Honeslty though every centerfire is going to carry a report that range, it's the magnum rifles that would carry a thump with it.

I'd stick with your Swede and just make sure you keep it to one clean shot.
 
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Yeah silencers are not legal and even if they were they are just so darn expensive. I am thinking a handgun caliber in a 18"-20" barrel would have no muzzle blast at all since they are designed for 6 to 7" barrels, and the muzzleloader sounds intresting although I have never shot a black powder rifle before. A heavy 308 cal bullet loaded to 30-30 speeds in a heavy 26" barrel should be pretty quite too I would think.
 
Kachok said:
Yeah silencers are not legal and even if they were they are just so darn expensive. I am thinking a handgun caliber in a 18"-20" barrel would have no muzzle blast at all since they are designed for 6 to 7" barrels, and the muzzleloader sounds intresting although I have never shot a black powder rifle before. A heavy 308 cal bullet loaded to 30-30 speeds in a heavy 26" barrel should be pretty quite too I would think.
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I think you'll find a 44mag lever gun to still be pretty loud.
 
My Sweed has never had an issue droping anything with a quickness, my mild loads are right around 2500 fps with a 140 gr SP, I could try backing them down to 2300 fps and they should still kill quickly I would think as long as I kept my range 150 yd and under. I just hate to reduce load that far the Sweed is most happy right around 2700-2750 fps with 140s in my experence.
 
Yeah if you want a 100% guaranty that you'll have complete penetration a 6.5mm is a good option. That's why I suggest you stick with it and not worry about people sleeping almost a half mile away.

If it's legal to hunt where you are then I doubt these people will be bothered with a small pop in the distance at 6:00 in the morning. I seriously doubt they'll even notice it.
 
If your legal, and hunting your own property you dont have anything to be worried about.

If your emptying a couple of magizines at a deer...........
 
Oh I am totaly legal, no tresspassing or poching that nonsence is just not worth it. I have permission to hunt this land, and I would like to keep any of the neighbors from complaining to the land owner. Hence the desire to keep things on the quiet side, as much as possable anyway. I would hunt with my bow but I have yet to get the deer within 40 yards of my stand and baiting is not legal here. a few people have told me to use a 223 which are legal for deer here, but that is just a little too puney for my likeing even on smallish deer. If my 6.5x55 is as quiet as a deer rifle can be I will stick with it.
 
Another point, if your worried about neighbors complaining about hunting, pack a gun capable of putting down a deer without it running onto their property as well. 6.5x55 with 120+grain softpoints will do the job just fine. Take out the front shoulders-
 
I really think you are worrying a little too much about this. You have permission and 600 yards is really a long way if you are shooting away from the developed area. We have special 'uban' gun hunting seasons in my state and I bet 80% of the deer killed in those seasons are killed within 500 yards of someone's house. I would be mighty surprised if you fired more than a shot or two anyway.
 
I shoot a .284win out of a 28" barrel and it's very quiet, quieter than any handgun I've shot (even .22 hand guns). Doesn't make the ears ring what so ever. Pretty amazing actually...
 
I shoot a .284win out of a 28" barrel and it's very quiet, quieter than any handgun I've shot (even .22 hand guns). Doesn't make the ears ring what so ever. Pretty amazing actually...
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Can you elaborate please?
 
i shoot a .243 and .308 for whitetail. the .243 is quieter in my opinion and i use it for distances less than 300 yards. if you plan on going out farther than that then the .308 would be a better option for longer range hunting. if the residents are aware that someone is hunting then i cant see them complaining about a gun shot here and there.
 
Any old style 1870s to 1890 cartridge with a big lead bullet at lower velocities will work just fine.
For example my old 1892 Winchester in (38wcf) 38-40 will shoot a 40 caliber 180 grain flat nosed lead bullet at 1,500 fps if I push it,,,, BUT, when loaded to a sub-sonic 1,100 fps it sounds like a door being shut.
You can do the same thing with a 44 mag or 45 colt carbine as long as you load them down to 1,100 fps or less, (or use cowboy loads if you do not hand-load. )
A 250 grain bullet impacting at anything over 800 fps will knock the snot out of anything weighing less than 300 pounds.

You could even load down a 45-70 using 405 or better yet 500 grain bullets at anything under 1,100 fps. I have done that with pyrodex and trail-Boss loads.

Those big heavy bullets hitting a deer sound like a fat lady being whacked on the butt with a wet canoe paddle.
 
A rifle report while inside a home at that distance is no worry. It's much different than being outside.

My dad shot a .270 about 200 yards behind the house and we didn't hear it over the TV. He wondered why we didn't come to see his deer.
 
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