Muzzle blast from revolvers, what we know about it?

[westernrover]

I have run lots of loads in Quickload while looking at muzzle pressure. It also shows another parameter (propellant burn %) that probably has a big impact on perceived muzzle blast. The combination of high muzzle pressure along with powder continuing to burn after the bullet leaves the muzzle is a double whammy.

When helping people trying to select a round to get a very low report from a long gun, I have found that one parameter that reduces muzzle pressure is reducing the air space in the round.

You'll notice that deeper bullet seating causes the pressure to rise earlier or with less bullet travel. It has a similar effect in the pressure/time curve as using a faster-burning powder. So whether you use a faster powder, or seat the bullet deeper and reduce the initial size of the combustion chamber, the pressure rises faster and earlier. This means the pressure will also fall off quicker and sooner. So long as we're limited in the maximum pressure achieved, this will also mean that the muzzle pressure will be lower because it will have fallen off quicker and begun the pressure drop sooner from whatever limit we've specified.

I think of it like a Bruce Lee 1" punch vs. the shot put. They can both deliver a tremendous force, but the 1" punch will be over much quicker and by the time the bullet gets to the muzzle, most of the drama behind it will be finished. With the shot put, the bullet can be a long way from its starting point and still have a lot of drama going on behind it. Once that drama exits the muzzle, it hits our ears at Mach 1.

 

[buck460XVR]

When taking handgun while hunting, if in a hurry, the last things I have on my mind are earmuffs and/or plugs.

Having hunted with .44 mag in a revolver for a coupla decades, I can honestly tell you that no load, that is a legitimate hunting load, is gonna be mild enough, that you should think you can get by without muffs/earplugs. In the woods, the blast will bounce of trees and be even louder than on the range. I used to think I could get by using a .357 for deer and not wear muffs/plugs. That was just plain foolishness. You either wear protection or you get permanent damage. Period. Forgetting to take a pair of plugs along is like forgetting your knife.....or ammo. Having a pair in a pocket of your hunting vest/coat is a no brainer and easy and cheap protection. Much less than hearing aids.

Just to make it clear, I don't hunt using revolver, just rifle, local law. However, I carry handgun for coup de grace and as last ditch defense when facing wild boar.

Then there's no excuse to use the .44 for the so called "coup de grace", if you forget the plugs/muffs. Just finish the dam thing off with your rifle. If it's not legal to use the handgun to hunt.....odds are, it's probably not legal to use the handgun to finish it off. Never understood the concept or using something other than your primary weapon to finish off a wounded animal, other than it gives a excuse to shoot the handgun at a living animal. Why not just use your knife and cut it's throat?

 

[Onty]

Having hunted with .44 mag in a revolver for a coupla decades, I can honestly tell you that no load, that is a legitimate hunting load, is gonna be mild enough, that you should think you can get by without muffs/earplugs. In the woods, the blast will bounce of trees and be even louder than on the range. I used to think I could get by using a .357 for deer and not wear muffs/plugs. That was just plain foolishness. You either wear protection or you get permanent damage. Period. Forgetting to take a pair of plugs along is like forgetting your knife.....or ammo. Having a pair in a pocket of your hunting vest/coat is a no brainer and easy and cheap protection. Much less than hearing aids.

I agree with most of your statements. However, any way you slice it, top load is always worse than mild or starting load. My point is that if you are hiking, and suddenly encounter aggressive animal, you are certainly not looking for earplugs first, see Bear stalks family along hiking trail l ABC News - YouTube and Viral video shows cougar stalking Utah hiker in terrifying 6-minute encounter - FULL VIDEO | ABC7 - YouTube .

As for muzzle blast from full power 357 Magnum, yeah, that one is BAD. And that is the reason why I like 45 Colt.

Then there's no excuse to use the .44 for the so called "coup de grace", if you forget the plugs/muffs. Just finish the dam thing off with your rifle. If it's not legal to use the handgun to hunt.....odds are, it's probably not legal to use the handgun to finish it off. Never understood the concept or using something other than your primary weapon to finish off a wounded animal, other than it gives a excuse to shoot the handgun at a living animal. Why not just use your knife and cut it's throat?

What is the difference in muzzle blast from 30-06, 270 or one of those 300 magnums, from 18,000-20,000 psi 45 Colt? As for "coup de grace" using revolver, if terrain is somewhat rocky, or soil is frozen, I guess you certainly have an idea how far will go solid copper 180 grains rifle bullet at 2800 fps, after exiting animal and ricocheting from the ground, and how far will go lead 45-260 at 1100 fps.

 

[buck460XVR]

My point is that if you are hiking, and suddenly encounter aggressive animal, you are certainly not looking for earplugs first,

Now you are grasping for straws. You OP said nuttin' about SD from dangerous game and as you said yourself, you already have a long gun on you. Why drop the rifle(which is more accurate and more powerful) so you can use the handgun? Because it's loaded with the new super dooper Bear Grenades from Master Blaster? Still, would you have mild/quieter loads in your .44, if there was such a threat?

What is the difference in muzzle blast from 30-06, 270 or one of those 300 magnums, from 18,000-20,000 psi 45 Colt?

The difference is barrel length. Pressures from a 30-30 are not much different than the pressure from your .44. One you can shot pleasantly at the range without plugs. My .460 with hunting loads runs about 50-55,000 PSI, higher than some common deer rifles. Plugs are a must unless you want your ears to bleed. Yet, I would not hesitate to shoot a charging bear without plugs with it. Folks need to be realistic. I use the same loads in my .44 carbines as I do in my .44 revolvers. One I shoot regularly while hunting without plugs/muffs. The other I do not, for obvious reasons. The only difference is barrel length.

As for "coup de grace" using revolver, if terrain is somewhat rocky, or soil is frozen, I guess you certainly have an idea how far will go solid copper 180 grains rifle bullet at 2800 fps, after exiting animal and ricocheting from the ground, and how far will go lead 45-260 at 1100 fps.

You have that same risk with your first shot. Taking a proper angle so a ricochet is not a threat and being sure of what's behind the animal when putting it down, is no different than that first shot. Again, it seems you are grasping at straws to validate what you want to do. I have no problem with what you want to do. The problem I have is while you insist on using the revolver, you are trying to find a way to safely shoot it without plugs. I shoot everything from mouse fart loads to full bore magnums out of my .357s. Even the mouse fart loads require the use of plugs/muffs or my ears are ringing for days. This is something you too must accept, unless you are going to use sub-sonic ammo and a suppressor. But even then you will have excessive noise from the cylinder gap.

 

[Onty]

And 1100 fps is subsonic. At that velocity 454424 will pass right through even full grown cow, see Most Accurate 45 Colt +P Load? - Paco Kelly's Leverguns.com (levergunscommunity.org) third post.

 

[Dave T]

Knew an audiologist who was a shooter. In conversations with him he said several times that if your ears are ringing you have suffered some hearing damage. If the ringing lasts a few hours then the damage is slight but there's still damage. If the ringing lasts a couple days you are on your way to asking people to repeat what they say when you get older.

YMMV,
Dave

 

[NeroM]

And 1100 fps is subsonic.

Yes, at 68 F, 1100 fps is subsonic.
Speed of sound is very temperature dependent [proportional to the square root of absolute temp - if i recall correctly].
Speed of sound at 45 F is approx 1100.
A common big game hunting temp for me is 20 F, with approx 1070 being sub sonic.
So I try to make my 45 Colt hunting loads run around 1050 fps (subsonic to 0 F) - this allows some flexibility in load ballistics, temperature range and the recognition that SWC bullets are not always the most accurate at trans-sonic velocities.
A load that is 1080 fps shot in July is sonically more pleasant than the same load shot during January.

 

[Onty]

WELL WRITTEN NERO! You know what you are talking about! As a matter of fact, I was even thinking about aiming for 1050 fps, considering that, even if ammo is carefully assembled, variations could be +/- 10-20 fps. Somebody could say that in that case 454424 with it's 260 grains at 1050 fps will have reduced penetration, because when going from 1100 fps to 1050 fps, energy drops about 9%. I doubt that this will make any difference in a field. However, there is an excellent bullet listed as MP 45-270SAA , 285 grains:


MP 45-270SAA SOLID 4 cavity mold - MP-molds

In fact, bullet above is variation of RCBS .45-270-SAA 424 Buy Bullet Mould .45-270-SAA 424 and More | RCBS , however, RCBS lists 270 grain.

In addition, I asked MP-Molds to make 45-503-SWC, a 45 version of famous cal. 44 H&G #503 (they list this one as MP 432-256 PB MP 432-256 PB SOLID 4 cavity mold - MP-molds)


45-503-SWC in 4 cavity brass mould (gunloads.com)

This one casts close to 290 grains. Unfortunately, didn't have a chance to try it. Sold blue 45 Colt, Ruger Bisley, and missed opportunity to purchase, while available, Ruger 45 Colt NM Blackhawk, 7.5", stainless, yep, with fluted cylinder .

The bottom line; any of those heavier bullets lunched at 1050 fps will be more than enough, without making sound barrier crack.