not-unusually-loud options for a short rifle (reload?)

[MothAndRust]

Hi all.

I'd like to know what my options are for a short rifle for hog hunting in brush, that is not-unusually-loud. By not-unusually-loud, I mean something that sounds like my 22" .308, or maybe quieter. I know some options, and I know nothing's perfect, I just want to know what my options are.

I don't mean silenced, subsonic stuff. I'm not talking about stealth; I just want to lose my hearing more slowly than I would with, say, a 12"-barreled 7mm magnum. And I don't mean optimum power from the short barrel; I expect to sacrifice some power to achieve this.

Questions first, then options I already know about, then context:

(1) What do y'all know about reloading for not-unusual-loudness in a short rifle, for a beginner? (In fact, I haven't actually begun yet. So, for a possible-future-beginner.) Obviously less powder means less energy and noise, but I read that too little power can lead to misfires and inaccuracy. It seems like fast powders should work well -- moving the pressure peak earlier is probably what I want to do. "Modern slow-burning powders" is probably the opposite of what I want. Or maybe if I take a .243 powder load and put it in an 18" .308, the bigger-but-shorter barrel should give similar expansion by the time the bullet exits . . . . Does anyone have some experience and expertise to replace this aimless conjecture?

(2) How about calibers that are inherently quieter, but are still adequate for mean hogs? I heard that 6.8 Rem SPC and 6.5 Grendell are quiet in short barrels -- How "quiet" is this relative to 22" hunting rifles? What about necked-up cartridges like .338 Federal and .358 Winchester? As above, it would seem that the larger caliber would provide more expansion volume before the bullet exits; does anyone have experience to support or reject this? How about 7x57 Mauser or other euromilitaries? Preferably the cartridge would be affordable, or at least affordable to handload, since I can't afford to practice enough with expensive cartridges? (For that matter, I'm not sure I can afford to shoot my .308, but I digress.)

(3) Anything I'm overlooking, besides the following? (a) .30/30 w/ 20" barrel is pretty short, but I was disappointed to read (and experience) that the sound is about the same -- I hoped for more quietness if I give up that much power to the .308. Still, this seems like a decent option. (b) .44 and .357 leverguns should be quiet enough I think, for even less power. (c) Ruger's No. 1 light sporter puts a 22" barrel on a gun as short as an 18" bolt-action. Oh these guns are sweet, imho. But I might like a followup shot for a charging hog. I'd wish for more quietness in exchange for the followup shots. Still, a decent option. (d) Silencers -- besides the licensing thing -- seem too long to work in this application. 16" barrel + 6" silencer = no improvement in length. Are there maybe mild 3" silencers . . . . (e) electronic muffs -- seem that they would ruin the woods experience for me.

Forgive a first poster for a particular question, but I've looked a bit and I can't find this addressed. What I saw about really-quiet-rifles did not seem to be moderate-able to my application.

I feel like when going through dense stuff with a buddy, I spend 90% of my attention keeping the muzzle in a safe direction. But when I start reading about short rifles, I quickly see warnings about loudness. And to underscore it, one day at the range, I asked the shooter next to me what he was shooting -- which sounded like a cannon. It was a .308 too, but with a 16" barrel. This is not what I want.

Sound information I drew from Dr. Krammer's stuff on page 5 of here (and elsewhere):
http://www.rdsindustrie.com/images/stories/mesure bruits stand tir.pdf

Any information about options would be appreciated by this newbie.

 

[helotaxi]

.357 lever action shooting .38Spl loads in .357 brass.

 

[rodregier]

So-called overbore cartridges will tend to have more unburned powder emerging from the muzzle, which contributes to muzzle blast. When you select shorter barrels for a given cartridge you move in the same "bad" direction.

In helotaxi's example, .38 special loadings are relatively low pressure to begin with, and in a long barrel there is relatively low pressure remaining when the projectile emerges from the barrel.

So part of the trick is to pick lower-pressure cartridges, and the other aspect is to fire them in longer barrels if possible.

Classic example is .22LR subsonic loadings in a long barrel. They're not silent, but they're relatively quiet.

So, hog hunting in brush...

.44 Magnum in a long barrel would be worth looking at. That would be sufficient power for hogs, and decent performance at reasonable distances in brush.

You can also use active hearing protection units like thse to help keep more of your hearing. They gate off loud sounds but amplify the rest of the time, so you can actually have stereo hearing that is better than normal humans. That gives you a mild advantage you would not normally have when hunting too.

Peltor MT15H7F SV Tactical Pro Hearing Protector


http://www.amazon.com/Peltor-MT15H7F-SV-Tactical-Protector/dp/B0006968YM/ref=sr_1_9?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1327370764&sr=1-9

 

[NOLAEMT]

Get a marlin lever action 45-70 shooting heavy bullets, 500 grain bullets or so, subsonic. That will have plenty of punch, at least mine does, and an 18" barreled guide gun is shorter than an 18" remington 870 pump.

It is more of a "boom" than a "crack" and seems to be easier on the ears.

 

[fireman 9731]

Look at a CZ 527 carbine in 7.62x39. They are super handy, quick handling, and not terribly loud.

 

[Gordon]

A noticeable step down in muzzle blast (even in a carbine barrel!) slightly less recoil than a .308 but IMHO a noticeable increase in put down with in 150 yards
The perfect brushy country hog rifle, the .35 Remington:

old school version but with 22" barrel it is even quieter


It's at least as quiet as this effective pistol class caliber is in my experience but has twice the effective range and deeper penetration with those 200 Core Lokts

 

[Kal52]

I shoot a 6.8 out of a 10" contender pistol, I dont feel its too terribly loud, have no experience on hogs, but itll knock the snot out of deer.

I also use a mini 30, might not be your cup of tea, but the 7.62x39 isnt horrible and folks seem to like it for hogs, Id agree with the above the cz carbine would be a slick little rifle!

 

[Kachok]

The ideal caliber for your situation IMHO is the 6.5x55, MUCH less boom then my 308 and 270 in only a 22" barrel, it is also much more power and uses much higher SD bullets then the 6.8SPC/6.5 grendal (better for penatration which is what you need on large hogs) 6.5x55 is affordable to shoot, I bought 139gr Prvi ammo for $13.50 a box and it is some pretty good stuff (.75" group @ 100, and one deer in the freezer...no tracking needed) It is by all accounts a very easy round to handload, and burns about 45gr of RL-22 a pop not bad at all. Oh and just to add a cherry on top it is a real sissy kicker, any 7 year old could shoot my featherweight T3, recoil is as close to zilch as any real hunting rifle.

 

[chris in va]

Look at a CZ 527 carbine in 7.62x39.

Ditto. I have one, not much kick or noise.

 

[Vaarok]

7x57 Mauser always seems like a fairly quiet cartridge, due to a relatively low pressure loading. Still extremely potent, though.

 

[critter]

I have to support the 'big boomer' folks. Things like the 45-70 have a more deep 'boom' and less sharp 'crack' yet are very effective on game. I've used the Ruger #1 in 45-70 on deer and hogs both. It works very well indeed and is a bit more 'ear friendly'.

 

[Abel]

I would look into either a Ruger Compact 7.62x39 or a Marlin 336Y with the 16.5" barrel. I would personally prefer a pre-2010 336C cut back to 18" in 35 Rem.

 

[eastbank]

if you can find a winchester timber carbine in 444 marlin,you will have all the power you need. if you reload you can go down to 44spl-44-40 loads or loads up to 265-300gr bullets at 2000fps. you can see how the timber carbine compares to a m-1 .30 carbing for size in the photo. eastbank.