Subsonic .357

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Mr. Designer

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I load my 1.875" S&W model 360 with Remington Golden Saber 357s. The ballistics listed on Remington's website have the 125 gr going 1220 fps at the muzzle of a 4" revolver. Would shooting this round out of my 1.875" revolver cause the velocity to drop below the sonic level?
 
Probably not. But try some 158 grain "cowboy" loads (usually around 750 FPS out of a 4 or 5 inch barrel) and that might do it.
 
I'm basically looking for the most powerful, quietest round possible for the 357. Just in case I had to fire inside. I know 38+p is an option.
 
You appear to be concerned about your hearing if you fire indoors. The sonic boom is not going to make a difference. A 22 short will give you some hearing loss indoors. You have to accept the fact that you will suffer some hearing loss if you have to fire indoors vs what would happen if you didn't shoot.

Measurable hearing loss from shooting is developed from repeated shooting without hearing protection not a few shots.

You might be better off going to a 38 for better control and shot placement rather than look for a round that will knock them over if you hit them in the finger.
 
GRIZ22 said:
You might be better off going to a 38 for better control and shot placement rather than look for a round that will knock them over if you hit them in the finger.
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I have a 12oz gun so it jumps even with 38's. The Golden Sabers are not that bad and I can get back on target fairly quick. They are not full house and pack a little more punch than 38+P's. I guess if I want a good subsonic round I'll have to go to a heavier 45 or 44 special round.
 
Sonic vis subsonic will not make one bit of differance to the shooter.
The shockwave goes downrange with the bullet.

And the muzzle & cylinder gap blast is going to be supersonic, no matter the load.

A snubbby .357 is going to be very loud no matter what .357 ammo you shoot in it.

rcmodel
 
Measurable hearing loss from shooting is developed from repeated shooting without hearing protection not a few shots.
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That's not true. It *can* be cumulative, but you can also sustain significant hearing loss from exposure to a single very loud noise -- like standing off to the left of someone when they fire a .41 magnum (outdoors) without hearing protection. See if you can guess why my example is so specific.
 
In my experience, subsonic loads are only going to be really noticeably quieter from rifle-length barrels.

Many .22 subsonic rounds are very (think pellet gun) quiet from a rifle, but still loud as hell from a 2" barrel. Electronic muffs are a good investment, and can be found for less than $100 now.

John
 
Kinda seems like a good argument for a longer barreled, heavier gun.... less noise, less "jump". 12oz must be like shooting a good sized banana.:eek:
 
Bullets that travel faster than the speed of sound will have a "crack" sound to them for the same reason a whip "cracks". It is desired to use sub sonic ammo if you are firing it from a suppressed (silencer) weapon so you don't hear that "crack" sound which while not as loud as a round fired from a normal barrel it is quite noticeable.

While shooting the .357mag in doors without hearing protection isn't something you would want to do even on an occasional basis the risk to your hearing is minimal from a couple rounds fired in SD. Your ears will ring a bit for a while though.
 
There is no such thing as a "quiet" .357 round. To cut back on noise and recoil, I would suggest the Federal "Personal Defense" low-recoil .38 special load, using the 110-grain Hydro-Shock bullet.
In my opinion (and I've been carrying a gun for 40 years) a .357 out of a 2-inch gun makes no sense at all. If you hit the bad guy in the chest or abdomen with a .38 special, he's going down. The extra muzzle blast and ear-shattering noise of a .357 will have no effect on the bad guy at all. It just makes it harder for you to recover for your 2nd and 3rd shots.
 
If a round going subsonic made it quieter, snubs would be quieter than longer barrels. Lower pressure is what you are looking for and backing off the powder can do that. You'll have to accept some loss in "power" though.
 
The extra muzzle blast and ear-shattering noise of a .357 will have no effect on the bad guy at all.
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I would disagree with that. while it may not have any affect, He just might throw his hands up and say "jees Mr. don't shoot that cannon at me again"
 
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