Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Long Range Hunting Barrel lengt vs Noise level

I just read the thread on barrel length in a 7-08. That was all about handling. What about noise level at 20, 22, 24 or 26 ?

What is the compromise length for muzzle blast?

Good thread, I like 26 inch barrels for range guns.

i like a longer barrel on my rifles less noise , better ballistics and for bench shooting a longer barrel most of the time when it starts to show signs of barrel erosion in front of chamber you can cut 4 inches off the back and rechamber that barrel and use it some more.

The noise at shorter barrel lengths (un-canned) is very noticeable in some rounds for me when they get below 21-22". I do a lot of hunting with a few 22" .308's. This year I put a .308 together with a 20" barrel. Shooting the same ammo the difference was noticeable to me when sighting in and checking drops switching from one to the other, even with plugs in and muffs on. It was only 2" difference. Even shooting an 18" .223AI and a 21" and/or 22" .223AI the difference stands out to me.

It doesn't seem like a noticeable difference shooting the same loads through a 22" and 24" 6.5 CM. Maybe it is but it doesn't stand out to me.

I notice a difference in cartridges/bore size as well. A 21" .358 seems less sharp than a 22" .308, which seems much less sharp than a 23" .243.

I don't want more recoil but it doesn't bother me much. The sharper crack does bother me. I've got sissy ears.

I think the "pitch" of the noise bothers me .a .22mag pistol is bad..
10.5in AR barrel .556 = standard flash hider noise but as expected
.300 = blkout flash forward muzzle loud but to ok..
6.5 Grendel flash forward muzzle loud as FU.....

thats strange. to my ears our Grendel is WAY quieter than the nephews 10.5 inch 223

22 mag are loud.

357 mag hurts my ears worse than 44 mag.

Of course the one shot game isn't a big thing. even with a brake. and multiple shots are ears protected so thats all good too.

All my examples are 10.5" barrels .
My 18" Grendel AR not too bad my 22" barrel bolt Grendel is mild .. to my ears ..

I had a 260 with a 20" barrel and the blast and "jump" was bad. I put a 22" 260 barrel on and both were considerably less. Even had a hunting buddy comment about it as well.

My experience is I would rather have a little longer barrel and have less noise. 22 to 23 seems about right for the chamberings I shoot.

Somebody should invent a device that traded a short amount of barrel for a drastic reduction in noise.

They would get rich.

If only our country didn't have retarded laws, procedures and costs associated with such devices.

Same as it was in the other thread.....20 inches.......

The operative work is "short".

Of course, "girth" should be part of the equation too..........

That's what she said...

For me, the threshold is about 22" without a can.

16" 358 it's a bit of a fire breathing dragon but not anything a competent shooter can't handle. For some rifles handling characteristics trump anything else. For others the longer barrel makes sense.

I had a model 7 6mm rem. with a 18.5" and it was brutal to the point it wasn't fun to shoot.

20” seems to be the point some calibers really start barking. I’m with some others opinion that pitch makes me cringe as bad as the decibel level on some.

My 20" barreled 243 is "crackier/blastier" than my 20" barreled 308 which has a heavier boom.

Unless my math is bad, which it could be, a 20” .308 is equal to a 32” .243 based on volume of the barrel available for powder burn. That’s assuming equal burn rates, etc etc.