I don’t tolerate muzzleblast very well due to damaged hearing. I remember reading some military rifle boards preferred long barrels to reduce muzzle blast. Have any of you gravitated towards long barreled mild cartridge rifles?

Are you looking to shoot them or hunt with them? I can propose a number of solutions.

Many Mosin Nagants (7.62x54r) have longer barrels, The cartridge is easy on the shoulder and there is no muzzle blast.

I have a number of single shots with longer barrels. They are range rifles, but I suppose they could go hunting as well. I have a 303 British (a 30-303 actually) that is 26 inches long on an Encore action. A few P14s with 26 inch barrels as well.

You can have a longer barrel screwed onto an action of your choice as well. That's more expensive, but an option. 26 inches should do it.

I have pretty bad tinnitus from the corps. I mostly hunt with silencers now. If I'm not using a can, I don't shoot if I can't get ear pro in place.

I've shot enough stuff that some animals getting away because I get busted putting ears on doesn't bother me. If I really care about filling a tag, I've got a can on my rifle.

A 722 chambered for 222 immediately came to mind when I read the title. Pretty sure they were only available with 24 or 26 inch barrels.

Well...

Have a RUGER 77/357 carbine w/ a 18.5" Bbl.

And a RUGER 6.5x55mm bolt rifle w/ a 24" Bbl.

W/ factory ammo, both are very pleasant to shoot.

Would imagine that a milsurp Swede would be even more so.

Generally woods hunt w/ Sonic II ear plugs as well.




GR

Well, it wasn't really intended, but I have a 300 Sav with a 24" barrel. Came about when I decided to rebarrel a M7 Remington and found a 300 Sav barrel from a M700 Classic. I was planning to cut it back to 19-20" but made the mistake of shooting it first. It shot so well that I'm leaving it as is....for now at least! It shoots tiny groups at high (for the Savage) velocity with a mild report and recoil. It's very impressive with the 130 gr TTSX.

Suppressor takes care off all that nonsense...

I would agree but, for me, the aesthetics of a rifle matter, not to mention the ridiculous cost of cans. Then there’s the whole distasteful business of getting government permission to have NFA items. (For what it’s worth, I’m always somewhat disappointed when I find a pristine 16 gauge Model 37 or Model 12 with a damn Polychoke on it.)

My 23” 6.5x55 I don’t mind shooting unprotected when hunting, same with my 26” Ruger 1B .308. My 16 - 20” .223’s and 5.56’s, ported Marlin Guide Gun and all handguns require ear protection for me, even just hunting. I use custom molded Magnum Ears and find them of great benefit, not just for protection, but for enhanced hearing. I wear them hunting and at the range always.

Long barrels were common at Lexington Green. After all these years they still work.

Have one that’s 42” long. Could probably shoot smaller groups if I wasn’t giggling so much.

Ask me if the primer shortage concerns me. Do I wear ear plugs?

Oh, not so much looking for a solution. More interested as to who may have a favored rifle along those lines for hunting. Don’t really want a can for this. I wear hearing protection at range but not always while hunting. Interested in those that may have gone the route of longer barrels to reduce muzzle blast while still having a rifle good to beyond 150 yards for deer or hogs.

Long barrels aren't going to cut it my friend. Cans, electronic hearing protection, or regular ear pro you put in before the shot. Protect what you have left. A pair of Howard Leights will set you back maybe $50. You'll hear way more in the woods than you can now and save your ears at the same time.

I have been thinking of getting a flintlock just for the giggles. Maybe a smooth bore. I do enjoy shooting the muzzleloader. Like you said, it is just fun.

I do have a set of electronic hearing protection that I use but still interested in other ways of getting to where an occasional shot without isn’t such a big deal.

I won’t own anything shorter than 22” anymore due to hearing damage in the military as well. I tolerate recoil better than muzzle blast. This is something overlooked with new shooters and their “compact” barrel lengths. I just started wearing hearing protection while hunting 2 years ago, and while suppressors are intriguing, in some cases (older firearms) they don’t jive. If I were to do it all over, .308 based cases and shorter would wear 22” barrels, 30-06 based cases would have 24”.

In centerfire a 6mm Rem with 22” bll is as close as I come.

This season I’ve killed deer with a 7 RM - 24” and 6.5X55 - 22”
Some don’t believe me but I DON’T notice any diff when shooting game.

I have nothing to gain by lying.

Jerry

ps: No plugs, muffs. cans when hunting. 1 shot ? ? ?

I suppose the closest I have is a 6PPC with a 26" barrel (and don't ask, thank you ). She's indeed very pleasant to shoot.

If you dont mind using iron sights i would look into a 45-70 single shot. Those have long barrels. Another really great option is the old 30-40 Krag in its full length rifle form. This is a mild cartridge with easy recoil and report and its quite a decent performer. The only other options i can think of are old Mauser milsurps but they have risen in price and getting a good one is costly. One of the best was the 96 Swedish mauser and its long rifle length barrel. Also look at the 7x57 Chilean mauser, its just as good and they pop up at decent prices.

I understand my friend, just trying to help. What people often don't understand is that our hearing naturally declines slowly throughout our life until our 60's then goes into a steep decline from there on out. So what happens is people think the damage they're doing to their hearing isn't a big deal because they can still hear ok and 1 shot here and there doesn't seem to be a problem.

It does become a problem though when we go into that natural decline phase. The more diminished our hearing is going into our 60's the worse the drop off is. That's why you see people all the time going from functioning ok to hearing aids within a few years.

Off my soapbox now...carry on

Well if you can find a Swede model 96 with uncut full length 29+" barrel they are nice shooting 6.5x55 is very effective . MB

My latest .22 Hornet has a 29" barrel, so the report is pretty darn mild. But I still haven't shot it without hearing protection.

For the bore size, the 338 win mag is moderate in case capacity With a 29 inch barrel, I got 2900 fps from 250 gr.
The .284 win with 28" gives 3100 with 154 Hor SP, and 2850-2900 with the 175. Now some argue that they would not carry such a long, heavy barrel, but the 338 with Brown Kevlar stock was 9 lb. and the NULA 284 weighs about 7.25 lb. When you ask the guy what his cousin Bubba carries in the woods, he replies that Bubba shoots punkin balls from his 30" full choke shotgun. So much for "needing" short barrels. Meanwhile the bull elk runs through the woods with a 5-6 foot antler spread! As above, I still wear hearing protection.

Well, I've been shooting something or another since I was 11 years old. Hearing protection was a cotton ball stuffed in each ear. They muffled the noise some but damage was still being dome. We just didn't know any better. I didn't even see my first pair of ear muffs until 1973. I'm 82 years old now and have a 95% hearing loss in my right ear and if I'm lucky still have 65% remaining in my left ear. Whether at the range or on a hunt, my electronic muffs are on my head. I can carry on a conversation or listen to the instructions from my guide on a hunt. Took a bit of getting used to but at least it's what I have to do to keep what little hearing I have left. Another good point is they help keep my ears warm when it's 4* above zero.
Paul B.

Both, 26 inch was standard for many years. The twenty four inch became standard in later production.


A 722 .222 26 inch barrel combination is a quiet solution.

I thought my 28" 257 Weatherby had reduced muzzle blast until I shot it from a pop up blind. The muzzle was out the window and the blast still destroyed the screen and my ears are ringing almost a week later. No fool like an old fool, the ear plugs were back in the truck.

I am with those that say a longer barrel will help but not enough to shoot without hearing protection. I also think a recessed 11 degree target crown deflects more noise away than a more flat muzzle crown. I think you would have to go to something like a 218 Bee, Hornet or 300 Whisper to reduce noise significantly, but still hearing protection would be needed.

My 9.3x62 is a Ruger No.1S with 22 inch barrel. Due to not having a long magazine action etc. it is very short and muzzle blast is quite noticeable. Luckily I only have to shoot it once at game as everything hit with it just falls over.

Anyone tried a linear compensator? I have one on a 6.5 CM and a few .17 cal and .22 cal rifles. Some say these reduce sound for the shooter about 3 db which is about a 50% reduction. I can't measure db that accurately but they seem to work and my groups are really good with them installed.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1021158624?pid=741121

I took the factory noise maker off the AR right away, and installed a linear comp.....

Going from memory, but I seem to recall my 6.5 x 55 Swede had a 29 inch barrel. Had it chopped to 24 though.

A Rem 600 in 6mm with an 18 1/2 inch barrel is a serious boomer.

I have several long barreled rifles. A 30" 338 Laura a 29" 270 Win and a 29" 300 win.
Noise is a product of exit pressure the longer the barrel the lower the exit pressure and noise

You shoot different Mosin Nagants than I do. And I've had 6 of them

Sharp!

at my range or another range i always wear ear protection with all guns but when i hunt i never wear hearing protection when deer hunting i use a 257 Weatherby mag. with a 27 inch barrel most of the time,predator hunting like running dogs on coyotes i use a 220 swift 26 inch barrel or my 243 AR-10 24 inch barrel and never wear ear protection. while hunting I don`t see how hearing protection would be a benefit i gotta hear the dogs bark or deer hunting i listen for them.

I generally wear electronic ear plugs at the range unless someone near me is shooting something really loud and I'll put ear muffs on too. I've been using the electronic plugs while hunting the past few years and mostly like them. Sometimes wind noise is an issue. Squirrels on dry leaves sound like a herd of elephants!

I had a mohawk in 308. It would definitely ring your bell.

The nonsense part starts when you start jumping thru Federal hoops to own a suppressor. Funny how that noise reduction act to legalize suppressors was shot to hell by a convenient mass shooting by some other guy framed by the government run by the left. Mb

Not in the People's Republik of Illinois.

Just came into a rifle chambered in 22-250 that has a 26 in.barrel.

Have not shot it yet but i wonder what it sounds like compared to my 22 in.rifle.