Loading for Sound

Mikul · July 12, 2000, 12:34 PM

I know that people load to save cash, for the fun of it, and for accuracy, but what about loading for the sound of it? This falls under the "for the fun of it."

Obviously using a light load with a heavy bullet and keeping it subsonic will produce less noise, but what if you want MORE noise?

Without blowing up the gun, what do you think might work? Would the burn rate of the powder make a difference? What about the bullet weight? What about the seating depth?

The most logical thing is the opposite of subsonic ammo... load a light bullet with maximum powder charge. I would also think that a short barrel would be louder than a long barrel.

Would a longer barrel produce a lower sound than a short one? What if pitch is the objective?

July 12, 2000, 02:24 PM

Shorter Barrel = More Sound
Faster Bullet = More Sound

If you really want to increase sound and it's a rifle then add a muzzle break.

Now the real question is Why??

Mikul · July 12, 2000, 04:19 PM

Why?

Because it might be fun. Being at the range this weekend got me thinking. I was in a booth next to a guy who was shooting 9mm, and all I saw when I walked by him were handguns. Well, he's shooting his 9 and then BOOOM!! BOOOM!! My headset was vibrating. I'm watching the holes in his target and they're little tiny 22 holes. I'm thinking DAMN, what kind of 22 is that, and laughing to myself?!?

It was a .223 Bushmaster, but the idea of a gun much louder than it should be was funny. I actually wish that it was a .22 pistol.

So now I'm trying to figure out how to make my dilusion a reality, but with 9mm instead of 22.

Clark · July 12, 2000, 08:29 PM

On the 4th of July I watched a guy load a plastic bag with a drop of water and mostly with oxygen. He then put a little accetalene in. He put a fuse in it. He put it under an old kitchen pot. He lit it and it was louder than any gun I have heard. It destroyed the pot.
Don't try this at home.

Art Eatman · July 13, 2000, 12:40 AM

Gee, Clark, that sounds like a lot of trouble. A truly wonderful New Year's Eve stroke of midnight ka-boom involves a half-dozen sticks of dynamite, under a five-gallon plastic bucket of gasoline or diesel...It's not at all complex, and if it's partly dug in it makes a lovely mushroom cloud.

, Art

JackFlash · July 13, 2000, 10:06 AM

Shorter barrel typically results in a higher pitch. Faster powder makes a higher pitch and a sharper "pop." Bigger load, heavier bullet will get you more noise.

Shoot in an area with a good echo.

Southla1 · July 13, 2000, 12:16 PM

Eh? What did ya'll say? I can't seem to hear ya'll.

------------------
Carlyle Hebert

Mikul · July 13, 2000, 04:28 PM

JackFlash, thank you for the information. It seems useful.

If you think of the bullet's noise as being produced by pushing (and compressing) a column of air, a lot of this makes sense. The question is: what is effecting the wavelength? A longer barrel pushes a longer column of air by the time the bullet exits, so that makes sense, but why would a heavier bullet make any difference? I would't think that the speed of combustion in the catridge would make a difference since it's the speed at which the pressure eqalizes that makes the noise... any why a silencer works.

Anyway, it looks like I'm going to have some fun playing around with custom loads.

July 12, 2000, 12:34 PM	#1
Mikul Senior Member Join Date: March 21, 2000 Posts: 1,396	I know that people load to save cash, for the fun of it, and for accuracy, but what about loading for the sound of it? This falls under the "for the fun of it." Obviously using a light load with a heavy bullet and keeping it subsonic will produce less noise, but what if you want MORE noise? Without blowing up the gun, what do you think might work? Would the burn rate of the powder make a difference? What about the bullet weight? What about the seating depth? The most logical thing is the opposite of subsonic ammo... load a light bullet with maximum powder charge. I would also think that a short barrel would be louder than a long barrel. Would a longer barrel produce a lower sound than a short one? What if pitch is the objective?

July 12, 2000, 02:24 PM	#2
KilgorII Guest Posts: n/a	Shorter Barrel = More Sound Faster Bullet = More Sound If you really want to increase sound and it's a rifle then add a muzzle break. Now the real question is Why??

July 12, 2000, 04:19 PM	#3
Mikul Senior Member Join Date: March 21, 2000 Posts: 1,396	Why? Because it might be fun. Being at the range this weekend got me thinking. I was in a booth next to a guy who was shooting 9mm, and all I saw when I walked by him were handguns. Well, he's shooting his 9 and then BOOOM!! BOOOM!! My headset was vibrating. I'm watching the holes in his target and they're little tiny 22 holes. I'm thinking DAMN, what kind of 22 is that, and laughing to myself?!? It was a .223 Bushmaster, but the idea of a gun much louder than it should be was funny. I actually wish that it was a .22 pistol. So now I'm trying to figure out how to make my dilusion a reality, but with 9mm instead of 22.

July 12, 2000, 08:29 PM	#4
Clark Senior Member Join Date: December 4, 1999 Location: WA, the ever blue state Posts: 4,678	On the 4th of July I watched a guy load a plastic bag with a drop of water and mostly with oxygen. He then put a little accetalene in. He put a fuse in it. He put it under an old kitchen pot. He lit it and it was louder than any gun I have heard. It destroyed the pot. Don't try this at home.

July 13, 2000, 12:40 AM	#5
Art Eatman Staff in Memoriam Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA Posts: 24,798	Gee, Clark, that sounds like a lot of trouble. A truly wonderful New Year's Eve stroke of midnight ka-boom involves a half-dozen sticks of dynamite, under a five-gallon plastic bucket of gasoline or diesel...It's not at all complex, and if it's partly dug in it makes a lovely mushroom cloud. , Art

July 13, 2000, 10:06 AM	#6
JackFlash Junior member Join Date: July 8, 2000 Posts: 107	Shorter barrel typically results in a higher pitch. Faster powder makes a higher pitch and a sharper "pop." Bigger load, heavier bullet will get you more noise. Shoot in an area with a good echo.

July 13, 2000, 12:16 PM	#7
Southla1 Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 19, 2000 Location: Jeanerette, La. Near the Posts: 1,999	Eh? What did ya'll say? I can't seem to hear ya'll. ------------------ Carlyle Hebert

July 13, 2000, 04:28 PM	#8
Mikul Senior Member Join Date: March 21, 2000 Posts: 1,396	JackFlash, thank you for the information. It seems useful. If you think of the bullet's noise as being produced by pushing (and compressing) a column of air, a lot of this makes sense. The question is: what is effecting the wavelength? A longer barrel pushes a longer column of air by the time the bullet exits, so that makes sense, but why would a heavier bullet make any difference? I would't think that the speed of combustion in the catridge would make a difference since it's the speed at which the pressure eqalizes that makes the noise... any why a silencer works. Anyway, it looks like I'm going to have some fun playing around with custom loads.