Is a 44 Magnum louder than a 357 Magnum?

Gunner1873 · January 20, 2012, 05:35 PM

I ask this question due to the other very informative thread asking if the 357 magnum is too loud.

I have never shot a 357 magnum. I have shot a 44 magnum but this was a Dessert Eagle in the range. With ear protection it didn't seem too loud.

I have been in the range before with people next to me firing snub 357 magnums that seems crazy loud. Like it somewhat scared me or made me jittery to be next to them. I mean I would anticipate their next shot. And this is with a nice range with closed off firing lanes and excellent ear protection.

I personally have fired MANY rounds with a 9mm, 45, shotgun, 308 Rifle, AK-47, 22 LR in the woods with NO EAR PROTECTION and it wasn't that bad at all.

22 LR - nothing, doesn't even bother my ears.

shotgun - with bird shot not very loud. a bassy sound so it doesn't bother my ears much at all. With a slug it's much louder but still the sound it BASS, not high pitch so it's not too bad.

45 ACP - it's not so loud. Way louder than a 22 but nothing that would cause ear damage. even shooting hundreds of rounds as I did. Yes it is stupid to shoot without ear protection but I did it and no problem at all.

9mm - Louder than the 45. I don't like to shoot it without ear protection because it has a high pitch sound. Still doesn't hurt my ears and I don't think it's causing hearing damage but it's definitely louder than a 45 and the sound is more annoying.

308 Rifle - No very loud at all. Doesn't really hurt my ears much. Much less noise than a 45 even. The difference is I can hear the bullet echo off into the distance after shooting.

AK-47 - Only fired a few rounds with it. Didn't bother my ears much. I was standing next to my friend when he unloaded a 100 round drum into some targets and it didn't bother me much. No ear protection.

Of course any of these guns would be MUCH MUCH louder indoors but it never occurred to me that they can be so loud as to cause permanent hearing loss with one shot. This is something I would like to avoid.

I sort of ruled out the possibility of purchasing a 357 magnum even though it is a very versatile round that is very inexpensive to shoot and could get me starting into reloading. Because I don't want to have something around that if I ever have to shoot indoors, It would cripple me for life. Not if there are better options out there and there are.

But I am currently considering purchasing a S&W 44 Magnum. Now I imagine this gun may make a more powerful BANG than a 357 mag but maybe because the caliber is so much higher, it wouldn't be so high pitch and maybe not as bad for your hearing?

Anyone here have the experience to compare the noise levels of a 357 mag vs a 44 mag?

The 357 mag is too loud for me, does this mean the 44 mag is too loud also by default?

spacecoast · January 20, 2012, 05:47 PM

I haven't tried either of them without hearing protection to judge how much pain they cause (and don't intend to) but I would say that the .357 magnum probably has higher frequency components and therefore may be more damaging by a slight margin. I haven't seen a chart that includes .44mag, but the one at this site lists .357 mag as louder than .41 mag (and louder than just about anything else too).

http://www.freehearingtest.com/hia_gunfirenoise.shtml

Don't forget, a .357 mag revolver can shoot .38 specials which are lower pressure and less damaging to hearing, so don't rule it out. A .357 magnum is a very versatile gun/cartridge. Of course, a .44 mag can also shoot a .44 special, which is also lower pressure and a very effective HD round.

nate45 · January 20, 2012, 05:48 PM

I'm not sure, I've never put a decibel meter to them.

I can tell you, from firing both the .357 and .44 Mag without hearing protection, that the .44 is loud. With full power loads from a four inch barrel, it would be hard to tell the difference, in my opinion.

Also, hi-powered rifles like the .308 you mentioned are louder than a .357. They just don't hurt your ears as bad, because the barrel is longer, so its noise is farther away from you ears.

Gunner1873 · January 20, 2012, 06:00 PM

Hello Nate,

Did you notice a difference in the sounds of the 44 and 357? I understand they were equally loud but was one higher pitch than the other, what if any were the differences you noticed?

PawPaw · January 20, 2012, 06:07 PM

Heck I don't know. Is a 4-4-2 Rocket louder than a 396? It depends on the platform.

nate45 · January 20, 2012, 06:17 PM

The .357 makes a sharper higher pitched noise, but as far as hurting your ears, to me anyway, the .44 hurts as bad.

I notice on the link spacecoast provided that the .41 Magnum is just almost the same decibels, so I imagine the .44 Magnum is too.

excelerater · January 20, 2012, 06:20 PM

44>357

Olympus · January 20, 2012, 06:28 PM

The biggest factor that seems to be overlooked so far is barrel length. A full house .357 load out of a 2.5" barrel is going to be very loud. Compare that to a .44 load out of a 6" or greater barrel you'll be running a close race.

Now add some kind of barrel porting into the mix and you've got an even bigger shooter-perceived boom! And environment will also play a major factor. Indoor shooting ranges will sound a louder than shooting outdoors.

I shoot outdoor almost exclusively. That being said, I load my .357 hot enough that I feel a concussion wave hit me in the face when I shoot it. My old man has several .44 mags and none of them do that. Loudness is really a subjective matter.

abber · January 20, 2012, 10:09 PM

Just my perception, but the 357 seems to be a sharper report, generally speaking. Maybe not louder, though.

Dondor · January 20, 2012, 10:14 PM

The 357 is generally more of a high crack and the 44 a bigger boom.

Higher crack vs more concussion.

Pick your poison, they are both loud, but each in a different way.

The 44mag gets more attention at the range tho....

.wheelgunner. · January 20, 2012, 11:16 PM

According to the aforementioned chart, the 357 measures 164.3 decibals. The 41 mag measures 163.2 decibals. The 44 mag is 164 dB.

I don't think the naked ear can perceive a difference in the above noise levels. Especially since the hearing is instantly damaged if unprotected.

nate45 · January 20, 2012, 11:56 PM

Where do you see .44 Magnum on that chart?

drail · January 21, 2012, 10:48 AM

All firearms are loud enough to damage the human ear. The difference between how "loud" they measure on a meter is pointless because they're ALL in such a high decibel range that hearing protection is necessary if you value your hearing and do not want to listen to your ears ring for the rest of your life. If you're on an indoor range you are also experiencing the pressure wave off of these guns. You feel it in your chest and diaphragm. I don't understand this sudden interest in relative "loudness" of different calibers. They're are no "quiet" ones. They're all excruciatingly "loud". You must use hearing protection all of the time around firearms or machinery or jet engines. Even if high noise levels don't "bother" you and you think you can just put up with the noise you are permanently damaging your eardrums. Once damaged they cannot be fixed and will not ever come back. I say this after working for over 20 years on military and civilian flight lines and watching lots of people lose their hearing over time. They all thought that although it was loud it didn't "bother" them and ignored supervisors when they were told to use protection. Once you get above 90 decibels it doesn't matter how loud it measures or it "seems to be", the human ear cannot distinguish between 120 decibels and 160 decibels. The human ear is an extremely sensitive organ. Overload it and it will break.

Kreyzhorse · January 21, 2012, 11:44 AM

Quote:

I did it and no problem at all.

You should have said, "I did it with no problems yet." All of those guns are loud enough to cause hearing damage and already likely have.

If I were you, I'd buy a .357 or a .44, whatever you like the best along with a good pair of ear muffs. A good set of muffs will pretty much render your question meaningless. You'll also thank yourself in a few years so don't screw around with your hearing. Just because you can hear now doesn't mean you will always be able to do so.

Personally, I think the .357 is a better option as you can also shoot the milder .38s.

Old Grump · January 21, 2012, 03:29 PM

db Environmental noise
0 Threshold of hearing
10 Normal breathing
20 Rusting leaves
30 Whisper at 30 feet
40 Quiet street
50 Interior home noise
60 Conversation
70 Crowded restaurant
75 Kitchen appliances
80 City traffic
85 Hearing damage possible
90 Lawn mower
100 Chain shaw
120 Threshold of pain
120 Siren
134 .22 LR rifle
140 Jet engine at take-off
150 .410 shotgun
152 .22 LR pistol
153 20 gauge shotgun
155 .223 rifle
155 .25 pistol
156 12 gauge shotgun
156 .30-.30 rifle
156 .308 rifle
156 .44 Special revolver
157 .22 Magnum pistol
157 .45 ACP pistol
158 .380 ACP pistol
158 .38 Special revolver
159 .30-06
160 9mm Para pistol
163 .41 Magnum revolver
164 .357 Magnum revolver
164 .44 Magnum revolver

http://www.m1911.org/loudness.htm

.wheelgunner. · January 22, 2012, 01:06 AM

Quote:

Where do you see .44 Magnum on that chart?

It's on the link "noise limits." Different chart.

warningshot · January 22, 2012, 01:30 AM

What? You guys say what? What? Say again...

bluetopper · January 22, 2012, 02:07 AM

Put on some ear muffs and it really doesn't make a Hoover Dam.

Edward429451 · January 22, 2012, 07:02 AM

I know exactly what you are talking about. The 357 is much more obnoxious than a 44 Mag. The 357 is more higher pitched crack. The 44 Mag going off is a dull boom. I don't care which is louder to a decibel meter, the 44 is perceived to be more friendly to me. Perhaps this is why I own several 44's and not one 357?

B.L.E. · January 22, 2012, 08:30 AM

Quote:

I have never shot a 357 magnum. I have shot a 44 magnum but this was a Dessert Eagle in the range. With ear protection it didn't seem too loud.

The Dessert Eagle is a semi-auto and isn't as loud as a revolver because there is no cylinder gap. My semi-auto .22 pistol is much less obnoxious than my .22 revolvers are, though I still wear hearing protection for both.

Which is louder depends a lot on exactly which gun it is fired from. Taking it to extremes, you could compare a snub nosed .357 revolver to a Marlin lever action rifle chambered in .44 Magnum, which is about like shooting a .410 shotgun, both in recoil and sound.

Webleymkv · January 22, 2012, 01:41 PM

A lot of how the noise of a particular cartridge is perceived has to do with the particular loading too. For example, the .357 Magnum seems to have a markedly sharper pitch to its report if full-power 125gr loadings are used. 158gr loadings don't seem nearly as sharp or concussive to me. Likewise, a .44 Magnum loaded with full-power 180gr loads is much sharper than a full-power 240gr load.

Another factor is where you are positioned in relation to the gun. Neither .357 nor .44 Magnums seem nearly as loud or sharp to me when I'm shooting the gun as they do when I'm standing next to someone else shooting the gun.

Pvt. Pyle · January 22, 2012, 02:10 PM

If you are worried about noise, maybe take classes throwing knifes? That way you wont ever have to worry about discharging a firearm inside during an HD situation.

Or you could buy a suppressor and use sub-sonic ammo, that makes things pretty quiet.

Like has been posted before, anything over 85dB causes hearing damage. Whether you feel it, can tell it, or any of those things, it causes hearing damage. Just depends on how long it takes to begin affecting you.

McShooty · January 22, 2012, 06:59 PM

I don't think there is enough difference between the noise of full-house .357 and .44 mag to be a consideration in the choice of a weapon. BTW, anyone who thinks the .44 mag is not too bad has probably never been close to a heavy load of H110 being touched off. My humble advice is, get the best ear protection you can afford and the gun that you really want.

Pvt. Pyle · January 22, 2012, 07:02 PM

So H110 is why my .357 and .44 are so loud!

Edward429451 · January 22, 2012, 09:27 PM

That's correct.

But in using H-110 in both 357 & 44 all things but caliber being equal, the 44 Mag is always toned down to what the 357 is producing in noise. I can download my 44 to any 357 power level and do it with less noise than with a similar barrel sized 357.

This is perceived and I have not actually tested this, but I know I'm right.

January 20, 2012, 05:35 PM	#1
Gunner1873 Junior Member Join Date: January 15, 2012 Posts: 6	Is a 44 Magnum louder than a 357 Magnum? I ask this question due to the other very informative thread asking if the 357 magnum is too loud. I have never shot a 357 magnum. I have shot a 44 magnum but this was a Dessert Eagle in the range. With ear protection it didn't seem too loud. I have been in the range before with people next to me firing snub 357 magnums that seems crazy loud. Like it somewhat scared me or made me jittery to be next to them. I mean I would anticipate their next shot. And this is with a nice range with closed off firing lanes and excellent ear protection. I personally have fired MANY rounds with a 9mm, 45, shotgun, 308 Rifle, AK-47, 22 LR in the woods with NO EAR PROTECTION and it wasn't that bad at all. 22 LR - nothing, doesn't even bother my ears. shotgun - with bird shot not very loud. a bassy sound so it doesn't bother my ears much at all. With a slug it's much louder but still the sound it BASS, not high pitch so it's not too bad. 45 ACP - it's not so loud. Way louder than a 22 but nothing that would cause ear damage. even shooting hundreds of rounds as I did. Yes it is stupid to shoot without ear protection but I did it and no problem at all. 9mm - Louder than the 45. I don't like to shoot it without ear protection because it has a high pitch sound. Still doesn't hurt my ears and I don't think it's causing hearing damage but it's definitely louder than a 45 and the sound is more annoying. 308 Rifle - No very loud at all. Doesn't really hurt my ears much. Much less noise than a 45 even. The difference is I can hear the bullet echo off into the distance after shooting. AK-47 - Only fired a few rounds with it. Didn't bother my ears much. I was standing next to my friend when he unloaded a 100 round drum into some targets and it didn't bother me much. No ear protection. Of course any of these guns would be MUCH MUCH louder indoors but it never occurred to me that they can be so loud as to cause permanent hearing loss with one shot. This is something I would like to avoid. I sort of ruled out the possibility of purchasing a 357 magnum even though it is a very versatile round that is very inexpensive to shoot and could get me starting into reloading. Because I don't want to have something around that if I ever have to shoot indoors, It would cripple me for life. Not if there are better options out there and there are. But I am currently considering purchasing a S&W 44 Magnum. Now I imagine this gun may make a more powerful BANG than a 357 mag but maybe because the caliber is so much higher, it wouldn't be so high pitch and maybe not as bad for your hearing? Anyone here have the experience to compare the noise levels of a 357 mag vs a 44 mag? The 357 mag is too loud for me, does this mean the 44 mag is too loud also by default?

January 20, 2012, 05:47 PM	#2
spacecoast Senior Member Join Date: October 14, 2009 Location: Sunshine and Keystone States Posts: 4,461	I haven't tried either of them without hearing protection to judge how much pain they cause (and don't intend to) but I would say that the .357 magnum probably has higher frequency components and therefore may be more damaging by a slight margin. I haven't seen a chart that includes .44mag, but the one at this site lists .357 mag as louder than .41 mag (and louder than just about anything else too). http://www.freehearingtest.com/hia_gunfirenoise.shtml Don't forget, a .357 mag revolver can shoot .38 specials which are lower pressure and less damaging to hearing, so don't rule it out. A .357 magnum is a very versatile gun/cartridge. Of course, a .44 mag can also shoot a .44 special, which is also lower pressure and a very effective HD round. Last edited by spacecoast; January 20, 2012 at 05:52 PM.

January 21, 2012, 10:48 AM	#13
drail Junior member Join Date: February 2, 2008 Posts: 3,150	All firearms are loud enough to damage the human ear. The difference between how "loud" they measure on a meter is pointless because they're ALL in such a high decibel range that hearing protection is necessary if you value your hearing and do not want to listen to your ears ring for the rest of your life. If you're on an indoor range you are also experiencing the pressure wave off of these guns. You feel it in your chest and diaphragm. I don't understand this sudden interest in relative "loudness" of different calibers. They're are no "quiet" ones. They're all excruciatingly "loud". You must use hearing protection all of the time around firearms or machinery or jet engines. Even if high noise levels don't "bother" you and you think you can just put up with the noise you are permanently damaging your eardrums. Once damaged they cannot be fixed and will not ever come back. I say this after working for over 20 years on military and civilian flight lines and watching lots of people lose their hearing over time. They all thought that although it was loud it didn't "bother" them and ignored supervisors when they were told to use protection. Once you get above 90 decibels it doesn't matter how loud it measures or it "seems to be", the human ear cannot distinguish between 120 decibels and 160 decibels. The human ear is an extremely sensitive organ. Overload it and it will break. Last edited by drail; January 21, 2012 at 10:55 AM.

January 21, 2012, 03:29 PM	#15
Old Grump Member in memoriam Join Date: April 9, 2009 Location: Blue River Wisconsin, in Posts: 3,144	db Environmental noise 0 Threshold of hearing 10 Normal breathing 20 Rusting leaves 30 Whisper at 30 feet 40 Quiet street 50 Interior home noise 60 Conversation 70 Crowded restaurant 75 Kitchen appliances 80 City traffic 85 Hearing damage possible 90 Lawn mower 100 Chain shaw 120 Threshold of pain 120 Siren 134 .22 LR rifle 140 Jet engine at take-off 150 .410 shotgun 152 .22 LR pistol 153 20 gauge shotgun 155 .223 rifle 155 .25 pistol 156 12 gauge shotgun 156 .30-.30 rifle 156 .308 rifle 156 .44 Special revolver 157 .22 Magnum pistol 157 .45 ACP pistol 158 .380 ACP pistol 158 .38 Special revolver 159 .30-06 160 9mm Para pistol 163 .41 Magnum revolver 164 .357 Magnum revolver 164 .44 Magnum revolver http://www.m1911.org/loudness.htm __________________ Good intentions will always be pleaded for any assumption of power. The Constitution was made to guard the people against the dangers of good intentions. There are men in all ages who mean to govern will, but they mean to govern. They promise to be good masters, but they mean to be masters. --Daniel Webster--

January 22, 2012, 01:30 AM	#17
warningshot Senior Member Join Date: October 8, 2009 Posts: 995	Noise? What? You guys say what? What? Say again...

January 20, 2012, 05:48 PM	#3
nate45 Senior Member Join Date: July 16, 2007 Location: Illinois Posts: 3,746	I'm not sure, I've never put a decibel meter to them. I can tell you, from firing both the .357 and .44 Mag without hearing protection, that the .44 is loud. With full power loads from a four inch barrel, it would be hard to tell the difference, in my opinion. Also, hi-powered rifles like the .308 you mentioned are louder than a .357. They just don't hurt your ears as bad, because the barrel is longer, so its noise is farther away from you ears.

January 20, 2012, 06:00 PM	#4
Gunner1873 Junior Member Join Date: January 15, 2012 Posts: 6	Hello Nate, Did you notice a difference in the sounds of the 44 and 357? I understand they were equally loud but was one higher pitch than the other, what if any were the differences you noticed?

January 20, 2012, 06:07 PM	#5
PawPaw Senior Member Join Date: December 24, 2010 Location: Central Louisiana Posts: 3,137	Heck I don't know. Is a 4-4-2 Rocket louder than a 396? It depends on the platform.

January 20, 2012, 06:17 PM	#6
nate45 Senior Member Join Date: July 16, 2007 Location: Illinois Posts: 3,746	The .357 makes a sharper higher pitched noise, but as far as hurting your ears, to me anyway, the .44 hurts as bad. I notice on the link spacecoast provided that the .41 Magnum is just almost the same decibels, so I imagine the .44 Magnum is too.

January 20, 2012, 06:20 PM	#7
excelerater Junior member Join Date: June 27, 2011 Location: Memphis TN Posts: 694	44>357

January 20, 2012, 06:28 PM	#8
Olympus Senior Member Join Date: December 15, 2008 Posts: 770	The biggest factor that seems to be overlooked so far is barrel length. A full house .357 load out of a 2.5" barrel is going to be very loud. Compare that to a .44 load out of a 6" or greater barrel you'll be running a close race. Now add some kind of barrel porting into the mix and you've got an even bigger shooter-perceived boom! And environment will also play a major factor. Indoor shooting ranges will sound a louder than shooting outdoors. I shoot outdoor almost exclusively. That being said, I load my .357 hot enough that I feel a concussion wave hit me in the face when I shoot it. My old man has several .44 mags and none of them do that. Loudness is really a subjective matter.

January 20, 2012, 10:09 PM	#9
abber Senior Member Join Date: January 15, 2008 Location: PRK Posts: 735	Just my perception, but the 357 seems to be a sharper report, generally speaking. Maybe not louder, though.

January 20, 2012, 10:14 PM	#10
Dondor Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2006 Posts: 226	The 357 is generally more of a high crack and the 44 a bigger boom. Higher crack vs more concussion. Pick your poison, they are both loud, but each in a different way. The 44mag gets more attention at the range tho....

January 20, 2012, 11:16 PM	#11
.wheelgunner. Senior Member Join Date: March 22, 2011 Posts: 150	According to the aforementioned chart, the 357 measures 164.3 decibals. The 41 mag measures 163.2 decibals. The 44 mag is 164 dB. I don't think the naked ear can perceive a difference in the above noise levels. Especially since the hearing is instantly damaged if unprotected.

January 20, 2012, 11:56 PM	#12
nate45 Senior Member Join Date: July 16, 2007 Location: Illinois Posts: 3,746	Where do you see .44 Magnum on that chart?

January 22, 2012, 02:07 AM	#18
bluetopper Senior Member Join Date: December 17, 2005 Location: Northeast TX Posts: 1,214	Put on some ear muffs and it really doesn't make a Hoover Dam.

January 22, 2012, 07:02 AM	#19
Edward429451 Junior member Join Date: November 12, 2000 Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado Posts: 9,494	I know exactly what you are talking about. The 357 is much more obnoxious than a 44 Mag. The 357 is more higher pitched crack. The 44 Mag going off is a dull boom. I don't care which is louder to a decibel meter, the 44 is perceived to be more friendly to me. Perhaps this is why I own several 44's and not one 357?

January 22, 2012, 01:41 PM	#21
Webleymkv Senior Member Join Date: July 20, 2005 Location: Indiana Posts: 10,610	A lot of how the noise of a particular cartridge is perceived has to do with the particular loading too. For example, the .357 Magnum seems to have a markedly sharper pitch to its report if full-power 125gr loadings are used. 158gr loadings don't seem nearly as sharp or concussive to me. Likewise, a .44 Magnum loaded with full-power 180gr loads is much sharper than a full-power 240gr load. Another factor is where you are positioned in relation to the gun. Neither .357 nor .44 Magnums seem nearly as loud or sharp to me when I'm shooting the gun as they do when I'm standing next to someone else shooting the gun.

January 22, 2012, 02:10 PM	#22
Pvt. Pyle Senior Member Join Date: January 18, 2011 Posts: 116	If you are worried about noise, maybe take classes throwing knifes? That way you wont ever have to worry about discharging a firearm inside during an HD situation. Or you could buy a suppressor and use sub-sonic ammo, that makes things pretty quiet. Like has been posted before, anything over 85dB causes hearing damage. Whether you feel it, can tell it, or any of those things, it causes hearing damage. Just depends on how long it takes to begin affecting you.

January 22, 2012, 06:59 PM	#23
McShooty Senior Member Join Date: January 4, 2012 Location: Northern Missouri Posts: 480	I don't think there is enough difference between the noise of full-house .357 and .44 mag to be a consideration in the choice of a weapon. BTW, anyone who thinks the .44 mag is not too bad has probably never been close to a heavy load of H110 being touched off. My humble advice is, get the best ear protection you can afford and the gun that you really want.

January 22, 2012, 07:02 PM	#24
Pvt. Pyle Senior Member Join Date: January 18, 2011 Posts: 116	So H110 is why my .357 and .44 are so loud!

January 22, 2012, 09:27 PM	#25
Edward429451 Junior member Join Date: November 12, 2000 Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado Posts: 9,494	That's correct. But in using H-110 in both 357 & 44 all things but caliber being equal, the 44 Mag is always toned down to what the 357 is producing in noise. I can download my 44 to any 357 power level and do it with less noise than with a similar barrel sized 357. This is perceived and I have not actually tested this, but I know I'm right.