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Why is my new barrel so loud?

9K views 107 replies 58 participants last post by  midwest swiss 
#1 ·
This is my 457 Varmint woods hunting setup. Grouse and squirrel. I just recently switched to a 16” from a 20” barrel and when shooting standard velocity, some rounds from the same box have a loud “crack” to them, and some are very quiet. I feel like this wasn’t happening with the longer barrel.

I need suggestions for a non-hollow point round that’s also quiet when shooting.

Thank you
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#9 ·
Any of the lower priced RWS or Eley target ammo should be close to the accuracy of the Norma with similar greasy bullet lubes. CCI might work out okay, but I wouldn't expect too much from it. I use CCI Subsonic hollowpoints and have gotten better accuracy than the Standard Velocity, but that's out of my Kimber Hunter and might not apply to V's CZ. CCI also has Suppressor which is around 945 fps. RWS Subsonic is very good ammo, I use it too. It is difficult to locate now.
 
#10 ·
The speed of sound is significantly affected by temperature and altitude, decreasing with colder air and higher altitude. So that snow in the photo means colder and you are no doubt hearing the ballistic crack. I often shoot with a suppressor, so the effect is very noticeable on ammo that is at the "border line" or going supersonic.
 
#18 ·
The speed of sound is significantly affected by temperature and altitude, decreasing with colder air and higher altitude.
Also affected by humidity (which is typically low at lower temperatures). The nominal velocity of Tac-22 listed by Norma is 1080 fps. Speed of sound in "dry air" at 30 deg. F is 1085 fps. So indeed you may be right on the verge of that ammo having a MV above the speed of sound -- especially if you think of variations in it. Also, short barrels do make for more sound -- or certainly at least for a perception of louder sound.
 
#11 ·
If this is the one that just had the barrel cut down, put it back on. Sorry short barrels are loud😒
The colder the weather the lower the speed of sound is. For that reason I hate short barrels and was shooting my 18-1/2” barreled rifle today with a tuner and carbon fiber bloop tube and noticed right away how loud it was. Even with the extension it was twice as loud as the Remington 514 with 25” plus barrel I was also shooting.
 
#16 · (Edited)
Sound level changes by the square of the length of the barrel as memory serves so your rifle will be louder. What you are hearing is that some rounds are supersonic and some are sub sonic as they leave the muzzle. ( Speed of sound is approx 1126 fps) Do yourself a favor and get some match/target grade ammo rated at 1070 fps or less. Not only will your rifle be notably quieter with all shots, it will produce tighter groups due to better consistency and lack of some going transonic. p.s. Nice looking rifle
 
#21 ·
( Speed of sound is approx 1126 fps) Do yourself a favor and get some match/target grade ammo rated at 1070 fps or less. Not only will your rifle be notably quieter with all shots, it will produce tighter groups due to better consistency and lack of some going transonic. p.s. Nice looking rifle
I still get supersonic reports with 1070fps ammo in sub freezing temps out of my CZ AT-ONE and 452 UL. IME YMMV ETC
 
#72 ·
It has less to do with speed of the ammo than the length of the barrel. The shorter the barrel, the louder the sound of a round when fired.

Although the MV .22LR pistols is always less than that of rifles, short barrels make pistols louder than rifles. If shots are too loud, use a longer barreled rifle.
It's louder cause the mussel is closer to your ear. Lol😉
 
#19 ·
It's your ammo that is causing that. If you take a chronograph and see how fast each round is and how loud they are you will know why there is a difference. I had a box of Federal 550 round of 22lr and I bought a new rifle and I thought I had a lemon. I almost gave it away because I could not get it to stay accurate. until I gave it one last try before it was gone and found out the ammo had some weak rounds in that box. Shorter barrels are louder. Just a suggestion.

Signalman 🚦
 
#29 ·
Or............he could keep the one he's got and just have a 50 inch barrel installed.

Those are REALLY QUIET!!!

Yes, barrel length makes a huge difference.

I have been shooting RWS Rifle Match in my Remington 581's (24 inch barrels) and it's very quiet.

Last year I had a guy at the range come by to chat and he said he thought I was shooting an air rifle.

I like the longer barrels for several reasons.

You can find ammo that will stay below the speed of sound. The RWS I use is listed at 1083 and seems pretty consistent.

These are my 581's. Not as cool looking as your short barrel........but they work real good.

Trigger Shotgun Air gun Beer tap Wood
 
#27 ·
Norma now sells a sub-sonic HP round. On sale too. Advertised MV is 1033 fps, which is below the speed of sound in standard air. And 0°F at that.

The regular TAC-22 will/can exceed the speed of sound at 30°F. Which is likely what you are running into.

Push comes to shove CB caps are definitely quiet.

22_Match

edit: re-reading your first post, you want a non-HP. Not sure who makes a solid nose in the lower velocities.
 
#32 ·
Not sure these are target grade, or even hunting grade. But CCI makes two speeds of their Quiet ammo, both with round nose bullets.

CCI Quiet-22 Semi-Auto 45 grain 835 fps

CCI Quiet-22 40 grain 710 fps

I've used the 710 fps version quite a bit. It's pretty good at imitating a suppressor when used in a rifle without having to go down to the shorter brass of .22 shorts. I have yet to try out the 835 fps version.
 
#57 · (Edited)
I've tried both in my Savage FV ( with short barrel). Both are very quiet. That said, I struggled to get any kind of accuracy out of that (normally excellent) rifle with either load past 30 yds or so. Beyond that, groups opened rapidly. I couldn't hold 1.5" at 50 yds. IME, It's ok for critter control up close near the house/chicken coup but not really a suitable hunting round. Not sure what others experience is though.
 
#39 ·
Good point! Punn intended.
I made a personal decision to not hunt with round nose ammo anymore. I've wounded squirrels with lrn ammo, tac-22 to be exact.
My go to is Eley sshp old box, and flat nose ammo. I have RWS sshp as backup. I've got over a brick Eley sshp old green box.
That ammo is for hunting, and sighting my dedicated squirrel rifle/getting the bore dirty so I dont have clean barrel first shots on living targets.
 
#35 ·
Longer barrels are a bit quieter as far as the powder gas leaving the barrel. From what I've read the Ultralux with its long barrel is fairly quiet.

Cold weather lowers the speed of sound. Last year I was shocked when I tried out my brand new suppressor with some CCI-SV and I heard the crack. I think it was near 18°F that day.
 
#43 ·
A few years ago, when I first started shooting some PRS-style 22RF matches, the guys with 16" CZ455s (the ones with Manners tactical stocks) were always louder than any of the other rifles there that had longer barrels. There was so much difference in muzzle blast that I wondered if they were shooting hi vel ammo, but after asking, found that they were shooting std vel stuff. The increase in the sound level of the report is mainly due to the shorter bbl, even though some of those guys were expecting higher velocity due to all they'd read about 16" being the optimum bbl length for 22LR cartridges. I typically finish a custom 22RF bbl at 22" or 23", and believe that's a very good compromise; much prefer that length or longer for the relatively quiet report.
 
#45 ·
This is my 457 Varmint woods hunting setup. Grouse and squirrel. I just recently switched to a 16” from a 20” barrel and when shooting standard velocity, some rounds from the same box have a loud “crack” to them, and some are very quiet. I feel like this wasn’t happening with the longer barrel.

I need suggestions for a non-hollow point round that’s also quiet when shooting.

Thank you
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try cci standard velocity in round nose lead.
 
#50 ·
Very true.
You can load a 22lr subsonic round in a handgun, and it will blast your ears.
Put it in a ultra lux and its comparable to a Springer airgun.
The barrel is an expansion chamber and buffer in ways as the pressure/burn maxes out in the barrel space behind the bullet. Then the bullet leaves the barrel, and most of the action has already taken place, especially in that ultra lux barrel.
I thought about buying a CZ Scout for squirrel hunting, but I probably wont until I get a suppressor. My 453 American is a happy medium. It slings target ammo at below the trans-sonic line. No secondary cra-crack, and the barrel is long enough to keep those ss rounds away from the obnoxious level for the critters.
 
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