Well gents, I am planning a trip to South Africa for next June and have a quandary. My wife who is not typically a hunter or shooter, has voiced in interest in taking an animal while there. She can shoot but is very bothered by the sound of the shots going off. I know I can get her some of the fitted plugs but I would like to come up with a quiet yet capable round to shoot light plains game with. I have a 257 roberts in the works I could finish up for her if I can make it quiet enough. What say you? and thanks for the help.
Les

All I can suggest is that she wear good hearing protection and spend some time shooting skeet.
If her ears are protected, she will eventually lose some of the reaction to the sound of gunfire.

You can't reduce the sound enough by just fooling with your loads to have an impact. Spend your $$ on good hearing protection and be done with it.

I agree with ramrod, to make the .257 quiet enough will remove its potential for cleanly killing an animal. A far better choice would be a T/C G2 carbine in .357 Maximum. Muzzle blast is a combination of gas muzzle pressure and gas volume. The relatively small .357 Maxi case will have a relatively low muzzle pressure in a 20" barrel and the charge weight is low too. You can launch a 180-grain bullet at 2000 fps with a below-maximum charge for low recoil, 'relative' quiet, and a lot more killing power than any down-loaded .257. But hearing protection is still warranted.



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Hey thanks, I like the G2 idea. I should have thought of that! I used to have a little 357 single shot and it was quiet. Thanks again, Les

Check with your PH and see if they might have a rifle with a suppressor you could borrow.

Have you had her try one of the good quality electronic ear muffs? They make it easy to hear and hold a normal conversation, but will cut out the sudden noise of a gunshot. I think Walker still makes the inside the ear type too.

quote:

Originally posted by ramrod340:
Check with your PH and see if they might have a rifle with a suppressor you could borrow.

This is the best route to follow. I think that where you are going to be hunting, it is considered "bad form" not to be shooting suppressed. The noise factor being imposed on the other shooters is not "proper". Many of those locales there will sell suppressors over the counter without all the governmental crap that you have to go through stateside.

Use the suppressed rifle if available as any capable round to shoot light plains game with is going to be noisy without a suppressor.

Larry Gibson