17hmr noise

10 January 2004, 04:24

Herk

17hmr noise

Would porting or adding a compensator to the barrel of my Savage .17 quiet it down at all? I live right on the edge of town with a huge open field across from me and the crows do nothing but taunt and tease me over there

10 January 2004, 05:19

Dark Paladin

I think porting or a comp would actualy have the reverse affect you are thinking of...

10 January 2004, 05:31

eshell

Quote:

I think porting or a comp would actualy have the reverse affect you are thinking of...

Agreed.
Even a suppressor will not address the sonic crack produced by bullet flight either.

Perhaps the report can be muffled at the shooting point. A local range uses 5 foot lengths of 24" plastic drainage tubes, lined with 2" foam for noise abatement. You just shoot through the tube with the muzzle inside. Another suggestion from another thread (muzzle brakes) suggested shooting from between two bales of straw.

Maybe you could bait them to another spot.

10 January 2004, 06:39

Stonecreek

Quote:

Perhaps the report can be muffled at the shooting point. A local range uses 5 foot lengths of 24" plastic drainage tubes, lined with 2" foam for noise abatement. You just shoot through the tube with the muzzle inside.

What as coincidence. That's exactly the arrangement I've been thinking about constructing for my own private range, just to be a good neighbor and avoid potential complaints from adjacent landowners (not to mention lessening the annoyment to the spouse in the house just a short distance away). I had been thinking of partially enclosing the ends and using fiberglass insulation. I take it that the ones you mention are using foam rubber? How well do these "noise abators" work?

10 January 2004, 09:59

doubleD

A co-worker has the same problem. But we did a test and he opened his kicthen window and I stood outside his house while he shot several times. If I did know he was shooting, I would not of know what the noise was. He was shooting a .22 lr.

11 January 2004, 01:48

groundhog devastation

eshell, Common laws of physics say a surpressor won't work on a 17HMR......WRONG!!! Actually know of a Ruger 17HMR that has had a Lilja barrel fitted that has a surpressor on it! The bullet being so darn little, evidently doesn't act like larger projectiles in regards to air displacement and the sound although not surpressed to almost non existent levels is reduced to no more than the sound of a 22 short! By the way, the rifle shoots .2's @ 100 yards!!!!!

11 January 2004, 06:44

bearcat

I belive that eshell was talking about the "sonic crack" of ANY bullet that is traveling somewhere over 1000fps, no suppressor will stop this affect. So he is correct. But it will muffle the report of the rifle greatly, so if your trying to keep the neighbors "in the dark" the suppressor will mask the muzzel report conciderably, but you will still get the sonic crack noise unless you load subsonic ammunition which I do sometimes for my .223 (very quiet)but in shortens the effective range of the 223 to about 125-150 yards max.

11 January 2004, 09:11

Ricochet

But, as G.D. pointed out, the .17 bullet doesn't make as loud a sonic crack as a bigger bullet does.

12 January 2004, 15:14

RogerBarker

Bearcat,

Ref: "but you will still get the sonic crack noise unless you load subsonic ammunition which I do sometimes for my .223 (very quiet)but in shortens the effective range of the 223 to about 125-150 yards max."

Please fill me in on the details of this load, if you would. Do you use a filler? Thanks,

Roger Barker

12 January 2004, 16:34

bearcat

Roger,

The first thing I will say probably goes with out saying. The subsonic load took alot of tinkering and can be dangerous so please BE carefull. I shoot this in an AR15 with a 1-7 twist barrel though a Gem tech M4 Supressor.

CCI 450 Small magnum primers (Important you want a big bang with your primer, don't use just regular small rifle primers).
Alliant 2400 Magnum Handgun powder at a charge of 6 grains.
Sierra 69g HPBT Match
No filler

This work very well in the AR15, it will not cycle the bolt. Haven't yet sent my PSS LTR off to get the barrel threaded yet, but it would be deadly quiet in a bolt gun. It is unbeliveably quiet, just kind of a hissing sound. When you hear the bullet hit the target, that will be the loudest sound you'll hear. Again be very carefull with this, it is safe in my guns, can't say about yours, so load at your own risk. If you put too much Magnum handgun powder in a 223 case I don't need to tell you what will happen. Not enough the bullet will lodge in the barrel. If you have anymore quetions let me know.

13 January 2004, 06:34

eshell

Quote:

. . . . I take it that the ones you mention are using foam rubber? How well do these "noise abators" work?

Yes, they use 2 or 3 inch thick black "egg crate" style foam insulation. I suspect the fiberglass would blow out, make a mess, and/or potentially cause eye and skin irritation.

In noise abatement, I couldn't say how well they actually work. The report does seem reduced, but we are shooting under cover, with hearing protection, and it isn't allowed to shoot without using one, so there's no good comparison. It seems like it would have to be better than nothing.

They used a sheet of foam to line the tube, and tied it in through holes in the tube. IIRC, it was a pre-slotted drainage tube, though they might have drilled it. The main problem was that muzzle blast tends to dislodge the foam and it needs to be supported better than they do there. I think I would line the tube with the foam, then put some 1/2" hardware cloth over it to support it and hold it in place. Maybe get fancy and do two layers.

One concern I am aware of is the long term buildup of unburnt powder in the surface pores of the foam. This powder buildup can detonate (a la Glock factory explosion last summer), or simply catch fire. And, of course, the entire assembly should be labeled "Do Not Eat".

13 January 2004, 06:41

eshell

Quote:

eshell, Common laws of physics say a surpressor won't work on a 17HMR......WRONG!!! Actually know of a Ruger 17HMR that has had a Lilja barrel fitted that has a surpressor on it! The bullet being so darn little, evidently doesn't act like larger projectiles in regards to air displacement and the sound although not surpressed to almost non existent levels is reduced to no more than the sound of a 22 short! By the way, the rifle shoots .2's @ 100 yards!!!!!

AhHa!! Learn something new everyday. That might change everything! Makes the .17RF more attractive yet.

My unported, suppressed 10/22 is very quiet with sub-sonic ammo, especially short target ammo (click . . . thump), but the crack from a hi-speed is startlingly loud, probably as loud as the muzzle report itself.

13 January 2004, 06:44

eshell

Quote:

A co-worker has the same problem. But we did a test and he opened his kicthen window and I stood outside his house while he shot several times. If I did know he was shooting, I would not of know what the noise was. He was shooting a .22 lr.

We've stretched a layer of "Saran Wrap" plastic film across an open window to shoot through with similar results. From outside, almost looks like the window is closed. Bullet passes through essentially unaffected, heat / air conditioning and muzzle blast stay inside.