How loud is a .17 hornet?

[hornetboy]

I currently use a cz527 .22 hornet with 10.5 gns 296 and 35gn v max projectiles. I use it this way to cull foxes without it being too noisy and to make the brass last a while. How loud would a .17 hornet be, compared to this rifle and my .17 Mach 1V? I'm hoping it would be considerably quieter than my Mach 1V but am dubious.

[RowdyYates]

You're correct in being dubious. The main reason I bought an early .17 HH (Savage) was because I thought it should have been quieter than a .22 Hornet. To my (protected) ears it wasn't; in fact the report seemed not only louder, but was more annoying - possibly due its higher pitch. Even if I hadn't had so many problems with that particular rifle its fate was sealed, and I couldn't have been happier to trade it back on another .22 H.
Bottom line: You'll never find an un-suppressed centerfire rifle "quieter" than a .22 Hornet.

[hemiallen]

It looks like 11 grains of 296 pushing a 22-35 grain bullet gives 2800 fps.

Are you saying that load is much quieter than a full house load? Nosler shows from 10 grains to a max of 12 grains for your bullet weight. That sure doesn't look like a very quiet load that you are happy with.

With that said, I believe using other powders could get you less noise, but why not download the Mk 4 to sub velocity and see what you think.

IMHO sound is a very personal thing, like recoil, the only way to know what SOUNDS good for your intended job would be to download the Mk4 until it meets your needs, and then you will know you could EASILY meet the lower velocity with a 17HH.

Good luck

Allen

[Hotshot]

17 Hornet goes bang, 17M4 goes BANG
I hope this helped

[hornetboy]

The 10.5 gns of 296 replaced a full load of lil' gun (13 gns). That load was so damned loud in my hornet I considered it a waste of time because I was as loud or louder than my .222 without the benefits. The 296 load is not offensive.

[Chickenthief]

I would put the 17HH in the high 140's to low 150's.
A 22LR is in the 143dB range

[Chickenthief]

+3dB is double the sound level and -3dB is half, and about the smallest difference detetcable for the human ear..
20dB is 100 times more or less

So 2 chainsaws are 3dB louder than one and 100 saws is 20dB louder than one.
Because the scale is logarithmic another 20dB means 100x100 so 10,000 saws is 40dB louder than just one.

[Jingle]

My reduced 17HH loads traveling @ 930fps are basically as loud as a firm hand clap. Hows that for quiet But you also have to take into account its subsonic so no break of the sound barrier.

I would imagine a 17HH with factory loads @ 3650fps and the smaller .172 opening oppose to a .224 opening traveling at quite a bit faster speed would be louder, no?

Like a 22-250 loaded with a 40gr nosler traveling @ 4000fps would be louder than a 22-250 loaded with a 55gr speer @ 3100fps. But a 17 Remington with a 25gr bullet traveling over 4000fps might be even louder due to the smaller tube the muzzle blast exceeds from. But ultimately higher pressure yields louder muzzle blast.

I'm sure there are much more educated members here that can educate you better than the above example.

[Stevo]

I would choose the 22 mag for a quiet Rifle. I have people that call me if they have a Fox or Coyote killing their Chickens and a lot of times it is close to other homes. Nice little pop that no one ever even notices.


I know that wasn't your question just thought I'd give you another option.


Steve

[hornetboy]

Given that I already have the hornet and the
Mach 1V, I was fishing to see if there is an advantage to
adding a .17 hornet on noise abatement. Thus far, the answers indicate otherwise. You fellers are a handy source of information