Silencers / Suppressors and supersonic cartridge sound levels

O

oxnam

New member
I have been reading up on suppressors and the crack of the bullet breaking the sound barrier is still loud if you don't use subsonic loads. As for noise level of the supersonic cartridges, will a 22lr and 223 rem sound the same out of a suppressor because both bullets are going to break the sound barrier? Or does it matter at which speed the bullet breaks the sound barrier?
 
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there will be a differance in them. with the .22lr it breaks it about 50yrds out it sounds. but with the .223 its going to crack alot sooner ..if ur shooting supersonic ammo in one .the suppressor will take the blast of the round out but not the crack
 
I understand the sonic boom which is why the round should be subsonic to take full advantage of a suppressor.

So if you were standing 200 yards to the side of the shooter or at the target 100 yards away, could you tell the difference betwen the two calibers?
 
I never tried standing off to the side or at the target, but I can tell you from personal experience that a 223 will sound about like a 22lr, and a subsonic 22 will be about as loud as your average pellet gun. Supersonic will still have the crack, but is easily shootable without hearing protection.
Russ
 
My 223 with regular velocity ammo can be shot without earplugs easily, i have been down range when shooting with a suppressor and the neat thing is you can't really tell where the sound comes from. My intergal suppressed 10/22 with subsonic ammo is whisper quiet. The bolt make more noise than the shot.... With mini mags the crack is noticeable but but annoying... I hear the action of the gun more than the crack
 
Originally Posted By: oxnamI understand the sonic boom which is why the round should be subsonic to take full advantage of a suppressor.

So if you were standing 200 yards to the side of the shooter or at the target 100 yards away, could you tell the difference betwen the two calibers?

Wouldn't breaking the sound barrier be breaking the sound barrier? So wouldn't each bullet sound the same? I'm leaning toward yes. Or maybe with the 223 having more bang than the 22 lr the suppressor would suppress the 22lr more?
 
Quote:Wouldn't breaking the sound barrier be breaking the sound barrier?
That is what I was thinking too.
I am by no stretch of the imagination an expert or anything near to it.
I just have an interest in this stuff.
I'm also guessing that it may have something to do with the speed at which it breaks the sound barrier. Just a guess though.
Like a 3000fps round will be louder than a 1200fps round.
Does anyone really know?
Thanks,
Mark
 
A supersonic bullet is supersonic at the muzzle, it only slows down from there. As you cross multiple sonic barriers you can get a second "crack". In addition, under some atmospheric conditions you can get secondary rarefactions that are nearly as loud as the primary standing wave. In short, the faster the bullet the louder the crack(s), the larger the bullet the louder the crack (actually it should be the bullet that displaces the most air makes the loudest crack).
John
 
Quote:the larger the bullet the louder the crack
Very interesting stuff, I never thought about the size of the bullet, Makes sense though. Thanks
 
So is the crack, very similar to the crack of a good bullwhip? I can definately get a good pop with one of those. Will a supressed 223 sound like an unsupressed 22lr? I am just trying to form some realistic expectations and haven't found anyone local to try it first hand.
 
It is real easy to see it that way, but it is actually the opposite. The more dense the medium, the better the sound waves propagate.
John
 
Originally Posted By: ShooterMedicHas any one any ideas for a sub sonic 223 load?

There are some on the market. You can also get the super heavy bullets for loading.
John
 
Sounds like there is trouble keeping the heavy 223 bullets from tumbling. Heavy bullets and really fast powders with barrels that have a fast twist seem to be the only option.
 
It can be tough but a 100gr .223 RN is barely longer than a 77gr sierra and will stabilize just fine in a 1:7 twist. The quick burning powders produce a good quiet load but will not cycle the AR. The next option is using powder that is way too slow. VV-N165 is a good place to start and 15 grains will give you about 1050 fps. It will cycle the AR but will normally not lock open on the last shot.
John
 
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