Decibel levels

[RDWalker]

My boss and I were talking about guns the other day and he thinks that a 45/70 is louder then a 460 s&w. Does anyone have any data that shows which one is louder? I can find 45/70 but not 460 s&w.

 

[reddog81]

What type of firearms? The same for both? Both are available as handguns or rifles.

what type of ammo? Guns chambered in .460 can shoot a wide variety of ammo and .45-70 has various power levels

 

[westernrover]

This was recently discussed here: https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/45-70-vs-308win-loudness.908742/#post-12369912

That thread pretty much covers how the variables will affect the outcome. Generally speaking, a 460 out of a short-barrel revolver will be louder than a SAAMI-spec 45-70 out of a long rifle, but there are a lot of ways to tweak the outcome by changing the variables.

 

[230RN]

One hundred percent answer for this case, combining all of this case's variables to find which gun is loouder:

See how far away each can blow out a candle.

Three feet? You have a three foot-candle power loudness firearm.

Four feet... and so on.



Terry hobbles away with moderators in hot pursuit and hides.

 

[Remington1911]

Having just gotten hearing aids and going down the rabbit hole of those issues that only someone with ADHD can, I think I know more about "sound" and "hearing" then my ear doc.

My ears are shot, flying little airplanes, funny story there but this place hates funny stories so nope.

I will cut this short and say it is not only volume but pitch that has a great deal to with what we "hear" as louder. A more "quiet" sound could be to the ear as louder if the pitch is in that range that hurts you.

Take care of your ears fellas, you only get one pair, and when they go they don't come back.

 

[Bentonville]

Amen , Remington. I suffer every day after many years of abuse, usually through ignorance in the 60s and 70s. There is no cure for the torture of extreme tinnitus and hearing loss .

 

[RDWalker]

The 460 is my 8 3/8" xvr loaded with 300 grain xtp mag bullets over 41 grains of H110 powder. As far as the 45/70 goes he has multiple, all lever actions, and I don't know what his reloads for them are.

 

[lysanderxiii]

Just for reference

Noise signature at gunner's ear (from a 1966 Army test):

AR-15 (10 inch barrel) - 0.27 psi / 159.3 db
XM177E2 (11.5 in barrel w/ new moderator) - 0.16 psi / 155.5 db
XM177E2 (11.5 in barrel w/ old [4,000 rounds] moderator) - 0.28 psi / 159.8 db
AR-15 (18 in barrel) - 0.13 psi / 153.3 db
AR-15 (20 in barrel) - 0.09 psi / 150.3 db
M14 (22 in barrel) - 0.13 / 153.3 db
M60 (22 in barrel) - 0.08 psi / 149.1 db

 

[Remington1911]

Amen , Remington. I suffer every day after many years of abuse, usually through ignorance in the 60s and 70s. There is no cure for the torture of extreme tinnitus and hearing loss .

Sorry for the OT and likely to be deleted, hopefully you get to read this....

Have you tried "real" hearing aids, for me they really helped with the tinnitus. They are doing some magic things with the new hearing aids.

 

[Bentonville]

Thank you. I’m in the process of clearing up some long term fluid retention behind the ear drum. After that , will explore aids . My ENT has said the same thing . I have a constant hiss in my left ear that is as loud in my head as my own speaking voice. It’s really difficult to sleep . The right ear is almost as loud. It gets progressively worse even though I have used the best plugs and muffs for years now. I use protection even when using mowers , string trimmers, blowers, or playing the piano ( 90 dbs at the least ). Too late. The cilia are damaged in the cochlea and theee’s no cure . I hope the hearing aids do help . Tinnitus is the result of hearing loss. It starts with a faint ringing but , with constant noise levels above 85 Decibels, over time, bad news.

 

[Remington1911]

Thank you. I’m in the process of clearing up some long term fluid retention behind the ear drum. After that , will explore aids . My ENT has said the same thing . I have a constant hiss in my left ear that is as loud in my head as my own speaking voice. It’s really difficult to sleep . The right ear is almost as loud. It gets progressively worse even though I have used the best plugs and muffs for years now. I use protection even when using mowers , string trimmers, blowers, or playing the piano ( 90 dbs at the least ). Too late. The cilia are damaged in the cochlea and theee’s no cure . I hope the hearing aids do help . Tinnitus is the result of hearing loss. It starts with a faint ringing but , with constant noise levels above 85 Decibels, over time, bad news.

Side track again and in hopes I am allowed to help someone and not have a thread or post deleted by mods.....

You need something that is "white noise", just using ear plugs or muffs is not going to do it.

 

[Remington1911]

Need to add, what your brain is doing is filling in the gaps with something. It knows you can't hear, and something should be there, so it makes ringing. You are not really "hearing" the ringing, your brain is making it up.

In most cases if you get really going in some activity the ringing will stop, this is because of other noise, or your brain is working double duty with that new thing. Seeing your first grandbaby and I would bet your ears will "turn off" during that. You likely will not even notice it, and I would bet that if you think.....Hay my ears are not ringing, they will start in short order.

You eye does the same thing. This is why many accidents happen on roads you often travel, you just don't "see" that other car. You brain already has a catalog of what is suppose to be there and it will just stick that saved image in there and wammo. It can do the same thing with things like signs.....how did I miss that stop sign, it has been there forever and I just never "saw" it.

The white noise will give your ear and brain something to "listen" to, and will help.....for a while. Then it will become just background noise again depending on your brain and it will just cancel it out and the ringing will return.

 

[jmorris]

The 460 is my 8 3/8" xvr loaded with 300 grain xtp mag bullets over 41 grains of H110 powder. As far as the 45/70 goes he has multiple, all lever actions, and I don't know what his reloads for them are.

I don’t know who is right as an absolute but there is a good chance he is using more of a slower powder but approaching 3x the barrel length. If I were a betting man, I would bet the revolver would make more noise.

If I knew there was a bet though and picked the 45-70, I could probably still win.



However, to me it sounds like you two need to go shooting together.

 

[Riomouse911]

Having just gotten hearing aids and going down the rabbit hole of those issues that only someone with ADHD can, I think I know more about "sound" and "hearing" then my ear doc.

My ears are shot, flying little airplanes, funny story there but this place hates funny stories so nope.

I will cut this short and say it is not only volume but pitch that has a great deal to with what we "hear" as louder. A more "quiet" sound could be to the ear as louder if the pitch is in that range that hurts you.

Take care of your ears fellas, you only get one pair, and when they go they don't come back.

Amen!!

Some guns seem to “crack” more, the higher velocity guns seem to do it for me. I find those to really get the cathedral’s bells ringing in my head even if I am shooting plugged and muffed.

Between 45-odd years of shooting (including 31.5 years of duty quals and 10 of SWAT/SRT stacks), three punctured right eardrums waterskiing in the 1990’s and a bad infection that damaged my right eardrum in 1983, that poor organ is just about done. All I can hear from the right ear is treble, zero low-range.

My left ear, which is still ok, is being guarded like the crown jewels.

Stay safe.