Shooting Noise... how do you resolve it?

[Mikul]

Let's face it guys, we participate in a noisy sport. Shooting is obnoxiously loud. If it isn't then why are we wearing these fancy hearing protectors? Most shooting is over 140 decibels with peak levels over 170. Here are some items to compare to:

sandblaster: 115 decibels
ambulance siren: 120 decibels
jackhammer: 130 decibels
rocket blast-off: 140 decibels
12 gauge shotgun: 156 decibels

When I drive to the range and pass the residential neighborhood that is directly accross the street, I always think "Thank God that I don't live here." Eight to Sixteen hours per day of nearly constant shooting would drive me insane. Now, I don't feel bad about shooting there. The range is 60 years old and the oldest house in the area is perhaps 25. Everyone within earshot knew what they were getting into.

There are other places that don't seem quite so clear-cut: in more rural areas where people shoot on their own property. I was at a friend's house who lives on 4 acres. His neighbor, two houses and 200 yards away was shooting legally in his back yard. We had to go inside to have a decent conversation. Gun clubs do move in to existing neighborhoods. Recently, a trap club moved from an urbanizing area on to a farm about 20 miles west of me. The neighbors are furious and I completely understand why.

We talk a lot on here about Libertarian principles of non-agression: your rights end where mine begin. Many of us bring up this exact moral code when talking about smoking. How does the noise from shooting differ? We inflict our noise on a lot of other people. I know that many people on here believe that you should be able to do what we want on our own land, but I'm sure if the same amount of noise were being generated by a stereo, or other device you would be against it.

I'm not talking about people with over 20 acres to shoot on in a remote area. I'm also not talking about the occasional shot being taken at pests or people who are out hunting, but strictly target shooting for fun. How can we reasonably expect our neighbors to tolerate our noise?

 

[boofus]

You could always go to an indoor shooting range if you don't want to contribute to 'noise pollution' or try to convince the blissninnies that suppressors have a legitimate purpose for those of us that don't want to lose our hearing or damage anyone elses.

 

[AJ Dual]

An oft posted answer is a horizontal stack of car or truck tires mounted on some kind of stand or easel.

Make a row of tires by drilling holes in the sidewalls for bolts and washers, then fill the inside of the tires with a few inches of fiberglass batting or "egg-carton" bed foam.

After that, you can get as fancy as you want. Attach it to the side of a shooting shed, make swinging lids for both ends to keep vermin out, wheels to roll it away for storage, adjustable height for bench, rifle, and pistol shooting etc. etc.

Since it's not readily portable, and not attached to the firearm, it's not regulated as a silencer. Another benifit is that if you angle it properly, only the backstop should be visible through the tires, that way you have clear forensic evidence that it couldn't possibly be you if a neighbor downrange turns up with a bullet hole in the house.

 

[RustyHammer]

Make shooters out of your neighbors!

 

[geekWithA.45]

Europeans are good for something

And in this case, it's the sensible approach of putting "silencers" on their firearms.

Seems to me that we could use this "friendly neighbor/environmental issue" as a wedge to pry open at least one aspect of the NFA.

One of my maxims is that whenever there's a conflict of interests/rights like this, and one party must modify their behavior so as to not infringe on another party's rights, the modification must meet the following criteria:

1) The issue at hand must be a serious, actual and imminent threat to life, liberty or property.
2) The proposed solution must actually, directly, and effectively address the threat.
3) The proposed solution must restrict its scope to that threat.
4) The proposed solution must be the least intrusive and abusive solution possible and
5) No other solution that does not abuse people's Rights exists.

In this case, one of the least intrusive measures is a firearm muffler, an innocuous device with bad rap that is made for the very purpose of solving the conflict at hand.

Allowing them is certainly less drastic than closing the range.

 

[dav]

I just wanna chime in with the others and say it is not our fault that we can't use silencers.

 

[Navy joe]

Make supressors more legally available, be a good neighbor and don't shoot from dinnertime and later or on Sundays. When the deputy you went to school with shows up because the newbie neighbor from the city called in shots fired, make sure he shoots too, it is bad form not to offer him a few blasts.

Train your neighbors. The day the new folks are house shopping is the day to tune your race motors, shoot your guns, etc.

 

[P95Carry]

Used to live rented .. in a 430 acre beautiful place ... made shooting much easier from porch but .... even then ... there were times when I felt consideration had to be given to neighbors .... certain times of day etc .. particularly when it was a ''WWIII'' type shoot!

Now in own place .. unfortunately much less opportunity, although there are shooters around in houses not too far away. Try and limit anything to just a few shots .. mainly rimfire .. unless just a coupla ''test'' shots with something bigger!

Have to view this by turning the tables .... I am quite at ease with neighbors shooting ...... but there does come a point where ''enough can be enough'' .... and so best I think to try for moderation ..... ''do unto others'' .... that usually works.

 

[Shooter 2.5]

Maybe the neighbors are long time shooters and deaf?

 

[winstonsmith]

Maybe the neighbors are long time shooters and deaf?

The point is also to make sure that this in itself is not a redundant statement.

 

[entropy]

WHAT?! THOSE D*** SP'S TOOK OUT MY HEARING WHEN THEY OPENED UP A RIPPLE FIRE 50 YDS. FROM WERE I HAD JUST GOTTEN TO SLEEP!

Sandblaster: 1 to 5 seconds per use
ambulance siren: a few seconds to far too long!
Jackhammer: Used correctly, 3-4 second bursts
Rocket blast-off: about 10-20 seconds
12 guage shotgun: .005 seconds

The last one on the list is music to my ears, the rest just noise!

Those redlegs bugged out quick, too. Good thing. An M16 blank will still propel a cleaning rod section 10-15 yds! Killed a sqiurrel with one once while bored sitting in a foxhole out in the field. Ate it, too, cooked over Cow chips and trioxane bars. Gained me a rep as a 'backwoods savage'. Heck, I was just sick of MRE's!

 

[artherd]

Just like anything else that may affect others, be courteous about it.

Best scenario: Invite them over to join in the fun! (and get suppressors for everybody!)

Second best: let 'em know when to generally expect it (reasonable hours so nobody's trying to sleep), and not to worry, etc.



I like the idea of using this to turn the NFA on it's side. After all, even 'suppressed' weapons are still around 90-100db! They are NOT quiet and un-detectable!

Maybe it will take somebody sueing over hearing-damage that they wouldn't have had if the NFA, and their damn commie state of Californiastan, haden't taken the suppressors away.

 

[sturmruger]

I plan to build an indoor range in my basement someday. I am hoping this will put keep the neighbors from complaining too much. If I feel like pulling out the rifles I will not feel bad at all shooting in my back yard. If they woul like to complain I will tell them I will only shoot during specific hours.

 

[grnzbra]

My club's solution is to buy up all the land surrounding the club as it becomes available. It's gotten to the point that when someone is selling their house, they come directly to us instead of real estate agent.