Which is loudest--.223 or 7.62 X 39?

[tbeb]

I know all gunshots are loud. I once rapid fired 6-shots of 110 gr. .357 magnum in a handgun, outside, and it made my ears ring. I've also damaged my hearing to some extent, by firing a shotgun at turkey shoots without ear protection. The whole point of this is the thought of changing my HD gun from a handgun to a rifle. So, which is harder on the ears, .223 or 7.62 X 39? Or are they equal? Don't know if one platform is nosier than the other, but, in .223 I would buy an AR or an AK. In 7.62 X 39 I would buy an AK. (Note: I'm not asking if a rifle is a good home defense gun.) Thanks.

 

[Jackal]

It all depends on barrel length. A 16" barrel .223 will be way louder than a 22" 7.62 and vice versa.

 

[rbernie]

In an enclosed space, I don't think that you'd notice much of a difference. Outside, I have found that 223 has a sharper/mo' painful CRACK to it than 7.62x39.

 

[JesseL]

I would postulate that because the .223 Rem/5.56 NATO makes about 10K PSI more than the 7.62x39 and has a bit more powder capacity, it's definitely going to make a sharper and louder bang.

 

[DMK]

Without ear protection, your ears won't care about the difference out of the same barrel length. Both would hurt and severely damage your hearing.

223/5.56 does have a higher pitch noise, where the 7.62x39 has a deeper pitch though.

 

[Tokugawa]

WHAT?

 

[Metapotent]

WHAT?

Sorry to ruin your joke but the question was communicated via text, not sound. Therefore...not funny. (I'm a stickler for things like that)

But there are many different variables that can determine the sound output of a bullet. My AR with a muzzlebrake is very quite, much quiter than my friends AKs and SKS's, but my Tikka bolt action in .223 is really sharp and crisp but not much more painful to the ears than an AK or SKS with no muzzlebreak.

It all depends on barrel length, the particular load, the action of the gun and where you happen to be shooting.

But in similar circumstances I have found that the .223 tends to go "PING", where as the 7.62X30 tends to bark.

You'd have to research the decibel output of each round in a gun using the same action, the same length of barrel and shot in the exact same place, but even then the different loads that you choose to use would differ in decible output.

 

[rangerruck]

all esle being equal, the 223, has a more higher pitched crack. ouchy!

 

[torpid]

Sorry to ruin your joke but the question was communicated via text, not sound. Therefore...not funny. (I'm a stickler for things like that)

I'm sorry, I'm having trouble too. Could you please use a larger font?


Unstickler!

 

[Don't Tread On Me]

I don't know...I find x39 to be really loud. I don't think it matters. Once you get up to these rifle cartridges it is irrelevant (the difference that is), they're all deafening.

The .223, for being a smaller cartridge, is suprisingly loud for what it is. It's like a little dog with a big bark. High pitch, low pitch, sharp/dull...they're LOUD.


However, you can tell the difference between these and the .30cals like the .308, .30-06, or .300winmag. The key difference is, you can *feel* the sound of these. More concussion to them.


Now, my most interesting experience was being at an indoor range in the lane directly next to a fellow with a .338 Lapua Mag with muzzle brake. OMG...note: indoor range. I had to exit the range, and put ear plugs on in addition to the ear muffs.

 

[Dr. Dickie]

Not to be a stickler (but I will): while hearing loss from firearms is a very real and serious problem; if you are choosing your home defense based on how it is going to impact your hearing, you have way larger problems to worry about than amount of noise
Pick a weapon that you can use, and you can use safely, quickly, and deadly. The odds (I would hope) is that you never have to use it, but if you do, be more concerned about surviving that possible hearing loss. If the odds are you are going to be using your home defense enough to be concerned about hearing loss, move!
(Yes, I know you can get hearing loss from a single use, but compared to being dead--the alternative-- that is not a concideration which hits the radar).

 

[dfaugh]

I suspect (and this is just and opinion), that while the 2 sound different, there is little if any difference in the decible levels (which will directly relate to hearing damage) is insignificant. The .223 sounds "sharper", but this is probably becasue of the smaller bullet, moving faster.

 

[Father Knows Best]

Pick a weapon that you can use, and you can use safely, quickly, and deadly. The odds (I would hope) is that you never have to use it, but if you do, be more concerned about surviving that possible hearing [loss].

I agree. And if you are still concerned about hearing loss, then look into getting a suppressor. There are some excellent .223 suppressors out there. While they won't make your rifle "silent" due in part to the hypersonic projectile speeds of rifle cartridges, they will reduce the max sound pressure levels considerably.