Does anyone make subsonic shotgun loads?

V

VADER

New member
Since the silencer seems impractical, how about some subsonic shotgun ammo around 1000 fps to quiet things up. I have done a lot of searching and it doesn't seen too important, but noise in addition to recoil is important to me. Like I have stated before I couldn't imagine firing a shotgun inside, I think it would make everyone deaf.
Does anyone make a shell this slow? I've seem as low as 1100 fps, but still too fast. Does the shot size and barrel length effect this?
 
Maybe its me, but I think if in a HD situation (which hopefully never happens), I wouldnt want to make family members or myself deaf.
I figure quieting it a bit would help that out.
 
Don't think you are going to meet that goal.

Do some diggin on the sound intensity required to inflict permanent damage to hearing. And on the sound intensity of assorted firearms.

Sam
 
Vader, if you are in a real life-or-death situation, hearing loss will not be on the top of your mind.

If you really are worried, suggest you install sound absorbing materiel onto your ceiling & walls, or seek alternates to HD (Rottweilers, .45ACP, crossbow,...)
 
Gamebore has a low recoil, low noise load that's subsonic, I understand.Winchester's Extra Lite target ammo is borderline...

I believe some of the CAS stuff might qualify, you might ask some of the Cowboy shooters what they use.

Hearing loss when employing ANY forearm inside is inevitable, even a 22. A 12 gauge would leave one with some shreds of hearing, a shortbbled 38/357 also. Centerfire rifles like the .223 are worse.
 
Truthfully, the 1934 NFA really put the chocks on suppressor developement. This really sucks as I would love to shoot without muffs/plugs and not have to pony up the $200.00 tax. :(

Having done some really stupid things as a youngster, I can assure you that handguns fired in a small room w/o hearing protection is not as bad as you would think. I still have my hearing with some minor HF loss in my left ear. This is with 30 years of shooting and the first ten were pretty much without protection.

Do not try this just to check my info.. :D

My HD choice is short barreled SGs and I do not anticipate a problem with noise or I would adjust my battery. I do like the "Tactical" loads more for their performance than any noise reduction. First up loads are not Tactical (#2s) and I anticipate that while my ears may ring a bit, I won't be able to say the same for the target.............
 
I don't worry about it

' cause I already have permanent hearing loss from:

Firing many loud guns without hearing protection
Building/racing cars without hearing protection
LOUD rock music

Never a problem for many years, now I'm 47, have significant hearing loss(doctor says "oh well")...

So, take this as a word of warning...You might not see a problem for a long time, but the problem is very real...Wear hearing protection!!!!!!

(Although I agree with others, in HD situation, that's the LAST thing I'm gonna worry about)....
 
Hearing loss is permanant and cumulative. I am a fanatic about protection these days and don't shoot in an indoor range due to the increased noise let alone the llead toxins problems.

That being said, I would rate hearing protection way down the list of things I'm concerned with in a serious situation.
 
Use magnum loads. S&B 12-pellet load has a much duller report than any 9-pellet load. In a non-autoloading shotgun, it also delivers a more gradual, less jarring recoil.

I've been in a room in which a 20ga shotgun was fired almost directly away from me (28" barrel, #7 Federal trap load). No hearing loss or ears ringing...but that was in a large room. 22lr from a pistol at an indoor range was much louder.

I always use plugs and muffs and yet have some hearing loss already: find that understanding speech with background noise (TV, engines) has become harder. Protect your hearing!
 
Thanks for the replies/opinions. I feel it is important since I have a toddler. I say this is important now, because I'm not in a situation now. Kind of foresight in a way. If I can change a variable now, then why not do it, since the outcome is beneficial.
 
About hearing loss....

I don't remember the first shot I took with anything, it was probably a 22 and before 1st grade.

Mon had been runnerup in the Md Small Bore Championships in 1943. Pop was a bird hunter. Guns were part of our life and hearing protection was unknown.

Got my first set of plugs in Basic Training. Used them during my tour of duty when possible. Between lots of gunfire, aircraft engines,and the odd explosion, I took plenty of damage.

Back in civilian life, I used chainsaws, power tools, and spent a few years of my misspent youth in front of Dual Showman and Ywin Reverb amps, coaxing sounds out of a Les Paul and an ES-335 at high volume.

Now I'm going on 56 and have the hearing of most 75 year olds. There's a message here....
 
my brother once accidentaly fired dad's 1200 Defender 12g in the stair well of their house. It was a very confined space ( less than 4' wide ) and he did not suffer any long term problems. His ears rang for a couple hours. I'm not saying no damage was done, just that it was not noticable. I really don't think in a home defence situation, that one or two shots from your shotgun is going to make you need a hearing aid for the rest of your life.
just my $.02 ;)
 
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