whats too loud for indoors?

H

henrys

Inactive
hi everyone, first post here. at the local indoor range i shoot at the largest calibur alowed is 44 magnum. today i had some 357 magnum handloads with me ranging from light target loads to full house h110 with 125 xtp. my wife told me while i was lighting off the full house loads i got some frowns from people a couple of stalls away. i dont want to ruin anyones trip to the range so i stopped shooting the loud loads. should i just blast away to my hearts content knowing i was within the rules of the range? just curious of peoples opinions on this forum. thanks
 
125gr 357 mag loads produce a obnoxious shock wave, I ware foam plugs and ear muffs when shooting such loads. Perhaps these loads would be better suited for outdoor use.
 
Sort of a judgement call. Those ranges I have seen with caliber limitations usually base them on bore size and velocity, i.e. no .50 Beowulf or anything like that, 2,000 fps max velocity, etc, not on decibels. It's the construction and condition of the backstop that usually decide. Yes, double hearing protection is a good idea.
 
Some people are just grumpy. I always get chuckles, puzzled looks, smirks and "What the hell is that, son!" when I shoot my 3 1/2" 357sig at indoor ranges. Usually, that's followed with some conversation and maybe they give it a try.

Don't shoot indoors, hardly ever, but I concern myself with the rules of the joint not what some grouch might not like.

It would be another thing if it was a young child nearby or a new shooter trying to learn. If it's just some old (or young) codger that doesn't like my gun, too bad.
 
I have not seen "grumpy", but more inquisitive looks when I shot a 30 carbine Blackhawk indoors. I moved to the end stall, but I am not sure if reflections off the wall made it worse.

It is an indoor range. It can be loud. If the proprietors do not mind, let it go.
 
Several years ago I was visiting a friend in another state, and we went shooting at in indoor range near his home. I had an assortment of 1911s in .45 Auto, he brought two 1911s and a S&W revolver in .357 Magnum.

I had never before heard a .357 touched off indoors. We had been shooting the .45s for a half hour or more, with just the normal "Bang" "Bang" "Bang" of other shooters as ambient noise. All of a sudden I heard this tremendous BOOM! that sounded like someone had just dropped a tactical nuke about ten feet to my left.

That was my friend's .357 Magnum.

It's up to you how you wish to handle it if the rules allow it. Maybe ask the proprietor how HE would like you to deal with it. Personally, I'd suggest you practice with .38 Special at any indoor range. People shooting big boomers (.357 Mag and .44 Mag) make an afternoon or evening at the range VERY unpleasant for everyone else.
 
If it's allowed at the range, shoot it.
If folks think it's too loud, they need to get over it.
I'm not a certified instructor, but I have taught quite a few people basic firearms saftey and shooting with the aim of their obtaining their concealed permits. A couple of things I do (after they get used to handling the gun) is get them used to having someone shooting next to them and getting them used to ever increasing calbers and noise levels being fired off next to them.
If your'e going to shoot at a range, wether indoors or out, you better get acclimated to others shooting a variety of calibers.
 
I agree that if it's allowed, it's not too loud.

It's always worthwhile to try to be considerate/polite. Sometimes you can let other folks know what's coming with an informal warning so they aren't taken totally by surprise. Also, if someone is obviously seriously bothered by the noise, you might shoot something else for awhile, or perhaps ask to be moved to a lane that's farther away from them.
 
thanks for the replies everyone. i will probably anounce it next time before i let off any big boomers, and keep them limited in number, if i notice anyone having a hard time with the noise.
 
My son bought a Desert Eagle 50 AE at the LGS and shot it. Got a few comments but the range allows them.

Generated more conversation than anything.

He did tell me he went over one time with some of my handloads and was at the end stall.

There were two people on the other end and when he finished running 7 through the gun, he heard a plaintive cry from the end. . ."We surrender!!!":D

Whether it guns or motorcycles, there are some people who are not going to be happy.

If the range allows the caliber, the person making the complaint about excessive noise needs to adjust their attitude.

I would make allowances if I was late to the line and had no lane choice. I might choose to shoot something else or at least inform my range neighbors what I was shooting. If I am there first, and someone else comes in and sets up next to me, it is on them to adjust and not belly ache.
 
Some people would say to save the loud boomers for those times you get shooters next to your lane who annoy you or others through their careless behavior or poor manners. A few high octane .357s will usually get them thinking about where else they would rather be.

I personally find .357 snubbies to be the worst, much worse than my .44.
 
Haven't shot indoors in a long time. But, I've encounter those times when someone else disturbed my shooting ability. I figured if they were allowed to shoot what they had along by the Range Manager. I guess We on the lanes had to endure the excess noise. If it got to be really annoying for me. No confrontation or nasty looks. I would holster my weapon and simply walk out into the lobby have a can of soda or coffee and hope the other individuals ammo ran out before my hour of shooting time was up. If not. There always another day.
 
People who patronize indoor shooting ranges and complain about guns being too loud should either double up on their hearing protection or seriously consider taking up a more sedate hobby, like knitting or flower arrangement.

I value my hearing and always wear earmuffs atop earplugs This combination blocks out ambient noise almost completely and allows me to continue shooting comfortably even with a .50AE DE and a .454 Casull SRH booming away simultaneously on adjacent lanes (as was the case a few nights ago).
 
As a wheel gun aficionado, this is a subject that I've spent more than a few minutes considering over the years.

In my youth, my attitude was "if the range allows it, then I'm shooting it."

As I've aged (but not necessarily matured), my attitude has changed dramatically. I find that my current philosophy on this subject is that just because something is permissible does not necessarily mean that it is beneficial.

More often than not, when I am at the range I see a wide variety of skill and experience, including folks with rental guns who are shooting for the very first time. I would hate to think that my insistence on using hot .357 reloads might result in someone who is unsure about firearms having a negative experience- coloring their viewpoint on guns in general, and ultimately manifesting itself at the voting booth.

If it's just me, or if everyone within earshot is a "regular", I'll shoot loud and proud. But if I'm not 100% certain of the folks around me, I'll happily plink away with .38 special target loads.
 
Some people just don't have anyplace to shoot except at an indoor range. So go ahead and bring it.

Personally, if I felt like hanging out someplace quiet, it's not going to be at a shooting range. You can shoot 357s next to me all day long, or sling brass at me. I really don't care.
 
But, I've encounter those times when someone else disturbed my shooting ability.
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Same here. I consider those times to be training opportunities.

After all, if it's unnerving to shoot and it negatively affects your shooting ability when someone's making a lot of noise in the same room, imagine how it will be when one adds to that issue the fact that you aren't wearing hearing protection and the bullets are coming at you instead of going harmlessly downrange. ;)
 
But, I've encounter those times when someone else disturbed my shooting ability.

Same here. I consider those times to be training opportunities.
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Yup me too.


imagine how it will be when one adds to that issue the fact that you aren't wearing hearing protection and the bullets are coming at you instead of going harmlessly downrange
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No Thank you Sir.
 
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I actually experienced something similar at the indoor range I frequent. Two inexperienced female shooters were using the lane next to my wife and I. They were extremely jumpy and maybe even a little fearful as we were using our .357 GP100. I actually felt a little bad since I could tell they were very new to shooting in general. I've read that the noise is one of the biggest turnoffs to inexperienced shooters. I'll probably stick to .38's from now on until the weather out here gets a little more reasonable and I can head outside again. I know I wasn't breaking any rules and it was my right to do so, but I personally do not want to feel responsible for causing so much stress for a new shooter.
 
I remember shooting my Tokarev T-33 7.62x25mm at the range a few times.

The muzzle flash and obnoxiously loud report was great. Like one of the above posters, I received a few "What the hell are you shooting, son!" type questions.

Great fun :D

But definitely if people around you are unhappy with the noise it's courteous to knock it off..take it to a range where nobody cares, or limit yourself to just a dozen shots or so.
 
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