Your thoughts on the noise level of .357

RaceBannon

RaceBannon

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Hello All,

I just finished reading a thread on the noise level of .357
magnum. The comments in the thread have given me second
thoughts on the purchase of a 4" model 19 that I thought would make a practical camping gun. Would the intense noise
level of a .357 revolver, that might have to be fired without hearing protection, steer you away from this round? I have a
Combat Masterpiece and quite a few M&P's. I probably don't need this gun but now I'm starting to wonder if I even want it.
What do you guys think?
 
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For many, many years the police used the 125gr SJHP .357 Magnum with excellent results. I suspect if the hearing issue were that serious, they would've discontinued the use of the .357 Magnum. As is was, the adaptation of the semi-automatic pistol is what put an end to the .357 Magnum's police career.
 
I'm sure your right. It's just that some guys say that your just asking for hearing loss with these things. Even at the range, fully protected, you can tell they're awfully loud.
 
Any handgun fired without hearing protection will impact the hearing in a negative manner. The .357 magnum is no exception. You get what you pay for, so to speak. If concern, in an emergency situation, for your hearing is going to impact your reaction time, while using a .357 magnum, then perhaps another caliber would be a better choice.
 
Caliber doesn't matter if your not using ear plugs or such. So your post doesn't make sense.

Can't think of a better camp gun than a 357. If your just plinking, use hearing protection. If you need it in emergency, you won't notice the noise anyway.

140db is considered the threshold of pain.

357 mag is 164db
9MM is 158db
45ACP is 157db
25ACP is 155db

Get the point?;) Not much of a difference once you get over 140db.
 
Kanewpadle said:
Caliber doesn't matter if your not using ear plugs or such. So your post doesn't make sense.

Can't think of a better camp gun than a 357. If your just plinking, use hearing protection. If you need it in emergency, you won't notice the noise anyway.

140db is considered the threshold of pain.

357 mag is 164db
9MM is 158db
45ACP is 157db
25ACP is 155db

Get the point?;) Not much of a difference once you get over 140db.
Click to expand...

Sir, having fired both .357 mag and .45 ACP without hearing protection (I know, I know), I can assure you that there's a very significant noise difference in the real world. The .357 is by far the louder of the two.

Bear in mind that decibels are logarithmic rather than linear. I can't remember all the science, but basically every 3 dB increase doubles the signal level. So going up from 157 dB to 164 dB doesn't just raise the noise 7 units--it quadruples it.

That said, I'd agree that a .357 is a good camp gun. Good power-to-weight ratio, accurate, lots of choices available. Outdoors, the noise isn't a huge problem. (Indoors is another story.) As you say, wear hearing protection while plinking, and in the unlikely event of having to shoot a threat in camp, noise is the least of your worries.

Hope this helps, and Semper Fi.

Ron H.
 
Photoman44 said:
For many, many years the police used the 125gr SJHP .357 Magnum with excellent results. I suspect if the hearing issue were that serious, they would've discontinued the use of the .357 Magnum. As is was, the adaptation of the semi-automatic pistol is what put an end to the .357 Magnum's police career.
Click to expand...

Our department couldn't SPELL hearing protection until the mid 1980's. If you didn't like the noise, you weren't cut out for the job. Nobody complained, but most of the retirees from that era have hearing loss.
 
If you are in a situation where you have to fire your gun, then you have to fire your gun ... hopefully one big bullet does the job of several smaller bullets.

I wouldn't even plink with a .22 without ear protection ...
 
I have been in shooting incidents where I fired 12g from a 14in barrel, 38+p and 38+p+. Life or death you arent going to hear the shot. In a very confined area like inside a car the pressure might rupture your ear drum but that could happen with almost any centerfire handgun. After firing my ears didnt ring and I could hear clearly. I have also been in an incident where a partner fired first and in that situation the round sounded like a dud to my ears. Either can cause hearing loss just like a 22 pistol. Those incident plus a few hundred snakes shot over the years have resulted in me wearing hearing aids.
 
Last edited:
Hearing protection is always good when exposed to noise. This includes using a lawnmower or such.

People will talk about the noise of a firearm being discharged but then ride a loud motorcycle all day without any hearing protection.

True enough, yrs ago we did not use hearing protection when shooting. There are a lot of shooters in their senior years with hearing loss. Yet how many hunters wear hearing protection when using some really high powered guns?

I am not sure that shooters have hearing loss due to their shooting either. People naturally lose hearing as they age. As we age, we also lose eyesight abilities.

Still I suggest everyone wear ear and eye protection when shooting but there are more sources of high noise levels than firearms. In my work, I often use a dosimeter to see how much ambient noise there is in an area that may have prevented a person from hearing what they should have. It would shock many to learn how much noise there is on a busy street corner.
 
I think a 4" barrel is a good compromise with a 357 round, carry-able but helps with the blast somewhat. That said I just about always get by with 38s & 38 +p in my 357s. If I was camping in the bush I may test out a few 357 loads(maybe hardcast lead) & go prepared.

If given the choice I'd rather have a gun chambered in 357 than 38. For woods carry I also like a lighter weight, higher capacity semi-auto. Something along the likes of my Glock 23, or H&K p2000sk, both 40 S&W. Any bear worries are way down my list when in the woods. If I was in the northern Rockies I may accept the weight of my 4" Redhawk in 45 Colt, appropriately stoked.
 
RaceBannon said:
I'm sure your right. It's just that some guys say that your just asking for hearing loss with these things. Even at the range, fully protected, you can tell they're awfully loud.
Click to expand...

yeah ..I hear a lot of things outta "those"
"magnums are too loud" .. just try turning a bear with a 380, thats what magnums are for.
"its impossible to hit a fast moving target with a scoped rifle" boy I wish I had heard that one before I shot a 6/10 string of clays with one ... no buddy its not impossible, its just hard.
"you cant conceal a full frame auto" .. here dude .. lemmy show ya my 12 Ga pump.
"Anything bigger than a 9MM or 38 has too much recoil to shoot accurately" .. till you can outshoot me and my 629 .. move on to someone who'll believe you.
the list is much longer but would just become obnoxious if I didnt leave room for others to add:D:D
 
I'm told by those who have experienced it, that you won't notice or recall the noise in an indoor shooting using 357's. Regards 18DAI.
 
Quite frankly any handgun fired without hearing protection will induce ringing, now the magnum is a different animal, where a 38 sp, 45 acp, etc will have my ears ringing for about 5 minutes the magnum takes a good 15 until my ears stop ringing.
 
Maybe I should clarify. There is a thread, in this forum, where a guy asked what a .357 magnum sounded like outdoors. He took a pretty good beating simply for asking the question. A lot of guy's said he'd be
foolish to fire one without protection and many told stories of their
having tinnitus from having done so. That being the case, I'm wondering if the noise level of a .357 has driven anyone to go with a lower pressure round? I'm not worried about overpenetration. I'm not worried about recoil. I'm not some overly concerned sissy. I'm just curious. Thanks everyone, for your input.
 
the 44 magnum, even with very loud, light weight bullets at max pressure that breathe fire to rival dragons has never dissuaded me from firing it. the 357 is a tamer animal.
its attributes have not driven me to a low pressure round.
factors such as comfort and practicality have done far more to transition me from a mighty magnum big bore to 45 auto.
If something the size and weight of a 1911 had the power and reliability of the 629 I carried prior, you can bet I'd have it in my holster even if you could hear it somewhere in Switzerland when fired.
 
RaceBannon said:
Maybe I should clarify. There is a thread, in this forum, where a guy asked what a .357 magnum sounded like outdoors. He took a pretty good beating simply for asking the question. A lot of guy's said he'd be
foolish to fire one without protection and many told stories of their
having tinnitus from having done so. That being the case, I'm wondering if the noise level of a .357 has driven anyone to go with a lower pressure round? I'm not worried about overpenetration. I'm not worried about recoil. I'm not some overly concerned sissy. I'm just curious. Thanks everyone, for your input.
Click to expand...

As I recall he took the beating because he is supposed to be a leo with firearms experience and to ask that question he came across as someone who didn't know jack.
 
I'd say it depends on where you're camping, what the risks are, and whether or not you like .357 anyway.

Big scary animals? - yep, .357 or bigger. What difference does it make if you don't have tinnitus, but are dead?

Likely to encounter bad guys? - likewise.

Most places I camp? - carry whatever you feel comfy with 'cause the caliber doesn't matter. I've killed a copperhead with a stick before while carrying a handgun. However...it was a BIG stick. Awfully quiet though...
 
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