18" vs 22/23" barrel in 357 Max....my reasoning...

[alan in ga]

I was asked why I wanted to trade an 18" Max barrel for a 22" or longer same chambering barrel.
Muzzle blast reduction. I am very aware of hearing damage that can be done by shooting without hearing protection. I have had several rifles [a lot] in the past and have a personal opinion based on a lot of shooting that: somewhere near 22" of rifle barrel is a sound difference of muzzle blast. Most notable were two SKS rifles I had for a while - one a 16" barrel 'Paratrooper' version, the other the standard version with a barrel of 20" I think. FOUR inches of barrel and you would have thought a concussion grenade had gone off when shooting the 16" gun. Same ammo, side by side, the 20" standard SKS [7.62x39 both] was MUCH less muzzle blast.

I've also been fortunate to own 4 rifles in .250 Savage. One was a 20" barrel Ruger 77UL, and two I still have here that I purchased for my sons, Ruger 77Rs with 22" barrels. My personal .250 is an Ackley Improved with a Shilen barrel that I left at 24". Having a lathe I could easily cut it back to 22" or whatever later if 24" seemed to awkward to tote in the deer woods here in Georgia.......it's been about 10 years since I fit it to my Ruger 77 Mark II action....and I've never wanted to cut it back to 22".....2 deer later.
 Well, that UL with a 20" barrel was modified to Ackley Improved with the same reamer I used on my 24" shilen barrel. The 20" barrel almost cost me my hearing with ONE SHOT on a cold very humid [100% and snowing] day with a shot at a coyote. My ears rang for days, and that happened in 1983. I don't go by anyone else's hearing/muzzle blast/pistol noise. etc etc.....I go by what I experienced in almost 50 years of shooting. Hearing is precious.

I ALSO have found [IMO] that I have personal 'ratings' of what is louder than other guns:
7 Rem Mag and similar - high hearing damage potential
.358 Winchester [22" Ruger barrel] - the easiest on the ears in the deer woods I have found...building another soon
All pistols - HIGH hearing loss potential. I've had several 14" Contenders in large chamberings [.35 Rem-45/70-357 Max and Mag] and I think it IS worthwhile to carry easy to install ear plugs when you see a deer approaching. I've killed deer with 44 mag revolvers and believe it would be better to use a 10" Contender barrel without the cylinder gap to help,,,but STILL hearing protection is a must for me. I've decided I would even miss a shot opportunity at a deer if necessary. Anyone could always choose to 'not' put them on if a deer snuck up on you before you noticed....but MOST of the time I have PLENTY of time to prepare for a shot. Even now I have started VIDEOING deer when I bow hunt. I use a GoPro3 just purchased. Think that takes a little extra time...yes, and I"ve yet to miss an 'opportunity' for a shot....even with a BOW!
So, as much as I like the MGM 357 Mag barrel I have, it's an 18". It works great at the range with hearing/ear protection on, but I don't think it would be wise to shoot it even one shot when chasing coyotes - something I will do in February. A 23" barrel WILL tone down full loads in my experience [assumed, have not had the 2 barrels together to compare as with other rifles I've had/have] using a 23" barrel for those 'one or two shot' hunts.
It will be a bit more cumbersome but the Contender like other single shots has the very short action making longer barrels convenient as they set back into the action which is short to start with.
The 358 Win had taken several deer [3 I think] from tree stands. It's muzzle blast sounded more like a 'boom' than the sharp loud CRACK of rifles like 7mm and 300 Mags. I also hunted with a .458 Win Mag [yes, for deer...just to 'see'] and 45/70s. The larger bores are not NEAR as bad in the woods when shooting deer/coyotes without hearing protection.
A .357 Max in a previously offered T/C Custom shop 23" barrel should go a long way to 'tame' any muzzle blast when shot without 'ears'. Best thing would probably be to wear ears reguardless of what I was shooting. My bow is pretty quiet : )
 
And,....if I get around to fitting another .358 Win barrel to my Ruger action...it will 'start out' as a 24" barrel.....and may stay that way.

[jy951]

I usually try and put in hearing protection before a shot when deer hunting.  One time I forgot and was shooting a 16" carbine in 500 S&W.  It was not good. 

[rosewood]

I see your point, but I think most of the muzzle blast is because your powder is not burning inside the barrel but outside.  Using pistol powders, most of your powder will burn inside (within 18" for sure) and I doubt you will notice much difference on the max.  On a rifle caliber, yes, it makes a big difference, but you are using much slower burning powders in that case.  I shoot a 16.5" 357mag Marlin for hog hunting and the report isn't bad it all (it is also ported).  Shoot the same load out of a pistol unprotected and your ears ring.  I hardly even notice it in the rifle and it sure has never made my ears ring.  I do always wear protection at the range though.  I believe this is the reason you rarely find longer pistol caliber barrels for the TC.  Let me know if you can tell a significant difference when you work this out.

[GarrettJ]

Even with a long barrel, you're probably still doing damage to your hearing.

I could think of a couple other solutions....

[alan in ga]

I've got a suppressor for my 22 Long Rifles but it was inexpensive [$200] and an aluminum one that may not last that long. A good quality suppressor for a .357 Max would set me back a good bit from what I've been told. Another $200 Fed Tax stamp on top of the purchase price of a lead dust collector [ha] makes it even more costly.
I've pulled the offer to trade my Max MGM barrel and will just keep it. FYI I've only made up one load using 158 JHC Hornady pistol bullets over 1680 powder and it's accurate. I need to try the 180s some have suggested. MGM seems to really make a good barrel!

[pastorp]

It's not only length of a barrel that affects the perceived sound, but the way it's directed.  the brake on a bushy AR15 was very loud. It was because the sound was directed back at the shooter.

Regards,

[alan in ga]

brakes...do NOT like them at ALL! I have been around many of them, even the ones supposedly that direct the muzzle blast forward....they still make the dust jump behind the shooter!
Buddy and gunsmith friend was testing a 7STW at the range last week. It has a brake on it....I stood well behind him with hands over my hearing protectors and stopped shooting until he was through!
I had a Contender 45/70 Super 14 barrel and as soon as I could get the lathe spinning, cut off it's brake and wound up with a 12.5" barrel that shot just fine without a brake.
Can you tell I don't like brakes! : )