Decibel levels?

[Bluecup]

Hello AGN,

I always hear people referring to backyard friendly air guns but have never seen an actual decibel range to group them in. I see low, low medium, high loud but do not know how loud they actually are. I have to wear hearing aids so my neighbor could be blasting away with a 12 gauge and that would be backyard friendly to me. What range on average would you consider backyard friendly? I know there are a lot of variables such as distance and background noise to consider but what would you think on average 50 to 75 decibels, 75 to 100, 100 plus?

Thank you,

Jim

 

[Odoyle]

You have the best possible case scenario if your neighbor blasts his 12 GA shotgun right next door.

A minimum of 75db or less would be considered a backyard neighbor friendly backyard gun IMHO and 65db or less would be ideal.

 

[scratchcoobster]

Backyard friendly is a subjective term. Normal conversation is about 60-65 dB, while a. lawn mower or power tool is around 90 dB. Depends on how sensitive your neighbors are. and their proximity to where you will be shooting. 

Moderate air gun level would be about 70 to 75 dB. Above that would be loud. Below that would be hard to achieve. 

 

[MikeVV]

All these hand measuring tools are VERY subjective, and not really even close to your guns actual sound levels.

To get actual sound levels, one needs to be in an acoustic chamber, or a recording studio (acoustic chamber !) with high end measuring tools to get "actual" sound levels.

Anything done with $50 or $100 measuring devices...measure a LOT of ambient sound along with the sound of your gun, and actually, not that accurately.

I'd say, let your next door neighbors know what you are doing, if they like you and don't have a problem with it, your are free to shoot and have great neighbors. Otherwise, indoors, or a shooting range.

Mike

 

[Mr_Spock]

I just got an RTI Prophet, I think it was rated "medium" on the website. Its 95db and is too loud for backyard shooting. It sounds close to a .22 rimfire.

 

[scratchcoobster]

You don't need actual sound levels from an acoustic chamber. You need ambient sound level in the environment where you will be shooting. The noise level of the gun is part of the ambient sound heard by your neighbor. Some things will mask it, others will exaggerate it.

Sound measuring tools are not subjective, they are objective by definition. Your ear is subjective, your perception of how loud something is may be totally different than the person standing next to you. The duration, peak level, frequency, etc. all affect how we hear something.

Knowing the exact scientifically determined decibel level is not necessary. Only knowing how loud you can go before the sound is perceptible (or bothersome) to your neighbor is important. Keep it quiet however, is the key here.

 

[Peskådot671]

This is how I test decibel levels;

Me: "Hey neighbor! Did you hear me shooting earlier when you were outside? 

Neighbor: "Nope"

Me: "How bout now?"

Neighbor: "Nope"

Me: "Okay. Good"

 

[stoti]

You don't need actual sound levels from an acoustic chamber. You need ambient sound level in the environment where you will be shooting. The noise level of the gun is part of the ambient sound heard by your neighbor. Some things will mask it, others will exaggerate it.

Sound measuring tools are not subjective, they are objective by definition. Your ear is subjective, your perception of how loud something is may be totally different than the person standing next to you. The duration, peak level, frequency, etc. all affect how we hear something.

Knowing the exact scientifically determined decibel level is not necessary. Only knowing how loud you can go before the sound is perceptible (or bothersome) to your neighbor is important. Keep it quiet however, is the key here.

Well said, totally subjective! There are so many variables that nobody ever seems to take into account when they compare moderators or do reviews. I’ve learned and seen first hand from a great moderator maker how the effects of different materials, thickness of the walls of the moderator, the amount of or lack of chambers, total internal volume, baffling materials, close tolerances, length vs. width, chamber size and orientation all affect the moderators ability to lessen the perceived report of the air rifle. I’ve seen a 6”x 1.25” moderator made with thick walled aluminum, one large chamber lined with a thin layer of baffling material that was super effective...It wasn’t the quietest moderator I’ve ever heard but it produced a very low tone which made it seem very quiet even though the decibel level was probably higher than many other moderators that seemed much louder because of the high pitched twang! I’m no expert and don’t have all the answers but I am learning. I am lucky to be able to see and hear lots of different moderator designs tested on a variety of different air guns and hear how the perform.

Stoti

 

[elh0102]

I bought a cheap decibel meter, and I find it basically useless. The best determinant is your ear. As mentioned above, the manner in which the suppressor alters the sound is as important as the absolute reduction in volume. I have a Taiipan Veteran with a Donny suppressor added, and it is both low in noise production, and effective in altering the remaining sound to something that would not be recognized as a shot, if heard. 

 

[dc8cappie]

Go view the review videos from AEAC.

 

[Hepotter]

Crotchscratcher has an excellent point. Your moderator/shroud's dB can only be as effective as your neighbor's hearing!

If your neighbor is irritated by screen door slams, music from your deck, your dog's barking, or a wife/girlfriend's nagging...you are likely to have problems regardless of how quiet your air gun is.

Once, when I lived next door to Satan's ex-wife, I experienced many such complaints back around 2007, when even the mention of a "Lead Dust Collector" was frowned upon. Still I owned several, some quite effective...but not good enough for the next door woman with ears the size of garbage can lids!!!

I tried everything, even shooting a backyard target, with a home-made moderator, out of my bedroom, five feet back from the window. This worked for awhile, till I shot out an expensive Pella double-pane insulated window with a 21 grain pellet at 950 fps. Then I had to choose between a life of celibacy, or a change of strategies!

For new guys, here's what I found helps in sound moderation...

1) Bigger is better. The more the air can expand prior to exiting the muzzle the less the noise. So don't buy a short, thin moderator for looks...they seldom do squat for serious sound suppression!

2} Never underestimate what a good set of baffles can do to slow down muzzle blast. The slower the gas exhaust, the quieter the noise. Don't buy the cheapest moderator equipped with fender washers!

3) "Harmonics" are tricky...and only a few brands have really conquered this factor...although many have made claims...some true, some pure bullcrap!

4) In some baffle designs, simpler is better! I don't know why...even hair curlers have been used to good effect!

5) Less fps = less noise. A good solid hit at 550 fps, with the correct weight pellet/slug can kill as effective as a 950 fps "pass-through" shot...judge your distance and power needs accordingly...especially if target shooting at short distances. Excess power is excess noise!!!

6) A well built, well padded target box can reduce your noise signature to near zero, with the proper padding...ie: rubber mulch, plumber's putty, etc...simply because most times your pellet impact is usually louder than the muzzle blast.

7) Don't ruin a $150-$250 moderator by experimenting with drilling holes, changing cloth materials, altering baffles...it's already the best an expert can make it, and any efforts on your part may be fun but probably not effective...even quite counter-productive!

That's all I know. I hope it helps some new guys. A lot of the veterans already know all this, and much more than I do.



Regards,

Kindly 'Ol Uncle Hoot

 

[Peskådot671]

Satan's ex-wife lol. There's the old Uncle Hoot I remember.

 

[Guest]

With my dream tac compact and the Donny Sumo the sound of the pellet hitting the target is louder than the gun. If you are standing 25 feet away and not looking at the gun a person can only tell that you have shot is when the pellet hits the target

 

[stoti]

Go view the review videos from AEAC.

I’ve watched all of Steve’s videos, most all of us have...As far as I am concerned, nobody reviews air guns as well or as thoroughly as Steve. In his videos, he gives a decibel reading near the muzzle and again down range. This is to give the viewer a general idea of the air gun’s report. He tests all of the gun’s the exact same way, so no mater which video your watching, you have a general idea of how loud the gun will be vs. others he’s reviewed.


That is vastly different than testing 7-8 moderators side by side, getting readings like 75dB, 77dB, 76dB, 74dB, 79dB, etc... And then saying the moderator that measured 74dB was the most quiet. There are too many other factors to consider and like a few of us have already said, we all hear very differently and it’s very subjective. The point was simply that when comparing moderators, there is more to it than just a decibel reading. 
Stoti

 

[scratchcoobster]

@Hepotter, (aka Kindly 'Ol Uncle Coot.) thanks for special the mention at the start of your post on this topic. I think everyone now agrees that sounds are different to each individual, and loudness of an air gun is related to your proximity to it. 

As an aside, glad you got away from Satan's ex. That must have been hell.

 

[Odoyle]

If you are only table or bench resting you can just shoot it through an acoustic box such as a modified subwoofer or speaker box with DACRON polyester fiber fill glued to the interior walls as an additional effective sound dampener.