Rimfire Noise Levels

[Kudzu]

I am mulling over the idea of buying a rimfire revolver to carry when I hunt or when I am in the woods in case I meet a venomous snake. Like the deadly copper mouth water rattler.

Before I do so, I wonder if here is any significant difference in the noise level of a .22 Short cartridge compared to a .22 Long Rifle cartridge out of a short barrel revolver. It has been decades, many decades, since I last bought or shot .22 Short ammo so I can't recall at this time if there was a difference in the two.

My idea being that if I shoot, I don't want excessive noise disturbing the peace of the woods. If there is no difference between the two, ar at least no significant difference,I can cary a Ruger MK II pistol in .22 LR.

 

[17Hornet]

Dont know how much power you are looking for, but Aguila Super Colibri are basically a 20 grain bullet being pushed by a strong primer, about as quite as your gonna get. Down size to that is they are not very powerful, but enough to kill a snake. Also would only be used in a revolver as they will not cycle in an automatic.
Out of a pistol a standard velocity lr isnt gonna be a whole lot louder than a short, in my opionion

 

[CoalCrackerAl]

CCI quiets. I don't shoot snakes unless im going to eat it. Rattle snake it good eating. But i won't kill a small one.

 

[Kudzu]

Al -

I won't harm a black snake, a king snake or other non-venomous snakes but I don't want to get bitten going into a stand at dawn or coming out of a stand at night.

Back some time in the 90's, probably thirty years or so ago, there was an article in the Post and Currier, the Charleston, SC, newspaper about a low-county hunter who was putting out corn in preparation for the deer season or during deer season. He stepped off of an ATV onto a rattle snake and was bitten on the foot or the leg. The article described his near-death experience and his painful recovery. It has been a while now, but I seem to recall that fortunately, his daughter was with him at the time he was bit and that made the difference for him.

I am not a reckless, shoot anything out there, sort of a hunter. In fact, I have not shot a snake, rattler or otherwise, since I lived in Beaufort, SC and hunted Colleton County, SC. One was a rattle snake who was camped out on a corn pile, waiting for rodents or rabbits I guess. The other was also a rattle snake who was stretched across a path to a food plot.

 

[Kudzu]

Out of a pistol a standard velocity lr isnt gonna be a whole lot louder than a short, in my opionion

If such is the case, I might save some money and use CCI SV in my Ruger MK II pistol.

 

[ONE-TEN]

Snake bites are so rare, it’s not worth even thinking about it. Over 90% of snake bites happen because the person was MESSING with the snake. More over, even if you DID get bit by accident, it would happen LONG before you had time to shoot it first. So it would simply be killing it in retaliation for biting you. Furthermore, Copper head bites A, aren’t deadly unless you happened to be allergic. Worst you might get is some swelling. They cannot kill a grown man. Maybe a baby. But probably not even. Further, if you happened on a snake in your tree stand, just use the end of your rifle to shoo it away.

Talking about certain guns to kill snakes is a ridiculous conversation.

 

[Kudzu]

Talking about certain guns to kill snakes is a ridiculous conversation.

More about certain cartridges than certain guns.

"Always happy to help fellow members"?

 

[ONE-TEN]

Not about killing animals(even snakes), just because.

But concerning your Noise question, yes, there is a noise difference. Especially when many 22 Short cartridges are Sub-Sonic. If it’s SUB, there is a HUGE difference, as it lack the normal “CRACK” that 22Long exhibits. Unless of course, you are using 22LR Sub-Sonic ammunition. In which case the two would be very close. Or, if you happened to have one of the higher velocity brands of 22Short that was Super-Sonic.

In other words, get a 22LR, get a 22LR as there are several different brands of varying velocity from Sub-Sonic to Super+P, High Velocity.