I see a lot of people asking how much noise does an airgun make. Mostly because they want to shoot pests in the backyard and they don’t want to disturb their neighbors.
Depending on the type of airgun you purchase, they can be surprisingly loud. Your neighbors will definitely hear a loud crack. Just think of it as a mini explosion every time you fire a pellet downrange. The rapid release of air can cause the noise or your pellet breaking the sound barrier are the leading causes of the noise.
What causes air rifle noise
As mentioned above there are two primary reasons for the noise. The first being the rapid release of compressed air out the end of the gun barrel. It causes a blast wave when it hits the ambient air. Think of popping the cork on a bottle of champagne.
There are ways to mitigate the noise level on the different types of air rifles. We will go more in depth later in this article.
The second most common reason for the noise level is due to the speed of the pellet leaving the barrel. Many air rifles are capable of firing a pellet at speeds upwards of 1100 feet per second. The speed of sound is 1125 feet per second; it varies with altitude as well. A pellet reaching the speed of sound will make a small sonic boom.
Different types of pellets will cause different levels of noise. So, it may take some range time to determine what pellet makes the least amount of noise for you.
A third reason does exist for the noise. The barrel length of your air rifle could be causing a lot of the sound. The longer the barrel, the less noise there is. In a longer barrel, the air has more time to dissipate, hence, less noise.
I know what your next question will be. Why is an air pistol so quiet even though it has a short barrel. Air pistols require less air to operate and with less air being expelled, the quieter it will be.
Other reasons airguns make noise
If you clean your air rifle with petroleum-based lubricants, you could be causing your air rifle to make more noise. By having a flammable substance in the barrel when firing. The compression from the pellet leaving the barrel could create a small detonation, making more noise than usual. This is the simplified version of “dieseling,” read more about it in Dana’s article, What is Airgun Dieseling and How Dangerous Is it Really?
What decibel level do airguns reach
I don’t usually carry a decibel meter with me, so everything you read here is based on internet research and the claims of the air rifle manufacturers.
To understand the noise levels air rifles make, you need a baseline. The decibel level of people having an ordinary conversation or the noise level of typical office space is around 60 decibels. A band playing in a bar will reach decibel levels of approximately 110 decibels.
During my research, I found the lowest reported decibel level to be 74. Belonging to the Benjamin Marauder air rifle, for .177, .22, .25 calibers. That is equivalent to your wife vacuuming while you try to watch a hunting show on TV.
The Marauder makes the least amount of noise when compared to the quietest air rifles. The majority of the rifles that can even claim to be quiet have decibel levels in the 90s when fired. That’s the same amount of noise that a countertop blender makes. Or me trying to get a coffee cup out of the cupboard at 5 am.
Which type of air rifle makes the least amount of noise
Springers are by far the quietest shooting air rifles on average. The reason behind why is a matter of air volume. Airguns that are powered by a spring-loaded piston use up most of the compressed air by the time the pellet leaves the barrel. The majority of the noise created by springers is due to the internal mechanisms. They may seem louder than they are because the sound transmits through your cheekbones.
All the other types of air rifles use some form of compressed air or gas to propel the pellet downrange. Generally speaking, they will always be louder than a springer.
However, the range of noise levels will vary between gas ram air rifles and PCP or precharged pneumatic air rifles. Gas ram airguns are quieter than PCPs because there is less air volume discharged.
The majority of big bore rifles are PCP airguns. For this reason, many people believe they are the loudest of any air rifle. A large bore PCP air gun discharges a higher volume air causing a whole lot more noise than smaller bore air rifles.
The fact that big bore rifles are louder than others isn’t really an issue for backyard target practice. You shouldn’t be shooting a .357 air rifle in your backyard.
What can I do to reduce the noise level of my air rifle
The first step is reducing the noise coming from your air rifle is to clean it. We recommend using cleaning pellets without any cleaning solvents. As mentioned above residual lubricants and oils can cause dieseling.
Next, the step you can take is to shoot 75 to 100 pellets. Air rifles tend to quiet down after a number of pellets are sent down the barrel. This method may seem strange but, it will help burn off any remaining lubricants in the barrel.
A muzzle break will dissipate the air leaving the barrel by breaking it up. Many of the quieter air rifles already have a muzzle break attached to the end of the barrel right out of the box. Aftermarket suppressors are also available and can mitigate noise but not eliminate it.
When you look to purchase an air rifle and noise is a deciding factor, look for an air rifle with a longer barrel. This extra barrel length will give the air time to dissipate and will significantly reduce the noise level.
You could test this theory at home by performing a test. Fire your air rifle and measure the noise. Next, saw off three inches of the barrel and fire it again. Measure and record the noise level. Now, saw another three inches off the barrel, and so on. Just kidding, it’s not worth sacrificing a nice air rifle to prove a point.
Some airguns have a feature that allows the shooter to increase or decrease the volume of air used to fire. This feature can significantly reduce the speed at which the pellet leaves the barrel, reducing the noise to acceptable levels.
Other ways to reduce air rifle noise
If you know you will be plinking in your backyard quite regularly and your neighbors will likely complain use what you have on hand. Using your house as a noise barrier will work if you have enough room in your yard. Shoot from the other side of your house, and it will stop the noise from reaching the neighbors. Hopefully the neighbors on the side you are shooting on don’t mind.
I saw in one forum that one guy recommended shooting through an open window in the house. I don’t recommend that, but shooting from an open garage door may be a better solution. A similar solution would be to build a box you can lay in to shoot. The walls of the box will stop the noise going to the sides of your location. It would act as a giant suppressor.
Conclusion
The thing to remember with all of the types of air rifles. Each type of air gun will have models that make less noise than others. The noise levels are also relative to the person hearing it. Being near the barrel will seem louder than standing behind the shooter.
Based on the above information we can conclude that a small caliber springer air rifle with a long barrel and a muzzle break will be the quietest option. So, if you want to plink, shoot squirrels, or target practice get yourself a .177 caliber pellet rifle. It will be much cheaper to start with, and you will still have all the fun of bigger and louder air rifles.