gun noise

[Mulerider]

Which gun has the least noise level a .30-30 or a .44 mag (rifle)?
I hunt off a mule and have shot .22s and 12 guage shotgun off my mule and I want a smaller rifle to deer hunt off him. I think a .30-30 or .44 mag would be best. I hunt in an area where I dont need to take long range shots. Probably up to 100 yards or less. Let me know your opinon. If you think another caliber would be better lets hear it. What I need is the quietest deer rifle thats good up to 100 yards.
I realize none to them are quiet.
Mulerider in Arkansas

[Mike01]

Well typically smaller caliber size=quiter noise. Don't quote me on that, but on average thats true(I mean a magnum with a muzzle brake gonna be very loud even on smaller calibers). If you're looking for quite/shoter range shots the .243 is probably about as small as you ought to go on a deer rifle. Yeah its relatively loud, but its about as quite as you're going to get.

[idahoelkinstructor]

I think the 30-30 would be more quiet. On a side note my brother in law bought a .300WSM this year, an I was inpressed at how quiet it was. A bunch of neighbors and my family went shooting. I was shooting a .300RUM, and between everyone else we had a .300 WM, 7mm Rem mag, 30-06, .270 Win, .280, and a .308, also had a bunch of pistols. But the most quiet of the rifles seemed to be the new .300WSM. I don't know why, but we all noticed it. Also we were all wearing ear protction.

[driftrider]

I'm going to say that noise is more proportional to the amount of expanding gas, and the pressure its at when it is released. More powder=more gas=more noise.

More pressure=more noise.

The .30-30 uses about 25-40 grains of powder, and the .44mag burns about 15-25 grains typically, both having roughly equal peak pressures, so the .30-30 would likely be louder, all else equal.

Mike