Shooting in the backyard - noise control

[Mad Scientist]

First, let me say that "yes" I can do it safely.
Second, at least half of my neighbors shoot in their own backyards, so I doubt they will call 911 with a 'shots fired' report. We all shoot 22 routinely, but never anything bigger.

Until now.

A local high school forensics teacher asked me to make some random holes of different sizes in things. So now I need to run just a few rounds of 45, 9, 380, and 38, but I don't want to disturb the neighbors. I waited until this weekend expecting that they would all go to the shore like every other year for the holiday. But half of them are still here. Does anyone have any suggestions of a way to minimize the noise? Can I shoot through one of those concrete tube forms and get decent results?

I'm not a member of any clubs, and the public ranges like FCO, CP and TW don't let you shoot anything that isn't a paper target, so this needs to happen in the backyard.

[Atomic Dog]

We have a similar situation, can shoot safely and shoot subsonic .22 rifle all the time but dont like to annoy the neighbors with too much pistol shooting.

However, there is very little you will be able to do on short notice. The concrete tube will change the sound, but it won't really reduce it any. You could try filling it with foam if you have a bunch, but most people don't.


I would say just shoot them and apologize later if need be.

[fingers80002]

Invite the neighbors to help on your "research project".....

[xflyboy]

Invite the neighbors to help on your "research project".....

i think this might be the best option, if they get to help make the noise why should they complain.

[JayBell]

make a giant silencer box.

get a much of old tires, say 10 or more.
Line them up in a box, shoot thru the center hole with the gun inside the tires.

the more tires, the quieter the report.

it works, and is legal.

[knight0334]

make a giant silencer box.

get a much of old tires, say 10 or more.
Line them up in a box, shoot thru the center hole with the gun inside the tires.

the more tires, the quieter the report.

it works, and is legal.

Yep..

I have a "quiet box" for back yard pest control. ...it doesn't attach to a gun, so its not an NFA suppressor.

Mine is only made of a 1ft x 1ft x 2ft cardboard box with sound deadening foam. With a 4"-6" hole on each end to sight through. Works great with .22rf's. A bigger, better designed unit would work for bigger guns.

[Mad Scientist]

I'm going to have to get a stack of tires and some foam. That's the sort of thing I'm going to need to build. Thanks for that.

None of the neighbors wanted to come out and play. They were all busy prepping and hosting BBQs, and it was never so much about them complaining as it is about generally being polite and not disturbing them if I don't have to.

It turns out, problem almost solved. One of the neighbors invited EVERYONE over for a pyrotechnics display. It would have been very easy to hide my noise inside of his, but... My yard is dark, I only have one weapon-mounted light, no one wanted to help me and miss the show, and I wanted really well placed shots so 2 hands on the weapon. Noise problem solved, light problem discovered. I'll have that fixed by The 4th when another neighbor is putting on a show.

[Lycanthrope]

Open a window and shoot from inside the house.....if you can.

Or......just make the rounds to the neighbors, wish them a good holiday and tell them you're doing an assignment for the local high school. I highly doubt anyone will mind and it's cheaper and easier than building stuff.

Lycanandpolitethrope

[den9]

just shoot randomly, at long intervals. im sure a few loud shot every few hours, over a weeks time wont bother them

[Triggerh4ppy]

DO NOT ATTEMPT

cut your neighbors phone lines and jam thier portable communication arrays....HAPPY SHOOTING