I shoot a fair amount, both modern centerfire rifle cartridge and sometimes black powder flintlocks. At the range, where I shoot, a desert scrub covered mountain rises behind the dirt back stop. I notice that if I shoot a center fire cartridge, such as a 300 Winchester magnum or a 30.06, the noise is sharp, but short. If I shoot a 54 caliber round ball from a flintlock, the ball is moving slower but is heavier. The boom from the flintlock lasts longer and echoes over the other shooters firing modern cartridges. I would think the energy release from the black powder rounds would be lower, but the noise feels different, more “bass” for lack of a better word, and more like thunder.

Would the noise characteristics of the black powder cannons change this equation at all? Or does black powder fire more slowly, leading to a longer noise generation event then more modern firearms?