How much louder is that short barrel? My 20" .308 is about as loud as I like to get.
I've owned a 760 carbine in .308 for almost 25 yrs. I personally can't tell any difference whatsoever in the noise levels by using different powders. It's loud all the time, but not so loud that I can't hunt with it.Anyway, if you have a short barrel rifle, try differnt powders or ammo brands to get a load that is not so hard on the ears.