does porting affect hunting velocity??

[multibeard]

I will not have a ported barrel in my gun cabinet.

I was hunting out of a blind with two brothers. The one had a ported barrel and when he shot it was deafening.

On one shot his brother thought he had taken an unsafe shot to close to his head. I think they would have come to blows if I hadn't witnessed that the shot was plenty safe.

I bought a used 835 with out ports as I have a hearing problem now. All the new ones have ported barrels.

I wonder if the ports can be sealed up with epoxy or something to stop that blast?