lesvoth
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Mar 17, 2017
- Messages
- 87
AB Suppressor Test
Yesterday's quest was to discover the best suppressor for my light 6mmBR with its 27.5 inch #3 Bartlein barrel, MDT LSS-XL GEN2 Chassis with a MagPul collapsible stock. What I took along for suppressors were an AB Suppressor8 A-10 Warthog, the 7.62 model, and an AB Suppressor Raptor 8 with reflex and the flush mount option.
The purpose of the exercise was to check for impact shift between suppressors, accuracy with each combination, and to determine whether it would matter - sound wise - which suppressor might matter to my unconscious mind. Sometimes we're bothered or comforted by things indeterminate. Knowing that can be the case it's not a bad idea to experiment to see where those boundaries may be.
The first suppressor up was the A-10 Warthog. Made of 17-4 stainless steel it weighs 11.7 ounces at 6.3 inches in length. This is by far the lightest stainless steel can I've screwed onto one of my barrels. Some of the cans I've used were so heavy it pulled the balance point up to eight inches ahead of the front action screw! Then, the re-zeroing process had to accommodate a POI shift of 10 inches - or more.
The Warthog - I'm guessing here - doesn't do that to my rifles because it isn't heavy enough, and its length/weight combo is relatively short compared to some others. Obviously, the longer a heavy muzzle device is, the more it will affect balance, etc.
For the record, I was shooting from the same batch of 105 Berger Hybrid bullets - in Lapua brass, with Varget and 450 primers - that I use in my PRS rifle. Both barrel's chamber were cut with same reamer, the barrels are the same length and have the same twist rate. Data is essentially the same with both rifles. The only difference is barrel weight/contour. The PRS barrel is a Heavy Varmint contour.
Also, all shots were taken off a bench, using a Harris bipod and an Armageddon Schmedium light-fill rear bag. The scope is a Vortex FFP 6x24-50 HSLR that has proved reliable for 7-8 years, so far.
I wanted to use the lighter contour barrel for this as it will move more once the cartridge is ignited, than the stouter tube will move. (Talking about harmonic whip here. I once watched from the side as a fellow shot his Ruger American in 22-250 from a lead-sled. The can he was using was quite heavy. The rifle shot quite accurately, but the barrel visibly whipped like a buggy whip!)
The three shot group with the Warthog attached measured half an inch center to center with a steel tape measure. These were the rifle's first three rounds since it was cleaned to the bare steel. No foulest.
I didn't think that was too bad considering a couple of things. First, it wasn't fouled before the "test." Second, I was switching between shooting a heavy F Class rifle with a Bix 'n Andy Remington 700 Competition trigger set about as light as it can go, which is .2 ounces - just cuz - and the Jewel equipped MagPul stocked BR. The Jewel is set at just over a pound, and I can't see through the scope with my cheek bone on the MagPul. It needs a cheek-riser of some sort as I can only see through the scope when my jaw is in contact with the stock.
People with experience with both types of triggers will understand the difference in travel/feel/let-off. They are from different worlds and switching between them took every ounce of concentration this klutz's gourd contains. That's why I was content with the result - a man's got to know his limitations . . .
The next suppressor in line was the Raptor 8 with its reflex attached. This is made of titanium and weighs more than 3 and a half ounces less than the Warthog, while extending the same 6.3 inches beyond the muzzle.
The Raptor can be shot/used with or without the reflex. The reflex is - in the photo - the part below the seam. That part is hollow and increases the blast chamber volume by a measurable amount, changing the tone and db level of the can. The reflex does not increase the length of the can beyond the end of the rifle's muzzle as it slips over the barrel behind the muzzle with a special internal mounting system.
Again I saw three shots go inside half an inch with no discernible point of impact shift. I know it's antidotal, and three shots don't prove much on world stage, but having shot this rifle, these rounds, in combination with its mate a few thousand rounds, a guy kinda gets a feel for what's "a thing." The thing is that there was no impact difference between shooting with the Warthog, or the Raptor 8 with the reflex attached.
Included in the box when you buy a Raptor from AB Suppressor is the reflex, a flushmount, and a tool for removing the endcap. With the reflex removed,the flushmount installed and the Raptor back on the Bartlein, the last part of my test commenced.
Three more holes under half an inch perforated the blue tape of my target allowing sunlight to shine through. Content? Yup. Pleasantly pleased, even. What I discovered was that no matter which combination I muzzled my light 6mmBR with I could be confident in its performance without compensation.
Yesterday's quest was to discover the best suppressor for my light 6mmBR with its 27.5 inch #3 Bartlein barrel, MDT LSS-XL GEN2 Chassis with a MagPul collapsible stock. What I took along for suppressors were an AB Suppressor8 A-10 Warthog, the 7.62 model, and an AB Suppressor Raptor 8 with reflex and the flush mount option.
The purpose of the exercise was to check for impact shift between suppressors, accuracy with each combination, and to determine whether it would matter - sound wise - which suppressor might matter to my unconscious mind. Sometimes we're bothered or comforted by things indeterminate. Knowing that can be the case it's not a bad idea to experiment to see where those boundaries may be.
The first suppressor up was the A-10 Warthog. Made of 17-4 stainless steel it weighs 11.7 ounces at 6.3 inches in length. This is by far the lightest stainless steel can I've screwed onto one of my barrels. Some of the cans I've used were so heavy it pulled the balance point up to eight inches ahead of the front action screw! Then, the re-zeroing process had to accommodate a POI shift of 10 inches - or more.
The Warthog - I'm guessing here - doesn't do that to my rifles because it isn't heavy enough, and its length/weight combo is relatively short compared to some others. Obviously, the longer a heavy muzzle device is, the more it will affect balance, etc.
For the record, I was shooting from the same batch of 105 Berger Hybrid bullets - in Lapua brass, with Varget and 450 primers - that I use in my PRS rifle. Both barrel's chamber were cut with same reamer, the barrels are the same length and have the same twist rate. Data is essentially the same with both rifles. The only difference is barrel weight/contour. The PRS barrel is a Heavy Varmint contour.
Also, all shots were taken off a bench, using a Harris bipod and an Armageddon Schmedium light-fill rear bag. The scope is a Vortex FFP 6x24-50 HSLR that has proved reliable for 7-8 years, so far.
I wanted to use the lighter contour barrel for this as it will move more once the cartridge is ignited, than the stouter tube will move. (Talking about harmonic whip here. I once watched from the side as a fellow shot his Ruger American in 22-250 from a lead-sled. The can he was using was quite heavy. The rifle shot quite accurately, but the barrel visibly whipped like a buggy whip!)
The three shot group with the Warthog attached measured half an inch center to center with a steel tape measure. These were the rifle's first three rounds since it was cleaned to the bare steel. No foulest.
I didn't think that was too bad considering a couple of things. First, it wasn't fouled before the "test." Second, I was switching between shooting a heavy F Class rifle with a Bix 'n Andy Remington 700 Competition trigger set about as light as it can go, which is .2 ounces - just cuz - and the Jewel equipped MagPul stocked BR. The Jewel is set at just over a pound, and I can't see through the scope with my cheek bone on the MagPul. It needs a cheek-riser of some sort as I can only see through the scope when my jaw is in contact with the stock.
People with experience with both types of triggers will understand the difference in travel/feel/let-off. They are from different worlds and switching between them took every ounce of concentration this klutz's gourd contains. That's why I was content with the result - a man's got to know his limitations . . .
The next suppressor in line was the Raptor 8 with its reflex attached. This is made of titanium and weighs more than 3 and a half ounces less than the Warthog, while extending the same 6.3 inches beyond the muzzle.
The Raptor can be shot/used with or without the reflex. The reflex is - in the photo - the part below the seam. That part is hollow and increases the blast chamber volume by a measurable amount, changing the tone and db level of the can. The reflex does not increase the length of the can beyond the end of the rifle's muzzle as it slips over the barrel behind the muzzle with a special internal mounting system.
Again I saw three shots go inside half an inch with no discernible point of impact shift. I know it's antidotal, and three shots don't prove much on world stage, but having shot this rifle, these rounds, in combination with its mate a few thousand rounds, a guy kinda gets a feel for what's "a thing." The thing is that there was no impact difference between shooting with the Warthog, or the Raptor 8 with the reflex attached.
Included in the box when you buy a Raptor from AB Suppressor is the reflex, a flushmount, and a tool for removing the endcap. With the reflex removed,the flushmount installed and the Raptor back on the Bartlein, the last part of my test commenced.
Three more holes under half an inch perforated the blue tape of my target allowing sunlight to shine through. Content? Yup. Pleasantly pleased, even. What I discovered was that no matter which combination I muzzled my light 6mmBR with I could be confident in its performance without compensation.
