Hunting Rifle: Anyone Else Have No Desire for a Silencer?

[SGT Rick]

My team has a number of cans in our trust. They are great for range activities with my pistols and black rifles.

I also have a larger can for my long range gun; formerly a 300 RUM (retired) and now a 300 PRC.

My observations and comments are...
1. Recoil mitigation is better than any brake I have ever used.
2. A magnum shot with my can doesn't even make my ears ring (well below OSHA's impulse maximum allowance of 140 dB). I do wear plugs at the range, not in the field.
3. Suppressors do not effect muzzle velocity.
4. As any brake, thread protector, or suppressor, a point of impact change as well as grouping size change can be expected due to the change in barrel harmonics.
5. My loads are developed with the can installed and it stays on for accurate shooting.
6. Cans on a high powered rifle do not require cleaning as the shock jars loose residue. I remove the can to clean the rifle. Rapping the cans entrance in my wood work bench removes most residue. My big suppressor can be disassembled which I no longer bother with.
7. My larger can's weight is neglegible, however the extra 10" can be difficult. This big gun is relagated to the hide. I have other guns for driving and work in the wood.

It is a shame the government doesn't allow ease of acquisition of suppressors, I feel they greatly improve the hunting experience for all parties involved.

Stay Frosty!

 

[Miller27]

Thanks for that info. I wonder if anyone has actually tried it.
I saw in antoehr forum where someone used a 9/16-24 to 5/8-24 adopter.....I will investigate

I would recommend the "stepped" style, like Hughes precision and kmtactical make instead of the direct over thread version from brownells. With 9/16 to 5/8 you only get about .032" of material, and that is only if the male and female threads are cut perfectly one inside the other.

 

[Captain1967]

I waited a long time before going with a can, and should have done it long ago. Just so much more pleasant to shoot. Went with one .30 cal unit, and use it on everything down to a 204; works great.

Same here. TB Ultra 9 for 300 Win Mag to AR platforms. It has made hunting and range shooting a pleasure.

 

[Elk868]

Hy all
I have cans for most of my rifles and will get one for my Glock 21. using them for couple years now and think I have seen the goodies and bad in this. But one good thing I seen looks important to me . It helps people handle they're guns . Some I know shoot better now with cans cause they are not scared about recoil anymore . And if this safes some animals from suffer it's good and reason enough for me . But for myself I never would shorten a barrel for this . But that's my personal opinion . And btw play around and load subsonic s can be fun .

 

[jbur13]

I see a lot of folks are putting silencers on their hunting rifles, even sacrificing ballistic performance by shortening barrels.

Anyone else prefer their hunting rifle to not have a silencer? Maybe I'm old school but I don't have muzzle brakes or silencers on my hunting rifles.

General Re lee: You didn't mention what caliber rifles you own.
I have a 20"7mm with No can and no muzzle brake, easy gun to shoot.
I have a 22" 300rum with a can that I'm still waiting on.
If you have a 6.5 or 308 or something along those calibers, then I don't see a need for anything on the gun just because they're really easy to shoot. Last thing I want is to develop a flinch with a large magnum.
For me it's about reducing recoil without wearing ear protection. I would prefer a brake because they're cheap compared to a can but I don't wear ear protection while hunting.
Bottom line is that most people wont buy them because they cost as much as a new rifle!
Why don't you start a pole: Who can afford a suppressor? or who would own one if cost wasnt a factor?

 

[ENGUNEER]

I'd LOVE to have a suppressor, but unfortunately, here in Kommiefornia they aren't allowed. Annnnd, I'm very near deaf from all the shooting I've done in my life. I would hate to lose more.........

 

[Randominator]

I run a suppressor on everything I can. Enhanced accuracy and velocity.

 

[chav0_12]

I really like this post and it is interesting to read everybody's post so here is my two cents worth. I'm 63 years old and when I was in high school I bought a 357 colt python. I was 6'3" 175 lbs invincible so I thought. Didn't wear hearing protection and my ears would ring for days afterwards. (I was not the smartest tool in the shed on this one). At age 22 my wife keep complaining about my hearing so I went and had it checked and to my GREAT surprise the Doctor told me I was 80% deaf on high pitch sounds!! He said I had the hearing of a 60 year man that was on a gun boat in world war 2. He told me I had Nerve damage and there was nothing I could do to improve my hearing other then hearing aids. 40 years later and after buying over 12-15 set of heat aids that cost from $2-6k I have become a big fan of suppressors. I just went to a shoot a couple of weeks ago and shot between two guys with breaks and I wore walker muffs and finally got up and put a set of in Canal ear plugs to help. My ears are still ringing from the shoot. (Can I just say I hate breaks.) There are trade off by putting a can on but for me there is only one answer, yes. By shortening the barrel 1" you give up 30 fps but you also gain some back with the can but you also gain accuracy in the Gun by shortening it up. JMO.
And to the comments that joked "what did you say!" It unfortunately not a joke to me because it's a daily commitment I have to use. So please do what you can to protect the hearing that you have.
Randy the deaf guy from Idaho.

I totally get what you're saying. There were too many times when I was in the military that I would shoot without hearing protection or set off big charges(granted we were almost always far enough away but it was still loud). I would almost always shoot my own rifles without hearing protection because "it's not that bad". Now I'm 33 and my wife says I can't hear for ****, I think I'm okay but lesson learned, I hardly shoot without hearing protection, even still I need to get better at it.

 

[DukeSilver]

I think whether you're a fan of them or not, you should at least support them. We're all on the same team because we own guns. The laws they have on suppressors(I absolutely hate the term "silencer") are asinine. If you choose ear pro or nothing over a suppressor for whatever reasons then great but don't try and make it harder for fellow firearm owners to attain one.

 

[FlyGuy11]

I see a lot of folks are putting silencers on their hunting rifles, even sacrificing ballistic performance by shortening barrels.

Anyone else prefer their hunting rifle to not have a silencer? Maybe I'm old school but I don't have muzzle brakes or silencers on my hunting rifles.

This is the same as asking which is the best handgun a Glock vs. 1911 or AR-15 vs. AK. I personally have a 24" 28 Nosler Mountain rifle and use a suppressor because I do not use hearing protection while hunting. So I accept the 100 to 200 fps penalty and a 32" barrel due to suppressor added length as well as recoil reduction. I don't think it's a matter of old school vs new school as much as a better understanding and knowledge of our rifles and ballistic understanding.

 

[NDAR15MAN]

I really don't understand the can thing. Now this has been 8 years ago I think when they started to become popular in certain states I was not impressed at all with them. A guy next to me at range had one on a 308. I did not hear any reduction in noise when he shot. I started to do a lot of research on them and they all reduce sound to about 132 dis. Started asking questions to all the Mfg of cans and they could never answer the question at those $1100.00 can that is rated at 132 disables is better than the 350.00 can with the same 132 rating. They would talk in circles fir 15 minutes and all they would say about itvthier 1100.00 can last longer. Will on a hunting rifle I shoot 10 shots a year at most. It would take 50 years to shoot the can out. This last week at are local range guy had one on a 223 AR15. He said he paid 1200.00 for his can , more than his gun cost. He even let me shoot it. I heard very very little difference compared to my Ar15 223 cal gun. Sorry i just don't see the value in one unless they get the Dis down to 50 or so.
I don't understand it. MD

 

[archerhmr]

One person from New York said they are not allowed to have suppressors. It is the same here in CA. 35yrs ago I purchased a light weight hunting rifle with my first brake. I also purchased EAR, Inc. battery operated ear plugs. Essentially hearing aids that shut down for loud sound. That was the best thing I ever did. These ear plugs are pricey. I am on my third set and know they are better than suppressors. Have been around them in other states.
Now in CA we are allowed moderators on our Airguns. My air rifles start at 2k and yes they bark. The moderators do help, but you still hear the shots out of the Airguns.

 

[Ucsdryder]

I really don't understand the can thing. Now this has been 8 years ago I think when they started to become popular in certain states I was not impressed at all with them. A guy next to me at range had one on a 308. I did not hear any reduction in noise when he shot. I started to do a lot of research on them and they all reduce sound to about 132 dis. Started asking questions to all the Mfg of cans and they could never answer the question at those $1100.00 can that is rated at 132 disables is better than the 350.00 can with the same 132 rating. They would talk in circles fir 15 minutes and all they would say about itvthier 1100.00 can last longer. Will on a hunting rifle I shoot 10 shots a year at most. It would take 50 years to shoot the can out. This last week at are local range guy had one on a 223 AR15. He said he paid 1200.00 for his can , more than his gun cost. He even let me shoot it. I heard very very little difference compared to my Ar15 223 cal gun. Sorry i just don't see the value in one unless they get the Dis down to 50 or so.
I don't understand it. MD

This seems strange. I guess it depends on the can. My thunderbeast makes the gun hearing safe vs not hearing safe. I guess if you're hearing isn't worth 1100 dollars then you're right, it's a waste of money.


Coming from someone that lost most of his high frequency hearing by 20 from shooting guns.

 

[aschler]

Lol I guess it didn't come out quite right. No I don't think anyone should be forced to do anything. At least a case could be made of a suppressor actually being a health benefit as opposed to a mask. I do prefer a can sometimes just depends on what and how I'm hunting. Most hunting ranges the short barrel really won't matter so why not. Long range I'm usually running a long barrel anyway so what's a few more inches.
I like being able to swap from can you brake. Love them both just nice not needing hearing protection sometimes.

Yah, the Republican party justs like to tell you what you can't do.