Not sure I’m buying into the hype

[Plinker147]

Only down side to a suppressor is the cost. Length isn't that big of deal. We have had a couple occasions when hunting when we have been able to shoot one animal while the rest stand there not know what happen and shoot another without them being spooked. Don't have to wear ear protection in a hunting situation, I still do at the range( might as well). For teaching kids how to shoot they are the best tool I've seen. A suppressed .223 and a kid will have so much fun they will shoot your barrel out if your not careful haha.

 

[Reelamin]

Good afternoon everyone,
For years I've went back and forth wanting to play the suppressor game. But I always talk myself out of it. Paying $200 for a tax stamp+ cost of suppressor (I know form 1 is an option for less money by making your own) to ultimately have a hunk of tube on the end of my barrel that I still should be wearing hearing protection with just doesn't seem too enticing at times. I totally understand they reduce db and I'm sure many like them because they look tactical and that gets everyone excited nowadays. But real world, end of the day reasoning…are they really worth it? Probably 80% of the videos and tests I have seen show people still wearing their ear pro or tough guys saying my ear don't ring AS BAD as the did without the can. Not trying to rain on the suppressor parade. But could someone enlighten me? Seem like a lot of money and headache to still have to wear your ear pro after spending $500-$2k.

Caleb

I'm a poster child for your thoughts with a huge hammer hitting me on the head. I am not a fan of muzzle brakes and avoided them for 40 years of my +45 years of shooting center fire. I refused to wait and pay the tax stamp on a suppressor even though I have used them since the late 90's and loved them. I'm addition I had no interest in putting on and taking off a suppressor 10-15 times a day as I hunt off horses mostly or packing it around.
I will be adding to my suppressor stable soon since I don't have one for my Long Range hunting guns. Like many things I resisted in life after I actually tried it....wow that's not so bad at all.

 

[cardon1122]

I gulped at the cost and long wait for years but finally broke down and bought 3 cans a few years ago. I'm a complete convert now. I'd put muzzle brakes previously on several of my bigger guns and liked that they were more pleasant to shoot but they were soooo loud that I had to use plugs and a head set at the range to adequately protect my ears. I got three Thunder Beasts, 22 rimfire and a 22 and 33 cans. Their muzzle brake is put on the barrel and the can screws onto the brake. Best of both worlds. At the range I still wear a head set if I'm shooting a lot of rounds. The can reduces the noise about the same as a good headset. But taking it from 130-140 db to around a 100 can still damage your hearing with prolonged exposure. If I'm hunting and there will only be a few shots at most I go unprotected and it's not unpleasant. I use the 33 can on my 6-33 guns and the 22 cans on my smaller ones. All of my guns seem to be a little more accurate with cans on them for whatever reason. Another great benefit is taking grandkids shooting. I've got 18 grandkids and had found that they were afraid of the blast about as much as the recoil. That's completely changed. I start them on a 17 HMR with the 22 rimfire can and work them up to bigger guns like my 204, 22-250, 6 Creedmoor and 6.5-284. They have no fear hence no flinch. Most are shooting 1-2 MOA on the first range session. Most that were afraid of the guns before now enjoy it shooting suppressed. My 7 year old great granddaughter is to small to shoot anything except the 17 HMR as the other guns are to big for her to get close enough to see through the scope. But every time she comes over she begs to go shooting. To finish up this long post, I'll just say "Try it, you'll like it!"

 

[naja302]

I'm on an aoudad hunt in Texas right now
My buddy and I were stalking 3 rams last night when we spotted a 4th. He shot it with a suppressed 28 Nosler without spooking the original 3 that were 700 yards away. I then proceeded to go shoot mine out of the original group.

I doubt we would have pulled that off without the suppressor

 

[bengineer]

My 12 year old filled 6 tags last fall. All shot with the same suppressed rifle. We didn't need additional hearing protection because of the can on his rifle (and mine, of course). Those 6 shots would have contributed to him having tinnitus like I suffer from 24 hours a day, but instead I am protecting him and his hearing. If only I had known then what we know now about hearing protection...

I got into silencers because I hate head mounted sound suppressive devices, over or in the ear. I have read a couple clinical trials that show in ear plugs reduce gunfire around 3-5 dB, that's all. Over the ear muffs prevent bone transmission of the sound, so they can be as effective as -20+dB; that's worth using, but not as much as a good can, which can measure as low as 115dB at the shooter's ear. Add the muffs on a covered range to the can and you have max protection. But muffs alone don't cover it.

I don't particularly like having a can on the end of my rifle (or pistol). I am not one to concern myself with the appearance of "tactical" or any other gibberish. I just like quiet guns because I can shoot and not contribute to hearing loss. I may be a man of extremes, who knows. But I do know that the benefits of suppressors far outweigh the costs to me, so I suppress most every gun I have, from 17 hornet to 12ga. I don't shoot every shot suppressed, as I love to shoot revolvers, but I don't shoot threaded muzzle guns without a can, or hardly ever. My one caveat is 50BMG. I haven't found a 50 can that tames the recoil enough to shoot a bolt action suppressed; that combo takes me past my limit quickly.

Your mileage will vary. Find a dealer who lets you test fire a few. He/she can get you going in the right direction. I focus on materials of the can first, especially in rimfire, because of cleaning. Then what it will be used on. Then how it mounts. In that order. For centerfire, I may swap the criteria by what to use it on, how it mounts, then materials (weight, durability).

 

[TRG65]

I too went back and forth getting a suppressor. For me, it was both the cost and time issue. However, after I got my first one, I've been hooked. I have 3 more with the dealer waiting for stamps to be approved. I've seen all the advantages mentioned. I've taken hunting shots with no ear ringing now. I don't generally shoot a lot without ear plugs or muffs, but I don't wear double ear protection anymore like I used to. I've noticed that at the end of a day at a PRS match, I'm not nearly as worn down from the muzzle blast. I also don't dread anytime I see a position in a tube, or directly beside a rock or piece of concrete. It is also more "polite" for the neighbors of the farm where I go to shoot. I've also seen the disadvantages. The extra length is annoying, and the less recoil reduction has to be considered. These were the biggest impacts on my PRS gun. However, I found the advantages of suppressed shooting won out. I ran a 26" barrel plus 9" suppressor, but when it was time for a new barrel, I went to a 22" plus the suppressor. It is only slightly longer than the 26" barrel and 5 port brake I had run before I got the suppressor. One of the can's at the dealer is for matches and is a 6" 6.5 caliber can. My one son hunts with a 6.5 Creedmoor and the other with a 6 Creedmoor, so it works for that too. The can one for matches is a KGM with the directional ports to assist with recoil mitigation. According to other shooters, that eliminates some of the negatives of shooting a can compared to a brake in matches.

 

[SteveBurton]

It's been mentioned many times already. I mainly purchased mine for hunting. I still wear double hearing protection at the range, plugs and muffs, since I have a bad case of tinnitus and don't need it any worse. I don't like wearing protection while hunting. A suppressor lowers the sound level enough that my ears aren't ringing after a shot.
I think the cost of the can itself is acceptable considering that you are protecting your hearing, but I disagree with the cost of a stamp and the wait time involved.

 

[Greyfox]

I can easily see the usefulness in certain applications like PRC, tactical sports, and other high volume shooting or hunting. I struggle to see the value for LRH, where shots are far, few, and far between….And the added cost, bulk, and influence on barrel length…unnecessary trade-offs. KISS….Just me.

 

[BrentM]

2 things come to mind. Recoil and sound mitigation. Shoot a rifle without a brake. With a brake. Then with a can w/integrated brake. I highly doubt you'd ever go back. Recoil mitigation for tracking impacts etc is almost as good as a heavy duty brake. It is very effective on heavier recoiling rifles. Sound mitigation is not hollyweird assassin level bs, but it does help out the level at a much more manageable level. For me the perfect example is hunting with my dog. He will literally lay beside me and often will go to sleep. He won't do that with a brake or bare muzzle. He actually freaks out a bit and will try and go hide. With the can, he not bothered at all and just wants to hang out beside me.

 

[NDAR15MAN]

Every suppressor I ever looked at has the same rating suppressed number. You ask the guy or company that sales them what's the difference between the $400 model and the $2000.00 and they cannot explain it too you. All they come up with is ours ( let's say the $1500.00 model. ) last longer or is easier to clean. Will I want one that suppresses the sound. What's really funny is when you are at the shot show and you ask this question in front of about 10 other potential buyers they do everything they can to isolate you at the end of the booth so the other 9 potential buyers don't hear your serious questions about why every suppressor on the market has the same sound reduction number. They cannot explain to you why theirs is really better on sound reduction. I will not be buying any until sound reduction gets down to the 100 range or less which will never happen.
I have shot many suppressed pistols and rifles and a 22LR caliber is the only cal that i see any sound reduction that is worth maybe the cost and no difference between the 400.00 and the $2000.00 model. This is with suppressors on the market today. Maybe things will change one of these days and I will go forward with suppressors. Marty

 

[jerry moore]

Only time I have to wear hearing protection is if I'm shooting indoors. I shoot suppressed calibers ranging from 22LR to 300 Win Mag. I feel that's it's worth it.

YMMV.

i would recommend ear muffs when shooting I didn't & I've had two surgeries on inner ear have not had good day since 2004

 

[rustyshackleford]

Every suppressor I ever looked at has the same rating suppressed number. You ask the guy or company that sales them what's the difference between the $400 model and the $2000.00 and they cannot explain it too you. All they come up with is ours ( let's say the $1500.00 model. ) last longer or is easier to clean. Will I want one that suppresses the sound. What's really funny is when you are at the shot show and you ask this question in front of about 10 other potential buyers they do everything they can to isolate you at the end of the booth so the other 9 potential buyers don't hear your serious questions about why every suppressor on the market has the same sound reduction number. They cannot explain to you why theirs is really better on sound reduction. I will not be buying any until sound reduction gets down to the 100 range or less which will never happen.
I have shot many suppressed pistols and rifles and a 22LR caliber is the only cal that i see any sound reduction that is worth maybe the cost and no difference between the 400.00 and the $2000.00 model. This is with suppressors on the market today. Maybe things will change one of these days and I will go forward with suppressors. Marty

Just buy the biggest can and run it on the longest barrel if that's your objective

 

[rustyshackleford]

20" barrel w/ ~8" can next to a 24" barrel on the left and a 22" stainless barrel. You need to do some research into different materials and feature sets to decide what's right for you. To all the people saying "iT dOn't wOrK tHo" look at how much suppression you are getting and how much less sound energy that translates to. They work. Then go look at how dB reduction ratings are calculated for ear pro. You are damaging you're hearing by shooting a braked magnum with ear pro

 

[xsn10s]

I'd say if you're young, have young ones shooting with you, or have hearing damage it's worth it. I've only been around cans once many years ago helping out an agency that had them. I remember walking up and down the line without wearing hearing protection. But it was still loud, I just didn't notice any ringing in my ears. Today I'd have to wear muffs while using a can. But all those years of shooting my hearing might be better if I had a can for the last twenty years. Today I need to wear plugs and muffs while shooting. Two days ago I shot with just my plugs in and forgot to flip down the muffs. My ringing is louder today. YMMV.