Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Long Range Hunting What are your thoughts on suppressors?

Apart from noise reduction and recoil reduction, can a suppressor increase accuracy? How does it affect pressure? Does any of you guys use suppressors on your long range guns?

Thanks

Pieter

I use a suppressor on almost all of my centerfire rifles for both hunting and shooting. Also for rimfire. You mentioned the two biggest benefits, add being able to spot you shots through your scope.

When I first started shooting suppressed I did all kinds of tests for accuracy, velocity and POI shift with and without it attached. Then I forgot all about the results because I never shoot unsuppressed if I have the ability.

If you have the means, buy the two or three suppressors you'll need to cover all of your shooting, all at one time. Do the paperwork and forget about it while you're waiting. When all the paperwork clears, you're good to go and you only had to go through the wait time once.

Bob

I have not noticed any effect on pressure of loads. I wouldn't expect to as it is way less gas restrictive than the barrel. My primary centerfire suppressor is a .30 caliber can that I use on .243, .260 and .30 caliber. The exit hole is about .325 if I remember correctly.

At long range competitions that I go to, I'd guess that 70% use suppressors.

Bob

I also insist on hunting and shooting with suppressors on everything I can reasonable attach them too. All my vehicles have mufflers also!

A suppressor has no effect on peak muzzle pressure or the pressure curve while the bullet is in the bore. On a bolt action rifle the rifle has "no idea" whether it has a suppressor attached to the muzzle or not in regards to pressure or function.

On a gas operated or recoil operated gun there are challenges related to a relatively low, but residual pressure that is held in the suppressor and bore for a very short time after the bullet exits the muzzle of the barrel.

That pressure while exiting at the decelerated rate out the front of the suppressor also releases back through the breech as soon as the chamber is "uncorked" by the action opening. That flushing of gas down the bore in semis creates slightly accelerated bolt speeds and always a filthy soot on everything in the action.

Accuracy/precison; there is not always and affect but I have seen increased precision in some cases. I have also seen negatively affected rifles but I believe they where related to mount systems. I like direct connect thread-on exclusively. I have no need for QD.

I can't think of a big enough reason NOT to use a suppressor ... other than the red tape. the red tape is what keeps me from investing in one.

Haven't had my older bolt guns threaded but the last four built all sport cans. My AR'S are suppressor ready. The only draw back is cans on gas guns is the extra soot that gets everywhere including the magazine. IMO, don't waste the paperwork and money on .223 suppressors go with detachable .308 or .338 cans. the .308 cans work on 30 cal down to 17 cal. My .338 Norma was greatly tamed by being suppressed, didn't hurt accuracy either.

What brands are you guys using?

Thanks for the info guys. I guess the fact that we do cull every now and then, I can only benefit from it. I am thinking of getting a reflex suppressor that a local company manufactures. I will try and get it next week and will post pictures as soon as I can.

Pieter

I use a ThunderBeast 30P1 on nearly everything I own. Only reason I don't in some rifles is the barrels are too small to thread 5/8-24.

I have a couple barrels like that too. They are threaded 1/2-28 and I use a thread adapter from the manufacturer. Works fine.

Bob

Thunder Beast for precision. You'll be spoiled. I'd never fire an unsuppressed round again if I could fire them all suppressed.

I just picked up my 30p1 Tues. Fired a few rounds of Fac Fed .308 and also tried on my 22-250 with 52 grain bergers at about 3500. The sound reduction was way more than expected. No hearing protection required. Like shooting a hot .22 rimfire.
Im thinking of getting a second one. I took a video. Ill try and post it. Of course the video seems a bit quieter than I remember but you get the idea.

Still haven't figured out how to put a video here.

In .30 cal I run a Gemtech Sandstorm. I don't notice any accuracy changes to speak of. What I do notice is change in point of impact.

I have used a Knights Armament .30 can on issued SR25 rifles quite a bit. Same thing, POA/POI changes, but no real difference in group sizes.

As soon as this dam wind dies here im heading back to the range.
I did notice the poi change also. I want to know if mine changes every time it comes off and back on again.

A suppressor increases "shootability" of the rifle.

In an demonstration I put on at a hunting fair held on a range I had about 70 hunters and huntresses shoot a .308 Rifle of sandbags both with and w/o a suppressor.

Across the lot - all shot tighter groups with the suppressor.

Many commented about how much tamer even such a mild cartridge like a .308 Win is suppressed.

All wanted to get a suppressor later.

btt

I have no use for one.

Suppressors increase weight, do absolutely nothing for recoil reduction as compared to a brake, and cost a fortune.

Worthless.

Kinda the same thing..... but somehow I recon your feelings are to the contrary.

My trust will be ready tomorrow...

To be fair I should say they certainly are fun especially on subsonic rounds where they are really quiet. A 300 Blackout bolt action is super cool with it but that one only has a 16" barrel. There is a time and a place for them but on my longer barreled hunting rifles they just are not worth the extra length.




No increase I accuracy. More often than not they could open up your groups slightly. I'm certain there is always exceptions where the extra mass can really help accuracy. They should have no effect on pressure. To cut sound reaching the animal at long range you can achieve the same effect with a side discharge brake. Most sound is diverted sideways and from the games perspective the sound seems a lot less and from all around. Using a brake we frequently get a lot more follow up shots where before they would bolt at the shot. Even at 100 yards the shot is a lot quieter at the target than without a brake. Suppressors do work better but my long range guns frequently are running a 30" barrel. It just makes them toooooo long.