Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Suppressor?

I am thinking of adding a suppressor to a couple of my 308 rifles.
Couple 4 questions.

If I want to buy one suppressor and swap onto different rifles is there any real advantage to any of the various quick connects or is just screwing and unscrewing to swap an issue?

Does the extra length make any real difference in hunting from a stand?

Anyone with experience with YHM or Nosler units?

If I want to use on sub 30 caliber also such as a 6.5 any better choices?

Thanx
RAS

I have an Omega 300 and I use the ASR brake or flash hiders. It works very well for swapping between rifles, the only reason I went that direction is some of my rifles didn't have enough meat on the barrel to thread 5/8-24 and have a decent shoulder.

So I was going to have to use a thread adapter or buy another direct thread mount in 1/2-28 for my suppressor. This made everything standard between my rifles so I don't have to reconfigure my can. However, it makes everything a few ounces heavier.

Easiest way to tell if it'll affect you in a stand is tape a 6-7" stick on the end of your rifle and try maneuvering it in your stand. I chop everything to keep total barrel length 24" or less with suppressor mounted. However, what I like might be different than what you do.

No experience withYHM or Nosler cans.

Can't answer on better choices on sub .30 Cal, but my Omega works great on my Creedmoor and AR-15 rifles. The only thing I could do is buy a smaller end cap to match the calibers I'm shooting, but I don't think it's that big of a deal.

I have a Silencerco Sparrow that I swap between three different rimfires. Direct thread attachment.

It doesn't take that long to screw it on and off.

I haven't quite seen the need for one yet myself, but I've been waiting to see what a European market/government hunter described in the old Hunt America forum. Unless I misunderstood 'ol Hern, his suppressor didn't extend a long ways out in front of the muzzle, but came back over the top of some of the barrel. Is there such a suppressor like that?

Yes, there are several makers. Just search over barrel suppressor term and they pop up on the first page.

The QD mounts are handy, when going between different firearms at the range. On a hunting rifle, it's probably less of an issue. The suppressor can throw off the point of impact, so on a hunting rifle, I sight-in with the suppressor attached and then leave it alone until the end of the season.


From a stand, the length and weight of a suppressor matters less than other hunting situations. I wouldn't want to haul the extra length and weight through thick brush, though.


I have a YHM Turbo, with several QD muzzle brake mounts. It is a quality unit, at a good price, but it's not the lightest suppressor on the market. I takes the blast out of my bolt action .223, makes it about as loud as shooting a .22LR rifle without hearing protection. It still has a crack to it, but the blast is significantly reduced.

The YHM Resonator is their .30 cal version. It weighs 16oz and is rated for the magnum 30s. Out of stand, I don't think you'd be bothered by it. I would easily buy a Resonator, if I shot more .30 cal stuff.

I also have YHM's R9, which is shorter and lighter (and cheaper) than the Turbo and Resonator. It's rated to 7.62 NATO, so depending on what you plan to put it on, it might be a shorter/lighter option for hunting, even if you give up a little sound suppression performance over the Resonator.

I have thought about getting another R9, just because it's so versatile. I'd leave one set up for my QD mounts, and the second on with a Nielsen piston assembly for a 9mm handgun. It's a fun "little" can!


I don't know about "better" choices, but there are certainly lots of "other" choices. There are lighter options, modular options, and more expensive options than the Resonator. Everything is a trade off, but some compromises are easier to tolerate than others. An affordable .30 cal can, like the Resonator, sure checks a lot of boxes.

I have heard of the "over-the-barrel" suppressors, like the AMTAC, but I don't have any first-hand experience with them.

They ones that may protrude rearward over the barrel are technically called reflex suppressors. And are consequently not very efficient because the gas is exploding and trying to move forward away from the muzzle from where it came.

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But back to the question at hand.

The Cherry bomb internal muzzle device does help reduce the db a little. That's about the only one that I know of that actually does based on actual db tests that I trust.

And even then, only one or two suppressors dip below hearing safe levels on high powered rifles (140db intermittently is the ceiling).

There is no other real benefit to using QD mounts and such. Matter of fact, with few exeptions, it's more of a money trap than anything because it forces you to have to buy their mounts for other guns. Especially if other guns have different threads. (1/2-28, 5/8-24, 14-1LH-- those are a few examples). So, other than the Cherry Bomb mount, which as I mentioned does decrease the db some, direct thread mounts is what I prefer. No muss, no fuss.

As for length, yes, length helps reduce the sound (and flash) more than short. It has a lot to do with having more internal volume which allows it to expand and cool more before exiting into the atmosphere. One everyday example that I can give you is with car mufflers. You put a small glass pack on your race car or bike, it's gonna be loud. You put a big cadillac muffler on it, it's going to be a lot more quiet.

Having a short suppressor on a high powered rifle, is nice if you're carrying it through the woods and stuff because they do get heavy. Especially after carrying them a while. But, the shorter ones are still going to be louder. Though, shooting suppressed is NOT like what many people expect from watching tv shows all their life. It will help eat up some of the initial "boom", but it's still going to be pretty loud.

If hunting from inside an enclosed space with the muzzle sticking out a window opening, using a bolt action or single shot or lever action helps a lot due to the bolt not ejecting the case and allowing a lot of the gas (noise) out the ejection port. Ejection port noise on semi's are still going to dump out a lot of noise inside of your building.

For your question about using the (30 cal) suppressor on stuff smaller than 30 caliber. Yes, you most certainly can. Granted a 308 bore is not going to be as efficient shooting a 223 or 17hmr bullets through it as a dedicated suppressor in that caliber would be, though it is far better than not having a suppressor and work really well. I know many guys who only have ever bought 30 cal cans because they are more versatile and with very little added db (sound volume) when shooting smaller diameter bullets through it.

I've been designing and building suppressors for a couple of decades now. It's one of my favorite firearm topics and I've spent a lot of time talking and trying to educate folks about shooting Shhhh.

That reads like you're stating all companies are lying about dB readings. Is that what you're saying? What about those you've designed and built?

I didn't say all companies lie about db ratings. You maybe should read back over what I wrote.

But, db ratings for silencers are mostly a joke. Companies will cherry pick their db numbers and the best number they get, that's what they'll run with in their advertising.

There is no solid db number that can be given for a suppressor. There are too many variables that will change the way a silencer performs.

Longer or shorter barrel, faster or slower burning powder. Bolt action vs semiauto. Tuned actions versus ones that are barely functioning properly. And even to another extent, even atmospheric and humidity levels and elevation will change the db numbers of a fired shot. I've seen enough db tests with decibel meters weighted properly costing many thousands of dollars that will give different readings just based on the time of day you take them. That's reality. Anyone thinking otherwise, that's not how it works friend.

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What about the ones that I've designed and built?

Thanks for clarifying.

I think the QDs are handy, especially when swapping to rifles with different threads. Usually you would attach a adapter that fits your can and typically will have some sort of flash hider built in.

Some are short and pretty minimal.

I have been using a Rugged radiant, its pretty light and can be separated into a short version.

I’ve got a Resonator (first generation) and a Resonator K. You can’t beat YHM at their price point. There are similarly quiet cans and lighter ones but almost double the price. They have a solid warranty too. The Gen 2 Resonator or K have the ability to be QD and direct thread. That’s why I selected the K can.
If you are a serious ounce counter they’re not for you but I’m not in that camp.

If you have the funds to buy Thunder Beast they make a quality product. I have their 22 suppressor and for 22 suppressors there isn’t as big a jump in price from middle of the road to top end like with 30 cal suppressors.

If you are swapping a lot with just one can, the QD might be worth it. Especially if you have varying threaded muzzle diameters across your range of rifles (1/2, 9/16, 5/8 are common). The size threads your smith cuts is generally dictated by your muzzle diameter when the barrel is cut to length. This is a topic all to itself, but it's commonly considered optimal to run as beefy of a threaded diameter as possible for strength and stiffness, especially with a .30cal bore. As logic would dictate, this would be less important with a .22cal bore, where even a 1/2" threaded muzzle would have reasonably thick barrel walls. Some like QD setups in this scenario because some muzzle devices can be installed on skinny threaded barrels without much available shoulder. A traditional direct-thread suppressor set up might require more shoulder for good contact and seating. The downsides to the QD mounts are generally added weight/length and cost. Upsides are quick-change capability and that flexibility across a wider range of barrel threads once the devices are installed on all the muzzles. I only have two centerfire cans at the moment and am still learning. Mine are both YHM R2 units and I shoot them both with 5/8" direct thread rear hubs. I've not used the QD setups that came with them because I didn't want the extra weight and length. My rifles are threaded 5/8 and one AR15 wears a simple 1/2 to 5/8 thread adapter and it shoots fine. Time to unscrew the suppressor and reattach to another rifle is probably 30-40 seconds. These cans go about 14-15oz with the steel YHM direct thread rear hub. I don't have much else to go by, but they certainly seem quiet and they reduce recoil a fair bit to boot. The 18" AR15 sounds about like a hot .22lr load in a 16" 10/22. Point of aim does shift a bit when you go from unsuppressed to suppressed, due to the weight of the can, but accuracy did not change on any of the rifles. I've also purchased a couple of the shorter YHM centerfire cans but they won't be in for a while.

With regards to length and balance on a hunting rifle, you can play around with it a bit beforehand and see what you like. A 0.650" muzzle sporter barrel is going to weigh about 1.25oz per inch for those last few inches toward the muzzle. A 0.850" varmint barrel with be around 2.25oz per inch. Doing a little math, you can see how much weight you might lose it you plan to cut any. Here's a link to a calculator.


https://www.portlandbolt.com/technical/tools/plate-weight-calculator/


For predicting how the rifle might balance, you can look around for a household item that represents the ballast you will add to the rifle, perhaps something like a can of hairspray or PAM spray or such. Find one that represents the actual weight you'll be adding after cutting the barrel back. Tape it underneath the barrel with a few bands of painters tape and you can get pretty close to simulating your suppressor setup with regards to rifle balance and overall length. It might sound goofy, but it works well enough to shoulder a rifle a few times and see how it's going to feel, as well as how it maneuvers. A 14oz can on the end of a long, skinny sporter barrel of a lightweight sporter is going to have quite the effect on balance and portability. The same can on a shorter-barreled rifle that has a bit more rearward balance is going to handle in a much more neutral fashion and feel more "normal". For me, I like an effective barrel length of 21-24" for most hunting rifles, suppressed or not. That means that an 18" barrel with an added 6" of can is about all I want to use for most purposes. Longer than that will likely be a more special purpose scenario. Shorter than that might be great in a ground blind or treestand.

The Sig Cross shown below has the same OAL as a typical 24" bolt action (18" barrel plus 6.5" added due to suppressor). My dad was shooting it here at our 400yd gong.



This little CVA has the same OAL as a typical 18.5" bolt action carbine (16.5" barrel plus 6.5" added due to suppressor).




Overall, I think suppressors are very worth it in many instances. Wish I'd started using them earlier.

Many manufacturers will sell different thread mounts for their suppressors. They're generally less expensive than the machined brakes and such and you would only need the one mount to bridge across all your weapons with the same thread pitch.

For example, if you have four rifles with 1/2-28 and three rifles with 5/8-24 that you wanted to use the suppressor on, you wouldn't need to buy 7 different qd mounts costing $65-$120 each. You'd simply need to buy 1 rear endcap mount for each thread pitch and then screw it directly onto the barrel.

Which was one of the points that I was trying to make earlier. And qd mounts are largely unnecessary. Though, there are a few models that the internal brake/comp actually benefits and compliments the cans performance. The majority of qd mounts do not.

It's very rare to have a barrel too thin at the muzzle to cut for threads for the shoulder so as to need a mount that has a larger shoulder. You're not wrong that there is a minimum limit for that, but there are very few rifle models that are that thin.

As for your comment about the gun not losing accuracy, that should be correct too. You have a properly designed suppressor. There are generally only 2 main causes that a gun would lose accuracy with a suppressor. 1. Something is not aligned and you're getting baffle kisses or strikes. 2. The baffle bore is too tight to the bullet.

Suppressors generally help people shoot better overall. If they're right of course. They're at least a lot more pleasant to shoot anyway.

Fair point there. I was actually thinking about setting up one inexpensive K-sized suppressor for 9/16 threads with a 9/16 rear hub and just having it to bounce around several sporter-weight hunting rifles I intend to thread at some point. In theory, if I only had one decent can I could still get by with a just a 9/16 rear hub and a 5/8 version to service all my rifles. A range day where all the rifles were shot through one can in that way might get a little tiresome in dealing with the hot can being shuffled around, but it would at least be possible.

Like the guy above, I have the YHM Resonator, and a Resonator K. I love the muzzle brake mounting system that makes it quick and easy to switch 'em around. Price and performance can't be beat IMO.

I had exactly that issue but with five rifles. I got an ASR mount and brake with my suppressor. My .308 Barrel wouldnt give me enough shoulder to thread 5/8" but had plenty threaded at 1/2". So I looked at a new Bravo direct thread mount in 1/2-28 and they were roughly $110-120, but couldn't find any available.

So I had my .308 threaded 5/8-24 and installed my ASR brake. I then was able to find four ASR flash hiders on sale for $40 each with free shipping. I picked up what I needed for my two AR and two other bolt action rifles I'm using my suppressor on. So I have five rifles able to quick change at the range or in the field without tools, and needing to clean threads between direct thread mount changes.

Yes while it is unnecessary to use the ASR mounts, it makes things simpler going between different rifles. It boils down to personal choice, I didn't want to use the ASR mount in the beginning and wanted to stay direct thread but situations dictated it for one rifle. However, I don't think I'll go back to direct thread anytime soon I really like the convenience of the ASR system.

1) it's a weight vs ease/quickness question. Direct thread for me
2) no
3) YMH is great. I have a R9 and R2
4) No, go 30 cal

For max suppression at the range and stand hunting get a good 30 cal...R2 , Omega, or maybe the new Harvestor. - there are much more expensive option too. A lighter, smaller can will still take the edge off and will be better for still hunting. I wouldn't want any hunting barrel longer than 18 inches.

You should look at Otter Creek Labs as well. They are in the same price range as the YHM and testing is showing good numbers.

From what I read there is a tendency for the 6.5 Creed to outperform the 308 with the same suppressor in identical platforms. Don’t recall where I read that. As far as smaller calibers like 223 I do know that the blast event is different than something like a 308. If you look at the R2 vs the T2 there are way fewer baffles in the T2 and they are farther apart. I have those two and shot both on the same 5.56 and the T2 sounds better and is quieter.

The best use case for a QD system that I’ve seen is the ability to pin and weld a muzzle device on a sub 16” barrel to achieve a shorter overall length with the can attached without paying the tax on an sbr or welding the suppressor.