Hurley88
Lil-Rokslider
- Joined
- Dec 11, 2022
- Messages
- 175
Wanted to do an objective test but again this was just a quick curiosity more than anything really controlled. And as a disclaimer, I have no dog in this. I’m not affiliated with any of the suppressor companies, don’t have any loyalty to any of them, don’t have any animosity towards any of them. Just want to share today’s experience.
Got to the range, asked a guy on staff to lend me his ears, and got started. He stood about 10-15yds behind me and didn’t wear earpro. Wish I could’ve had more bystanders but as cold & windy as it was, nobody else was there.
First shots were under the covered shooting area. Metal roof, concrete floor. Did two with the Otter Creek then two with the OG 30cal. Let them cool (didn’t take long, cold & windy out) then did it again.
Guy on staff said the Otter Creek was definitely quieter than the OG. As the shooter with earpro on, I agreed. Though I noticed the tone difference, which I’ll bring up later. He said that he wouldn’t want to shoot the louder one off their PRS barricade next to the RO shack bc it would probably ring his ears through earmuffs.
I told him to try and place this next one as either more similar to the first or the second suppressor. Then shot two with the Airlock.
Surprisingly, he said the Airlock was much closer to the Otter Creek than to the OG. I thought he’d say it was somewhere in the middle or give me a vague/confused answer, but he was very confident in his answer. Said it wasn’t quite as good but that it was very much like the Hydrogen-L. Again as the shooter and wearing earpro, I kind of agreed. I was trusting him more than me bc he didn’t have earmuffs and was paying attention only to the noise, but yeah it sounded like a slightly louder version of the Hydrogen-L to my ears.
He had to get back to work, but I wanted to repeat the test away from solid surfaces. I moved out to the open, away from everything and on a hill (was an empty space in a long array of PRS obstacles). But first…I just had to see if a 9” suppressor would ring my bell without earpro. I wanted more time between the only two shots I’d do today without earpro (yes at the end I shot the Airlock), and have never shot a large can without wearing hearing protection.
DISCLAIMER: yes it’s dumb to do this. No, don’t try this at home. An analogy was made that it’s akin to testing helmets by running into a brick wall wearing them…but in that case I’d put the helmet on a bowling ball and swing it into the wall using a rope. I don’t have any such similar way to test a suppressor. I’m not going to make a habit of this (he says while doing it for the third time), I just personally want to know whether it will ring my bell if I were to do that in the field. I’m still going to use earpro in the field 99% of the time, but one of the key benefits to me of hunting with a suppressor is the ability to make a fast shot without fumbling for earpro. I have tinnitus and earpro has cost me shot opportunities bc I absolutely will NOT shoot at an animal without it. The OG rings my bell and therefore loses one of the main benefits for me. So here I had the opportunity to try a large suppressor and just see if every suppressor would ring my bell. If it did, ok then earpro every time it is, lost opportunities & all. If not…well then hallelujah.
continued…
Got to the range, asked a guy on staff to lend me his ears, and got started. He stood about 10-15yds behind me and didn’t wear earpro. Wish I could’ve had more bystanders but as cold & windy as it was, nobody else was there.
First shots were under the covered shooting area. Metal roof, concrete floor. Did two with the Otter Creek then two with the OG 30cal. Let them cool (didn’t take long, cold & windy out) then did it again.
Guy on staff said the Otter Creek was definitely quieter than the OG. As the shooter with earpro on, I agreed. Though I noticed the tone difference, which I’ll bring up later. He said that he wouldn’t want to shoot the louder one off their PRS barricade next to the RO shack bc it would probably ring his ears through earmuffs.
I told him to try and place this next one as either more similar to the first or the second suppressor. Then shot two with the Airlock.
Surprisingly, he said the Airlock was much closer to the Otter Creek than to the OG. I thought he’d say it was somewhere in the middle or give me a vague/confused answer, but he was very confident in his answer. Said it wasn’t quite as good but that it was very much like the Hydrogen-L. Again as the shooter and wearing earpro, I kind of agreed. I was trusting him more than me bc he didn’t have earmuffs and was paying attention only to the noise, but yeah it sounded like a slightly louder version of the Hydrogen-L to my ears.
He had to get back to work, but I wanted to repeat the test away from solid surfaces. I moved out to the open, away from everything and on a hill (was an empty space in a long array of PRS obstacles). But first…I just had to see if a 9” suppressor would ring my bell without earpro. I wanted more time between the only two shots I’d do today without earpro (yes at the end I shot the Airlock), and have never shot a large can without wearing hearing protection.
DISCLAIMER: yes it’s dumb to do this. No, don’t try this at home. An analogy was made that it’s akin to testing helmets by running into a brick wall wearing them…but in that case I’d put the helmet on a bowling ball and swing it into the wall using a rope. I don’t have any such similar way to test a suppressor. I’m not going to make a habit of this (he says while doing it for the third time), I just personally want to know whether it will ring my bell if I were to do that in the field. I’m still going to use earpro in the field 99% of the time, but one of the key benefits to me of hunting with a suppressor is the ability to make a fast shot without fumbling for earpro. I have tinnitus and earpro has cost me shot opportunities bc I absolutely will NOT shoot at an animal without it. The OG rings my bell and therefore loses one of the main benefits for me. So here I had the opportunity to try a large suppressor and just see if every suppressor would ring my bell. If it did, ok then earpro every time it is, lost opportunities & all. If not…well then hallelujah.
continued…
