Help picking a lightweight suppressed hunting rifle

[Jc213]

Hi folks,
I’ve been reading over all of the suppressed hunting threads and I’m thinking about trying one out. I’m looking into getting a 18” lightweight suppressed hunting rifle. I’m just curious if anyone is running anything similar and if you have any recommendations on caliber, length, rifle, and suppressor.
I’m currently thinking
Tikka t3x ss lite in either 6.5 cm or 7mm-08 cut to 18” and a Q trash panda.
I noticed tikka has the 7mm-08 in a 1:9.5 twist, would this be less ideal than a 1:8 twist offering of the 6.5 CM both cut to 18”?
Intent would be mule deer, antelope, cow elk for the most part and about 500 yard max range. Would be willing to go up in caliber but I’m not sure if it’s worth it at that short of a barrel if you’re not getting the full burn. Would love to hear what anyone else is running!

 

[BjornF16]

Barrett Fieldcraft, 6.5 CM, 18” threaded barrel.

I have one of their 6.5 CM in 22” barrel, threaded and I really like it. I run the Omega 30 suppressor.

what suppressor you getting?

 

[Jc213]

Barrett Fieldcraft, 6.5 CM, 18” threaded barrel.

I have one of their 6.5 CM in 22” barrel, threaded and I really like it. I run the Omega 30 suppressor.

what suppressor you getting?

Exactly what setup I want, but about a thousand dollars cheaper haha. Definitely eyeing it though. What kind of groups are you getting out of it?
I really like the Trash Panda by Q kind of a do it all suppressor and the quick detach on their muzzle break is nice.

 

[BjornF16]

With Hornady Precision Hunter, I’m pretty consistently .75 MOA 3 shot groups.

Below is 4 shot group I was using to establish 200 yard zero.

 

[awildswanger]

Barrett Fieldcraft, 6.5 CM, 18” threaded barrel.

I have one of their 6.5 CM in 22” barrel, threaded and I really like it. I run the Omega 30 suppressor.

what suppressor you getting?

That is exactly what I was thinking too!

 

[CO-AJ]

It always comes down to $$, the Browning X-Bolts get a lot of rave reviews or just run a Remington because you can always build the action into a chassis or something else. I am a T-Bac Ultra 9 guy, and love the can. It is light and groups are great. I'm running 6mm Creed, but the rifle is built more for precision than hunting. My main point is I am a huge Thunder Beast fan for your can choices.

 

[Pbgunrunner]

One thing to bear in mind is any rifle firing a supersonic bullet will NOT have the nice "thud" that a suppressed subsonic load has. You will always get the loud "crack" of the bullet breaking the sound barrier. It IS much better than no can, but not as quiet as most expect! One advantage is the sound is perceived to be at 90 degrees from where it was fired...ie what your shooting at will "hear" the shot coming from the right or left of your position. My pick would be a basic .308 w an 18" barrel, lots of "tactical" loads already worked up by lots of shooters to make that system work. Remington has a couple reasonable options, although not ultralight. The trash panda is a good call, I use a Silencerco Chimera in .30 cal on multiple guns from .223 to .308 including the 6.5cm w good luck

 

[Packin_packout]

16.5" tikka 308. Aac 300 tm. Nosler 165 accubond. Light easy to carry... whenever Uncle Sam decides to issue my new tax stamp there will be a thunder Beast Ultra 7 on it.

 

[CO-AJ]

16.5" tikka 308. Aac 300 tm. Nosler 165 accubond. Light easy to carry... whenever Uncle Sam decides to issue my new tax stamp there will be a thunder Beast Ultra 7 on it.

Im guessing 11 solid months for Uncle Sam, that has been my experience. They did manage to cash my 200.00 check within about 48 hours.

 

[Sled]

i'm waiting on a sico harvester to get released from jail. when it does, i have a kimber hunter 6.5cm 17"bbl that it's ready for. also planning on cutting down my 6.5 tikka and threading it for the same harvester. i'm thinking 20" for that one.

the future may hold an ultra 7 as well.

 

[Packin_packout]

Well I am sitting here grinning like it is christmas morning...I just got a call from my dealer about 20 minutes ago...the ultra cleared jail today. Check cleared 1st week of july. Hopefully the 338 can for my next build is not far behind.

 

[deerhunter628]

I have a Q half nelson in jail right now. It will go on my Kimber Mountain Ascent 308, CA Ridgeline 300 win mag, CA MPR 6.5 cm

 

[carter33]

It always comes down to $$, the Browning X-Bolts get a lot of rave reviews or just run a Remington because you can always build the action into a chassis or something else. I am a T-Bac Ultra 9 guy, and love the can. It is light and groups are great. I'm running 6mm Creed, but the rifle is built more for precision than hunting. My main point is I am a huge Thunder Beast fan for your can choices.

If you want to order a Thunder Beast it is best to pick which one you want and be ready to buy the first one you find available. I have wanted to buy an Ultra 5 for over a year now and Mile High Shooting had em in stock, I drug my feet because I had just made another somewhat large purchase. Decided I had better jump on the opportunity and by the time I got on to order it they were out of stock. I believe it only took about 5 days for them to be all out of stock. It does make it more difficult that I want a direct thread, the CB version seems to be in stock more frequently.

Also I will throw in the Barret Fieldcrafts are great, I have the 18" 6.5CM that I run a silencerco hybrid on and it truly is a sub 1MOA rifle with factory 143eldx and with the can it is extremely easy to see impact.

 

[CO-AJ]

Carter 33 give Dangerlee Industries a call in Elizabeth, CO at 303-646-2044. I have bought my T-Bac's from him and he usually has many of them in stock, reasonable prices, and a straight up guy. Sometimes he is difficult to get ahold of at the store due to his open hours are most often Thu-Sat.

 

[cjl2010]

If you want to order a Thunder Beast it is best to pick which one you want and be ready to buy the first one you find available. I have wanted to buy an Ultra 5 for over a year now and Mile High Shooting had em in stock, I drug my feet because I had just made another somewhat large purchase. Decided I had better jump on the opportunity and by the time I got on to order it they were out of stock. I believe it only took about 5 days for them to be all out of stock. It does make it more difficult that I want a direct thread, the CB version seems to be in stock more frequently.

Also I will throw in the Barret Fieldcrafts are great, I have the 18" 6.5CM that I run a silencerco hybrid on and it truly is a sub 1MOA rifle with factory 143eldx and with the can it is extremely easy to see impact.

Why not just buy the CB? Ray told me once that there was about a .1oz difference in the CB brake and the DT insert.

 

[carter33]

Why not just buy the CB? Ray told me once that there was about a .1oz difference in the CB brake and the DT insert.

Always just had my mind set on the DT for ease of use. I would likely use the suppressor on a few different rifles. I suppose the CB wouldn’t take all that much extra time but I know it isn’t self timing, though I would assume if you were just attaching the suppressor to it it wouldn’t need to be timed anyways. I am sure they could answer that, maybe I will get a CB.

 

[cjl2010]

Always just had my mind set on the DT for ease of use. I would likely use the suppressor on a few different rifles. I suppose the CB wouldn’t take all that much extra time but I know it isn’t self timing, though I would assume if you were just attaching the suppressor to it it wouldn’t need to be timed anyways. I am sure they could answer that, maybe I will get a CB.

All a direct thread model does different is they loctite a single port brake into a CB suppressor. If you loctite your CB brake into the suppressor you have a direct thread suppressor that weighs .1 oz more.

 

[30338]

Mile High Shooting has Thunderbeasts in stock. An 18" Creedmoor shooting 140 vld around 2700-2750 fps would be good to an easy 500 yards. Mine is a 19" barreled 6.5x47.

Grab a Fieldcraft and a UL7 and get going.

 

[MidGAHunter]

An 18" Creedmoor shooting 140 vld around 2700-2750 fps would be good to an easy 500 yards.

As someone who has a TBAC Ultra 7 in jail and is considering an 18 inch Fieldcraft in either 6.5 CM or .308, are those velocities realistic out of a 6.5 Creedmoor? I have a Bergara HMR 6.5 Creedmoor with 24 inch barrel and i hit pressure signs between 2800 and 2850 fps with a 140 grain ELD-M depending on ambient temperature (sea level). A velocity range at/above 2700 seems like it would be a screaming fast stout load out of an 18 inch barrel. I know the can would help some, but I'd be curious what others are getting out of that setup.

 

[carter33]

All a direct thread model does different is they loctite a single port brake into a CB suppressor. If you loctite your CB brake into the suppressor you have a direct thread suppressor that weighs .1 oz more.

I did not know that, makes sense though. You may have me convinced, I will probably give them a call tomorrow. Mile high still has the CB model available I think. Thanks for the info.