Suppressed vs Non-Suppressed Hunting

[WTFJohn]

I live in the west and hike plenty of mountains and miles. Still won’t hunt with a suppressor.

Also, when I hunt a tree stand it’s usually a long ways in from most roads and during archery season anyways. Wait, maybe I can figure out how to use a suppressor on my bow?

My post was a page or two back but the opposite of that. I've got a bunch and will use them locally because why not, but one shot one kill after putting many miles on boots for days on end no thanks.

My use case is different most of the year, traversing (via various means) the same ground year-round. The vast majority of our shooting is still single shot/kill ratio, but the long-term effect on the landscape is much lower. I can shoot coyotes and not disturb the muley bucks bedded on the ridge, or we can dip into the same elk herd over a weekend and not push them miles away. Sometimes it's as simple as a new hunter getting an otherwise second chance on an animal they missed prior, or being able to re-check zero after a bad fall.

Everyone is different. I couldn't tell you my pack, rifle, or any other gear weight; some folks cut half the bristles off their toothbrush.

 

[ScreamingPotato]

I can shoot coyotes and not disturb the muley bucks bedded on the ridge, or we can dip into the same elk herd over a weekend and not push them miles away.

Hmmm, wife and I have Elk tags in the same unit and season, mine is a cow tag she's got the bull. Maybe I'll take my little suppressed Creedmoor. Usually it's one of the other so never really cared but this year I got the cow tag on reissue.

 

[WRO]

My post was a page or two back but the opposite of that. I've got a bunch and will use them locally because why not, but one shot one kill after putting many miles on boots for days on end no thanks.

Eat more salads, then it the 10 oz won’t matter.

 

[jreyna]

Hmmm, wife and I have Elk tags in the same unit and season, mine is a cow tag she's got the bull. Maybe I'll take my little suppressed Creedmoor. Usually it's one of the other so never really cared but this year I got the cow tag on reissue.

Good luck out there this year ScreamingPotato. I hope y'all both notch your tags.

 

[ScreamingPotato]

Eat more salads, then it the 10 oz won’t matter.

Funny, however I can do that and still be an additional 10 oz lighter without it! Morer lighterer is betterer.

 

[Marshfly]

Funny, however I can do that and still be an additional 10 oz lighter without it! Morer lighterer is betterer.

Hearing well feels better than being slightly skinnier every day of your life.

—someone with ringing in their ears right now at 43YO that will never allow their kids or wife to fire a rifle unsuppressed.

 

[5811]

Hearing well feels better than being slightly skinnier every day of your life.

—someone with ringing in their ears right now at 43YO that will never allow their kids or wife to fire a rifle unsuppressed.

Agree 100 percent. Everyone has a magic number of unprotected shots they can hear before the ringing never stops. Everyone. And you won't know how many that is until it's too late, and you will only have yourself to blame.

You're playing Russian roulette with your ears, and bragging about how you are still alive.......for now.....

 

[TaperPin]

My wife will need hearing aids before I will - just getting in her car without first turning down the radio is asking for trouble. Our adult kids will also have to change their choice of music and volume to avoid early hearing aids - that’s not even counting all the concerts they go to that rattle the teeth and make your tummy feel funny. Ear ringing isn’t just from shooting, or non shooters would never get it.

I get it, it’s part of the marketing that you have to buy into and repeat often - same with all the tacticool. It’s as if it’s not repeated over and over and over and over it somehow won’t make sense. I mentioned to my shooting buddy that he should drone on and on about the benefits of a flat shooting rifle, and keep photos of Nosler Partition bullet performance in his wallet, or it won’t be true - we chuckled.

When this fad fades and all the guys with cans are called fudds by their kids, some of us will fall over laughing.

 

[5811]

When this fad fades and all the guys with cans are called fudds by their kids, some of us will fall over laughing.

At least they will be able to hear them.

Pushing back on people protecting their hearing is just pride messing with you. All these other sources of hearing loss you've listed are additive. One type of exposure doesn't preclude damage from another, they add up. Trying to justify one form of damage over another is not intelligent.

If you want to be prideful and thump your chest because your hearing is fine, have at it. But please consider anyone else that might be reading. Do you really want to talk them into taking chances with hearing loss?

We are all different. Maybe you can smoke a little meth every day and not have a problem, but it doesn't work that way for everyone.

 

[ScreamingPotato]

Hearing well feels better than being slightly skinnier every day of your life.

—someone with ringing in their ears right now at 43YO that will never allow their kids or wife to fire a rifle unsuppressed.

You're not wrong, however I believe the trend is a little over emphasized from a lot of people trying to justify their suppressor purchases.

The permanent tinnitus started about 20 years ago for me, thousands of 3" mag duck and goose loads plus all the rock concerts that I continue to go to, and the concussions really seem to have elevated it to the next level. I think I mentioned before that we all wear electronic ears when duck hunting now. 1 or 2 shots a year from a bolt gun isn't gonna change anything. I own three suppressors and have access to a couple more, they're fun and I use them situationally for sure, just not carrying them all over tarnation in the mountains.

 

[ARK_Ginger]

When this fad fades and all the guys with cans are called fudds by their kids, some of us will fall over laughing.

The only reason suppressors fell out of favor to begin with is because the government got involved.

If the government hadn't got involved we'd likely view unsuppressed rifles like unmuffled cars by now

 

[TaperPin]

At least they will be able to hear them.

Pushing back on people protecting their hearing is just pride messing with you. All these other sources of hearing loss you've listed are additive. One type of exposure doesn't preclude damage from another, they add up. Trying to justify one form of damage over another is not intelligent.

If you want to be prideful and thump your chest because your hearing is fine, have at it. But please consider anyone else that might be reading. Do you really want to talk them into taking chances with hearing loss?

We are all different. Maybe you can smoke a little meth every day and not have a problem, but it doesn't work that way for everyone.

You guys crack me up - so worried about everyone’s ears. Lol

 

[Marshfly]

At least they will be able to hear them.

Pushing back on people protecting their hearing is just pride messing with you. All these other sources of hearing loss you've listed are additive. One type of exposure doesn't preclude damage from another, they add up. Trying to justify one form of damage over another is not intelligent.

If you want to be prideful and thump your chest because your hearing is fine, have at it. But please consider anyone else that might be reading. Do you really want to talk them into taking chances with hearing loss?

We are all different. Maybe you can smoke a little meth every day and not have a problem, but it doesn't work that way for everyone.

What makes it worse is that hearing damage is cumulative. People sit here and rationalize these single shots. It doesn't matter if it's 20 shots in 10 minutes or 20 shots in 10 years. All the same for hearing damage.

And people that let their kids shoot with brakes? WTF. These guys are brain dead.

 

[TaperPin]

The only reason suppressors fell out of favor to begin with is because the government got involved.

If the government hadn't got involved we'd likely view unsuppressed rifles like unmuffled cars by now

They can buy them through the mail or at any gun store in Finland, yet a quick google of hunting photos there shows less than 20% with a can. I think you guys should buy all you want, but I doubt we’ll see usage go higher than that.

 

[Taudisio]

They can buy them through the mail or at any gun store in Finland, yet a quick google of hunting photos there shows less than 20% with a can. I think you guys should buy all you want, but I doubt we’ll see usage go higher than that.

Have you hunted with a suppressed rifle?

 

[ScreamingPotato]

What makes it worse is that hearing damage is cumulative. People sit here and rationalize these single shots. It doesn't matter if it's 20 shots in 10 minutes or 20 shots in 10 years. All the same for hearing damage.

And people that let their kids shoot with brakes? WTF. These guys are brain dead.

I absolutely hate brakes. IMO if you need a brake you're shooting the wrong rifle. I do actually have a couple rifles with brakes, but they're the muzzle device for a suppressor and I'll never shoot them without it attached... if it comes to that the brake is coming off.

 

[Felix40]

I sure would like to try one for a season. I can see why people like them. I’ve weighed the cost/benefit a bunch of times and it’s still not worth it for me to buy one.

Costs: weight, rifle balance, barrel length or loss in performance, $$$$, can’t try before you buy, difficult to resell if I decide it’s not for me

Benefits: don’t have to put ear plugs in for the 1-6 shots I shoot while hunting each year, animals get less spooked when I shoot them

I was looking at them pretty hard for a bit. It seems like an item that you want to buy right the first time, which means more expensive and probably a barrel chop. There’s no way I would be ok with adding an extra 6” and 16oz to the end of my rifle. I finally decided that I can’t justify the money (2 mortgage payments, a whole new rifle, or an out of state hunt) when hearing protection is so cheap and easy.

 

[WRO]

I sure would like to try one for a season. I can see why people like them. I’ve weighed the cost/benefit a bunch of times and it’s still not worth it for me to buy one.

Costs: weight, rifle balance, barrel length or loss in performance, $$$$, can’t try before you buy, difficult to resell if I decide it’s not for me

Benefits: don’t have to put ear plugs in for the 1-6 shots I shoot while hunting each year, animals get less spooked when I shoot them

I was looking at them pretty hard for a bit. It seems like an item that you want to buy right the first time, which means more expensive and probably a barrel chop. There’s no way I would be ok with adding an extra 6” and 16oz to the end of my rifle. I finally decided that I can’t justify the money (2 mortgage payments, a whole new rifle, or an out of state hunt) when hearing protection is so cheap and easy.

Unfortunately when shit goes sideways, its a lot more than 6 lol.. I’d have been deaf after last weeks rodeo without cans. Hell I shot my moose twice and my ears rang for 3 days, happened too quick to get plugs in.

 

[omicron1792]

My wife will need hearing aids before I will - just getting in her car without first turning down the radio is asking for trouble. Our adult kids will also have to change their choice of music and volume to avoid early hearing aids - that’s not even counting all the concerts they go to that rattle the teeth and make your tummy feel funny. Ear ringing isn’t just from shooting, or non shooters would never get it.

I get it, it’s part of the marketing that you have to buy into and repeat often - same with all the tacticool. It’s as if it’s not repeated over and over and over and over it somehow won’t make sense. I mentioned to my shooting buddy that he should drone on and on about the benefits of a flat shooting rifle, and keep photos of Nosler Partition bullet performance in his wallet, or it won’t be true - we chuckled.

When this fad fades and all the guys with cans are called fudds by their kids, some of us will fall over laughing.

It’s not marketing. It’s science my man.

 

[WTFJohn]

You guys crack me up - so worried about everyone’s ears. Lol

I shot a moose this morning with a suppressed 6.5 PRC.

She walked 8 yds and dropped.

The bull next to her did not react, which is great since bull moose tags are once-in-a-lifetime here and I would hate to ruin someone else's hunt.

The other guy with a cow moose tag in the next meadow down was able to fill his less than 90 seconds after I shot. I could hear his, there's no way they heard mine.

My ears don't ring, I didn't have to remember ear pro in the moment.

My dad's ears don't ring either.

The length and weight didn't bother me since the barrel was cut down to accommodate the suppressor.

They make almost every aspect of shooting better and more enjoyable, doubly so when you're hunting.