Suppressed vs Non-Suppressed Hunting

[Iukamedic]

New here and new to suppressors also. Now that I have one to use the next thing was to shorten my barrels a little on a couple of host to off set the added length from the suppressor. My hearing is degraded and tinnitus is there also so I do everything I can to keep what I still have.

 

[pugwylde]

I never bought into the hunting suppressor marketing. I've shot a couple and felt like it was 75% gimmick, except on a 22, thats fun.

Here's what i do. I wear those ear pro on my neck with the hard plastic connecting them. Then I'm never without ear pro.

Plusses: weight, barrel length, still better sound protection than just with just a can.

Negatives: Dont get to take pictures that make me look Instagram cool. Am I missing something else?

Had ear pro around my neck the first time I shot with a brake. Now my kids sound like robots when it gets too loud in the car.

I shoot suppressed now... I still wear ear pro, too, but I avoid further descent into robot voice territory if I accidentally leave them hanging around my neck.

 

[magtech]

Had ear pro around my neck the first time I shot with a brake. Now my kids sound like robots when it gets too loud in the car.

I shoot suppressed now... I still wear ear pro, too, but I avoid further descent into robot voice territory if I accidentally leave them hanging around my neck.

Went shooting ars (unsupressed) a while ago, with 3 other guys, for a day... forgot HP.... ears hurt for a week or 2, couldnt hear shit for those cpl weeks... hearing never fully from that.
Life goes on.

 

[HingleMcCringleberry]

I honestly don't care if people don't want to use a suppressor. Its your choice.

But what's with the hate towards them? "Instagram cool" "tacticool" etc...I don't really get it?

i don't care what it looks like or whether or not it's cool. It's going to keep me from going deaf.

Like I stated earlier, my rifle with suppressor is 8.5lbs and has a effectively a 25" barrel (18" barrel plus 7" can). There are people that shoot magnum rifles that have longer barrel length. I don't see the downside of using a suppressor.

 

[5811]

I honestly don't care if people don't want to use a suppressor. Its your choice.

But what's with the hate towards them? "Instagram cool" "tacticool" etc...I don't really get it?

i don't care what it looks like or whether or not it's cool. It's going to keep me from going deaf.

I think some of it is a little trolling, the suppressor crowd can get a little preachy and condescending, myself included. It's understandable to poke back.

Some of it is pride/ego defense, justifying the choice to be anti-suppressor. I think it's gotten easier to get a suppressor so its becoming more and more of a choice not to buy in than when it was shrouded in paperwork and unknown approval times. Some of it is internet bravado, i.e., "So I went a little deaf, no big deal. Life goes on."

What if the muzzle flash hurt your eyesight every time you shot without a muzzle device, and you went a little bit blind. Would it still be "no big deal, life goes on"?

I don't care about what people choose to do if they understand the choice. Unfortunately most people don't understand hearing loss at some point in their life, usually in the young and bulletproof phase (for me at least). I just post in these in case someone who is new to this is reading.

 

[ScreamingPotato]

I honestly don't care if people don't want to use a suppressor. Its your choice.

But what's with the hate towards them? "Instagram cool" "tacticool" etc...I don't really get it?

i don't care what it looks like or whether or not it's cool. It's going to keep me from going deaf.

Like I stated earlier, my rifle with suppressor is 8.5lbs and has a effectively a 25" barrel (18" barrel plus 7" can). There are people that shoot magnum rifles that have longer barrel length. I don't see the downside of using a suppressor.

Because they were hard to get for a while and expensive a lot of guys thought they were cool because they had one and couldn't resist flaunting it to everyone they knew. That's finally starting to wane but still constantly see people making sure you know they're shooting suppressed when it's completely irrelevant to the conversation. Hell I had a local in Wyoming jump out of his truck and chase us down on foot 100 yards off the road to ask us where we were going, somehow he even made sure we knew he had a suppressor. Then you got the tacticool mall cop types, you know the drill. Most of us here are much more practical and doesn't apply so much here, but there have been a lot of bafoons running their mouth for years. Then they turn around and accuse others of being "macho" for choosing not to haul a hunk of metal attached to their barrel all over the mountains.

 

[sv315]

Suppressed as much as possible, what a difference. It's an annoying expense but my tinnitus can always get worse so worth it for me.

 

[Formidilosus]

Yeah, those “Instagram” suppressors are just so “tacticool”…


William Loeb:

“And so on the 27th of February Loeb let Winchester know they would be receiving “from General Crozier [US. Army Ordnance] a Springfield rifle and a 405 Winchester rifle, both fitted with Maxim’s silencers, and one of them with an arrangement for shooting at night, together with 200 Springfield cartridges. Please add to these 100 cartridges for the 405 Winchester and the cleaning apparatus, with oil, and have them put in a case that will enable the President to use them on the steamer…”

Perceptions of “modern”, “classic”, and “tactical” are interesting…

 

[pugwylde]

Yeah, those “Instagram” suppressors are just so “tacticool”…


William Loeb:



View attachment 774093

View attachment 774094

View attachment 774095



Perceptions of “modern”, “classic”, and “tactical” are interesting…

View attachment 774097

I mean, the President using it on the steamer is pretty elitist... Though I am loving the imagery of Teddy Roosevelt popping off while take a dump

 

[wyosam]

I honestly don't care if people don't want to use a suppressor. Its your choice.

But what's with the hate towards them? "Instagram cool" "tacticool" etc...I don't really get it?

i don't care what it looks like or whether or not it's cool. It's going to keep me from going deaf.

Like I stated earlier, my rifle with suppressor is 8.5lbs and has a effectively a 25" barrel (18" barrel plus 7" can). There are people that shoot magnum rifles that have longer barrel length. I don't see the downside of using a suppressor.

I don’t get the hate either, but even when “pro can” people are in good faith explaining the reasons to use a can and countering people’s reasons not to, it can come across poorly in text.

The first hunting rifle I built with a short barrel with the plan to add a can ended up being one of the reasons I don’t have a can. 22” was my first iteration of short (other than a model 7 I’ve had forever, which I also love the handiness of). Loved that rifle, didn’t want it longer. That was in Wyoming. Moved to AK, and found my 20” rifle to be noticeably nicer in the alders. 22” barrel went away (was carbon so chopping wasn’t an option). 18-20” total is where I have found that I really like them in the field. So to have a suppressed rifle with a can long enough to be functional, I’m looking 14”, so 2 tax stamps and an awfully short barrel. I suppose there are reflex/over the barrel types. Still need some baffles out front though.

I’ll buy one eventually, but I’ve got other things I’d rather spend money on. They’d be nice at the range, but I never go with less than 3 rifles, so lots of money in cans and stamps. Odds are I’m still wearing two layers of ear protection for others at the range anyway. First will probably be for my 338. I shoot a lot of cast bullets out of it and plan to see if I can get it to shoot ok subsonic this winter. I guess second, I do have a 22 can.


I don’t shoot a brake on anything. Hate them. Don’t shoot anything with a ton of recoil. It’s great that the process of buying suppressors has become more simple and faster. Would be great if we did something sensible and made them comparable to buying a firearm.


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[greyghostnw]

Question from the new guy. For those who state they will never shoot anything unsuppressed, or hunt with anyone who does. Do you bird hunt? Do you own or shoot any classic rifles that aren’t suitable for a suppressor? Any revolvers? When you won’t hunt with anyone who doesn’t have a can on their rifle, “because I don’t want to get muzzle blasted” (real quote I saw in another thread here) do you always hunt right beside your hunting buddies where their rifle report might damage your hearing? Do you ever hunt with a muzzle loader?

I just see all this and more all the time in threads like this and it makes me wonder. I don’t really have a problem either way, you can shoot however you like as long as it’s safe. But if I refused to be in the same zip code as an unsuppressed firearm I would have to give up shooting and hunting with classic rifles either not suitable for threading or too valuable to do so. No more range days with classic S&W revolvers, even if they were possible to suppress I wouldn’t thread a 100 year old gun worth thousands of dollars to make it worth hundreds of dollars. No bird hunting since shotgun cans are huge and unwieldy and once again would require major mods to make them work. I also won’t demand that my dad, uncles, cousins, and friends I hunt with pony up and buy one or I won’t hunt with them, not my place to spend their money and we generally aren’t sitting side by side when one of us shoots anyway.

I use a suppressor a lot, I’ve shot hundreds of animals with it. It’s great and it has its place. But to say I would never again shoot without it would severely cut into the other ends of this hobby that I also

I don’t get the hate either, but even when “pro can” people are in good faith explaining the reasons to use a can and countering people’s reasons not to, it can come across poorly in text.

The first hunting rifle I built with a short barrel with the plan to add a can ended up being one of the reasons I don’t have a can. 22” was my first iteration of short (other than a model 7 I’ve had forever, which I also love the handiness of). Loved that rifle, didn’t want it longer. That was in Wyoming. Moved to AK, and found my 20” rifle to be noticeably nicer in the alders. 22” barrel went away (was carbon so chopping wasn’t an option). 18-20” total is where I have found that I really like them in the field. So to have a suppressed rifle with a can long enough to be functional, I’m looking 14”, so 2 tax stamps and an awfully short barrel. I suppose there are reflex/over the barrel types. Still need some baffles out front though.

I’ll buy one eventually, but I’ve got other things I’d rather spend money on. They’d be nice at the range, but I never go with less than 3 rifles, so lots of money in cans and stamps. Odds are I’m still wearing two layers of ear protection for others at the range anyway. First will probably be for my 338. I shoot a lot of cast bullets out of it and plan to see if I can get it to shoot ok subsonic this winter. I guess second, I do have a 22 can.


I don’t shoot a brake on anything. Hate them. Don’t shoot anything with a ton of recoil. It’s great that the process of buying suppressors has become more simple and faster. Would be great if we did something sensible and made them comparable to buying a firearm.


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Interesting to hate a brake. Curiosity of why? I never use to use brakes then i shot one. To me there isnt any down side with a side baffle brake. My 300 rum is a kitten and love shooting it. Spot shots through scope, rarely debrys in air after shot be it side baffle. Radials are horrible imop, never have felt any discomfort since the CA slayer or ti pro 5. It slightly just hops a little. Ear pro is a must with any fire arm if smart about hearing loss. People think that one shot with adrenaline somehow dosnt count. Wild concept….Silencers i have shot havnt had me buy any of my own be it the unknown of change of tuning and or coming loose etc plus added recoil….unless its a classic that should stay classic it will never not have a brake for i. My 416 rigby will always stay true and love it… will knock u on your arss if not proper…With saying that, brakes and the crack boom are sounds of freedom and solitude up in the high country…. Silencer or not neither is wrong or right just is…

 

[Robobiss]

I don’t get the hate either, but even when “pro can” people are in good faith explaining the reasons to use a can and countering people’s reasons not to, it can come across poorly in text.

The first hunting rifle I built with a short barrel with the plan to add a can ended up being one of the reasons I don’t have a can. 22” was my first iteration of short (other than a model 7 I’ve had forever, which I also love the handiness of). Loved that rifle, didn’t want it longer. That was in Wyoming. Moved to AK, and found my 20” rifle to be noticeably nicer in the alders. 22” barrel went away (was carbon so chopping wasn’t an option). 18-20” total is where I have found that I really like them in the field. So to have a suppressed rifle with a can long enough to be functional, I’m looking 14”, so 2 tax stamps and an awfully short barrel. I suppose there are reflex/over the barrel types. Still need some baffles out front though.

I’ll buy one eventually, but I’ve got other things I’d rather spend money on. They’d be nice at the range, but I never go with less than 3 rifles, so lots of money in cans and stamps. Odds are I’m still wearing two layers of ear protection for others at the range anyway. First will probably be for my 338. I shoot a lot of cast bullets out of it and plan to see if I can get it to shoot ok subsonic this winter. I guess second, I do have a 22 can.


I don’t shoot a brake on anything. Hate them. Don’t shoot anything with a ton of recoil. It’s great that the process of buying suppressors has become more simple and faster. Would be great if we did something sensible and made them comparable to buying a firearm.


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Aside from the tax stamp and the extra $200 the process is now very close to regular guns.

I submitted a form yesterday, it will likely be approved today and I’ll probably pick it up this evening. Most individual form 4’s are approved in 24-48 hours now.

Walk in and walk out? No, but two visits to the shop a couple days apart is pretty good in my book.

Edit: my form was approved in 4 days. Filed Monday, can in hand Friday. It wasn’t the 1-2 days like “expected” but still. Can’t shake a stick at a 4 day approval.

 

[greyghostnw]

Aside from the tax stamp and the extra $200 the process is now very close to regular guns.

I submitted a form yesterday, it will likely be approved today and I’ll probably pick it up this evening. Most individual form 4’s are approved in 24-48 hours now.

Walk in and walk out? No, but two visits to the shop a couple days apart is pretty good in my book.

This time frame is individual not a trust regardless if

Aside from the tax stamp and the extra $200 the process is now very close to regular guns.

I submitted a form yesterday, it will likely be approved today and I’ll probably pick it up this evening. Most individual form 4’s are approved in 24-48 hours now.

Walk in and walk out? No, but two visits to the shop a couple days apart is pretty good in my book.

my local shop had told me this type of time frame is individual forms and any trust is still near 3 months to be fair, thats just one shop in one area If using a shop/kiosk, i am still hard headed and the tax stamp for hearing protection just doesn't add up…the area ill probably cave In on and play there bs game is for grouse with a .22 can

 

[pugwylde]

This time frame is individual not a trust regardless if

my local shop had told me this type of time frame is individual forms and any trust is still near 3 months to be fair, thats just one shop in one area If using a shop/kiosk, i am still hard headed and the tax stamp for hearing protection just doesn't add up…the area ill probably cave In on and play there bs game is for grouse with a .22 can

If you are going to cave at all, why not for a multi cal suppressor? You can run a thread adapter for your 22, and still be able to shoot it on any of your other calibers.

If you are struggling with the cost of the "tax stamp for hearing protection", compare it against hearing aids. I think my dad's are $1500, and his batteries die all the time.

 

[cuerro viejo]

I only hunt with suppressed rifles and my kids only hunt with suppressed rifles. I do still make my kids use electric hearing protection also. I see a big difference in their shooting with suppressed 6.5 and 6 CM’s. Probably a combination of recoil reduction and less fear from noise

 

[WRO]

I only hunt with suppressed rifles and my kids only hunt with suppressed rifles. I do still make my kids use electric hearing protection also. I see a big difference in their shooting with suppressed 6.5 and 6 CM’s. Probably a combination of recoil reduction and less fear from noise

The noise is a huge factor for kids


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[5811]

The noise is a huge factor for kids


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Because their hearing is still good enough to know when things hurt!

 

[atmat]

The noise is a huge factor for kids

The noise is a huge factor for me.

I won’t shoot with folks not using a suppressor anymore.

 

[hereinaz]

I have commented on so many threads like this before, but it makes sense to repeat it in a way that might help those new to the idea of suppressors.

Suppressors unscrew if packing into a spot, so I can avoid tangles and keep a long barrel on my rifle.

If I need a short overall rifle for a blind or woods, I can run a 16” barrel and still be shorter than typical 22” barreled rifles.

Suppressor: I can shoot in rocks/next to cliffs without worry.
None: I have to worry about the blast and echo (not unlike range walls and roofs).

Suppressor: I can be on the gun and whisper with hunting partners and shoot at any time.
None: I have to mess with ear pro or damage my hearing. Except over the ear muffs, putting them on and off requires me getting off the gun to properly fit them for actual protection.

Suppressor: After the shot I can hear my hunting partners whisper about the shot.
None: My ears ring for a period of time, making listening/hearing difficult if not impossible. Or, I have to take off my ear pro.

Suppressor: My flinch reflex is reduced or eliminated without concussion.
None: My flinch reflex remains high and affects shot.

Suppressor: Game are much less disturbed by shots.
None: Game are disturbed more, especially in canyons where the boom echos.

Suppressor: I get left alone because I annoy the fudds and super cool hunters who expect me to have a man bun under my goofy hat.
None: Fudds and super cool hunters bother me.

 

[wyosam]

Interesting to hate a brake. Curiosity of why? I never use to use brakes then i shot one. To me there isnt any down side with a side baffle brake. My 300 rum is a kitten and love shooting it. Spot shots through scope, rarely debrys in air after shot be it side baffle. Radials are horrible imop, never have felt any discomfort since the CA slayer or ti pro 5. It slightly just hops a little. Ear pro is a must with any fire arm if smart about hearing loss. People think that one shot with adrenaline somehow dosnt count. Wild concept….Silencers i have shot havnt had me buy any of my own be it the unknown of change of tuning and or coming loose etc plus added recoil….unless its a classic that should stay classic it will never not have a brake for i. My 416 rigby will always stay true and love it… will knock u on your arss if not proper…With saying that, brakes and the crack boom are sounds of freedom and solitude up in the high country…. Silencer or not neither is wrong or right just is…

Don’t like the noise, don’t like the look, don’t like the extra length, don’t like that it takes more than a simple piece of tape to keep the barrel dry. Toyed with them briefly, and have used them when doing load work for friends that use them or shoot something with a ton of recoil. Rifles with pretty moderate recoil do everything I need them to do.

To comfortably shoot a brake, I need two layers of quality ear protection, which I do use at the range due to repeated shots and often others there with braked rifles. 1 layer of ear pro isn’t enough for me with a brake, and I’m not carrying 2 hunting. For the shot or two hunting, a good single layer of protection is quite comfortable for my rifles. I use electronic plugs that seal really well, and leave them in 99% of the time while hunting. I’ve got tinitus and some hearing loss from mostly industrial exposure when I was young and dumb. And of course some unprotected shooting during that time of my life- ear protection wasn’t something I was taught or cared about until it caught up to me. My audiograms haven’t changed significantly in decades now, and I shoot between 3 and 5 thousand rounds a year.


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