Suppressors...what am I missing?

[ShakeDown]

I killed a buck this year with a braked rifle, got excited and forgot to put in ear pro.

No kidding my ears were ringing for three days.

When I got home I ordered a 30 cal suppressor and a second for rimfire use.

I don’t even rifle hunt much but I can tell you I won’t shoot a braked rifle again without ear pro or a can.

 

[Ryan Avery]

I use a suppressor for two reasons. First, I can't afford to lose anymore hearing, way to many muzzle blasts from hunting and the Army. Second, suppressors keep me from getting a divorce while hunting with my lovely wife


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[doggone]

For p dogs, sage rats and other vermin....suppressors are the only way IMHO. High volume trigger time even with 17 and 20 cal rifles can take its toll. And we will kill at least 35% more critters suppressed than non. They stay above ground much more.

 

[snarkscarbine]

We use Federal Tactical Bonded 62gr. Same weight as M855, but different construction. The only benefit to our suppressors is cutting flash signature and blast out to the side....unless you’re not using the suppressor and you’re to the right of the muzzle adapter/comp.

Edit: And it cuts down a bit on dust when shooting prone or some other modified position on the ground.

Have to 100% disagree. I hunt with ARs regularly and suppressing one properly changes the game completely. For reference, I hunt or have hunted with with the following ARs: 16” .308, 12” 6.5 Grendel, 10” 300blk, and several different sub-16” 223/556s. All suppressed and all are obnoxious bare with ear pro and pleasant to shoot suppressed without ear pro. What cans are you using?

 

[MeatMissile]

Have to 100% disagree. I hunt with ARs regularly and suppressing one properly changes the game completely. For reference, I hunt or have hunted with with the following ARs: 16” .308, 12” 6.5 Grendel, 10” 300blk, and several different sub-16” 223/556s. All suppressed and all are obnoxious bare with ear pro and pleasant to shoot suppressed without ear pro. What cans are you using?

Surefire SC2

 

[snarkscarbine]

It’s the blast overpressure for me. I will not shoot unsuppressed. Played enough rock shows and used enough power tools next to my head that at 34 I’ve got tinnitus and found a frequency I basically don’t hear on a hearing test. Not risking being lazy about it for a little convenience. Shooting unsuppressed without ear pro does instant damage whether you “notice the sound” or not.

Point #2: I understand if OP means that they’re losing velocity from shortening the barrel, but the can itself between on/off will demonstrate a little “freebore boost” and actually add a little velocity all else being equal.

 

[snarkscarbine]

Surefire SC2

Yeah felt that one coming. They’re great cans, but on the loud and heavy end of things for sure.

 

[MeatMissile]

Yeah felt that one coming. They’re great cans, but on the loud and heavy end of things for sure.

They aren’t real quiet, but they are durable. I figured they thought we’d break these things.

 

[snarkscarbine]

They aren’t real quiet, but they are durable. I figured they thought we’d break these things.

Yeah they’re super durable which in most cases means they use more material for thicker walls/baffles/etc, and heavier materials, I.e. inconel rather than Ti. They’re designed to provide less backpressure into the system so there’s less change between on/off. That means less gas obstructed on the way out, which means less sound suppression.

All that to say, don’t judge all cans by Surefires. A Ti hunting can designed for precision/bolt action platform will give noticeably more suppression with much less size and weight penalty. I have several 6” Titanium cans that are less than 1/2 the weight of a Surefire of comparable size and are QUIET.

 

[justinspicher]

I will say the SF cans at work are both heavier and louder than the Silencerco Omega I have at home.

 

[HandgunHTR]

One more advantage to having a suppressor on a hunting rig is being able to hear the bullet impact and the animal run. You stated that you are hunting in thick stuff. I spend a good amount of time doing the same. It is great to be able to hear (or in some cases spot) the bullet impact to know I hit the animal, rather than a small branch I didn't see. Also, you can hear the animal run through the woods and crash down. Before suppressors, it took a few minutes before my hearing returned to the point where I could hear it. I had to rely on my eyes, and if I was in the thick stuff, it was always a "get down and bloodtrail" rather than walk towards where I heard it crash. This actually leads to better shooting as well, because I don't have to instantly pick my head up to see where the animal is going so my follow through on the shot is better. Now, you may have more self-discipline through the shooting cycle than I do when shooting at game, but it is something that is noticeable to me not just in my own shooting, but when I hunt with my nephews or others. The high hits tend to become much more infrequent once the switch to suppressed hunting happens.

 

[ElPollo]

Hearing loss sneaks up on you. Every time you ring your ears you are accruing permanent damage. I was generally pretty good about hearing protection with range time, but spent a lot of time hunting birds and big game without them. I would go through 200-300 rounds of 12 ga per year in the field without ear pro. That all started to catch up with me in my mid-40s, when consistent tinnitus set in. Now I pay a lot of attention to the noise reduction ratings on ear pro. Most won’t reduce a gunshot from a centerfire rifle to hearing safe levels. I started noticing this due to increased tinnitus after range time while wearing ear pro. Nowadays I double up on the range.

Do the math, if your ear pro has a NRR of 22 and you are shooting a 308 at 165 dB. That puts you at 143 dB. That’s over the suggested limit for short duration exposure. Now what dB level does a braked 300 win mag put out? Even if you double up on the big boomers, you are still getting enough sound waves through your skull to damage your hearing.

At 53, I’m buying my first suppressor so that I can get away with one set of electronic ear plugs while hunting. My wife told me to get off my ass and buy one because of concern for my hearing. She said she doesn’t want to have to yell at me or be yelled at by an old deaf man after retirement. Honestly, I’m not sure it’s not going to happen anyway at this point. I wish I was less stupid when I was younger.

 

[WCB]

Hearing loss sneaks up on you. Every time you ring your ears you are accruing permanent damage. I was generally pretty good about hearing protection with range time, but spent a lot of time hunting birds and big game without them. I would go through 200-300 rounds of 12 ga per year in the field without ear pro. That all started to catch up with me in my mid-40s, when consistent tinnitus set in. Now I pay a lot of attention to the noise reduction ratings on ear pro. Most won’t reduce a gunshot from a centerfire rifle to hearing safe levels. I started noticing this due to increased tinnitus after range time while wearing ear pro. Nowadays I double up on the range.

Do the math, if your ear pro has a NRR of 22 and you are shooting a 308 at 165 dB. That puts you at 143 dB. That’s over the suggested limit for short duration exposure. Now what dB level does a braked 300 win mag put out? Even if you double up on the big boomers, you are still getting enough sound waves through your skull to damage your hearing.

At 53, I’m buying my first suppressor so that I can get away with one set of electronic ear plugs while hunting. My wife told me to get off my ass and buy one because of concern for my hearing. She said she doesn’t want to have to yell at me or be yelled at by an old deaf man after retirement. Honestly, I’m not sure it’s not going to happen anyway at this point. I wish I was less stupid when I was younger.

I agree it sneaks up on you. I am 36 and this year I notice it. I have to turn the phone up if I switch from my right ear to my left ear. Also, general noise bothers me more during conversation than it used to. I have a hard time hearing in crowds. Started being religious about ear pro now when high volume shooting or even water fowl hunting. Noise canceling head phones have helped that along immensely.

Most damage was probably done Snow Goose hunting. in college and for a few years after I used to hunt those thing non stop in the spring and had weeks where I went through a case a day on decoying flocks with 4-10 other guns going off around me.

I am about 99% there on buying a can just can't get around paying $200 to Uncle Sam just so I can by a $600+ item. BS.

 

[ElPollo]

I agree it sneaks up on you. I am 36 and this year I notice it. I have to turn the phone up if I switch from my right ear to my left ear. Also, general noise bothers me more during conversation than it used to. I have a hard time hearing in crowds. Started being religious about ear pro now when high volume shooting or even water fowl hunting. Noise canceling head phones have helped that along immensely.

Most damage was probably done Snow Goose hunting. in college and for a few years after I used to hunt those thing non stop in the spring and had weeks where I went through a case a day on decoying flocks with 4-10 other guns going off around me.

I am about 99% there on buying a can just can't get around paying $200 to Uncle Sam just so I can by a $600+ item. BS.

I hear you on the tax stamp. I was whining about that with my wife when she told me to just suck it up and pay it. For me the can was right at $1k but I had to also pay the $200 tax stamp, $130 to setup the trust, another $82.50 in sales tax, and I still need to pay a smith for threading. It’s annoying, but not as annoying as my left ear.

 

[Lawnboi]

I agree it sneaks up on you. I am 36 and this year I notice it. I have to turn the phone up if I switch from my right ear to my left ear. Also, general noise bothers me more during conversation than it used to. I have a hard time hearing in crowds. Started being religious about ear pro now when high volume shooting or even water fowl hunting. Noise canceling head phones have helped that along immensely.

Most damage was probably done Snow Goose hunting. in college and for a few years after I used to hunt those thing non stop in the spring and had weeks where I went through a case a day on decoying flocks with 4-10 other guns going off around me.

I am about 99% there on buying a can just can't get around paying $200 to Uncle Sam just so I can by a $600+ item. BS.

The $200 for the stamp isn’t bad enough. They charge you then let you wait for 5-14 months, that’s the kick in the sack

 

[Cinlogdvid]

Anyone have a guess on current wait times for your stamp? I’m only 6 months in….

 

[MeatMissile]

Anyone have a guess on current wait times for your stamp? I’m only 6 months in….

Now that e-file is back online, I’ve heard some are getting stamps as little as 90 days. I didn’t use the e-file, so I’m coming up on a year.

 

[Sccritterkiller]

My 308 is 6.8# with my can...The main reason I got a can was to be able to spot my impact thru the scope. Nearly all my rifle hunting is alone being able to see and hear the hit as the shooter is a game changer.

 

[MeatMissile]

My 308 is 6.8# with my can...The main reason I got a can was to be able to spot my impact thru the scope. Nearly all my rifle hunting is alone being able to see and hear the hit as the shooter is a game changer.

How does that balance?

 

[Sccritterkiller]

How does that balance?

Fine barrel is 18" and my rugged radiant is like 12oz...it actually balances better with the can than without it.