Unknown suppressors OG testing

[Hurley88]

Got the first 50 rounds through the OG, it’s trued & ready for the season. I’ve been shipped out of town constantly the last two weeks and the guys at the range were doing a training so we didn’t really take the time to compare to other suppressors. One shot without ear pro did lightly ring my ears, same as other guys have posted.

What I can say is that I had zero issues with the can coming loose, and that whether it is or isn’t quieter than a another that it’s being compared to…it’s still better than bare muzzle for hunting. I’ll do a comparison sometime, but for now I’m just happy if the rifle is the same length as my others & gives the typical down range benefits of a suppressor when hunting. Might pop in earbuds for a shot, might not, but this season I’ll be hunting with it to see how it goes.

As I understand it, different cartridges & barrel lengths can skew a comparison. T/F? When I do actually compare this to others I’ll bring the tools & use the adapter so that all shots are taken with the same rifle.

 

[Formidilosus]

Got the first 50 rounds through the OG, it’s trued & ready for the season. I’ve been shipped out of town constantly the last two weeks and the guys at the range were doing a training so we didn’t really take the time to compare to other suppressors. One shot without ear pro did lightly ring my ears, same as other guys have posted.

What I can say is that I had zero issues with the can coming loose, and that whether it is or isn’t quieter than a another that it’s being compared to…it’s still better than bare muzzle for hunting. I’ll do a comparison sometime, but for now I’m just happy if the rifle is the same length as my others & gives the typical down range benefits of a suppressor when hunting. Might pop in earbuds for a shot, might not, but this season I’ll be hunting with it to see how it goes.

Most suppressors will cause a slight ring without ear pro depending on what is around the shooter (roof, wall, etc).

As I understand it, different cartridges & barrel lengths can skew a comparison.

Yes. However the OG is well below the commonly accepted OHSHA standard of 140dB with almost any common round, and even on 20” barreled 300 Win mag and 300 PRC’s.

 

[Formidilosus]

Y’all should not be shooting rifles on a range without ear pro- regardless of suppressor make or how quiet it is.

 

[IrkedCitizen]

Y’all should not be shooting rifles on a range without ear pro- regardless of suppressor make or how quiet it is.

The fact you had to type this....

 

[Formidilosus]

The fact you had to type this....

It’s silly and I’m not sure where it is coming from.

 

[Q_Sertorius]

Most suppressors will cause a slight ring without ear pro depending on what is around the shooter (roof, wall, etc).




Yes. However the OG is well below the commonly accepted OHSHA standard of 140dB with almost any common round, and even on 20” barreled 300 Win mag and 300 PRC’s.

I think you were quite clear that the OG would not be as quiet as the Scythe before it went on sale, but that it would be “hearing safe.” Even if US/UM didn’t put a db rating anywhere in the published information on the website.

I am just reporting what I hear with my own ears. One prone shot from the OG, in an open field, makes my ears ring. Under the same conditions, on the same rifle, the Scythe doesn’t cause that. Obviously, the OG has other advantages and the Scythe has other strengths and weaknesses. But as far as suppressing noise for the shooter, the OG is noticeably worse.

It is disingenuous, almost on the level of SilencerCo, to act like these reports make it necessary to lecture folks about how they shouldn’t be using the device as the only hearing protection for an extended range session.

Of course, for a range session, I am going to wear hearing protection, no matter which suppressor I use. But in a hunting situation, not causing my ears to ring from one shot seems a reasonable baseline for a “hearing safe” suppressor.

As I said above, maybe I need to use it on a rifle with a longer barrel. To me, it’s not a good choice for an 18” 6.5 Grendel bolt action.


____________________
“Keep on keepin’ on…”

 

[Hurley88]

Meh, I don’t feel lectured. It’s the internet, things get assumed. It was one shot far from the firing line and wide open. This is a place with heavy PRS presence so the ‘firing line’ is a small covered shooting area flanked on both sides by hundred-yard long array of obstacles. Easy to get out away from obstructions.

As to the why…well I’ve been around & shot a lot of suppressed rifles but this is the first I’ve actually owned. It’ll be used for hunting where I won’t be using ear pro (maybe). Never have shot anything suppressed without hearing protection. Soooo I’m gonna scratch the itch. Just once. They’re my ears after all. Nobody has advocated for extended range sessions without earpro.

Most suppressors will cause a slight ring without ear pro depending on what is around the shooter (roof, wall, etc).

This is good info. You have experience here, I don’t. I was curious if that was the case. And yes the OG is well below the OSHA “hearing safe” level I’m not disputing that at all.

It’s silly and I’m not sure where it is coming from.

US is marketed as “Finally! A suppressor company that puts hunters first”, you hunt without earpro, guys that are new to it want to test the waters…not gonna say it isn’t silly though. Guys do silly stuff sometimes. Curiosity. Now that I’ve tried it I’ll have earbuds with me when I hunt just in case, rather than wishing I had them once afield.

 

[SteveAndTheCrigBoys]

Played musical cans today. Didn't quite have the lineup of cans I hoped we would...excuses, excuses..."it's my son's birthday" and "my wedding is in 4 weeks, we need to plan"

Shooter's preference (me):
1. OG
2. Nomad
3. Evo
4. A-10
5. Alaskan

The OG, Nomad and Evo could all be tied for 1st on sound alone. Really splitting hairs on those rankings. The tone thing is real though, the OG has that hollow "thunk" they've been talking about. I think it is represented a bit through the GoPro mic, not so much the iPhone. The A-10 was "crackier" to me than those three, and the Alaskan was both loud and cracky. I didn't really want to rank the OG first, but if I could only keep one it would be the OG. My offhand shooting also noticeably improved in the shooter drill with it.

Spotter's preference:
1. A-10
2. OG
3. Nomad
4. Evo
5. Alaskan

 

[TxLite]

Played musical cans today. Didn't quite have the lineup of cans I hoped we would...excuses, excuses..."it's my son's birthday" and "my wedding is in 4 weeks, we need to plan" (just kidding)

Shooter's preference (me):
1. OG
2. Nomad
3. Evo
4. A-10
5. Alaskan

The OG, Nomad and Evo could all be tied for 1st on sound alone. Really splitting hairs on those rankings. The tone thing is real though, the OG has that hollow "thunk" they've been talking about. I think it is represented a bit through the GoPro mic, not so much the iPhone. The A-10 was "crackier" to me than those three, and the Alaskan was both loud and cracky. I didn't really want to rank the OG first, but if I could only keep one it would be the OG. My offhand shooting also noticeably improved in the shooter drill with it.

Spotter's preference:
1. A-10
2. OG
3. Nomad
4. Evo
5. Alaskan

Man I’m not going to lie- I had a really hard time trying to tell any difference at all from that video

Capturing accurate signatures is tough on a phone

 

[SteveAndTheCrigBoys]

Man I’m not going to lie- I had a really hard time trying to tell any difference at all from that video

Capturing accurate signatures is tough on a phone

Agreed, I was hoping the GoPro would be a little better. But we took a little time to film it, might as well put it together.

 

[HairyScandinavian]

Played musical cans today. Didn't quite have the lineup of cans I hoped we would...excuses, excuses..."it's my son's birthday" and "my wedding is in 4 weeks, we need to plan"

Shooter's preference (me):
1. OG
2. Nomad
3. Evo
4. A-10
5. Alaskan

The OG, Nomad and Evo could all be tied for 1st on sound alone. Really splitting hairs on those rankings. The tone thing is real though, the OG has that hollow "thunk" they've been talking about. I think it is represented a bit through the GoPro mic, not so much the iPhone. The A-10 was "crackier" to me than those three, and the Alaskan was both loud and cracky. I didn't really want to rank the OG first, but if I could only keep one it would be the OG. My offhand shooting also noticeably improved in the shooter drill with it.

Spotter's preference:
1. A-10
2. OG
3. Nomad
4. Evo
5. Alaskan

Great write up thx. Which Nomad, the Ti or Ti XC?

 

[SteveAndTheCrigBoys]

Great write up thx. Which Nomad, the Ti or Ti XC?

The Ti

 

[Styer22]

The Ti

That’s great to know! I love my Nomad Ti on my 18” 308. Such a low soft tone. Mine has the add on brake thing as well but it’s long at that point. My OG is sitting at my dealer waiting for me to go start the paperwork tomorrow. If the OG is as good as the Nomad Ti and it’s half the added OAL length then it’s a WIN!

 

[wind gypsy]

I think you were quite clear that the OG would not be as quiet as the Scythe before it went on sale, but that it would be “hearing safe.” Even if US/UM didn’t put a db rating anywhere in the published information on the website.

I am just reporting what I hear with my own ears. One prone shot from the OG, in an open field, makes my ears ring. Under the same conditions, on the same rifle, the Scythe doesn’t cause that. Obviously, the OG has other advantages and the Scythe has other strengths and weaknesses. But as far as suppressing noise for the shooter, the OG is noticeably worse.

It is disingenuous, almost on the level of SilencerCo, to act like these reports make it necessary to lecture folks about how they shouldn’t be using the device as the only hearing protection for an extended range session.

Of course, for a range session, I am going to wear hearing protection, no matter which suppressor I use. But in a hunting situation, not causing my ears to ring from one shot seems a reasonable baseline for a “hearing safe” suppressor.

As I said above, maybe I need to use it on a rifle with a longer barrel. To me, it’s not a good choice for an 18” 6.5 Grendel bolt action.


____________________
“Keep on keepin’ on…”

Really, the whole "hearing safe" discussion is stupid. Its not like there is a magical hard line between hearing safe and not..

Supersonic rounds, especially with sub 7" suppressors, are loud. My Nomad XC is slightly quieter than my scythe and ultra 7 but a shot through an 18" 6 creed still gives my ears a little ringing. "Hearing safe" or not, shooting without ear pro is basically a hunting only situation for me.

 

[Q_Sertorius]

Really, the whole "hearing safe" discussion is stupid. Its not like there is a magical hard line between hearing safe and not..

Supersonic rounds, especially with sub 7" suppressors, are loud. My Nomad XC is slightly quieter than my scythe and ultra 7 but a shot through an 18" 6 creed still gives my ears a little ringing. "Hearing safe" or not, shooting without ear pro is basically a hunting only situation for me.

Yes, that is precisely the point. This is a hunting can. It should be “hearing safe” for one or two shots taken unsuppressed. If my ears are ringing… then it’s doing damage. Now, it’s not doing as much damage as an unsuppressed shot, but it’s still damage. If the rifle still makes my ears ring with one shot with the can on it, why am I spending $1000 (plus $150 threading costs, $200 tax stamp, $100 sales tax, $100 Silencer Shop fees, etc.) and adding weight and length to the rifle? I can take a single unsuppressed shot in the field 3-4 times a year and be not much worse off.

The “hearing safe” thresholds are cumulative. So, a single 130-db shot is “fine”, but repeated 130-db shots can be damaging. And it scales up logarithmically, not linearly. If the OG is already making my ears ring with the first shot, then subsequent shots are even worse for my ears.

And that’s all I am reporting with my single shot from the 18” 6.5 Grendel bolt action. It makes my ears ring when shooting prone in an open field.

When I get a rifle with a longer barrel threaded, I will test out the OG with that. I hope that combination doesn’t make my ears ring. If it still makes my ears ring, then I will personally consider the OG an ineffective hearing protection device. In that situation, I would be better off not having spent the money. And I will consider all the stuff about “chasing tones, not decibels” to be a “bad idea.” I don’t care what the tone is if the noise is still making my ears ring.


____________________
“Keep on keepin’ on…”

 

[Dave0317]

The sound barrier is a thing too.

Even if you had a magic suppressor that dropped muzzle created noise to 0, I’d still think most of us would want to use ear pro due to the sonic crack of the bullet two feet from the shooters face. That’s loud enough in itself.

 

[wind gypsy]

Yes, that is precisely the point. This is a hunting can. It should be “hearing safe” for one or two shots taken unsuppressed. If my ears are ringing… then it’s doing damage. Now, it’s not doing as much damage as an unsuppressed shot, but it’s still damage. If the rifle still makes my ears ring with one shot with the can on it, why am I spending $1000 (plus $150 threading costs, $200 tax stamp, $100 sales tax, $100 Silencer Shop fees, etc.) and adding weight and length to the rifle? I can take a single unsuppressed shot in the field 3-4 times a year and be not much worse off.

The “hearing safe” thresholds are cumulative. So, a single 130-db shot is “fine”, but repeated 130-db shots can be damaging. And it scales up logarithmically, not linearly. If the OG is already making my ears ring with the first shot, then subsequent shots are even worse for my ears.

And that’s all I am reporting with my single shot from the 18” 6.5 Grendel bolt action. It makes my ears ring when shooting prone in an open field.

When I get a rifle with a longer barrel threaded, I will test out the OG with that. I hope that combination doesn’t make my ears ring. If it still makes my ears ring, then I will personally consider the OG an ineffective hearing protection device. In that situation, I would be better off not having spent the money. And I will consider all the stuff about “chasing tones, not decibels” to be a “bad idea.” I don’t care what the tone is if the noise is still making my ears ring.

If you didn't grasp that "Hearing Safe" meant sub 140 db at shooters ear and figured US knew the exact threshold of what would make your ears ring, you made poor assumptions before plopping down $1550.

I've been skeptical about the "Chasing tones not decibels" stuff but it has been clear to me that the OG will not be as quiet as typical 7" class hunting suppressors (with which my ears ring) even from those marketing it.

 

[Harvey_NW]

Yes, that is precisely the point. This is a hunting can. It should be “hearing safe” for one or two shots taken unsuppressed. If my ears are ringing… then it’s doing damage. Now, it’s not doing as much damage as an unsuppressed shot, but it’s still damage. If the rifle still makes my ears ring with one shot with the can on it, why am I spending $1000 (plus $150 threading costs, $200 tax stamp, $100 sales tax, $100 Silencer Shop fees, etc.) and adding weight and length to the rifle? I can take a single unsuppressed shot in the field 3-4 times a year and be not much worse off.

The “hearing safe” thresholds are cumulative. So, a single 130-db shot is “fine”, but repeated 130-db shots can be damaging. And it scales up logarithmically, not linearly. If the OG is already making my ears ring with the first shot, then subsequent shots are even worse for my ears.

And that’s all I am reporting with my single shot from the 18” 6.5 Grendel bolt action. It makes my ears ring when shooting prone in an open field.

When I get a rifle with a longer barrel threaded, I will test out the OG with that. I hope that combination doesn’t make my ears ring. If it still makes my ears ring, then I will personally consider the OG an ineffective hearing protection device. In that situation, I would be better off not having spent the money. And I will consider all the stuff about “chasing tones, not decibels” to be a “bad idea.” I don’t care what the tone is if the noise is still making my ears ring.

I don't think this is true. I have super bad tinnitus and any amount of increased noise in a burst can flare a ring, like if my dog barks in the living room. I think the point is that if you're exposed to 2 or 3 shots with the difference being 135dB and 145dB, both will make your ears ring, but one is potentially doing permanent damage.

 

[Q_Sertorius]

If you didn't grasp that "Hearing Safe" meant sub 140 db at shooters ear and figured US knew the exact threshold of what would make your ears ring, you made poor assumptions before plopping down $1550.

I've been skeptical about the "Chasing tones not decibels" stuff but it has been clear to me that the OG will not be as quiet as typical 7" class hunting suppressors (with which my ears ring) even from those marketing it.

Form said it would be 132-133 db at the shooter’s ear. Even though US/UM didn’t publish that information on the website.


____________________
“Keep on keepin’ on…”

 

[wind gypsy]

Form said it would be 132-133 db at the shooter’s ear. Even though US/UM didn’t publish that information on the website.

I'm pretty sure that would only be dbA at shooters ear. 132-133 db (not dbA) at Shooters ear is 9" can type performance at TBAC silencer summit while a number of 5-6" cans achieved sub 134 dbA at shooters ear.