# Firearms and Shooting > Shooting >  Test fire: shooting through tape on a suppressor

## Bagheera

"A fair question and one often asked ..."
Can I put tape over my suppressor and shoot through it ?
Only one way to know for sure

*Method:*
I put a bit of electrical tape over the hole in the end of my suppressor like this.

I fired alternate shots with or without the tape.
I shot prone using a Caldwell Rock Jr front rest and a Protektor rear bag.
The range was 300m, because I thought if the bullet was upset a little it might take a while to wobble off course.  300m (TECT park BOP NZDA) is the longest range I could easily use and really quite a long way for hunting.
The rifle is a Sako 85 in 7mm08 with 140gr Nosler ballistic tip and the suppressor is an A-Tec CTM4 using only 2 baffles.  This post shows details:  http://www.nzhuntingandshooting.co.n...baffles-16514/ 

*Results:*


Here is another group using the bipod and home made pumice filled rear bag, without tape.

That's just to show this is my typical grouping ability.

*Conclusion:*
Mean point of impact was unchanged and grouping was at least as good when a small patch of tape covered the hole.
For my gun, I can shoot through tape (or not) and not worry about it.
Another unknown becomes a known.

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## kiwijames

Tape improves your shooting

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## veitnamcam

Well its been a known for quite some time but piece of mind to check I guess.

BTW you seem to shoot better with tape on.

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## veitnamcam

Bet me to it James  :Grin:

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## Bagheera

Simplest explanation is that it was just random.  
I shot the tape first, then reloaded and fired the untaped shot a bit quicker so perhaps the barrel was heating more.  Another time I might wait a bit longer.  Of course I had to get right out of position and back into it for each taped shot.  The bipod group was shot from 5 rounds in the mag so would have been a bit quicker again.

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## gimp

Probably more like good position for each shot with the tape from rebuilding it between shots & slightly poor position being moved progressively with recoil without the tape, hence horizontal spread, rather than anything related to barrel heat


but probably not, just random, can't ascribe any cause and effect to 2 single groups, insignificant 


Good test tho. Have tested it in a less intensive way with no change in POI

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## kimjon

Great to know for sure, cheers for sharing your results.

Kim

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## deer243

Cant see how tape was ever going to effect the shots. It blows of with the air pressure inside the barrel and is long gone before the bullet exits the barrel. Been many a test done in the American gun mags on this in the past and if anything it improves due to the fact that the barrel prob has cooled more slightly between shots as if you put tape on a hot barrel in can melt on it.  One thing is for sure, all hunters, esp guys who bush stalk should always tape up their barrels. Nearly every deer ive shot has been with a taped barrel and it has a nil effect on how accurate your rifle is. I always put a longer strip on with electrical tape and when you fire a shot afterwards you can then pull of the extra and retape it up again without a problem

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## Kiwi Greg

> Cant see how tape was ever going to effect the shots. It blows of with the air pressure inside the barrel and is long gone before the bullet exits the barrel. Been many a test done in the American gun mags on this in the past and if anything it improves due to the fact that the barrel prob has cooled more slightly between shots as if you put tape on a hot barrel in can melt on it.  One thing is for sure, all hunters, esp guys who bush stalk should always tape up their barrels. Nearly every deer ive shot has been with a taped barrel and it has a nil effect on how accurate your rifle is. I always put a longer strip on with electrical tape and when you fire a shot afterwards you can then pull of the extra and retape it up again without a problem


Yep not a problem on a bare barrel, but on a large volume suppressor with "tough" tape on a smaller calibre it is feasible that the projectile could impact the tape either fully or partially if it isn't completely blown off by air pressure inside the suppressor before it gets there.

I can remember a couple of posts about Guys missing for no apparent reason & putting it down to tape on the suppressor.

The best way is to do what the OP has done & found out for himself with his particular set up  :Have A Nice Day:

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## res

Interesting, I had always taped but removed it for longer shots

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## deer243

> Yep not a problem on a bare barrel, but on a large volume suppressor with "tough" tape on a smaller calibre it is feasible that the projectile could impact the tape either fully or partially if it isn't completely blown off by air pressure inside the suppressor before it gets there.
> 
> I can remember a couple of posts about Guys missing for no apparent reason & putting it down to tape on the suppressor.
> 
> The best way is to do what the OP has done & found out for himself with his particular set up


I believe the thousands of pounds of pressure even from a 223 any tape will always blow off on a bare barrel or a suppressor. One test I was reading about was with a 223 and duct tape (pretty darn tough) and with or without a suppressor made no difference what so ever.  I have never ever read in any gun mag or on the net that tape on a suppressor will effect it in anyway due to the huge pressure that is created and have only seen examples or statements (esp from usa gun mad experts) that any calbre from 223 up the tape will blow off and the accurancy will not be effected if using a suppressor or not.   Some in snow country use small ballons over there suppressor to keep the snow, rain, and crap out of the barrel and theres no problem that it wont blow of using whatever calbre.  We talking about a huge amount of pressure and even tough tape like duct tape etc is no match for that and it is always going to blow clean of without any problem.

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## sneeze

> I believe the thousands of pounds of pressure even from a 223 any tape will always blow off on a bare barrel or a suppressor. One test I was reading about was with a 223 and duct tape (pretty darn tough) and with or without a suppressor made no difference what so ever.  I have never ever read in any gun mag or on the net that tape on a suppressor will effect it in anyway due to the huge pressure that is created and have only seen examples or statements (esp from usa gun mad experts) that any calbre from 223 up the tape will blow off and the accurancy will not be effected if using a suppressor or not.   Some in snow country use small ballons over there suppressor to keep the snow, rain, and crap out of the barrel and theres no problem that it wont blow of using whatever calbre.  We talking about a huge amount of pressure and even tough tape like duct tape etc is no match for that and it is always going to blow clean of without any problem.


The huge amount of pressure you refer to is behind the bullet accelerating it down the barrel. The only thing that can blow the tape off before the bullet exits  is the air in the barrel in front of the bullet that gets compressed as the bullet moves forward. If the suppressor has a large internal volume then pressure may not increase much at all and  its possible for the tape to still be in place when the projectile exits. Just a theory but its plausible.

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## deer243

Not with the reports I have read and examples of people using suppresors taped. You say its plausible but show me any evidence at all this is happening, cause I cant find or have seen anywhere that proves or even suggests that apart from the odd joe blog commenting that its possible (maybe) Think its safe to assume that the taping a barrel or suppressor doesn't effect it at all and I suppose if you got a suppressor with a very large internal volume you could test it out to make you feel better but theres no evidence around saying it affects your rifle and if that was the case there certainly be a test or example out in the wide world of the net that confirms its a bad idea taping a suppressor. I never seen one.......

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## 7mmsaum

Send mythbusters an email  :Have A Nice Day: 


Any one here have access to a high speed video camera ?

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## sneeze

> Not with the reports I have read and examples of people using suppresors taped. You say its plausible but show me any evidence at all this is happening, cause I cant find or have seen anywhere that proves or even suggests that apart from the odd joe blog commenting that its possible (maybe) Think its safe to assume that the taping a barrel or suppressor doesn't effect it at all and I suppose if you got a suppressor with a very large internal volume you could test it out to make you feel better but theres no evidence around saying it affects your rifle and if that was the case there certainly be a test or example out in the wide world of the net that confirms its a bad idea taping a suppressor. I never seen one.......


Just googled  it, first hit was this thread,  read Gavins (crazyman) Post. Probably one of the few that's tried it. 
FishnHunt - New Zealands Famous Hunting and Fishing Forum Since 1995 - Tape over the muzzle with suppressor on.

  Just a discussion though, tape up whatever you like.

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## deer243

> Send mythbusters an email 
> 
> 
> Any one here have access to a high speed video camera ?


 :Thumbsup:  Been well proven on a bare barrel its a pure myth that tape affects a bare barrel due to the fact of the high pressures.As for a suppressor theres not as many examples around but all the ones that are confirms the same thing. Just because a suppressor reduces the pressure of the gases by quite a lot doesn't mean the tape is going to have a effect. The amount of pressure required to blow of even tough tape like duck tape isn't much and because the suppressor is only going to reduce the pressure to a certain degree its not going to be enough to stop it blowing off tape, no matter what tape you use. Crazyman test was questionable..no proof the tape didn't blow off (maybe poor shooting or other factor lol

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## Norway

Thanks! Nice post

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## Kiwi Greg

> Crazyman test was questionable..no proof the tape didn't blow off (maybe poor shooting or other factor lol


LOL Clearly you haven't met Gavin  :Grin:

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## deer243

> LOL Clearly you haven't met Gavin


 :Have A Nice Day:  Should I say it must of been other factors then than the shooting abililty or the tape :Thumbsup:   Only because that be the only case anyone seen that suggests it was the tape and he stated he missed the target completely which I find hard to believe the cause was the tape with the projectile hitting it...plus was this a one off and what calbre and speed etc etc. Anyone show us the evidence out there that using a 223 or bigger with tape on a suppressor it reduces the pressure so much that it cant even break some tape and then causes it to shoot crap.   Many have tried, all have failed as suppressors only reduce pressure so much and its not low enough not to break the tape and cause the projectile to hit it then end up not accurate  ( Plus of cause the bigger the Cal the more pressure so even more unlikely as you move up Cals)

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## gimp

cite some of these 'many' things you keep going on about so I can read em would ya

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## Bagheera

Looking at the amount of air that would be pushed out of the barrel before the bullet arrives:

............barrel .........suppressor
d (mm)...7.......  ......32
r..............3.5	..........  16
r sq	   12.3	             256.0
pi	    3.1	             3.1
area	     38.5	           804.2
length.....600............100 (not counting the overbarrel part )
vol (ml)	23.1..........80.4

The volume of air from the bore is about 23 mL and the suppressor is about 80 mL so the most overpressure I'd expect is about 1/4 atmosphere.  The suppressor is designed to absorb and retain extra gas too.
My hypothesis was that the tape could be partly pushed away, maybe still floating in the air in front of the muzzle and the bullet would cut it like say striking a small leaf in the way.
I should have looked for the 5 bits of blown off tape in front of the firing point but didn't think of it at the time.  Perhaps they were incinerated by the muzzle blast !

We have to be a bit careful using logic stacked onto our imperfect understanding of the world to predict stuff.  In this case, fortunately, it wasn't too hard to test n=5 shots.  Perhaps if we tried 100 shots we might find a few that were affected.  It would be interesting to see results of other peoples' tests.

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## deer243

> Looking at the amount of air that would be pushed out of the barrel before the bullet arrives:
> 
> ............barrel .........suppressor
> d (mm)...7.......  ......32
> r..............3.5	..........  16
> r sq	   12.3	             256.0
> pi	    3.1	             3.1
> area	     38.5	           804.2
> length.....600............100 (not counting the overbarrel part )
> ...


I cant really believe the pressure is just enough to do what you say and have bits of it in the way striking the projectile on the way out. Unless you have prove of that its a very questionable theory. I have seen slow motion pictures of a rifle with a suppressor(without tape ) showing the blast and gases out the muzzle with the projectile exiting the muzzle. Theres still plenty of air pressure forward of the projectile which any tape is going to be well clear of the barrel entance when the projectile exits the barrel. Don't you think if covering a suppressor if there was any issue it would be well out there in the gun world and the net as many people cover their barrel end to stop crap getting in. Its well known that taping a barrel theres no effect  and it seems with the few reports out there with suppressors its the same and is grouped all under taping the end of your barrel.

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## Carlsen Highway

Of interest is that your control group is larger than your taped group, hence we can conclude that homos that have suppressors on their hunting rifles have a fault induced by the world's most useless shooting accessery that is corrected with a bit of sellotape. You should put more sellotape on and see if the groups get progressively better. People will now start crying when their sellotape starts peeling off in the rain wrecking their accuracy. We will have threads about which sellotape is more stickier.

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## gimp

> Of interest is that your control group is larger than your taped group, hence we can conclude that homos that have suppressors on their hunting rifles have a fault induced by the world's most useless shooting accessery that is corrected with a bit of sellotape. You should put more sellotape on and see if the groups get progressively better. People will now start crying when their sellotape starts peeling off in the rain wrecking their accuracy. We will have threads about which sellotape is more stickier.


check your heteronormative paradigm

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## Carlsen Highway

Ah, that's not even a real word. I cant help it if suppressors are fashion accessories. You guys need to work it through and find your manhood as individuals.

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## gimp

It's a neologism.

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## Carlsen Highway

Your giving me a headache. Stop with the words. 

If suppressors were used purely for utility and practicality, then people would be fitting them onto old .303's regardless of cost. But they don't. Because its impossible for an old .303 to be modern and cool, ie - fashionable. Suppressors are fashion statements. I will accept their use if you shoot over a dog, or if you shoot on small properties in the UK. Otherwise your just a teenage girl. Yes that includes Crazyman. And you! You know who you are. All of you goddamit. No exceptions.

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## Chop3r

Ah you do come up with some good ones now and then CH :Psmiley:

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## Gibo

:Thumbsup:

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## gimp

> Your giving me a headache. Stop with the words. 
> 
> If suppressors were used purely for utility and practicality, then people would be fitting them onto old .303's regardless of cost. But they don't. Because its impossible for an old .303 to be modern and cool, ie - fashionable. Suppressors are fashion statements. I will accept their use if you shoot over a dog, or if you shoot on small properties in the UK. Otherwise your just a teenage girl. Yes that includes Crazyman. And you! You know who you are. All of you goddamit. No exceptions.


I don't care about your opinions on suppressors, I'm talking about the homophobia

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## madjon_

I taped the 300 whisper,16 inch,full over barrel suppressor.The tape stayed on but the 240 grn boat tail only made a 2mm hole.
Only 9.8 grns H110 so not a lot of gas.

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## res

> Your giving me a headache. Stop with the words. 
> 
> If suppressors were used purely for utility and practicality, then people would be fitting them onto old .303's regardless of cost. But they don't. Because its impossible for an old .303 to be modern and cool, ie - fashionable. Suppressors are fashion statements. I will accept their use if you shoot over a dog, or if you shoot on small properties in the UK. Otherwise your just a teenage girl. Yes that includes Crazyman. And you! You know who you are. All of you goddamit. No exceptions.


I'm going to guess your nuts.

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## Carlsen Highway

I'm going to guess your a teenage girl with a cool suppressor.

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## gimp

> If suppressors were used purely for utility and practicality, then people would be fitting them onto old .303's regardless of cost.



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Lisle_carbine

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## Carlsen Highway

I don't need the link, I am a gun enthusiast. (Hoplophile?) That's not a .303. And it was for shooting Germans. And who says the guys that made it weren't well, playing for the other team. Fence jumpers. You get my drift. Anyway, you are ignoring my point which was something to do with homophobia in the shooting sports. You need to stop with that.

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## res

> I'm going to guess your a teenage girl with a cool suppressor.


Na, I'm just a guy who had a 303 with a can on it-and now that I have a few more $ have a few guns with a few different cans on them, only one of which I would classify as cool. 

Maybe your just a troll?

Or maybe a old man who thinks what was good is all anyone could ever want?

If I hadn't read a few of you other posts then there would be a third option-that your an idiot with no idea about what your talking about. 


Maybe you have lost so much hearing that you don't see the need, but I'll stick to using every thing I can to protect mine-and I'm going to be very unapologetic about  trying to encourage other people to do the same, basically I see your posts as stupid and irresponsible for someone of your background and profile. 

Grow up

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## Carlsen Highway

Don't be so sensitive petal. Dry your eyes.

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## res

Troll then

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## Carlsen Highway

> I don't care about your opinions on suppressors, I'm talking about the homophobia


I am not afraid of homosexual people. And I would go to war to defend their rights to be flamboyantly gay and have suppressors on their rifles.

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## gimp

Is it raining there or something? It's sunny here, and I'm going to the range as soon as a certain suppressor arrives on the courier.

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## Carlsen Highway

Yes its raining and I am waiting for some bullets to arrive and I cant shoot my new Sako till they show up.

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## sneeze

Embracing  my feminine side I took a couple of suppressed rifles to test the theory. 
I dont have any suppressed large cals  but figured a .17 hmr has  a good barrel to can ratio and might  be interesting and took the .222 as well.


I started with small pieces of tape 


Only fireing 5 the .17 didnt show any change in overall group size but one round failed to hit the target which is unusual, also the group  pattern changed from a very consistent cluster of 4 with one about .75 away to a far more random scatter. 
The .222 showed no adverse signs at all over 5 rounds. 
When  recovered all the bits of tape  had a neat hole in the center.

Its hard to imagine anything other than the projectile making the hole but interesting it didn't seem to affect accuracy with the .222 at all. I tried a larger piece of tape running around the sides of the can  which stayed in place  and the shot went into the same group as well. 
A high speed camera would be the only way to confirm but I would say   the tape did not  blow off a suppressor before the bullet exits the muzzel in any of the shots fired, accuracy of  a 55gr balistic tip at 3050fps wasn't  affected by pushing through one layer of insulation  tape. The 17gr vmax was influenced and one round missing the target would suggest some relevant interference. 
Small sample of 5 rds per  so take it as you will.

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## Toby

You should suppress your sako.

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## Carlsen Highway

I just vomited a little bit.

That was an interesting test *Sneeze*.

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## Toby

We are lucky this is on a forum. I'd hate to be at a pub and have to yell suppress your sako 6 times before you heard me  :Have A Nice Day:

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## Bagheera

Thanks sneeze, very interesting.
I haven't tried taping my .22LR or airgun but would think twice now.
Do you have a photo of the groups ?

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## veitnamcam

> We are lucky this is on a forum. I'd hate to be at a pub and have to yell suppress your sako 6 times before you heard me


WHAAAAAT ?

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## sneeze

> Thanks sneeze, very interesting.
> I haven't tried taping my .22LR or airgun but would think twice now.
> Do you have a photo of the groups ?


Just following your lead mate, it needed testing, hopefully others will add to it. No didn't take a snap the groups, have them here though I think.

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## Sasquatch

(Anti-Suppressor Brigade)

They're running a muck on here aye?

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## Kooza

Still, the groups are better than with your barrel/ suppressor full of mud.

Thanks for the testing, might take the tape off for the longer shots now tho.

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