Thread: Suppressor effectiveness - Think about this!

They way I use them is the noise reduction when shooting around stock, couldn't use my rifle without, the Bulls would stampede!

Main reason I got suppressors is to protect my hearing and those around me. I'm not too worried about 450m away.

The stock where this test was carried out (bulls about 30 metres away, horses 150m or so, dogs 250m) never seem to mind the shooting - suppressed or otherwise!

To state the obvious - most people fit a suppressor to larger calibre weapons to reduce the recoil, the reduction in noise at the point of firing in a bonus factor. Suppressors fitted to small calibre weapons are for the noise factor (muzzle blast) noting that - as pointed out by Mat2308 - the suppressor will have no effect on the sonic noise created by the projectile.

I have Tinnitus from helping a neighbour to build a fence. Wish Paslode made suppressors for their nail guns

Originally Posted by Kurlyman

To state the obvious - most people fit a suppressor to larger calibre weapons to reduce the recoil, the reduction in noise at the point of firing in a bonus factor. Suppressors fitted to small calibre weapons are for the noise factor (muzzle blast) noting that - as pointed out by Mat2308 - the suppressor will have no effect on the sonic noise created by the projectile.

"To state the obvious" suppressors reduce very little recoil on large calibre firearms compared to a decent ported muzzle brake, but are much quieter

Originally Posted by Kiwi Greg

" decent ported muzzle brake '

cough ....Terminator Brake ... cough

Originally Posted by P38

+3db is double the Sound Intensity (Acoustic Energy)

+10dB is double the Sound Volume (Perceived Loudness)

60dB is about the level of a normal conversation

Cheers
Pete

Which one does the ears in Pete?

Side note, deer may stay or may run. Hunting pressure plays a lot in this imo.

ok seems my last post disappeared into nothingness ( no bad language etc so who knows)
dB is a log scale invented by alexander graham bell's company to pretty much talk about volume on phone lines. however a "bell unit" was way to loud so in came the decibel (1/10th of a bell). ok here it gets slightly techy.
to increase sound pressure (what you hear) increase by 10dB, to decrease what you hear by 1/2 decrease by 10dB
now subsonic loads have no penetration into the supersonic so as they silence only the muzzle "crack" the projectile itself is relatively silent. above the sound of sound although you may silence the muzzle blast the projectile will still make a supersonic wave to hear.
so to give an example a 38 revolver is 138dB, about as loud as a 747 plane at take off, but 128 dB is 1/2 as loud. 118 dB is 1/2 as loud as that again.
it also works the other way add 10dB and its what you perceive as twice as loud, still mazes me that salesmen keep telling me that double the amplifier power = double the volume. well thats what you get when you pay peanuts.
any more question feel free to pm

For obvious reasons hunters rarely use hearing protection when they hunt. Unfortunately unsuppressed gunfire from hunting rifles is loud enough to cause permanent hearing loss.
An unsuppressed rifle produces noise levels of 165 -170db and those with silencers should reduce it by about 20-30db.
How about a simple test?
We invite all the brands to test the silencers and muzzle brakes (for recoil) on 1 day. We test the following
Brand
Weight
Length
Diameter
db no silencer (The sound meter must be at the back where your head would be if fire a rifle)
db with silencer
Chrono without
Chrono with
Barrel temp with
Barrel temp without
Silencer start temp
Silencer end temp
Recoil with
Recoil without

We test it with 2 rifles a 243 and a 300wm

sounds good...might be hard to get all suppressors fitted to 2 rifles though. easy to do a 'bring what you have' and test them with and without suppressor on.

Decent testing equipment isn't cheap and cheap gear doesn't accurately measure levels.
A discussion on the other forum got petty and personal when a number of suppressor makers joined the arguments.

Originally Posted by Hennie260

For obvious reasons hunters rarely use hearing protection when they hunt.

That would of been right years ago. Now that we have electronic ear muffs you can get hearing protection and listen as you hunt, better that normal hearing.

Originally Posted by gonetropo

...to give an example a 38 revolver is 138dB, about as loud as a 747 plane at take off, ....
any more question feel free to pm

I'm afraid you're comparing apples with elephants there.

A revolver may have a -peak- noise level of 138dBSPL but a large jet engine is producing -continuous- noise of that general level. The mechanism of damage with firearms is very different to continuous industrial noise. The former causes instantaneous structural damage to the Organ of Corti while the latter is largely a fatiguing mechanism that leads to outer hair cell loss initially, and more diffuse damage later as things worsen.

Current occupational guidelines prohibit exposure to any continuous noise exceeding 115dB(A) and any impulse noise exceeding 140dBSPL is considered dangerous.

Can I suggest people refrain from "clarifying" technical aspects by reading basic references. It really adds nothing.

6x47 (Clinical Audiologist)

@stevodog, The only way to do this legit is to use the same gun with the same ammo. The silencer suppliers just have to provide the same thread silencer for that caliber. This is the only way to have a fair test. @dogmatix, I'm sure we can sort that out without buying a unit @bully, The majority hunters don’t use them or haven’t got earmuffs.