Thread: Suppressor effectiveness - Think about this!

LOL
Subtlety is lost on the kind of people who would cut the barrel of a Sako Vixen in half and then put a 'silencer' on it...

He who questions the need for a suppressor has never fired one with sub-sonics The goats don't even know they are being shot at. Obviously the goats at 450m are pretty safe!

I'd not question their use with subsonics or low pressure loads, I have one on a rifle I use to euthanase animals (amoungst other things) and its good for that, the folks whose horse/cattlebeast etc is being put down are not upset, and the neighbours don't know! Its not subsonic but only makes a soft "boommmff".

However in full power mode, the reduction is imperceptible to me at the blunt end, and as we found in the tests, makes next to no difference some distance away.

I don't drink Koolaid - no matter what sort of flavour or can it comes in!

After reading through this I want to throw a thought out there. I use suppressors. I dont know how much they reduce noise but I do know that my ears rang after using a 30/06 without a suppressor and they dont ring after using it with the suppressor. It knocks the noise back considerably. As for recoil reduction, flinch and response to recoil are a physical reaction / anticipation of the shot. With the removed noise, the "felt" recoil is reduced dramaticly even if the actual "shove" from the rifle is not.

I also have a braked rifle and even though I know the recoil is reduced with the brake, the perception is that it still boots as bad due to the increase in noise.

Thus I have seen flinch stay the same with a brake as the increase in noise was enough to make the shooter think it kicked more.

I will not dispute that brakes reduce recoil better than a suppressor.
I will not dispute that suppressors reduce the noise significantly

However "Felt" recoil is affected by both factors. The impact (real recoil) from the shove and the noise (perceived recoil).


One of my hunting buddies is very wiry and lean and recoil from his 7mmo8 would leave him sore the next day after just 10 or 20 rounds down range. Added a suppressor and he was happy shooting my 30/06.

It may be of interest to know how much specifically the noise is reduced, but the important thing is that it IS reduced significantly.

As such I use suppressors. My own experience shows me that with a suppressor, I flinch less, my ears dont hurt afterwards and I am more accurate and comfortable. I like my ears working and the suppressor makes a difference. I like living somewhere where I have the option of using a suppressor and to option of what suppressor I want to use.

-10dB is 1/2. +10dB is double. the -3 and plus 3dB formula is for working out the average volume over a "bell curve"

Well you have answered you own question somewhat... I think that you will find 4db is quite a difference. I know there is a definitely a perception difference to the neighbors where I shoot hares with the 17hmr. they can be anywhere from 50m away (yes to the side or behind) from shooting locations.

Originally Posted by gonetropo

-10dB is 1/2. +10dB is double. the -3 and plus 3dB formula is for working out the average volume over a "bell curve"

Nothing to do with a bell curve which is for statistical data.

Usually the 3dB is used as the roll off point when determining frequency ranges and corresponds to halving the measured signal level. As pointed out earlier the 10dB corresponds to the energy level which is related to the square of the signal, hence the 10dB being used for sound level readings.

Christ this thread is like banging your head against a brick wall.

Originally Posted by dogmatix

Christ this thread is like banging your head against a brick wall.

Solid or padded

Originally Posted by 7mmsaum

Solid or padded

Padded walls hold together better.

Originally Posted by gadgetman

Padded walls hold together better.

That's because they "suppress" the "BANG"

Originally Posted by gonetropo

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

Emm yer a wee bit out there about the 10 dB and halfs. DB's are exponential therefore for every gain of 3dB you actually double the noise, noise is simply a wave of pressure that leads to vibration, or for every loss of 3dB you half the noise. It's also not about perceived loudness it is an actual measurement.
Thats why at 85dB you can be exposed to that level for 8 hours without hearing protection before damage starts whereas at 89dB you only have 4 hours and for every 3dB gain you half the time you can be exposed before you start requiring hearing prtection.
Most noise testing covers the following:
Lmax- this is the maximum decibel level reported. In the workplace it needs to be below 140dB to meet NZ requirements.
Laeq- this is the average decibel reported.
There is also a reading noted as Lpeak which is a pressure reading which can also destroy hearing without the person realising. Humans are not able to perceive certain frequencies of noise such as the high frequency 20,000hz that a bat can however there is still a pressure form there that can be transmitted through the ear and that is what Lpeak is measuring.
If you are getting Lmax and Lpeak above 140dB you really should be looking at specialist octave band testing to let you know what frequencies you are being exposed to and make a suitable plan from there.

I have always meant to take the meter down to the range and see what is going on but not got enough time.

Looks like I wasted time typing (post #59)

Originally Posted by Tentman

However in full power mode, the reduction is imperceptible to me at the blunt end

Are you deaf already?