Thread: Why have a suppressor?

I'll add in that I'm 52 and have had hearing aids for 4 years now! I did a lot of shooting in my younger days doing goat & pest control etc with no suppressor or muffs, I've paid the price.

The number one reason is hearing protection for me, and my companions. A must if shooting over a dog.

As mentioned there are some other benefits . There are a few down sides such as extra weight and length (although both are minor) and one more thing to go wrong.

Go for the shorter list. Why wouldn't you have a suppressor?

For me it will save my very acute hearing. To me the best sound in the world is little kids, even if they're crying, and I want to make sure I can hear them. Even though I'm too young for kids, I might even have grandkids one day in the very, very distant future.

Secondary is the reduction in recoil and the confusion it creates in game that hear the sonic crack and put their heads up to try and figure out where the sound came from.

I like suppressors and have a few on different rifles but I think the "dosnt disturb animals" thing is over hyped. A suppressor has most benefit at at the muzzel and sounds good to the shooter but the further away from the muzzle the more the sonic boom from the projectile overnrides any blast from burning powder. The animal responses people talk about with suppressors Iv seen many times over with non suppressed rifles long before any rifle ever wore a can.

Wouldn't have a suppressor on me nose for a wart - let alone one on a centre-fire hunting rifle for bigger game, they bugger up the balance (unless you cut the barrel short enough to hugely reduce velocity), they look stupid, you can't have a fore sight (unless you want to hunt with a AR), and they are not that effective at either reducing noise (to the shooter/bystander, I have participated in tests that demonstrated this) or to game as Sneeze and others point out.

Just another fashion accessory marketed on dodgy science to a gullible public (in this case gun owners) as the "new cool". However they have been a goldmine to gun plumbers who've been able to thread the hundreds of rifles and thereby improving the collector value of the unmolested ones - so its an ill wind that blows no good.

And as for your hearing, wear earmuffs on the range ( secondary effect, yes you will shoot better if the perceived noise/muzzleblast is moderated) and when hunting don't ever put yourself in a position where you might cop muzzle-blast. I spent 3 years in the artillery, don't think I saw that many gunners wearing ear-muffs (I never did) and I still have good hearing.

After years of driving American trucks (Mack, Kenworth, International, etc. ) my hearing is already pretty much fukt, so I don't worry about a suppressor when hunting, but I do wear hearing protection when shooting paper. Who cares if the deer hears it coming?

Originally Posted by Tentman

Wouldn't have a suppressor on me nose for a wart - let alone one on a centre-fire hunting rifle for bigger game, they bugger up the balance (unless you cut the barrel short enough to hugely reduce velocity), they look stupid, you can't have a fore sight (unless you want to hunt with a AR), and they are not that effective at either reducing noise (to the shooter/bystander, I have participated in tests that demonstrated this) or to game as Sneeze and others point out.

Just another fashion accessory marketed on dodgy science to a gullible public (in this case gun owners) as the "new cool". However they have been a goldmine to gun plumbers who've been able to thread the hundreds of rifles and thereby improving the collector value of the unmolested ones - so its an ill wind that blows no good.

And as for your hearing, wear earmuffs on the range ( secondary effect, yes you will shoot better if the perceived noise/muzzleblast is moderated) and when hunting don't ever put yourself in a position where you might cop muzzle-blast. I spent 3 years in the artillery, don't think I saw that many gunners wearing ear-muffs (I never did) and I still have good hearing.

Awesome, thanks everyone for your answers

when I got hearing tested and they said one ear going and other will follow ...lost some sounds eg fffs a day out shooting wallabies with mate using suppressors had me sold completely...how the heck I ever did it with the .270 beforehand I dont know...I can remember having ringing ears from mates fireing that DOESNT happen with suppressors.

Cos it's easier than taping muffs on the dog's head

a suppressor alone isn't good hearing protection, you should still use earmuffs. altho must help a dog with no choice.
The small amount of recoil reduction over nothing is probably the extra weight on the end of the barrel which a bigger barrel would probably do the same. kiwigreg has a video comparing this somewhere.(suppressor vs nothing vs brake)
a magnum booming through a gully also has game not knowing what's up. but it probably depends on how often the game has been shot at, as to them knowing what's up.
The heat the suppressor holds in is a negative too. (accuracy decreases with heat, heat burns barrels.)
I don't really buy into the hype.
I don't hunt with a dog except with a shotgun. I just use electronic earmuffs, better hearing and protection. a suppressor would be better than no ear protection.

Originally Posted by Cigar

Twenty years ago suppressors were common on .22lr rifles using subsonic ammo, but virtually unheard of on centre fires. Why are they so popular now? Is it to do with the not causing an annoyance to the public rules? I doubt it would be due to fashion, or for poaching. Maybe so the neighbours don't complain?
And how quiet do they make a centre fire?

Cheers,
Chris

With HV ammo they probably halve the felt recoil and perceived noise, meaning the animals can't hear where the shot came from if you miss or need to take another animal (e.g. in pest control), safer for your hearing, your hunting mate's hearing, your dog's hearing. Less likely to upset livestock, meaning farmers are more likely to let you hunt on their land, less likely to upset neighbours in rural or lifestyle block type areas. The lessened recoil and noise gives you less to flinch over, meaning easier to avoid bad shooting habits, you'll often find that the added dampening weight of a suppressor effects your barrel harmonics and increases precision.
With subsonic ammo (no supersonic crack) you bring it down to around that subsonic/suppressed .22 we all know, which is even better for pest control on farms.
Oh yeah and they look cool.......... plus Aussies can't have them

''Hugely reduce velocity'' Really?
Pretty to easy to test, and it doesn't. You loose maybe 25fps/Inch, Chop 4'' off your .308 and you go from 2750fps to 2650fps, you've lost 3.7% of your velocity, are you seriously concerned about that? A 165 grain .308 bullet for example, leaving the muzzle at 2750 has already dropped below 2650 after travelling 50m.

I'm based in the UK and personally hated the idea of suppressors when they became widely available over here about 10 years ago; the ruin the balance and aesthetics of a rifle. However, as I started to suffer more and more from tinnitus I decided I would give one a try.....

I have to say I'm now a convert; they tame the recoil on the harshest of calibres reducing recoil, noise and muzzle flip. This often enables you to see the bullet strike and increases the likelihood of a shot at a second animal.

In the UK there are people everywhere, sadly they don't stick to public areas and footpaths and, at the sound of a shot, will often either come to investigate or phone the police. Whilst this may be good news for deterring poachers (without suppressors) it's not good news when you're legitimately trying to cull deer! People are only too keen to post photos of 'Bambi Murders' all over the internet and social media, therefore the quieter we conduct our business the better!

Hoping to move to NZ in the near future…….

Originally Posted by tommygun

Chop 4'' off your .308 .

Yeah but 4" doesn't do anything to remedy balance and handling, to get that back to a nice parameter 6-10" has to go and that does have a big effect (and then you must use the suppressor or the muzzleblast is horrific).

Nothing wrong with building a bush rifle with a 18 or 20" barrel but to do that in a suppressed bush-pig your barrel is getting pretty short (for velocity) if you're going to step out onto the tops with it - your 308 is suddenly a 30-30!