Thread: Accuracy and POI differences between supressor and brake in the same rifle

I'm wanting to do continuing load development with my 284Win but one thing that is frustrating me is the mirage I'm getting from a supressor.
I'm expecting that accuracy should remain the same but potentially I might see a POI shift?
I have a brake I can swap from my Rem Mag with the same thread. It might not index the same but that again should not be a big deal.
Does anyone have any real world experience to confirm my assumption?

If you hunt with a supressor, then zero your rifle with the supressor fitted. There will be a poi change if you zero with, and then hunt without.
POI will also change if you swap the suppressor for a muzzle brake

Originally Posted by Bos

If you hunt with a supressor, then zero your rifle with the supressor fitted. There will be a poi change if you zero with, and then hunt without.
POI will also change if you swap the suppressor for a muzzle brake

Not really the answer I was looking for. I want to do load development without the damn mirage. If a load shots well with the brake will it also shoot well with a supressor? Is overall accuracy affected between a brake and a supressor? I doubt it.
I can re-zero no dramas with the supressor (which I will hunt with). The mirage from the supressor inhibits me from doing good load development. Waiting 5 minutes between shots is a PITA and does not lead to good results IMO.

Yep, that should work

I found definite POI shift between brake/suppressor, grouping marginally smaller with the suppressor and velocity up 20-30fps as well. I used the brake for initial forming/working up in my 7 Practical, then fine tuned/made chart using the suppressor. I take it off and take the baffles off between strings to cool it quicker.

Muzzle devices I've tried like a Magnetospeed crony, brake and suppressor have all had some change in POI, but as far as I can tell only the brake had any effect on groups, and that so minor that I suspect the use of proper stats would say I was kidding myself . . .

My 7mmsaum does what you are wanting. Except I did it the other other way around - developed my load with a suppressor then changed to the brake. But the load works the same with either.

Did I see someone talking about using an old Venetian blind as a type of shield to avoid this?? I saw a picture just yesterday of a prairie dog hunter using one mounted along the top of his suppressor and barrel.

@kiwijames g'day mate. You may already know this but I thought it is worth pointing out that if you want true results from your load development you do need to wait for both your barrel and suppressor to cool down between groups. If you don't wait long enough you may get fliers and inaccurate groups.
I always take my suppressor off and place it vertical like a chimney to allow it to cool down. Same with rifle, bolt out.
Don't hurry the process or you may end up chasing your tail

You can see some change in accuracy potential between a sup and brake, slightly different harmonics. its generally not significant though. Go for it I reckon.

Don't take anything for granted. Work up your load in the exact same configuration you will use it in, otherwise you are wasting your time if you really care about shooting small groups. You may get lucky, but probably not.
I guess it depends how accurate you are really talking. If you are wanting to shoot 1/4inch groups then it matters. If just somewhere around MOA is good enough then it'l probably be ok.

Originally Posted by Gkp

@kiwijames g'day mate. You may already know this but I thought it is worth pointing out that if you want true results from your load development you do need to wait for both your barrel and suppressor to cool down between groups. If you don't wait long enough you may get fliers and inaccurate groups.
I always take my suppressor off and place it vertical like a chimney to allow it to cool down. Same with rifle, bolt out.
Don't hurry the process or you may end up chasing your tail

Cheers. Im seeing bad mirage between shots. I can't get a 3-shot group away with it becoming an issue. I'd like to be able to speed up the initial development using the brake and to fine tune with the rifle as it would be configured normally.

Originally Posted by ChrisW

Don't take anything for granted. Work up your load in the exact same configuration you will use it in, otherwise you are wasting your time if you really care about shooting small groups. You may get lucky, but probably not.
I guess it depends how accurate you are really talking. If you are wanting to shoot 1/4inch groups then it matters. If just somewhere around MOA is good enough then it'l probably be ok.

I'd like ¼" groups but at the end of the day thats outside my ability as a shooter. Easy to say when you are online but I don't think there are many who can repeatedly shoot bugholes all day. In the same breath MOA is unacceptable to me. Any rifle should shoot MOA regardless.

I have found a number of flaws in my development across the last two rifles I have purchased. I have assumed a few too many things and they have cost me a lot of time, patience and gunpowder. From a faulty scope giving inconsistent results, to a tight chamber that I picked as pressure but was just no primary extraction in a minimum sized chamber. Guns can be assholes
Both are sorted now thank god.

Take a small fan with you. It will blow the mirage away before it rises into the fov of the scope. Helps the suppressor cool down a bit faster too.

Yeah if you’re not running a heavy match barrel around 22 to 23mm or thereabouts at the muzzle, you should really be limiting yourself to 3 shots and a cool down period, or you’ll be chasing your wibbly-wobbly barrel all over the place. If you’re getting mirage off your can, it’s defo time for a break.

I have done most of my load dev on rifles, including magnums, with out suppressor or brake found the sweet spot for accuracy and speed, then confirmed that load with suppressor or brake I intend to use for hunting. I’ve done this with plenty of rifles and yet to find a case where there was a need to redo loads. The accuracy was maintained but poi might shift, some times not much sometimes several inches. Just need to re-zero scope to suit.