Thread: Test fire: shooting through tape on a suppressor

"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.

Tape improves your shooting

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.

Bet me to it James

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.

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

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

Kim

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

Originally Posted by 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

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

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

Originally Posted by Kiwi Greg

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.

Originally Posted by deer243

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.

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.......

Send mythbusters an email


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

Originally Posted by 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.......

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.