Rifle Suppressors

Grizzly Johnson

Grizzly Johnson

New member
How many of you that hunt predators use a suppressor on your rifle?

Who makes the better/best based on dbl reduction and durability?

I should add, the best for a working man on a budget, less than $1,000.
 
Grizzly,
Since there haven't been any responses so far, I gotta ask....what are you looking for in a "suppressor?' I don't have any supressors on any of my rifles, but have a Master Gunsmith who makes custom suppressors for $100 each. I've shot several of those rifles (in different calibers) and they don't effect accuracy much (if at all)from what I've seen. Now he charges extra for mounting them onto the barrel. But what kind of a suppressor sells for $1,000?
 
Well I have seen them go from around $500 on up to $1,400 for the everyday shooter..... now the ones that law enforcement and military use can go even higher.

Some of the ones I have looked at reduce muzzle blast by 30-33 dbl's, in the neighborhood of a 22lr..... which means I wouldn't have to wear hearing protection while shooting, either at targets or critters.

I have noticed in years since, after shooting several shots at deer, my ears start ringing..... sometimes for days. I have on occasions shot multiple deer from the same stand in one morning.... my best being our legal limit of does @ 3 per day.... shot all 3 in less than 20 minutes from the same treestand.

I know they won't be so quiet as to be no sound.... because there will still be the sonic crack.... but the actual blast will be controlled to a lower level.... unless that is if I was to shoot sub-sonic ammo, then it would be like a pellet rifle...
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Link 1 AWC Systems

Link 2 GEMTECH

Link 3 Yankee Hill Machine

Link 4 Liberty
 
The one's that I have shot have all been indoor's and ear protection was never needed, Hopefuly with in the next week or two I will be ale to give you a little more feed back! I paid for a YHM Phantom 7.62 stainless with the quick detach back in march, it went pending on April 9 and as of last week it is "in review". so it should be completed buy the end of the month. Im hoping anyways... I have four Rifle's setup ranging from 243win, 264LBC, 6x45, 223rem and soon a 17rem and i will be using it on all of them. so I should have a good idea how they work for a wide range of caliber's.
 
Originally Posted By: reddog964The one's that I have shot have all been indoor's and ear protection was never needed, Hopefuly with in the next week or two I will be ale to give you a little more feed back! I paid for a YHM Phantom 7.62 stainless with the quick detach back in march, it went pending on April 9 and as of last week it is "in review". so it should be completed buy the end of the month. Im hoping anyways... I have four Rifle's setup ranging from 243win, 264LBC, 6x45, 223rem and soon a 17rem and i will be using it on all of them. so I should have a good idea how they work for a wide range of caliber's.

Good deal, I have a .243, 25/06, and hopefully a .223 to get threaded so as to share one between them all. Thanks for posting.
 
Originally Posted By: zillaNot here.. It is illegal to shoot any critter in Wyoming with a silenced/supressed weapon.

Which makes all kinds of sense. If I'm a 10 year old rancher I can drive naked down the interstate on a tractor popping prairie dogs as I go, as long as its noisy
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There is a member here trying to get things changed in the next legislator session. If it goes through I'm sending paperwork to the atf pretty quick, already have a .223 ready to roll and a new 25-06 barrel ready to get threaded. I would love to be able to take new hunters out and be able to talk them through a shot.
 
Originally Posted By: Grizzly JohnsonHow many of you that hunt predators use a suppressor on your rifle?
i use a can on every gun i shoot, personally i never shoot without one.

Originally Posted By: Grizzly JohnsonWho makes the better/best based on dbl reduction and durability?opinions vary... i have shot, AAC, GEMTECH, KNIGHTS ARMAMENT, ELITE IRON, DAW, YHM, TBP, SILENCERCO, SWR, SRT ARMS, i like to hear as many options as possible befor i make a decision on my personal suppressors (luckily i have the opportunity to do so), IMHO while doing alot of side by sides with different manufacturers the SRT Arms O2 Hurricane XL Ti (.224cal works up the the 220swift) and Shadow O2 XL Ti (works up to the 300 RUM) have been the quietest i have heard, they are light, built very well, have inconel BB, and the O2 Hurricane XL Ti can be had for under 1K... now, Gemtech sounds very good as well, so does YHM and you can't beat a YHM for the $$$!!!

here is a quick vid of the O2 Hurricane XL Ti in action... ENJOY!!!


 
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Originally Posted By: Grizzly JohnsonAwesome man very good info, thanks for posting that video.
anytime buddy, i try not to "drink the koolaid" of specific manufacturers, which is why i have shot many different cans on many different platforms ranging from .22 - the Barrett .416, i'm just trying to give as much info as possible through my experience in shooting different suppressors... knowing most don't get the chance to do so, i really enjoy giving my opinion on subjects such as this, to help a new buyer make a more "educated" decision.
 
Originally Posted By: skinneyI'm just trying to give as much info as possible through my experience in shooting different suppressors... knowing most don't get the chance to do so, i really enjoy giving my opinion on subjects such as this, to help a new buyer make a more "educated" decision.

Stuff like that is what I am looking for, I don't have the place or time readily available to find out....

Seems like the Hurricane XL would be for me as long as it will shoot the 25/06 too.

The Shadow was for the .30 cal guns....

Their prices are pretty reasonable too.
 
the Hurricane wont work on a 25., you will need to move up to the 30 cal can... but Doug makes the Shadow in SS and its a bit cheaper than Ti... be sure you get the XL for a bolt rifle, it has an xtra baffle and it will be quieter, on the AR platform its better to not run the XL, it wont make your rifle cycle as hard!!!
 
skinney: That video is nothing short of fantastic. Personally I didnt think the UNsupressed rifle is all that bad...but man-oh-man is sounds like a battleship gun going off next to the supressed rifle. Thanks for the movie!
 
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Well here's my .02

I have shot the AWC thundertrap on a Remington 700 sps (~22-24" barrel) in .243
I have shot the YHM QD 7.62 SS phantom on a AR15 (16" barrel) .223

And various .22 suppressors.


I have hunted coyotes with both the AWC and the YHM. I can tell you that in certain cases the suppressor really helps in predator hunting. Sometimes it doesn't matter at all.

Case and point - First coyote that I shot with a suppressor was with the AWC - the decoy dog brought the yote to about 25 yrds away from me and I shot him square in the chest (DRT) flopped over. Now the distance was so short that it sounded like a .22 rf going off. Very little distance for the bullet to make the supersonic crack.

We walked ~ 100 yards and started calling down a draw and immediately had other coyotes calling back and bagged a dumb yearling also ~ 250 yrds with an unsuppressed 22-250.
Tried to call and got no more responses (was it due to the unsuppressed rifle? I don't really know)

Case 2 - calling in a coyote (high country timber pines and aspens) decoy dog brought the dog back in. Things got pretty crazy and close. Scope was on 3 power and the dogs were bouncing around. Harder than heck to keep the rifle steady while moving on target. Ended up pulling to trigger and missing the coyote at ~ 10 yrds (bullet went far and sounded about like a .22 mag). The dog ran off and we immediately called as it was running away. That dog didn't stop but we had a female answer from about 350 yrds. We went and hiked in a little closer and my buddy pulled the trigger at about 200yrds (I think the suppressor helped us because she wasn't as spooked as if I would have shot and missed the first coyote with an unsuppressed rifle).

Both case 1 and 2 were on the same day and my buddy was sold on getting one for him self.

Case 3 - driving down the road to go home from hunting (winter time) and a coyote is off running across a field. We stop the truck and I hope out. I shoot a few times and finally hit the coyote at about 200 yards (It wouldn't have mattered it the can was on or not).

Case 4 - A buddy of mine was hunting with a .223 suppressed remington 700 (integral but don't know the manufacture). He had two coyotes come in and he shot the first one and the second one started running towards him because it didnt' know which direction the shot came from. He ended up getting both. He has told me that the coyotes he has shot at and missed will 50% of the time run towards him because they can't place where the shot came from.

I think they are worth it because the sound is reduced and it "seems" to make it easier to get other coyotes to call after having shot. Also they "make" me a better shot because I am more sensitive to the muzzle blast without them than with them.

I like how much quieter it is. Don't go into it thinking it will be hollywood quiet. The suppressed ar15 .223 with a YHM 7.62 phantom on it sounds like a .22 mag to me when shooting it.

The bolt action suppressed on the other hand was quieter (to me shooting) (about .22 lr or .22 short).

I would recommend you to shoot one before you buy one to see if it is what you want. Many people want one but when they shoot one they are so disappointed that they aren't quieter they don't think they are worth the money. I took my wifes uncle shooting with me and he was amazed at how "loud" the ar15 was with the can on it. He didn't think it did that much..........until I took of the can and the 16" barrel rang his ears
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He still thinks the suppressed rifle is loud (at least louder than his perceived idea).

Also save up and get you a light weight Titanium one if possible. I didn't and wish I would have. Both the YHM SS and the AWR TT are SS and are heavy pigs. This makes it harder for me to shoot off hand and make the balance of the guns pretty crappy IMHO.

Also I would get a barrel pretty short as it make a lot of difference to how the rifle balances. I see that you are looking at three of your guns .243, .25-06 and .223

If it were me I would cut down you the rifle you are going to use the most to 16" so it would handle nicely.

I have been looking at building a 6.8 spc short barrel rifle with a 10-12.5" barrel just to help with the balance of the heavy cans.

I hope this helps. YMMV
 
Skinney, thanks for more good info my friend.

FrankR, I have no misconceptions about the noise level. If it can be tamed down to .22LR levels, I would be more than pleased..... I know the whisper quiet shots only happen in the movies due to that just being the way it is..... for show.

Not really worried about it affecting the hunting.... might even help at times, as you have said.

My main thing is for when I am making several shots in a row when hunting with rifles.... After many years of wing shooting and what-not, my ears are getting to be very sensitive to very loud noises. Sometimes after 1 shot, my ears will ring for 3-4 days and finially gives me a headache....

I have about decided to just stick to a bolt gun for price reasons and because I have never owned an AR before. Looking at the Rem. 700 Tactical .223 with 20" barrel.
 
Way to go Grizzley Johnson. You just had to come up with something else for me to spend money on. That was a cool video. I have to have one!!
 
I was checking things out on google when I was directed to a local forum I am already a member of. Anyway the statement I found below will keep me from ever owning a suppressor.



As mentioned any “silenced” rifle must be registered in the National Firearms and Transfer Record as defined in the National Firearms Act and in federal law (27 CFR Part 479) and a permit issued to that person. A photocopy of approved permit should be carried by the owner when the weapon is being transported. Colorado statute defines a “silenced” firearm as a dangerous weapon and it illegal to possess with a couple of exceptions such as having a permit (Title 18, Article 12, C.R.S.)
 
Originally Posted By: Jesse lackeyWhen you guys are hunting with a can, do u run sub sonic's?

I haven't hunted with one yet.... the videos I have watched on youtube show some guys shooting that combo.... makes it even quieter to shoot the sub-sonic ammo.




LUCKYDOG, sorry brother...... it's money... you can't take it with you when you die. So spend it and be happy... As far as debt when your gone, that's why people buy life insurance....
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I know in Tn we have to fill out a Class 3 application and have it signed by a law enforcement officer, such as the sheriff or the likes. The paperwork for the "stamp" cost $200 and must be approved before the sale can be completed. You must have the suppressor in your possession at all times along with the permit.... ie can't let your best buddy use it hunting without you being present. You can sell a suppressor to another individual but they must also apply for/or already have a stamp to legally own a suppressor.

As far as I know in Tn, the rifle does not have to be registered.... because you can take it off one rifle and put it on another, assuming the calibers the suppressor will support are the same.
 
I hunt with supersonic only right now. I have been looking into the 300 whisper/blackout etc.... but until I find a scope that I like within my price range that will do both subsonic and supersonic BDC for fast shots I will have to hold off.

The trajectory on the subsonics is pretty rainbow shaped and I don't have enough time/money to practice to get good with those style (unless it is subsonic .22lr).

Grizzly J-

I can totally understand about the noise and ringing in the ears.

I have worked for the gov and we did shoot unsuppressed at times from vehicles or near metal covert tubes (~6ft diameter) and the concussion was amazing.

The suppressor brings that noise way down and with the bolt action (or ar15 with the adjustable block turned off) it makes shooting from tight confines (inside buildings, vehicles, etc...) enjoyable for me [just wish someone else (besides Redjacket arms) made a practible shotgun suppessor also].

Like I said if I were to do it all over again I would definately go for Ti to save weight. I have even considered getting a rifle chambered in 5.7x28 because the new SilencerCo sparrow is .22 suppressor light and rated up to 5.7x28 and you wouldn't even notice it on the end of your rifle.
 
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