Suppressor will I see more follow up shots while hunting?

NDAR15MAN

NDAR15MAN

Member
Last week at range a guy had a suppressor on AR15 223 cal and a 308 cal bolt gun. I was not impressed with the sound reduction of both guns. Shooter told me he invested $1000.00 in each suppressor. I was thinking About buying suppressor on the same calibers for coyote , PD , deer hunting. Question ......from the sound reduction I heard from these 2 suppressor the only real advantage a hunter would have would be shooting long range shots from 600-1000 yards. The coyote , deer , ect might not hear the 1st shot and allow you a follow up shot. Any of you suppressor hunters have some positive experience getting follow up shots if you miss first shot ? From what I heard from the range last week It does not seem a suppressor would give you any advantage unless at very long distance shooting. Your thoughts. Thanks. Md.
 
It's not a matter of follow up shots.
If you're looking for those, quit missing.

What it WILL allow, is for you to make more sets in a smaller area.

We have had numerous situations where we call a coyote on our first set, make a kill, film some post hunt stuff. Walk 3-400 yds over to the other side of a hill and call again and bring a 2nd one that was sleeping the whole time. It happens with alarming frequency.

Yes, you can get lucky and get off follow up shots, but don't plan on the suppressor being the reason. You'll just be disappointed.

Also, using a can on an AR15 or AR10, is a let down, if you're hoping for "mouse fart" suppression levels, even running subsonic ammo. Bolt guns are where they really start to sound good.
 
I hunted with a fellow last year that had a can on a 29 VARTARG. In a steady 15 mph wind I could not hear his shot at a fox from 100 yards away. And that evening we lost count of the fox we called in but I have never seen so many doubles coming to the call.. I would be willing to bet the 2nd never heard the first shot in most of those cases
 
Originally Posted By: cbass16
What it WILL allow, is for you to make more sets in a smaller area.


Exactly, I usually chat with hundreds of guys annually about cans, having ran over 50 (different makes/mods) now in field of hunting and shooting, and gaining more experience each day, many think a can is going give you more follow ups, which it may or may not.
Coyotes are skiddish by nature, hearing 10's of thousands of cycles higher and lower than you or I are capable of. You could honestly call in a pack of 5 coyotes and get the lead coyote within yards of you, shoot at it with a bow (which is much quieter than any suppressed set up), and still have the other 4 coyotes bolt, because they heard the miniscule sound of the bow string snap.
What I've found over the past decade running cans is this. Killing the initial lead coyote, while having the possibility of a quicker easier more efficient follow up on 2nd, or 3rd node coyotes. You can never "fully" suppress the supersonic round, there currently is no technology for masking that, which is why you have to settle for subs to get the best suppression levels, however, a can does effectively mask your initial muzzle blast, at least a good one does, to the point where those 2nd or 3rd stringers may think the sound (gun shot) is in another section or township, and still feel it's within their comfort zone to come in and investigate your calling set.
I could type pages on the pro's about hunting and shooting with a can. Stories in the field you would laugh at, stories you wouldn't believe if I didn't have footage to back it up... Credit the can, or the credit the scenarios we put ourselves in by repetitious sets. I personally feel they are an advantage, and I can use any advantage I can get!
 
Skinny

new to this but my question is. Can you use a 30 cal can on a 223? Will be using a bolt gun with 17" barrel. How much do you lose by doing this? Am I asking too much from the 30 cal can?

Thanks
 
Originally Posted By: wantabeSkinny

new to this but my question is. Can you use a 30 cal can on a 223? Will be using a bolt gun with 17" barrel. How much do you lose by doing this? Am I asking too much from the 30 cal can?

Thanks

You'll be fine, if you want maximum suppression it's best to go caliber specific. Most guys can't justify the cost of running multiple cans. I'll put it this way, your better off running an overbore can, than you are not running one at all!
 
Also, shooting under a canopy, especially a metal one makes the report of a suppressed weapon seem louder than it would if you were out in the open.
 
I am no pro when it comes to suppression(or anything else for that matter), but I have gone the suppressed route for mainly one reason. I can now hunt most situations without hearing protection. That alone makes the investment worth it for me. The rest of the benefits is just gravy(for me)
 
Originally Posted By: AzDiamondHeatI am no pro when it comes to suppression(or anything else for that matter), but I have gone the suppressed route for mainly one reason. I can now hunt most situations without hearing protection. That alone makes the investment worth it for me. The rest of the benefits is just gravy(for me)

Exactly... for example we almost always film as a team, whether it's a 2 or 3 man team, having a suppressor makes it so much easier to communicate knowing your not going to ring anyone's ear drums.
Also if you have kids, it's an amazing way to protect their hearing, and not have any obstructions ie. plugs, muffs etc. allowing you to make clear communication while instructing and teaching.
 
Yes. And no. We hunt with suppressors and thermals.
No.
On the farms we hunt heavily, the pigs have learned that ANY noise means its time to leave. We shoot supersonic ammo and they hear the sonic crack, the action cycle, and the bullet impact I'm sure. But we can stalk and communicate because we don't have ear plugs in, and we can hear what noise we make in stubble. We can also call hits because the impacts are audible. This makes it easier to find the pigs after we shoot.
Yes.
When we hunt new farms , the pigs don't seem to be able to localize the shots, and they are alerted but not all out spooked. On these fields we are able to get several followup shots on standing or walking pigs instead of hauling-butt pigs. Sometimes if we shoot the far pigs in a sounder first, others will run towards us and look back at the spot they heard the bullet impact.
In the same vein, as mentioned above, we can move to a field several hundred yards away and find pigs quietly feeding, unalarmed.

We give pigs bad dreams
smile.gif
 
Thought I'd throw in my limited experience. I now own three suppressors, with that said I only have two in my possession and am waiting for my latest one (silencerco omega) to get out of jail.
I have an OSS and really like it, I also have a saker 7.62 with a 556 end cap. My son uses the saker so my experience with the saker is limited. The OSS is on my current go to rock River AR. I don't have anywhere near the experience Skinney has but I have noticed a difference more than not when I miss the first shot and the coyote starts to run one of three things happen.
1- It doesn't seem to bolt away as fast (maybe because the noise is less?) and gives me a follow up shot. But the best advise don't miss the first shot, that is by far your highest and best percentage shot.
2- it may not realize which way to run
3- sometimes it makes no difference at all, they kick it in to warp 7 and are gone.

I don't think I will ever hunt Coyotes without a can again I really like them. I believe they add value to you ability to hunt effectively. I also believe there are situations that may make no difference but for me I'm hooked !

I really can't say it would be different without the suppressor in each situation because really how do you really know?
 
Originally Posted By: g Bo
I don't think I will ever hunt Coyotes without a can again I really like them. I believe they add value to you ability to hunt effectively.

I really can't say it would be different without the suppressor in each situation because really how do you really know?

Absolutely, I consider not running a can about as much as I consider cutting the muffler off my Raptor
wink.gif


As to each scenario is different, that is the simplest easiest explanation, you never know.
 
I feel that coyotes (if given large swaths of land) still live next to each other. I find that if you can find coyotes in a spot, it's worth while to look around the area, as you may call in one, but the neighbors may be in the area too.
When I go out suppressed, i have called in more that one coyote on more than one stand without having to move the truck. I haven't been able to make that work well without a can.

I have a friend i hunt with that had a 223 and 30cal can, even with the equipment to measure, it was only 2 dec difference between the two cans on the same gun, same bullets. Also if you tuck back under a cedar, when you shoot past the cedar, the coyotes seem to be completely confused on where the sound is coming from, and they don't react the same as when you shoot at them without a can. Personal non-scientific experience.
 
Natural vegetation and surrounding will definitely help your sound suppression.
You will not be impressed as others have said when running a can on a semi auto rifle. You won't be impressed while hearing a suppressed rifle at the range either as others mentioned.
I love to introduce new shooters to a suppressed weapon, it really lets them enjoy shooting a lot more I think. My buddies sons were shooting silhouettes this weekend with my CZ 455 at 219 yards and couldn't get enough of it.
 
I don't need follow up shots but in my coyote calling time using a suppressor I can say for a fact that when I/we have shot a coyote in a dip/gully/or slight depression we have also shot another popping up from another direction that never heard the sound or recognized it as danger. Last week we shot 3 that came in together but about 30 yards apart and after the 1st one was shot the other 2 trotted off 20 yards and came back and we shot them. I don't think they recognized the muffled shots in this rolling hilly/tall grassed area.
This took place within 80 yards total.
I shot 2 antelope at 244 yards suppressed and the 1st one that took a thwap and dropped the second was just startled to see the other drop but did not run off so I filled 2 tags within 30 seconds. I feel the second one felt the 1st one was just laying down from watching it.
When shooting p-dogs suppressed from 100-600 yards I don't have them all diving into their holes after one unsuppressed boom, so at longer ranges IMO it is not as apparent as the standard muzzle blast that rolls through gullies or open areas.
It is 100% better to be suppressed no matter the area. Hilly protected terrain muffles any sound over say a side hill 70-100+ yards from you.
 
Originally Posted By: Tbone-AZ

I have a friend i hunt with that had a 223 and 30cal can, even with the equipment to measure, it was only 2 dec difference between the two cans on the same gun, same bullets.

What was the equipment used to measure?
 
i used to have a reflex T8 sound mod on my rem 308 ltr but got my rem 233 screw cut the same
and swapped them between the two rifles when needed.
the T8 worked a treat on the 223,i use to very often get two foxes within minutes of each other while out lamping of a night.

i will admit the T8 does add a fair bit of weight to the end of the rifle.
 
One winter a friends grain cart full of corn was sitting off the corner of his remaining standing corn. I layed on top and called 4 coyotes out ,one at a time. All four died one shot each from my 22-250. The grain was heaped in the center so the muzzle was inside above the cart sides. My buddy was 1/2 mile away,almost no wind, he did not hear any of the shots. Ever since I have been hoping Mn would allow suppressors.
 


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