Suppressors Suppressor advice needed for a first time buyer

[steve13]

Supers are Not hearing safe. I shot a deer with a suppressed 6.5 Grendel, and from several 100 yards away my dad said he was surprised by how loud it was.

i will be using subs

 

[hlee]

i will be using subs

Well, I haven't shot any 6.5 subs, in any cartridge, through my thunder chicken. But, I've shot plenty of sub 300 blackout. My uncalibrated mark1 mod0 ear says the impact is louder that the report (from an AR) so long as you're not the one shooting it. I wouldn't shoot it in my yard in the "burbs" but I wouldn't be concerned about noise conscious neighbors if my house sat on a few acres...

 

[EnXCess]

Thats a great idea! Do this^^^^

We've had 6.5mm versions of the Ultras for about four and a half years at this point. We sell plenty, but the .30's are definitely more popular. Most of the 6.5mm buyers have multiple cans already and want something to dedicate to their 6.5mm and 6mm rifles.

What you get with a dedicated 6.5mm stack (not just endcap) in the Ultra series is a 2-4 dB improvement, which is about the same difference as going from an Ultra 9 to and Ultra 7. So you put it one way, you can shoot a 6.5 Ultra 7 on your .260 and it will sound almost identical to a .30 cal Ultra 9 on the same rifle.

If someone has multiple cans and a lot of money, sure, buy a 6.5 can. For the other 99.8% of can purchasers, they are a stupid investment.

2-4 decibels is not worth worrying about. Even with a 6.5 suppressor you are still not going to be able to shoot a match without some kind of ear pro, and foam plugs in the ear (but only barely into the canal) knock off way more than 2-4 decibels.

Second, if you are going to shoot with dirty can on your 6.5, you will probably be more accurate with a 30-cal can, because even as the baffles holes get smaller with carbon buildup they will still be large enough to not affect the bullet as much.

The baffle holes do affect the bullet. With my 13 oz. 30-cal can on, my .204 shoots 3/4 MOA higher than with my 9 oz. .223 suppressor on. You would think the added weight would make it shoot lower, but that is not the case.

As with the 6.5 can you described, my .204 is just as quiet with my 9" 30-cal can on as with my 7" 223 suppressor on. But even my 30-cal in its 7" configuration is sooooooooooo much better than unsupressed that it really does not matter to me which is on there, noise-wise. The ability to easily clean my baffles and the option of shooting my 30-cal in either a 7" configuration or a 9" is vastly more important that which one knocks off 2-4 decibels more than another.

 

[Zak Smith]

There are a lot of guys on SH shooting dedicated 6.5 cans and I'm pretty sure they don't look at them as a "stupid investment."

On a fully floated bolt rifle that does not have weird harmonic/vibration issues, if two cans are mounted true, the heavier one will virtually always have a lower POI. Things that can go against that pattern are mounting problems, the suppressor isn't concentric to its own mount, or internal asymmetry.

If a few dB's don't matter, one might wonder why ever shoot the longer configuration.

Just a few things to think about.

 

[HansohnBrothers]

If someone has multiple cans and a lot of money, sure, buy a 6.5 can. For the other 99.8% of can purchasers, they are a stupid investment.

That's a very broad statement. Bore matched silencers will always outperform overbore silencers, all things being equal. For me personally, I have no need for a .30 caliber silencer since the largest caliber I own is 6.5mm.

2-4 decibels is not worth worrying about. Even with a 6.5 suppressor you are still not going to be able to shoot a match without some kind of ear pro, and foam plugs in the ear (but only barely into the canal) knock off way more than 2-4 decibels.

4 db is a big deal. Testing my 6.5 CM with a TBAC Ultra 9-6.5, I'm generally in the low 120db range at the ear: that's hearing safe. The Ultra 9 .30 on 6.5 is audibly louder than the 6.5 version.

Second, if you are going to shoot with dirty can on your 6.5, you will probably be more accurate with a 30-cal can, because even as the baffles holes get smaller with carbon buildup they will still be large enough to not affect the bullet as much.

In my experience, that is not that case at all.

The baffle holes do affect the bullet. With my 13 oz. 30-cal can on, my .204 shoots 3/4 MOA higher than with my 9 oz. .223 suppressor on. You would think the added weight would make it shoot lower, but that is not the case.

Every silencer/rifle/ammunition combination is different.

As with the 6.5 can you described, my .204 is just as quiet with my 9" 30-cal can on as with my 7" 223 suppressor on. But even my 30-cal in its 7" configuration is sooooooooooo much better than unsupressed that it really does not matter to me which is on there, noise-wise. The ability to easily clean my baffles and the option of shooting my 30-cal in either a 7" configuration or a 9" is vastly more important that which one knocks off 2-4 decibels more than another.

Whatever works for you is best for you.

 

[Caseylee]

My first can is a stainless Lane Scorpion 556. It’s heavy but sounds fine. I get my Banish 30 out of jail thisbmonth as my approval went through April 1st! (340 days and counting).

I think lightweight is the biggest benefit to me. Also for me in the MN deer woods in a box blind, short is nice as well.

I only have direct thread cans so I can’t contribute on qd mounts.

 

[EnXCess]

4 db is a big deal. Testing my 6.5 CM with a TBAC Ultra 9-6.5, I'm generally in the low 120db range at the ear: that's hearing safe. The Ultra 9 .30 on 6.5 is audibly louder than the 6.5 version.

Yes, of course the 30 is louder, but I think it is a mistake to shoot ANY serious CF rifle VERY MUCH without at least mild ear pro, regardless of make or model suppressor. The 6.5 is no exception. It is fine to shoot a deer or something without any ear pro, but it is asking for tinnitus (which is permanent, by the way) to do sustained shooting. You may get away with it if your muzzle is over grass or dirt, but move to where you are over rocks, concrete, etc., and you will be getting damage.

Thinking you can shoot any 2,400 fps+ CF without anything over or in your ears is dumber than buying a 6.5 suppressor!

 

[EnXCess]

On a fully floated bolt rifle that does not have weird harmonic/vibration issues, if two cans are mounted true, the heavier one will virtually always have a lower POI. Things that can go against that pattern are mounting problems, the suppressor isn't concentric to its own mount, or internal asymmetry.

If a few dB's don't matter, one might wonder why ever shoot the longer configuration.

I have found that to be true on sporter-weight barrels where the difference in suppressor weight is great, but not at all true on heavy barrels where the can weight difference is on a few ounces. I also find that even with a heavy barrel, shooting it without a suppressor almost always results in different POI's from shooting with, but the barrel when suppressed might shoot the left, right, down or up compared to the non-suppressed POI. The weight of the can does not droop the heavy barrel much, but the change in harmonics plus the size and orientation of the baffle holes (which are not round) makes a far greater change in POI than the "droop" factor does. I would think someone who sold suppressors would know this.

I'm not the least bit concerned about the Mack Brothers' ability to build cans with internal symmetry and straight mounts, or my gunsmith's ability to thread my muzzles straight. But if you have any doubt about straightness it is easy (on a bolt rifle) to remove the bolt, set the rifle on a rest with the butt pointed at the bright sky, and then look in through the suppressor and see if the three circles you can see are all perfectly concentric to each other. Both my Banish are perfectly concentric.

Why shoot the longer configuration? Mainly because in some hunting/varmint-shooting situations I want maximum suppression because of the effect on the animals, and/or so I can get by with less ear pro in order to be able to hear the animals (without having to wear electronic ear pro for hours).

 

[NateVA]

I would think someone who sold suppressors would know this.

What you mean to say is that you'd think someone who sold suppressors would agree with you, since you're not an actual authority on the subject but think what you're saying is 100% correct. Can you tell me an area of suppressed shooting that @Zak Smith could tell you something about and not have you push back and condescend him?

 

[Kisssofdeath]

For a do all suppressor the Griffin Bushwacker 46 appears to be hard to beat. For someone who only wants one suppressor this, IMO would be one to consider.

FWIW, I have 4 suppressors. I'm just listing these to give people new to suppressors an idea for what they might consider.

First, bought the Silencerco SpecWar 7.62. It is used on any centerfire that will take the ASR muzzle brake. Currently that is 5 rifles I have.
Second, bought the Silencerco Sparrow for anything rimfire.
Third, bought the AAC Ti-Rant 45M for anything pistol caliber. And if I want to I can and have shot 300 Blackout suppressed and rimfire through it.
Fourth, bought dedicated TBAC Ultra 9 in 6.5 CM for my Tikka T3x CTR.

I really didn't need the TBAC but I wanted to get the most accuracy while suppressed from the Tikka.

Only thing I regret is the Ti-Rant has aluminum baffles.