Thread: Why have a suppressor?

What is that you say? Speak up will you?

That is why I have one on my .308. I can't get back what is gone, but I can do something about what little is left.

I'll add in that I'm 52 and have had hearing aids for 4 years now! I did a lot of shooting in my younger days doing goat & pest control etc with no suppressor or muffs, I've paid the price.

The number one reason is hearing protection for me, and my companions. A must if shooting over a dog.

As mentioned there are some other benefits . There are a few down sides such as extra weight and length (although both are minor) and one more thing to go wrong.

Go for the shorter list. Why wouldn't you have a suppressor?

For me it will save my very acute hearing. To me the best sound in the world is little kids, even if they're crying, and I want to make sure I can hear them. Even though I'm too young for kids, I might even have grandkids one day in the very, very distant future.

Secondary is the reduction in recoil and the confusion it creates in game that hear the sonic crack and put their heads up to try and figure out where the sound came from.

Originally Posted by gadgetman

To me the best sound in the world is little kids, even if they're crying,

When I read that I knew in an instant you didn't have kids, lol.

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Originally Posted by SlowElliot

When I read that I knew in an instant you didn't have kids, lol.

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He does, he's just a really odd fellow, but he's ok

Originally Posted by Gibo

He does, he's just a really odd fellow, but he's ok

Debatable

Originally Posted by Gibo

He does, he's just a really odd fellow, but he's ok

Now Gibo, you know I'm far too young and good looking to have kids.

My first nephew had gut problems and was really hard to handle. There were a few times my sister arrived on the doorstep at stupid o'clock in order to hand him over to me. We grew an amazing bond. My kids are the same. Even though I'm too young for kids, aye @TimeRider?

Originally Posted by gadgetman

Now Gibo, you know I'm far too young and good looking to have kids.

My first nephew had gut problems and was really hard to handle. There were a few times my sister arrived on the doorstep at stupid o'clock in order to hand him over to me. We grew an amazing bond. My kids are the same. Even though I'm too young for kids, aye @TimeRider?

Kids are awesome.
But sometimes I do need to put a suppressor on my youngest,got a few different ones they all work great. Playstation, computer, iPhone 😁

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I like suppressors and have a few on different rifles but I think the "dosnt disturb animals" thing is over hyped. A suppressor has most benefit at at the muzzel and sounds good to the shooter but the further away from the muzzle the more the sonic boom from the projectile overnrides any blast from burning powder. The animal responses people talk about with suppressors Iv seen many times over with non suppressed rifles long before any rifle ever wore a can.

Wouldn't have a suppressor on me nose for a wart - let alone one on a centre-fire hunting rifle for bigger game, they bugger up the balance (unless you cut the barrel short enough to hugely reduce velocity), they look stupid, you can't have a fore sight (unless you want to hunt with a AR), and they are not that effective at either reducing noise (to the shooter/bystander, I have participated in tests that demonstrated this) or to game as Sneeze and others point out.

Just another fashion accessory marketed on dodgy science to a gullible public (in this case gun owners) as the "new cool". However they have been a goldmine to gun plumbers who've been able to thread the hundreds of rifles and thereby improving the collector value of the unmolested ones - so its an ill wind that blows no good.

And as for your hearing, wear earmuffs on the range ( secondary effect, yes you will shoot better if the perceived noise/muzzleblast is moderated) and when hunting don't ever put yourself in a position where you might cop muzzle-blast. I spent 3 years in the artillery, don't think I saw that many gunners wearing ear-muffs (I never did) and I still have good hearing.

Originally Posted by Tentman

Wouldn't have a suppressor on me nose for a wart - let alone one on a centre-fire hunting rifle for bigger game, they bugger up the balance (unless you cut the barrel short enough to hugely reduce velocity), they look stupid, you can't have a fore sight (unless you want to hunt with a AR), and they are not that effective at either reducing noise (to the shooter/bystander, I have participated in tests that demonstrated this) or to game as Sneeze and others point out.

Just another fashion accessory marketed on dodgy science to a gullible public (in this case gun owners) as the "new cool". However they have been a goldmine to gun plumbers who've been able to thread the hundreds of rifles and thereby improving the collector value of the unmolested ones - so its an ill wind that blows no good.

And as for your hearing, wear earmuffs on the range ( secondary effect, yes you will shoot better if the perceived noise/muzzleblast is moderated) and when hunting don't ever put yourself in a position where you might cop muzzle-blast. I spent 3 years in the artillery, don't think I saw that many gunners wearing ear-muffs (I never did) and I still have good hearing.

''Hugely reduce velocity'' Really?
Pretty to easy to test, and it doesn't. You loose maybe 25fps/Inch, Chop 4'' off your .308 and you go from 2750fps to 2650fps, you've lost 3.7% of your velocity, are you seriously concerned about that? A 165 grain .308 bullet for example, leaving the muzzle at 2750 has already dropped below 2650 after travelling 50m.

Originally Posted by tommygun

Chop 4'' off your .308 .

Yeah but 4" doesn't do anything to remedy balance and handling, to get that back to a nice parameter 6-10" has to go and that does have a big effect (and then you must use the suppressor or the muzzleblast is horrific).

Nothing wrong with building a bush rifle with a 18 or 20" barrel but to do that in a suppressed bush-pig your barrel is getting pretty short (for velocity) if you're going to step out onto the tops with it - your 308 is suddenly a 30-30!

Originally Posted by Tentman

Yeah but 4" doesn't do anything to remedy balance and handling, to get that back to a nice parameter 6-10" has to go and that does have a big effect (and then you must use the suppressor or the muzzleblast is horrific).

Nothing wrong with building a bush rifle with a 18 or 20" barrel but to do that in a suppressed bush-pig your barrel is getting pretty short (for velocity) if you're going to step out onto the tops with it - your 308 is suddenly a 30-30!

How much do you think suppressors weight? 10" of barrel to match the weight of one? Really?