Shooting with a silencer... what does it do to your load?

[Lefty Trigger]

I just recently got my tax stamp back and picked up my "can". I have my 6BR dialed in and shooting less than an inch at 300 yards so I went to the range and tried my load at 300yds both with and with out the can. With out was as expected, 5 shots well inside an inch. I screwed on the can and shot 5 more, it picked up 5 FPS yet it dropped almost 9 inches? The grouping is close but it did open up a little, my ES and SD numbers went to shit though.
Sierra 70gr match king "with out can" 3462 es 19 sd 7.4
Sierra 70gr match king "with can" 3467 es 37 sd 13.5

 

[JEFFPPC]

You changed the harmonics, which is to be expected. Rezero, tweak load with can installed. This week I installed a muzzle brake on my 450 Bushmaster. Group went straight up close 10 inchs. Good news, 100 yd groups went from 1.5 to 1.0. 200 yd groups went from 4 inches to 2.0 inches. It's like adjusting a tuner. You change the harmonics, you change the results. Sometimes good, sometimes bad.

 

[DangerRanger]

3 moa is very normal from what I’ve seen, mine is exactly that on one rifle

i have rifles that shoot well both ways, but it’s always a little different. On something for extreme accuracy I develop the load for can on or off. It’s a lot of weight added on the end of the barrel.

 

[ckaberna]

Re-tune

 

[Capt. Oblivious]

I have a couple that I use on my rifles and the only thing that changed was POI

 

[boltfluter]

Luckily with mine, virtually nothing changed. Kind of shocked as my hunting 6 Dasher has a number 3 Kreiger. Just screw it on and go!
Paul

 

[bullseyeshtr]

I see a 2 MOA shift low when I put the can on. Also I haven't had an issue with groups opening up yet. They usually shoot the same or better than without the can.

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

POI shift so different zero for can, no can. So far all my loads shoot same or better with can, I have direct thread cans. Only issue I have seen is when I used a 1/2-28 to 5/8-24 adapter to avoid having to change the direct thread adapter on my suppressor. The group's open up. Biggest POI change from can to no can is with my TC Icon(30tc), shoots 3 inches higher without can from suppressor zero at 100 yards. My varmint contour barrels with 5/8-24 threads all are only a few clicks change at 100 yards.

 

[Juppe12]

with hunting rifle you get usually tighter groups when using factory ammo. But if you have low quality silencer then everything is possible. My friend did have on his Tikka T3 Hunter 308 cheapo silencer and groups were something like 100mm. When he bought new Stalon silencer groups went to below MOA on 100m

 

[andym686]

I have seen a POI shift, mostly lower, when adding the can. Generally, my groups are as good, maybe a little better with the suppressor on. I use it mostly on a 6mmBR, and a 222 Remington.
It is unbelievable how quiet the little 222 is with the muffler.
But, i haven't documented any changes with a chronograph, which is what Lefty Trigger is asking.
FYI: On both rifles, i'm using a Dead Air Nomad, with the E-brake.

 

[XTR]

My 308 POI goes up about 2 moa at 600.

 

[Lefty Trigger]

I have seen a POI shift, mostly lower, when adding the can. Generally, my groups are as good, maybe a little better with the suppressor on. I use it mostly on a 6mmBR, and a 222 Remington.
It is unbelievable how quiet the little 222 is with the muffler.
But, i haven't documented any changes with a chronograph, which is what Lefty Trigger is asking.
FYI: On both rifles, i'm using a Dead Air Nomad, with the E-brake.

Yeah I'm trying to get an idea of what to do with the load. Its weird that it got slightly faster (more push maybe) and the numbers went wonky. Group went from like 7/8 inch to maybe 1 1/8 inches at 300. Speed up or slow down the load with the can or try both ways?

 

[garandman]

I shoot both 224V and 6.5CM suppressed (both bolt guns) . It may even slightly tighten up groups. It definitely doesn't hurt. Slighte velocity boost. About a 2-3" poi shift. The Ops Inc 12th is a pretty heavy can.

 

[EOD Rob]

Echo all of the above. Suppressors can effect different guns differently. My rule of thumb is to do my load testing with the can on. Since this was not an option for you, then its time to retune your loads. The only thing I saw above that I have never ran into was the can making the rifle open up to 3MOA. All rifles I have used them on will shoot the same groups with or without can as far as group size goes.

 

[EOD Rob]

I would first try a littler load. Sounds like the increase is pushing you off the barrel's node. Just guessing. If that doesnt work, I guess go the other way.

 

[ballisticxlr]

Tiny velocity increase, definite POI change. No change to groupings.

 

[Oso]

My preference is to always shoot with a suppressor. I do my load development with the suppressor on the rifle. I don't see any material POI for majority of my rifles unless it has a lightweight/sporter barrel profile. Suppressor hangs 10-20 oz. off nose of gun so you want the rifle action secure/tight... bedding the action eliminates any chance of flex/play.

Lastly, a suppressor hold heat. If trying to cool-off barrel between strings then you might consider removing the suppressor to speed up the process. While using a Chamber Chiller (barrel fan), I noticed a big difference in amount of time to cool down the barrel. All of the heat gets pushed down the barrel into the suppressor keeping it as hot or hotter then when I just finished shooting the string. In turn this slows down the rate of cooling of the forward-most portion (4"-6") of barrel. When I removed the suppressor, both the barrel and suppressor cooled off much quicker.

 

[rockrat]

My can would change a 308 about 2" lower @100yds. Accuracy was unaffected

 

[AckleymanII]

If moving a barrel tuner 1/32 of a revolution can effect a group size, adding 6 Oz to the end of the barrel can surely have an effect on grouping.

Work up your load with the can on the barrel.

Of course, "Accuracy" can mean very different things to different people.

 

[Idaho-Lefty]

I'll STICK with, using "Brakes" on, all 3 of, my Varmint Rifles as, by the Time they "Hear" something,.. the Bullet HAS already, exploded,.. IN, them ! I just put, a Witt Mach SME ( Brake and Blast forwarding, Can ) on my Ar-14, just in case, I forget to put my ear Plugs in ( YUP, .. they "work" ! ) No ear, Ringing, "crack" and NO accuracy,.. loss !