Total newbie to suppressors

[7br]

I’m leaning towards buying my first suppressor and have no previous experience with them. The intended use will be for groundhog hunting in a fairly heavy populated area. The terrain of the local farms that I hunt limit shots to about 250 yards, and a couple of spots that are maybe 300 yards max. I use .204 Ruger, 223 Wylde and .22/250. I’m thinking about a .22 cal. suppressor. Will that also be effective on the .204? I see pictures that some members here post of their suppressed big game hunting rigs. I’m fairly sure they’re not using subsonic loads for long shots at deer, elk, etc. Do those suppressors effectively reduce the noise levels? Thanks in advance for your information.

 

[LVLAaron]

People REALLY nerd out on this topic, so expect a lot of noise and opinions.

I have 3 cans
- homemade (legal, yes)
- Silencerco Saker 556
- Silencerco 36M (up to 338 projectiles)

And let me tell ya something. The difference between any of them on a 223 round isn't enough to care about. Yes they're different, but it doesn't matter. There is only so much they can do on a supersonic round. They all will remove the noise from the powder explosion, but you still get the supersonic crack.

Buy one that has an attachment system you like.
Buy one that can be serviced by the manufacturer. If you ever get a baffle strike it's nice to know they're repairable. Some of the fancy pants 3d printed titanium ones are not.

 

[jpx2rk]

I use a Silencerco Harvester 30 cal on everything I've got threaded from 20P up to 6mmBR. I don't own a 30 cal. The 20P and 204R with this silencer is mouse fart quiet, and no recoil. No effect on accuracy, just a scope adjustment due to the weight of the can on the muzzle

 

[Presis Skytter]

Yes a 22 cal suppressor will be effective on the 204. If you have other rifles (say something in 30 cal), I’d recommend sizing up to a 30 cal suppressor as they also would work well. Just my input.

 

[Fire Dog]

People REALLY nerd out on this topic, so expect a lot of noise and opinions.

I have 3 cans
- homemade (legal, yes)
- Silencerco Saker 556
- Silencerco 36M (up to 338 projectiles)

And let me tell ya something. The difference between any of them on a 223 round isn't enough to care about. Yes they're different, but it doesn't matter. There is only so much they can do on a supersonic round. They all will remove the noise from the powder explosion, but you still get the supersonic crack.

Buy one that has an attachment system you like.
Buy one that can be serviced by the manufacturer. If you ever get a baffle strike it's nice to know they're repairable. Some of the fancy pants 3d printed titanium ones are not.

Perhaps by accident or perhaps by intention.. It appealed to my sense of humour. {:~)
“..So expect a lot of NOISE and opinions.”

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

I also run a Harvester 30 on 223, 22-250 and my 30's. On my 223 carbine it sounds like a 10/22, when hunting I hear the buffer/spring run. It's usually on my 21 3/4" 22-250. When stalking coyote during the day, if I find a pair, if I kill the first(head shooting sleepers) the second will rarely run more than a few yards before stopping and turning to look back at the first. I'm running loads near book max. To my ear it is quieter than my 223/556 Sig on my 223's. The Sig works well on my 204R with a 22" barrel. Barrel length does figure into what the can will handle pressure wise. And if intending to run on multiple barrel contours, you will want to be able to switch the thread on adapter (1/2-28, 5/8-24). I like direct thread cans for hunting. Torque to brand/model specs, never have had one loosen. I use copper anti-seize on threads. My next will be serviceable can for rimfire use.

 

[C.E.Smith043]

Go with a 30 caliber because you'll never notice the difference between it and I dedicated 22 caliber your ears just can't hear that difference.

I prefer to keep mine around 6 in or under on the length and I prefer them to be below 16 oz. Titanium is where it's at

 

[kelbro]

There will be a reduction in noise but not enough to leave your hearing protection in the truck.

I have a 30 cal can on a 300BO and if you are shooting subs, you don't need ear protection.

I have a 22 cal can on my 10/22 and if you are shooting subs, all you can hear is the bolt cycling.

I have a 45 cal can on my HK45CT and I can barely tell a difference, even with subs.

 

[alintx]

Silencerco Omega 30 cal here. Run it on everything from 221 fireball to 300 win mag. One and done . You won't be sorry

 

[alf]

You never seem to see it in print, but the terrain you shoot in has a bigger impact than the difference in most individual cans.

 

[LVLAaron]

Silencerco Omega 30 cal here. Run it on everything from 221 fireball to 300 win mag. One and done . You won't be sorry

Yup. The nice thing about SiCo (and some others) is the end cap is swappable.

 

[Phillip Crowe]

Listen to CE Smith. Good advice. Direct thread for simplicity, lower weight and lower cost. I have the SilencerCo Scythe on my hunting rifles. It's so lightweight you really don't notice it. Chances are, once you buy one, sooner or later you'll have another one or three. Highly recommended for hunting rifles.

 

[joshb]

I was on the fence for a long time. A couple years ago, a new friend was visiting and we started talking about suppressors. I posed my doubts and “whined” about the cost being worth it. He went to his truck and pulled out his suppressed 223. He took aim at a tree and fired. I didn’t have time to cover my ears, a natural reaction for me as I already have damage. The report wasn’t Hollywood quiet but it was a LOT less than an unsuppressed rifle. I bought one the next week.

 

[LVLAaron]

And when you get into 300black out, 338 arc, etc it is SUPER fun because they are silent!

 

[LVLAaron]

Working the bolt is louder than the shot.

 

[Oso]

Typically, for your 1st suppressor I would recommend a .30 cal suppressor so that it can be used on almost everything you might shoot. However, you have a specific purpose and group of cartridges so a .22 cal suppressor makes sense.

Something to consider is the barrel diameter of your rifles. A .22 cal suppressors require at least a 1/2”x28tpi threaded muzzle. If your rifles have lighter tapered barrels and/or you will be shooting a higher volume then you should consider buying a light suppressor (titanium) to reduce amount of POI shift as barrel gets warm/hot.

The supersonic crack occurs throughout the entire flight of bullet from muzzle to target/impact so there in no way to reduced this particular sound, but you can reduce the sound of the ignition/combustion (the “Bang”). With the smaller cartridges that you’ve mentioned, you don’t need a full length suppressor (+-9”). A mid-size suppressor (+-7”) will capture majority of noise (bang). The extra 2” length is really just added weight that may/may not affect your POI.

Direct thread works great on bolt rifle and saves you some weight as well as the extra cost of buying QD mounts ($50-$100 each) for each rifle.

The difference in weight of a full size suppressor (9”) that is all steel construction can be 18oz - 24oz, whereas a titanium suppressor can be 9oz - 17oz. This is a huge difference hanging off end of your barrel.

Keep in mind that at this point in time buying a suppressor isn’t like buying a gun… it is more like getting married. You are stuck with it Spend as much as you can afford. Treat this purchase like buying a really nice rifle that you always take with you, and not just a shooting accessory.

 

[Fire Dog]

Any option about “Over the Barrel” suppressors?
That seems to be the way to go to reduce the amount of weight hanging off the end of the barrel.

 

[JB10]

Buy one good for up to 30 cal. After using it you will want one for every rifle. I use a 30 cal compatible one fron 20 cal up to 6.5 cal. I leave the 30 cal end cap on even when shooting a 20 cal. Me personally i prefer a direct thread on. I bought one with 1/2×28 threads and one with 5/8×24. Once sighted in i can swap from rifle to rifle and does not effect accuracy.

 

[slm9s]

I took the plunge 2 years ago (so glad I did) and after doing research I bought 2 Scythes for my elk rifles. 2 Diligent Defense Enticer Ls for target rifles (great performance on PewResearch for the $). These are great, but then I got a ThunderBeast 338 Ultra Gen 2 RR/SR for my 338RUM and Lapua LR rifles and that thing is unbelievable.
Good luck, soon you'll be threading all your barrels!

 

[bradb]

SilencerCo Scythe Ti failures

If you’ve experienced catastrophic failure of the Scythe Ti, please post the following: 1. Cartridge or cartridges used with approximate round count 2. Barrel length 3. Factory ammo, hand loads or both 4. Details of ammunition 5. Details of failure (to include failure point and pics)

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