My Hunting Suppressors

[WAB]

I really don't like the look of the things. Fortunately, shooting double rifles I need not worry.

Unfortunately wrist issues are forcing me towards vertical grips. Particularly tough given my preference for, and investment in, classic styled rifles.

 

[rinehart0050]

Nice setup. Which stock is that?

Blaser's R8 Professional Success stock. It comes in left or right handed, with leather inserts, can be made of wood, lots of different options.

We love it. Both my wife and I shoot the Blaser. We have barrels in 300WM and 375HH. Recoil is comfortable with either caliber.

 

[Philip Glass]

I've been hunting with a Thompson Machine 30 cal. can since 2015. I can't imagine hunting without one. Mine is the steel model which weighs in at almost 2 lb. but I never noticed it messing up the balance of my rifles. I've had that can on my 30-06, 308's, 300Blk, 6.5 Cr, and even on my 22LR. My rifles have barrel lengths from 16 to 20 inches so I guess that may help with the balance issues.
View attachment 502416

 

[Philip Glass]

I really don't like the look of the things. Fortunately, shooting double rifles I need not worry.

We all love classic safari rifles for sure.

 

[Philip Glass]

Unfortunately wrist issues are forcing me towards vertical grips. Particularly tough given my preference for, and investment in, classic styled rifles.

I also have wrist issues from time to time and the R8 pro success stock is very comfortable in this case.

 

[Forrest Halley]

The reduction of recoil should be noted with the use of a suppressor on a rifle that was previously uncompensated and devoid of a muzzle device as found in direct thread applications. Recoil actually increases a slight bit with my suppressor over the unsuppressed barrel equipped with either a flash hider or brake. Especially noted with the brake. Recoil is actually negative in braked AR without suppressor. With .300 WM the recoil is very minimal if the rifle can be held up by the user, it can be fired without fear of injury. I have yet to fire it without the suppressor and it has the same highly effective brake as the AR.

 

[crs]

Do not feel the need for a suppressor on my doubles or other rifles.
Especially true for the 26 inch barrels.

 

[mdwest]

I’ve thought about adding a couple of suppressors to the inventory… but have waived off over and over again… mostly out of laziness (don’t want to spend the time and energy setting up a trust, etc)… or being a cheapskate (hate dropping $700-$1k for a quality can, plus $200 for the stamp when I know there are good suppressors in Europe,Africa, etc for 1/3 the total cost)… or impatience (don’t want to wait 90-365 days for our government to do its thing after I spend $1200)…

But I think I’m finally ready to bite the proverbial bullet and pick up a couple… one that I could use for everything 22 (rim fire to centerfire) and one for everything else .30 and smaller…

 

[TXhunter65]

I would encourage anyone looking at purchasing a suppressor to consider AB Suppressors. I have a couple and have shot them on several different platforms, including their Little Bird 22, it's a little longer than the Sparrow but is less than half the weight and reduces decibels equally or more so. Also have a Raptor 8, I couldn't be happier with these products. Definitely worth a look, I looked at many suppressors before purchasing these.

 

[WAB]

@Philip Glass thanks for starting this thread. There is very good information here. I am looking for a short, light suppressor for a long range mountain rifle. I've narrowed it down to the Thunder Beast Ultra 5 Gen 2, the Dead Air Nomad TI and the SilencerCo Harvester EVO. I love my SilencerCo Omega, but the specs on the Thunder Beast Ultra 5 Gen 2 appear to lead the pack in size, weight and performance. How hard have you pushed yours? I wouldn't be doing a high rate of fire (bolt action mountain gun), but I don't want to be concerned about putting 30 or 40 rounds downrange in a session.

 

[WI-2021]

@Philip Glass thanks for starting this thread. There is very good information here. I am looking for a short, light suppressor for a long range mountain rifle. I've narrowed it down to the Thunder Beast Ultra 5 Gen 2, the Dead Air Nomad TI and the SilencerCo Harvester EVO. I love my SilencerCo Omega, but the specs on the Thunder Beast Ultra 5 Gen 2 appear to lead the pack in size, weight and performance. How hard have you pushed yours? I wouldn't be doing a high rate of fire (bolt action mountain gun), but I don't want to be concerned about putting 30 or 40 rounds downrange in a session.

The main constraint with all titanium suppressors is keeping the temperature under 800 degrees F. Assuming you're shooting at a remotely reasonable rate of fire, I wouldn't anticipate any issues on a bolt action rifle. The titanium cans tend to cool pretty quickly. That said, I've never tried to get a temperature reading off of a hot suppressor. Testing with an IR thermometer would be interesting to my inner nerd. Both TB and Dead Air are very responsive (haven't dealt with Silencerco at all) so you could also try asking them directly. The newer Diligent Defense Enticers are getting good reviews as well, but I have no experience with them.

As far as my hunting suppressors go, I started with a Dead Air Sandman-S, which I don't really consider a "hunting" suppressor anymore. It's just too heavy and had too much impact on the balance of my rifle. It's now relegated to use on semi-autos. My hunting suppressor is now a Dead Air Nomad LT which, in addition to being much lighter than the Sandman, is much quieter as well. I also have a Thunderbeast Ultra 5 in NFA jail. The Nomad is set up to use the Thunderbeast CB mounts, so I'll have the ability to swap between those two suppressors on my .30 caliber and under hunting rifles. I expect that some point of impact shift will occur between the two and re-zeroing will be required, so that's not something I'd do in the field.

The plan for these two suppressors is to use the Nomad LT primarily on a 16.5" .308 bolt gun. The Ultra 5 will primarily be used on my 24" 6.5 PRC and a 22" .300 WM that I'm starting the build process on. Common mounts mean that I do maintain the ability to switch it up rather easily though.

For rimfire, I have a Dead Air Mask, which I'm very happy with. For the over-.30 crowd, I have a Rex Silentium MG7 in .458 in NFA jail as well. Hopefully both the MG7 and the Ultra 5 will be approved soon. I'm about 1 year into the wait for both of them. I think I'm done buying suppressors for a while, but they're highly addictive.

 

[Philip Glass]

@Philip Glass thanks for starting this thread. There is very good information here. I am looking for a short, light suppressor for a long range mountain rifle. I've narrowed it down to the Thunder Beast Ultra 5 Gen 2, the Dead Air Nomad TI and the SilencerCo Harvester EVO. I love my SilencerCo Omega, but the specs on the Thunder Beast Ultra 5 Gen 2 appear to lead the pack in size, weight and performance. How hard have you pushed yours? I wouldn't be doing a high rate of fire (bolt action mountain gun), but I don't want to be concerned about putting 30 or 40 rounds downrange in a session.

I have yet to find any concerns with the Ultra 5. I am sure it is not full auto rated! I have done quite a bit of shooting at gongs at my range and had it heated up pretty good a few times. It seems to cool quickly. I also love the Omega and at the time I bought it there were few lighter than it. The Ultra 5 Gen 2 is in a league of its own from what Ive seen.
Thanks for the kind words and I hope many find my videos useful.
Regards,
Philip

 

[Philip Glass]

Do not feel the need for a suppressor on my doubles or other rifles.
Especially true for the 26 inch barrels.

I understand completely. I still do some hunting and shooting without a suppressor. I suppose my point is that you dont know what you are missing.

 

[Philip Glass]

I’ve thought about adding a couple of suppressors to the inventory… but have waived off over and over again… mostly out of laziness (don’t want to spend the time and energy setting up a trust, etc)… or being a cheapskate (hate dropping $700-$1k for a quality can, plus $200 for the stamp when I know there are good suppressors in Europe,Africa, etc for 1/3 the total cost)… or impatience (don’t want to wait 90-365 days for our government to do its thing after I spend $1200)…

But I think I’m finally ready to bite the proverbial bullet and pick up a couple… one that I could use for everything 22 (rim fire to centerfire) and one for everything else .30 and smaller…

For rimfire I think the SilencerCo Sparrow still leads the pack. Silencer Shop and Silencer Central do the trust for you with a click.

 

[Philip Glass]

The main constraint with all titanium suppressors is keeping the temperature under 800 degrees F. Assuming you're shooting at a remotely reasonable rate of fire, I wouldn't anticipate any issues on a bolt action rifle. The titanium cans tend to cool pretty quickly. That said, I've never tried to get a temperature reading off of a hot suppressor. Testing with an IR thermometer would be interesting to my inner nerd. Both TB and Dead Air are very responsive (haven't dealt with Silencerco at all) so you could also try asking them directly. The newer Diligent Defense Enticers are getting good reviews as well, but I have no experience with them.

As far as my hunting suppressors go, I started with a Dead Air Sandman-S, which I don't really consider a "hunting" suppressor anymore. It's just too heavy and had too much impact on the balance of my rifle. It's now relegated to use on semi-autos. My hunting suppressor is now a Dead Air Nomad LT which, in addition to being much lighter than the Sandman, is much quieter as well. I also have a Thunderbeast Ultra 5 in NFA jail. The Nomad is set up to use the Thunderbeast CB mounts, so I'll have the ability to swap between those two suppressors on my .30 caliber and under hunting rifles. I expect that some point of impact shift will occur between the two and re-zeroing will be required, so that's not something I'd do in the field.

The plan for these two suppressors is to use the Nomad LT primarily on a 16.5" .308 bolt gun. The Ultra 5 will primarily be used on my 24" 6.5 PRC and a 22" .300 WM that I'm starting the build process on. Common mounts mean that I do maintain the ability to switch it up rather easily though.

For rimfire, I have a Dead Air Mask, which I'm very happy with. For the over-.30 crowd, I have a Rex Silentium MG7 in .458 in NFA jail as well. Hopefully both the MG7 and the Ultra 5 will be approved soon. I'm about 1 year into the wait for both of them. I think I'm done buying suppressors for a while, but they're highly addictive.

Yes they are addictive!

 

[WI-2021]

For rimfire I think the SilencerCo Sparrow still leads the pack. Silencer Shop and Silencer Central do the trust for you with a click.

It should also be noted that a trust is not 100% necessary. My NFA items are owned as an individual. That said, individual ownership is a bit more limiting, as I need to maintain possession of them. With a trust, anyone on the trust can use them. If I had it to do over again, I'd have done a trust.

Other good options for rimfire suppressors include the Dead Air Mask, Rugged Occulus, Silencerco Switchback, and Thunderbeast Takedown .22.

 

[Philip Glass]

It should also be noted that a trust is not 100% necessary. My NFA items are owned as an individual. That said, individual ownership is a bit more limiting, as I need to maintain possession of them. With a trust, anyone on the trust can use them. If I had it to do over again, I'd have done a trust.

Other good options for rimfire suppressors include the Dead Air Mask, Rugged Occulus, Silencerco Switchback, and Thunderbeast Takedown .22.

correct. Mine are in an LLC. Thanks for the list of .22 suppressors. Now I'll have to have another one!

 

[mdwest]

I’ve thought about adding a couple of suppressors to the inventory… but have waived off over and over again… mostly out of laziness (don’t want to spend the time and energy setting up a trust, etc)… or being a cheapskate (hate dropping $700-$1k for a quality can, plus $200 for the stamp when I know there are good suppressors in Europe,Africa, etc for 1/3 the total cost)… or impatience (don’t want to wait 90-365 days for our government to do its thing after I spend $1200)…

But I think I’m finally ready to bite the proverbial bullet and pick up a couple… one that I could use for everything 22 (rim fire to centerfire) and one for everything else .30 and smaller…

So, finally bit the bullet today...

If anyone else is thinking about getting a compact 30 caliber suppressor, Silencer Central has the Yankee Hill Resonator K on sale at 50% off right now... its a 5.5" can rated up to 300 RUM.. for $324 (normally $649).. when you buy a can from SC, they will do an NFA trust for you for free as well (most attorneys I have talked to about setting up an NFA trust will charge between $60 (online option) to $150 to do the work.. so that's a pretty nice savings as well..

We'll see how long the ATF takes to process the paperwork and for me to take possession.. but at $324 I didn't think I would find a better deal,.. YHM has been at the suppressor game for a while, has a good reputation, etc.. I figured it was a good jumping off point and a 30 cal can will cover everything I have in the safe that has a threaded barrel with the exception of the 350 legend and 458 SOCOM.. I just might have to invest in a few adapters for the smaller calibers (223/556)..

 

[Inline6]

So, finally bit the bullet today...

If anyone else is thinking about getting a compact 30 caliber suppressor, Silencer Central has the Yankee Hill Resonator K on sale at 50% off right now... its a 5.5" can rated up to 300 RUM.. for $324 (normally $649).. when you buy a can from SC, they will do an NFA trust for you for free as well (most attorneys I have talked to about setting up an NFA trust will charge between $60 (online option) to $150 to do the work.. so that's a pretty nice savings as well..

We'll see how long the ATF takes to process the paperwork and for me to take possession.. but at $324 I didn't think I would find a better deal,.. YHM has been at the suppressor game for a while, has a good reputation, etc.. I figured it was a good jumping off point and a 30 cal can will cover everything I have in the safe that has a threaded barrel with the exception of the 350 legend and 458 SOCOM.. I just might have to invest in a few adapters for the smaller calibers (223/556)..

Bought 4 at the beginning of last year, average wait time was 80 days, 2 SBRs average time was 15 days. Order 2 more suppressors in August, I'm at 168 day and looking like it will be 280 days before they are out of jail.

Yankee Hill has been making them a while. You can go the pewpew science and see how they stack up against the competition. I would encourage you to try to look at a few others. TBAC is a very good can that is light weight and great sound reduction, like anything else you save weight you spend money to do so. KGM is another good company, their R223 hard use can is worth a look. A lot of can for the money, I'm not getting gas to the face with that can either. Another hard use can to look at would be a Huxwrx flow, it is not cheap. Otter Creek is another good band that is wallet friendly. Diligent Defense Co is another worth looking at.

I was very impressed with the experience of shooting suppressed. So much so I'm working on having a dedicated suppressor for each rifle...the lack of blast and concussion was eye opening.

Look luck on your journey, just get ready the are like Lay's potato chips Betcha can't get just one!

 

[WI-2021]

So, finally bit the bullet today...

If anyone else is thinking about getting a compact 30 caliber suppressor, Silencer Central has the Yankee Hill Resonator K on sale at 50% off right now... its a 5.5" can rated up to 300 RUM.. for $324 (normally $649).. when you buy a can from SC, they will do an NFA trust for you for free as well (most attorneys I have talked to about setting up an NFA trust will charge between $60 (online option) to $150 to do the work.. so that's a pretty nice savings as well..

We'll see how long the ATF takes to process the paperwork and for me to take possession.. but at $324 I didn't think I would find a better deal,.. YHM has been at the suppressor game for a while, has a good reputation, etc.. I figured it was a good jumping off point and a 30 cal can will cover everything I have in the safe that has a threaded barrel with the exception of the 350 legend and 458 SOCOM.. I just might have to invest in a few adapters for the smaller calibers (223/556)..

Congrats, I'm sure you'll enjoy it. That's an excellent deal as well. I was looking for a Resonator (the full-size version) for my first suppressor, but couldn't find one at the time, which is why I ended up with my Sandman. The Resonator K won't be extremely quiet, but that's the trade-off for small size and light weight. It will definitely be much better than unsuppressed. The deal you got almost makes me question whether I need yet another .30 caliber can.

Last I saw, ATF was working through e-forms submitted in April, 2022, so you'll probably be waiting for a while.

In one of your previous posts, you mentioned sharing a suppressor between .22 rimfire and centerfire. I'd advise against that, unless the can in question can be disassembled for cleaning. Rimfire cans are designed to be easily disassembled due to the lubricated lead bullets commonly used. Without cleaning, they'll eventually get packed full of lead. Your Resonator K will work fine on 223/5.56, so I'd buy one of the dedicated rimfire cans for your next one. Trust me, there will be a next one!