Suppression/Silencers On 375HH Rifles

[Justbryan]

Justbryan, what are downsides to using a suppressor.?
what I hear so far is balance ,weight, tradition, manliness, appearance . Any others ?
Cleaning? Accuracy? Please tell me your experience ! I actually have one on order for my coyote gun 204 which came threaded for the purpose. I shoot a lot of the fawn eating varmints and I’m thinking it will improve my sneaky factor!

Most suppressors are rather light and not a problem for plains game. Not a balance issue or appearance problem for me. I used for plains game only. I kind of like being different and making up my own mind.

The suppressor is great for blinds, stands, back of truck, still hunting. It is difficult to use waking in the bush or on dangerous game where a quick reaction is a must. All the quys laughing on this site have never tried it on a 375 but they do have a valid point about the downfalls. I left the suppressor home on my second trip because of dangerous game hunt.

My experience on my 223 or 308 is completely different. I would never go shoot or hunt without my suppressor. It is accurate but doesn’t help with “sneaky factor.” Suppressors are never Hollywood quite like in the movies.

 

[Sika98k]

Justbryan, what are downsides to using a suppressor.?
what I hear so far is balance ,weight, tradition, manliness, appearance . Any others ?
Cleaning? Accuracy? Please tell me your experience ! I actually have one on order for my coyote gun 204 which came threaded for the purpose. I shoot a lot of the fawn eating varmints and I’m thinking it will improve my sneaky factor!

Suppressors are used a lot in Ireland and the U.K. If you visited a range I imagine suppressed rifles would be a majority. They have come on a lot since I first hung a bit of gunmetal tubing off the end of my rifle. My current Freyr&Devik moderator weighs 196 grams, that’s half the weight of my previous Hausken moderator which again was a revelation when replacing whatever I had before that.
There is the advantage of reduced recoil and less muzzle flip. Most users find they improve accuracy. Would I fit one to my Rigby 275 ? That’s a No.
would I use one on my A Bolt 375 on the range ? Yes. That’s what the original post was about.

 

[Whacker]

With the year long wait it takes to pass background and the 1k plus dollars it costs I think I’ll just buy another Model 70 Winchester and spend my wait time on ammo to come back in stock

 

[375Fox]

I use a suppressor on my 375 H&H. I use a Bowers Versa50. I did intend on using it but I contacted Bowers and was given the green light to shoot 300 to 350 grain through the can.

I took it to Africa and it was very quite. This is my 375 in picture. Since pic I have different 375 with shorter barrel.View attachment 385813

I have no knowledge about suppressors, but what are the rules for putting this on an airplane? I thought there were a lot of restrictions around who could be in contact with a suppressor/you no longer in possession of it?

 

[Newboomer]

My PH had me use one on my first hunt. It was a 243 with a 24 inch bbl, a light rifle. Add about 6-8 inches out front and it was awkward as hell.Muzzle heavy and quite unbalanced. The overall length made it a bitch in thicker bush. Being a 243, I didn't notice any recoil reduction but it was quieter.
Nothing I am interested in for any gun. For the price and red tape I can buy a good rifle.

 

[Justbryan]

I have no knowledge about suppressors, but what are the rules for putting this on an airplane? I thought there were a lot of restrictions around who could be in contact with a suppressor/you no longer in possession of it?

I just added them to Custom & Border Patrol CBP Form 4457. Packed them in my locked gun case and nobody has every looked at them. I put a copy of the paperwork in the rifle case. In Africa they don't care about suppressors only guns and ammo. My advice is use a rifle clearing house like Rifle Permits and they will guide you about current laws and requirements.

 

[Justbryan]

My PH had me use one on my first hunt. It was a 243 with a 24 inch bbl, a light rifle. Add about 6-8 inches out front and it was awkward as hell. Muzzle heavy and quite unbalanced. The overall length made it a bitch in thicker bush. Being a 243, I didn't notice any recoil reduction but it was quieter.
Nothing I am interested in for any gun. For the price and red tape I can buy a good rifle.

What most people don't understand is that a suppressed rifle can be shortened when threaded without much loss of velocity. I shoot a 20" 375 H&H (this one is too long and too heavy), 18" 308 (25" with suppressor), 20" 300 WSM (27" with suppressor), and a 18" 223 Win (24" with suppressor). These are pushing the limits of each suppressor. Going to short can be too much pressure for some suppressors. Todays new suppressors can be as light as 8oz to 12oz. Balance is not a problem to me. I think on some rifles the balance is improved.

 

[375Fox]

I just added them to Custom & Border Patrol CBP Form 4457. Packed them in my locked gun case and nobody has every looked at them. I put a copy of the paperwork in the rifle case. In Africa they don't care about suppressors only guns and ammo. My advice is use a rifle clearing house like Rifle Permits and they will guide you about current laws and requirements.

My concern would be on the US side not Africa with the suppressor. I don’t know the legalities attached to it once you have the tax stamp, but I’ve heard different things about who actually can and cannot be in your home where they are stored? I’m sure things are fully enforced to a t, but thought there could potentially be an issue letting a suppressed rifle leave your possession if the wrong person was to become involved in the us side. I’d like to have a suppressor on some of my rifles but thought the potential hassle might exceed the benefits.

 

[Sarg]

This is my Tikka T3 lite (I fitted a laminate stock just recently) in 9.3X62 still gets 2490fps with 286gr slugs with out really trying, just my normal load !

 

[Nhoro]

Supressors are ilegal in Zim so I have no experience. I would just ask with the volume of gases and the projectile size, do you actually get much of a sound suppression ? I believe that suppressor get less effective as the calibre gets larger.

 

[Philip Glass]

I like suppressors and I like short barrels for hunting. I would not be a fan of using a suppressor on an actual DG hunt. You just don’t need anything in the way.
Many who say the suppressor messes up the balance have not had the chance to use the newest titanium suppressors. My new Thunderbeast Ultra5 .30cal is an amazing hunting tool. At 5” long and only 6 ounces it is hardly noticeable.
Sure I can be a purist too and as a hunting minimalist I am not looking to take a suppressor into every situation. But my small game safari went really well with my Ruger American Ranch (5.56 w/short barrel) and a small .223 SilencerTech suppressor. See my hunt report for more on this.
Regards
Philip

 

[Justbryan]

Suppressors are illegal in Zim so I have no experience. I would just ask with the volume of gases and the projectile size, do you actually get much of a sound suppression ? I believe that suppressor get less effective as the caliber gets larger.

Good to know.

 

[Ridgewalker]

I like my suppressors though I have never taken one to Africa. Only have a 22RF and a 30 cal, but the 30 works well on my coyote rifles, AR 223 and 243. Nothing like an AR for running multiple coyote shooting!
It gets long on my 30 cal rifles for mountain and timber hunting.

Actually I can see an advantage on a shorter DG rifle. It helps reduce recoil allowing a quicker 2nd shot if/when needed.

But, I would never ever, never never ever ever install one on a fine wood and blued rifle! Most of mine are stainless and synthetic stocked...my hunting preference.

 

[fourfive8]

Suppressors- ugly as sin but can be very effective. Check galleries and you’ll notice a lot of them in use in Africa. They don’t silence but certainly take most of the deafening “crack” out of the report. PHs and trackers really like them. Bonus of slightly reducing felt recoil.

Brakes/ports- extensions of the user’s arrogance. Can damage hearing of bystanders and shooters not to mention inducing a flinch.

 

[Hunting Hitman]

Suppressors definitely have a place hunting Dangerous Game. I have hunted with them and they improve any hunter who might have developed sensitivity to recoil like my wife did. I placed a suppressor on one of my 375 H&H DG rifles and the wife fell in love with hunting again. If you want one get it!

 

[Alistair]

I can see the benefits of a moderator.

I don't use one myself, but then I also like walnut stocks over synthetic, blued rifles over stainless, fixed mag scopes over variables and .470NE in preference to .458lott, so maybe I was just born too late.

That said, here in the UK, moderators are the norm. They're easier to shoot, easier to live with, act as a good barrel guard and might even get you a follow up shot in certain circumstances. Personally that doesn't outweight the handling penalty, the weight penalty, the sacrifice of barrel length to meet the same overall length or the ugliness, but I can totally understand why it does to others.

Accuracy is unchanged, cleaning isn't really an issue, they're minimal faff to fit on most rifles and at least a little quieter (even if you'd still want ear defenders). fI you want one, get one. But I'll pass.

 

[Bonk]

I have a .30 cal suppressor that I use on various rifles. It works as advertised but in most cases it makes the rifle nose heavy. If you're just shooting one or two rounds at game it's pretty nice not HAVING to wear hearing protection but range time will still require hearing protection unless you're shooting subsonic ammo. Now the novelty has worn off I'd get rid of mine tomorrow if it wan't such a PITA to transfer to someone else.

BTW, anybody that owns an R8 has no moral authority lecturing anybody about what is and isn't an ugly gun.