Biscuits wrote:I have a UK licence, where suppressors are easy to get. I've sent a lot of lead downrange through suppressed rifles.
Have one which fits on a 22LR and one which goes on a 308 and 6.5 Creedmoor. It is effective at reducing noise for both. The fact that there is more of a gap around a 6.5mm bullet when using a .30 caliber suppressor doesn't make any real world difference.
Subsonic 22LR suppressed is very, very, very quiet. You can buy CCI Quiet 22 (reduced charge, comes out a bit slower) which is even quieter. The noise of working the bolt is louder. Not that I would ever recommend this, but you could fire it indoors in an apartment and your neighbours would have no idea. The TV would be louder. Club in the UK does not require hearing protection when shooting 22LR suppressed.
The 6.5 and 308 is a different story. It is quiet enough that I don't wear hearing protection when hunting and I might not wear hearing protection when target shooting and firing only a few rounds. But it is still loud and readily identifiable as a gunshot. If you were to fire a suppressed 308 in a residential area, the police would be there in minutes. The suppressor takes about 35dB off the nose, but considering how loud a full power gunshot is, taking 35dB off is still loud enough to damage your hearing. I know someone that hunts with downloaded 308 ammunition, so the bullet comes out subsonic on a suppressed rifle. Very quiet.
IMHO the Aus effective ban on normal people owning suppressors is stupid. They protect your hearing. They stop noise nuisance. Why not have one?
bladeracer wrote:If I want to be really quiet I just use subsonic loads in whatever I'm shooting.
jwai86 wrote:bladeracer wrote:If I want to be really quiet I just use subsonic loads in whatever I'm shooting.
I know you can get factory subsonic rounds for .22 LR, but are there such things sold for centrefire calibres, or is loading them yourself the only way to do it?
jwai86 wrote:bladeracer wrote:If I want to be really quiet I just use subsonic loads in whatever I'm shooting.
I know you can get factory subsonic rounds for .22 LR, but are there such things sold for centrefire calibres, or is loading them yourself the only way to do it?
bladeracer wrote:I don't get why anybody buys centrefire ammo instead of making their own.
bladeracer wrote:If I want to be really quiet I just use subsonic loads in whatever I'm shooting. If I just want to be more pleasant on my hearing I download to around the 1500-2000fps depending on the bullet weight I'm pushing - bigger bullets need more bang. Suppressor would be nice if I had to use full-power loads but I don't really need one.Biscuits wrote:I have a UK licence, where suppressors are easy to get. I've sent a lot of lead downrange through suppressed rifles.
Have one which fits on a 22LR and one which goes on a 308 and 6.5 Creedmoor. It is effective at reducing noise for both. The fact that there is more of a gap around a 6.5mm bullet when using a .30 caliber suppressor doesn't make any real world difference.
Subsonic 22LR suppressed is very, very, very quiet. You can buy CCI Quiet 22 (reduced charge, comes out a bit slower) which is even quieter. The noise of working the bolt is louder. Not that I would ever recommend this, but you could fire it indoors in an apartment and your neighbours would have no idea. The TV would be louder. Club in the UK does not require hearing protection when shooting 22LR suppressed.
The 6.5 and 308 is a different story. It is quiet enough that I don't wear hearing protection when hunting and I might not wear hearing protection when target shooting and firing only a few rounds. But it is still loud and readily identifiable as a gunshot. If you were to fire a suppressed 308 in a residential area, the police would be there in minutes. The suppressor takes about 35dB off the nose, but considering how loud a full power gunshot is, taking 35dB off is still loud enough to damage your hearing. I know someone that hunts with downloaded 308 ammunition, so the bullet comes out subsonic on a suppressed rifle. Very quiet.
IMHO the Aus effective ban on normal people owning suppressors is stupid. They protect your hearing. They stop noise nuisance. Why not have one?
Biscuits wrote:I have a 357 (pistol caliber) rifle. Bullets come out at about 1600 fps. Unthreaded barrel and no suppressor.
That is certainly quieter than an unsuppressed 308, but it’s still plenty loud. I don’t shoot it without hearing protection. I suspect if you were legally allowed to buy a suppressor, had one and got to know it well, then you would be sold on the benefits.
On a full power rifle, the suppressor will reduce recoil and often improve accuracy on hunting & varmint weight rifles. The reduced recoil makes it easier to self spot bullet trace and impact.
bladeracer wrote:I do 99% of my shooting without hearing protection anyway, I only wear "ears" when I'm shooting a lot of centrefire off the bench.....
Border_Bloke wrote:bladeracer wrote:I do 99% of my shooting without hearing protection anyway, I only wear "ears" when I'm shooting a lot of centrefire off the bench.....
From the late 1970's to when I stopped shooting the late 1990's I never used hearing protection when hunting or when shooting on our property - only when I was at the range. I was shooting centrefires & shotguns every day back then. I had regular hearing tests as I worked in heavy industry and they couldn't work out why my hearing was getting worse as I always wore hearing protection at work.
By the time I was in my mid 40's I had to spend $6500 on hearing aids as couldn't hear well enough to hold a conversation. Turns out I had been lip reading without even knowing it.
When I moved back south to deer country I started bow hunting. Now I want to start shooting again and a huge issue is how to to protect what little hearing I have left yet still hear enough to hunt or talk to someone. Without my hearing aids I can't even hear my own footsteps in dry leaves.
My advice is NEVER shoot without hearing protection.
jwai86 wrote:bladeracer wrote:I don't get why anybody buys centrefire ammo instead of making their own.
I don't have much more space inside my rented unit to put down something like a reloading press. I also have doubts about whether the interior space has sufficiently low humidity to prevent issues with powders and primers.
bigpete wrote:jwai86 wrote:bladeracer wrote:I don't get why anybody buys centrefire ammo instead of making their own.
I don't have much more space inside my rented unit to put down something like a reloading press. I also have doubts about whether the interior space has sufficiently low humidity to prevent issues with powders and primers.
Got room for a coffee table ?
duncan61 wrote:I have culled a golf course for rabbits.I found winchester z to be expensive and after 50 metres a hold over is needed out to 75 metres.4X scope on a bolt action. Subs were way better but not on a quiet still night.Wait till there is a bit of wind rustling trees and I have had rabbits cry like a small child.Its all about not being seen or heard
bladeracer wrote:bigpete wrote:jwai86 wrote:bladeracer wrote:I don't get why anybody buys centrefire ammo instead of making their own.
I don't have much more space inside my rented unit to put down something like a reloading press. I also have doubts about whether the interior space has sufficiently low humidity to prevent issues with powders and primers.
Got room for a coffee table ?
Don't even need that for a Lee Loader, I used to sit on the floor and punch them out.
animalpest wrote:Alas Winchester Z ammo is no more. CCI Quiet is a heavier pill and almost as quiet.
I loved using the Winchester sub hollow points. Good killers. We have been doing a golf course and those are the go to ammo
bladeracer wrote:bigpete wrote:jwai86 wrote:bladeracer wrote:I don't get why anybody buys centrefire ammo instead of making their own.
I don't have much more space inside my rented unit to put down something like a reloading press. I also have doubts about whether the interior space has sufficiently low humidity to prevent issues with powders and primers.
Got room for a coffee table ?
Don't even need that for a Lee Loader, I used to sit on the floor and punch them out.
Oldbloke wrote:duncan61 wrote:I have culled a golf course for rabbits.I found winchester z to be expensive and after 50 metres a hold over is needed out to 75 metres.4X scope on a bolt action. Subs were way better but not on a quiet still night.Wait till there is a bit of wind rustling trees and I have had rabbits cry like a small child.Its all about not being seen or heard
Do you recall the ammo? Hollow points or solids?
animalpest wrote:Winchester Z ammo was made in Australia. Alas, .22 ammo is now made in USA and none of it is as good as it was.