written by Randy Tausch
WWW.NIGHTHOGS.COM
There have been numerous questions lately about suppressors and the advantages associated with the use of them for hunting. This will not be intended as a comprehensive study on them but an overall description of the basic information needed to make an informed decision on whether or not to use one. If you are thinking about the acquisition of a suppressor, please do your homework and get as much info as you can before making the final decision.
The reasons for using suppressed weapons for animal population control are quite obvious. The reduction of noise causes far less stress and fear to the animals therefore allowing them to calm and return to a suitable place for additional shots sooner than they would if shot at with a firearm not equipped with a suppressor. In the case of Feral Hog Control, bullet placement is very important because you want an instant kill without a squeal to alarm the other hogs. The less the animal is spooked, the more likely it is to return. Often times we are able to get subsequent shots because the animals don’t know they are being shot at. They simply hear the thump of the bullet but not a report from the rifle. In some cases the hogs will return within seconds and in many cases within a few hours or less.
There are two basic suppressor designs. First is the integral suppressor which is built around the barrel and becomes part of the gun and the other is the screw on type which many of you have seen before and simply screws on to the pre-threaded end of the barrel. For best results, the suppressor diameter must be matched to the caliber of the gun. Of course you could not successfully fire a round of larger caliber through a suppressor bored for a smaller caliber and using a suppressor larger than the bore on your rifle will allow extra gas to escape with the bullet, increasing the amount of noise heard. Some of the most common calibers used are .22cal (which of course includes the .223), 30cal (which includes the .308) and .44 magnum. Also, becoming popular is the 6.8 SPC.
A suppressor is very much like the muffler on your car. It has baffles and chambers that capture the gas created by the explosion of the powder. After the bullet has exited the barrel, these gases are released at a more controlled rate, therefore reducing the noise level of the muzzle blast. This controlled release of gas also reduces felt recoil which is another plus.
Using subsonic ammunition also helps to reduce the noise level. Some calibers lend themselves to this and others do not. Remember, the speed of sound is approximately 1100 FPS so any projectile that travels faster than this speed is going to break the sound barrier and therefore create a “sonic boom”. First to be considered is the normal velocity of the caliber in question and how it will perform if reduced to subsonic level. The most obvious candidate here is the 44mag. Which starts out pretty slow anyway at around 1600 – 1700 FPS depending on load. By reducing the velocity only about 30%, you can get it down below the speed of sound and then by using a very heavy 300 gr. bullet you can substantially increase the kinetic energy and thus overcome the velocity loss. You have now created a round which is very quiet yet still very potent. The other calibers mentioned above, have a much higher velocity. They range from around 2500FPS to over 3000FPS again depending on load. If they were loaded subsonic, which would take a reduction in velocity of over 60% or more, they would no longer maintain enough energy to make a humane kill on a large animal because the reduction in velocity is so great that it can not be overcome by an increase in bullet weight. They just don’t make bullets large enough for these calibers. There would also be a problem with empty space in the cartridge due to the decrease in powder volume. That does not mean that it is impossible to get a subsonic load in these calibers to work. There are rounds like the 300 Whisper that are effective. It is just more complicated and takes more determination to make it work.
We at “NIGHTHOGS.COM” have three rifles incorporating the use of suppressors. They are as follows. Our first is a Ruger model M77/44 all weather bolt action 44mag. with an aluminum integral suppressor manufactured by SRT Arms of Arizona. It has been in service for nearly two years and has performed flawlessly. The second is also a Ruger model M77/44 but with blue barrel and wood stock and a Stainless Steel integral suppressor manufactured by S&H Arms of Oklahoma. It has been in service for about two months and also has had no problems. The report from these rifles is about equal to that of a pellet rifle. The only differences between these two suppressors other than material are weight and the S&H suppressor is user serviceable. This means that the user can take it apart and clean it without sending it back to the manufacturer for service. That being said, I don’t know if that is truly an advantage. I understand there are many small parts and the user may be better off sending it back anyway. That would be a decision to be made by the owner. We are also under the impression that it takes a large number of rounds fired from the rifles to create a need for cleaning the suppressors. The last of the rifles is a LWRC 6.8 SPC with a titanium screw on suppressor. The titanium suppressor is about half the weight but about twice the cost of a stainless steel suppressor. This rifle, using 110 gr. bullets loaded at about 2600FPS creates a sound signature similar to that of a 22LR. Again the suppressor does a wonderful job.
With the 44mag rifles, we feel we have an effective kill range of about 80 yards. Beyond this range, the bullet starts to run out of gas and begins to loose velocity at a rapid rate. We normally try to make stalks and get shots at around 20-50 yards. This typically insures very accurate bullet placement and an instant kill. With the 6.8 SPC, our effective range is out to around 200 yards if the shooter can perform well enough to make the shot. Our longest kill shot thus far is 147 yards. This was done twice by one of our recent clients and both hogs were DRT.
Lastly, owning a suppressor and hunting with a suppressed weapon are two totally different issues. The federal government has jurisdiction over the ownership and the state in which you hunt has jurisdiction over the hunting laws. I do not know if all states allow ownership, so please check state laws before attempting to purchase one.
First lets discuss ownership. Remember, we are talking about owning the suppressor only. If it is an integral suppressor and part of the gun, then you also have to fill out your paperwork for the gun when you get it. There are three methods of ownership, they are personal ownership, corporate ownership, and trust ownership. Each has different requirements and/or advantages too detailed to get into here, so again check local laws before proceeding. You must purchase your suppressor before you can apply for the right to own it so make sure you are qualified to own one before you start. It must be held by the manufacturer if you intend to pick it up in person directly from them or by a Class III FFL Dealer if it must be shipped to your area. It cannot be shipped directly to you. Once the suppressor has reached the location where you will pick it up, you can apply for your federal stamp. The manufacturer or the Class III FFL can help you with your application and may be able to help with advice on the ownership method that is right for you. Patience will be required here for this process may take up to 6-8 months to complete.
Now we’ll discuss hunting with a suppressed weapon. Every state has its own laws governing the use of suppressed weapons. If you are considering owning one, you must check the legality in your state or the state in which you intend to hunt. It may be perfectly legal to own one for uses other than hunting but not legal to hunt with one. It is up to you to research this for yourself. I can not speak for every state but here in Texas, it is legal to hunt non game species with suppressed firearms. “It is not legal” to hunt any game animal with a suppressed weapon. As discussed above, in the case of Feral Hog Control, it is a valuable tool, especially if the rifle is also equipped with a Night Vision Scope.
Again, there are many details that would require too much space to be included in this article. And there are many people with far more knowledge than I am on this subject so if you are considering a suppressor, do your homework and learn as much as you can before making that purchase.
Mike Coker
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