WHY USE SUPPRESSORS WHEN SHOOTING AT A RANGE?

[chief38]

I know noise suppression has become more popular these days and there are company's that will even file the paperwork for you, then ship right to your door. I can definitely see considering one if you have a legal backyard or basement range as the less noise the more enjoyable shooting becomes.

That said, no matter what gun you are shooting and no matter how quiet it is, if you are on a public or even private range with other shooters you will still need to wear ear protection. So unless you can shoot by yourself on your own land I see little to no reason to spend around $1K for a noise suppressor - do you!??

I think some just get one for the "cool" factor - which is obviously their prerogative. Unfortunately I can not shoot in my backyard where I live and I am relegated to ranges (public and private) but there are always other shooters around me - so I see no point in a suppressor, at least for me.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

At the rifle range, unless everyone is shooting suppressed 22's we always have hearing protection. But not all ear muffs are electronic and many still use ear plugs. These types still require some raised voices to be understood.

Suppressed handguns don't usually need muffs or plugs as long as the ammo remains subsonic. But the smart guy with the occasional 110 357mag, Is hurting everyone unless he warns the group!

I use an old MAC-10 9mm can for 22's, 223's and 300 BO. It is a pretty long can and leaves nothing of small rifle rounds, but any supersonic crack is still there. I find many people using 6 or 7" cans and still have some explosion noise in their report. 6mm & 6.5mm Creedmoor and 243 Win do a lot of this. The current system of "Rating" suppressors seems to mean "Won't explode" as opposed to "Will quiet down!"

Ivan

 

[zeke]

Shooting suppressed allows me to shoot before/after regular hours on our private range. This is a huge advantage. It allows people to save their hearing during hunting season, while not spooking other nearby game. It opens up more opportunity for crop deprivation (damage permit hunting).

Course if you are in a situation where most/all your shooting opportunity's are on crowded indoor/outdoor ranges, they may not be useful.

Not to mention the shear pleasure of irritating people who believe suppressors are just for the "cool" factor.

 

[Rodan]

Shoot next to a guy with a centerfire rifle with a brake, and then a guy with the same caliber and a suppressor. Then tell me who you'd rather spend the morning shooting next to...

Suppressors reduce blast and recoil, not only for the shooter but everyone around you. Regardless of being "hearing safe", which most centerfire suppressed guns aren't, suppressed guns are far more pleasant to shoot.

Being able to shoot on a range with all suppressed rimfires (and not need ear pro) doesn't happen very often, though when it does, it's really nice.

 

[ladder13]

It took me awhile to use the term suppressed rather than silencer, even though Silencershop uses it.

At my range I am often the only one there during the week.
I have two suppressors and boy they are a lot of fun. I use them for hunting and plinking.

Leaving the wrong side of the Iron Curtain freed my mind.

 

[lihpster]

Also, one of the tactics used by the antis is noise complaints. It's been used to shut down more than one range. Granted, not many have them, so the noise reduction will be minimal, but less noise is less noise. If they become more common, preferably due to changes in the law that make them easier to come by, we take away the power of one of their weapons. The antis are playing chess, not checkers, and we had better do the same.

 

[WCCPHD]

I use suppressors anytime I shoot a gun that I have a suppressor for. I do it to help preserve what little hearing I have left. Another reason is that suppressors can sometimes change point of impact and I want consistent shots.

 

[Nick B]

Totally agree with the OP. What gets me is these YT gun guys testing the latest and greatest handgun suppressors ( usually 9mm ) and they’re out in the woods or on their own property shooting it wearing hearing protection.
What’s the point to that ?

 

[Bald1]

Guys have suppressors for many applications. When they are at the range they are practicing. You want to practice with your equipment as it is when you use it for its intended purposes. For example. My son has a suppressed 300BO for night time hog hunting. When target shooting he doesn’t take the suppressor off.

 

[Empe]

They have become increasingly popular as I see more of them when I am out at different places .
Between the cost of the paperwork and the suppressor itself they're pretty expensive I think .
They hold no interest for me ... but different things for different people and if someone has the $$ and really wants one ...go for it.

 

[LVSteve]

The point of impact change with a suppressor fitted can be significant. It makes sense to shoot it on the range in the form you intend to shoot it for hunting or whatever.

 

[hdfinder47]

I like 'em cuz I know the libs hate 'em.

 

[Yendor357]

It’s been my experience that suppressors make most rifles a bit more accurate. The neighbors will like you better; As will your shooting buddies. If you’re shooting subs at steel, that’ll make everyone grin.

The downside: expensive, long(er), heavier, gassier. An AR may need an adjustable gas block. Your brass and the inside of your AR will be filthy.

 

[smoothshooter]

Totally agree with the OP. What gets me is these YT gun guys testing the latest and greatest handgun suppressors ( usually 9mm ) and they’re out in the woods or on their own property shooting it wearing hearing protection.
What’s the point to that ?

That’s almost as bad as the guys with their own You Tube channels that wear gloves all the time, shooting or not, even when it is not cold.
Are they afraid of messing up their manicures, or are they just trying to look “cool”?

 

[S&W Fan]

Count me as another that just find it a whole lot more pleasant at a range when an suppressed rifle is fired next to me. I like to be a good range neighbor and return the favor. The only change I made was different charging handles to help reduce the gas blow back in my face lol.

 

[Puller]

Easy to sort through the posts and determine who does and does not have a suppressor.

 

[oberon]

A coupla'things....
I sat in the front row at a Led Zeppelin show before they released their 2nd album. We got to hear Zeppelin II before nearly everybody. I reckon I haven't been the same since. That was my earliest recollection of tinnitus. It really doesn't bother me too much, except when the tone, pitch, and timbre change occasionally. I take precautions whenever I am exposed to high intensity sonic energy nowadays. So far, so good.
I gave myself a .30 cal. suppressor when I retired. The first time I used it was with .300 Blackout. CLACK-CLACK...Thump. That was it. I ran it with 5.56. Same thing only with an audible but not excessive supersonic CRACK. There was no concussion, no muzzle blast, no commotion......just a new pleasant shooting experience.
So, now I have one for .45s that will accommodate 9mm. I'm sold on 'em.
The 1911 barrel was easy to source, but the M9 barrel was like unobtainium. Apparently, threaded barrels for 9mm Berettas are very popular, and usually out of stock everywhere. I finally got one over a year into my search. The Browning Hi Power barrel was readily available.
I run ear plugs and headgear always, but the suppressor sweetens it up real nice.
Suppressors are a very useful adjunct for shooting. I had not considered the 'cool factor' until today. OK then. So much the better.

 

[TheTinMan]

It took me a very long time to get over the idea of filing my photo and fingerprints with the ATF plus notify the County Sheriff. However, I finally concluded that the ATF knows I exist after more than a few 4473s and the Sheriff knows who I am. (We’ve met socially)

I shoot a fair amount on my own land. Reducing noise attracts less attention and doesn’t irritate abutters as much. Recoil reduction is significant. I wear hearing protection even when alone at the range because the noise volume goes up a LOT inside the shooting shed with concrete walls on 3 sides.

Then there’s the entertainment value. Imagine hitting steel plates with 405 grain bullets lobbed down range subsonic out of a .45-70 lever action. The bullet drop over distance makes the load impractical for anything else but I guess I’m still a kid at heart.

 

[Nomadmax]

First it was "this guy's gun is too loud at the range" and now it's "this guy's gun is too quiet at the range"

For SURE it's winter.

 

[petepeterson]

Other than them being cool, I bought a few when I put up my range in my yard. Closest neighbor to the firing line is about 300 yds, so I thought I was being neighborly.

I still shoot unsuppressed, but usually only a few rounds at a time.