Rifle for suppressed hunting

[Thebear_78]

After wanting a suppressor for a long time I finaly took the plunge. I currently have two suppressors waiting for a stamp. A rimfire tac-sol Axiom and a thunder bearst ultra 9cb in 30 cal. I got this to mainly use on my tactical/target style rifles but would like to use it for hunting too. My tactical/target rifles being heavy long barreled rifles they didn't seem that practical for hunting with.

I had thought about cutting my Kimber Montana back to 18-20" but there isn't enough barrel diameter to thread for the suppressor, and my other light rifles all have long barrels and in calibers that need long barrels.

I have a blueprinted magnum Remington action but once again any magnum bolt face rifle cartridge in 30 cal or smaller really needs the longer barrel.

The answer to my conundrum came early this morning while pursuing my local swap and sell classified. A guy was trading a Remington 700 tactical with a 16" threaded barrel in a magpul hunter stock, bipod and a couple mags. I contacted him and we made a trade for a luepold VXIII 4.5-14x40 CDS I had on hand.

I picked it up, dropped in a TIMNEY trigger and mounted a SWFA SS 6x in Nightforce rings on it. It's a very handy little package. With the 9 " suppressor it will still only be 25" of barrel. The magpul stock is very stiff and comfortable, the bipod is cheap but seems serviceable. While not light it's not that heavy either and should do well out to 400 yards or so. A 16" 308 starts to lose steam much farther than that.

I'm hoping to get 165gr ballistic tip up to 2550-2600. It should be doable with CFE223 powder. A buddy of mine runs 168 Bergers at just under 2600fps out of an encore with a 15" pistol barrel with that powder. It should stay above 1800 Fps out past 400 yards so that would be the general limit.

Any of you guys hunt suppressed or run a shorty 308? Any opinions or suggestions on loads?

 

[whitetail regulator]

lately my most compact light build for a supressor host is a kimber hunter in 308 cut down to 16" im very impressed...it shoots ragged holes with hornady 178gr precision hunter it cronied at 2450 ... shoots hsm 210 gr berger at 2400 ...its no speed demon but hits hard and work good with subsonic too...great super/sub gun...ive been banging 8in gongs to 650 yrds no problem...i had to go to a 9/16 thread to use my can

 

[MOBE]

I purchased a kimber Adarondak in .308 and a silencerCo omega for the same purpose. Thread adapter required for rifle to go from 7/16 to 5/8 but I'm waiting on my stamp. Very very nice rifle... just around 6 # loaded up and a 4-12-50 swavarski without the suppressor. Makes ragged 5 shot groups with 125gn bullets and Sierra 175 bthp at 100 yards. Dunno brand of 125. They were given to me

 

[whitetail regulator]

i almost went the adarondak route...but i was a little worried that 7/16 threads on a 30 cal wouldn't leave enough wall thickness to support my can welll....i could be wrong...it may do just fine, and i hope it does...my can is heavy at 28oz...kimber hunter had enough barrel od at 16" to get a 9/16 thread on it...

 

[MOBE]

I understand where your coming from. Hopefully it holds up, lots of threads with the adapter added in.

 

[MudRunner2005]

Since you got a good quiet can like the Ultra-9 CB...And you like the shorties, you should also pick you up one of these to play around with...

https://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/80179

For cheap plinking out to 300-400 yards, the .300 Blackout is a fun round to shoot subsonics with a good suppressor like the Thunderbeast...It's almost hollywood quiet with Berger 215 Hybrids and Trail Boss powder. Also, brass is super cheap (or free range pickups), and it hardly uses any powder (10-12 grains per round). With a $40 jig (eBay) and a $20 2" mini chopsaw from Harbor Freight, you can make your own brass from range pickup 5.56 cases, which is what I do.

 

[Thebear_78]

I ended up hunting with my 16" Remington aac. Dropped into a manners elite handle and nightforce 4-14x50 f1.

Running berger classic hunters @ 2630fps using CFE223. Worked very well this fall.

 

[MudRunner2005]

I ended up hunting with my 16" Remington aac. Dropped into a manners elite handle and nightforce 4-14x50 f1.

Running berger classic hunters @ 2630fps using CFE223. Worked very well this fall.

I know, I was just posting that suggestion up incase you were also interested (in the future) for getting a second plinking rifle that's super quiet, really cheap to shoot, and has no recoil.

 

[just country]

morning, I have a eduacated question. do the cans require a short barrel?
if so the performance of the ammo worth the loss of performance
and velocity?
do the guts of the can wear out thru shooting? do u have to use
sub velocity handloads to keep the silencing performance?
the can is fitted to the barrel thru threading. do these threads
wear out? I can see that the .223 is a perfect can caliber.
is the money and wait for license really benefit the shooter,
r is this product just a passing fad? special ops units do
use these cans very effectively!!
GBOT TUM

 

[Thebear_78]

Short barrel not required but add 9" to the end of a 26" barrel and it gets pretty long. When used reasonably a can shouldn't wear out. Sub loads are quieter but even full power loads are dramatically quieter with the suppressor. The threads shouldn't wear out, and for me was well worth the money and wait. Eventually we will get the hearing protection act passed, to remove suppressors from the NFA list. They are very common in Europe, I think we are behind the curve on suppressors here in the us.

 

[geo4061]

You did great going ahead and ordering you one for your 22. I love shooting sub sonic in it. Eley edge is the most accurate I have found so far. I was a little disappointed with my Omega. It was quite but not to the point where you could do without hearing protection. I fired six rounds without and my ears rang the rest of the day. I tried sub sonic in my 223 and 308. I just could not get it to work. From poor accuracy to not wanting to cycle. We use 308 AR's for hogs. 18" barrel with quick thread 155 grain BTHP. Your suppressors will come with tools for cleaning after 1000 rounds. I have never heard of one wearing out. Perhaps the military slamming full auto?

 

[whitetail regulator]

i think if you're trying to run subsonics in an ar10/lr308 you are going to have to single cycle .unless you're rig had been tuned to shoot subs. same for 223....for subsonic semi auto work id go 300 blackout...i do shoot 308 win subsonic from bolt guns and single cycle a ar10 with the gas turned off...

 

[86alaskan]

I try to run my Omega on longer barrels when possible, even in the woods. I can say for certain that running even a good can on a short barrel will decrease it's effectiveness. I have used the Omega on my ar10 with 18" 308, and it's loud enough that I use loose ear plugs. But, when I use the same can on my 24" 25-06, using 10gr more powder, the rifle is very easy to shoot without hearing protection. Same with my 22" 260 rem, that gun is even quieter than the longer barrel. If you're looking for the best sound reduction from your 308, try a lighter bullet and choose your powder from the lower end of the pressure range. I tried several lower pressure powders and found them to be accurate and noticeably quieter from the 18" barrel.

 

[whitetail regulator]

i definitely agree the shorter barrels are more poppy....however its waaaay better than a 16-18" with no can kaboom.... that said i still like the shortest profile i can get...