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Suppressors and Handloading

VikingsGuy

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I finally am jumping on the suppressor bandwagon. While my suppressors are in the NFA penalty box I figured I should get my rifles ready. I would like to use the suppressors at the range for load development and target practice (less noise, seeing impacts, etc.), but will most likely leave them at home when I hunt (don't want the extra 7 inches on top of a 22-24" barrel). I expect that anything I attach to my barrel will effect how it shoots. From what I have read, suppressors will likely have a fairly small but fairly repeatable POI shift when I take them on and off. But this is completely manageable, as I re-zero when I get to my hunting elevation anyway (I am a flat lander). But my concern/question is about effect on the precision of my handloads.

My understanding is much of handloading is finding an optimal "barrel resonance node". But if I change the barrel (threading, adding a brake, adding a suppressor, etc.) I have to assume there is a chance there is a change to this "node". So that leads to three related questions:

  1. If I have a non-threaded 24" sporter-weight barrel chambered in 25-06 with a handload that shoots .6 MOA, will threading it 1/2x28 and adding a standard thread cap be expected to change the node enough to require redevelopment of the load from a precision (MOA) perspective? What about if I then screw on a 7 inch suppressor?

  2. I have a new 24" mid-contour barrel chambered in .280AI that comes factory threaded 5/8x24, if I developed a handload with the suppressor attached should I expect the precision (MOA) to change when I take the suppressor off to hunt?

  3. While smaller than suppressors, would the answers to 1 or 2 also be expected to also apply to adding/removing a muzzle brake?

I can speculate as to rationales that would support either view - change or no change, but hoping someone here with experience with this can help out. I have a number of non-threaded rifles with good handloads (similar to example one above) that I probably won't thread if I will screw it up (no pun intended), but if not, would be nice to have the options provided by having them threaded. Similarly, I would like to develop a handload for my new 280AI with the suppressor on, but won't if that means I must then use the suppressor in the field. (And, you may ask, why even buy the suppressors if that is the case? Because, unrelated to this discussion I have several range-only target rifles that are already threaded and will now shoot exclusively suppressed.)
 
I just have this feeling that once you get used to shooting with a suppressor, you're going to want to hunt with it too. For me one of the biggest draws would be not having to mess with ear pro in the field.
 
The answer to all three questions is MAYBE.

You are going to have to experiment to find out.

This^^^

All my rifles shoot pretty well suppressed with my hand loads (easily sub MOA). The majority of my rifles shoot decent without, but often not as good without the suppressor. A couple rifles go to about 2 MOA when shooting without the suppressor.

As @mrjashu said, once you shoot suppressed you may find you don’t enjoy shooting without a suppressor as much and will find yourself hunting with a suppressor.
 
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