Silencers, barrel length and cartridges

[Wind Gypsy]

I’m very strongly considering giving my Kimber 6.5 a chop to 18”’and adding a can. I’ll probably drop down to a 112 HHT to get the speed back up.

These are an intriguing mono option to me for a 6.5. Maintain higher velocities and also solid BC. Not much out there on them though.

6.5 Creedmoor 113gr Long Range Hunter

Solid copper ammunition engineered for defense, hunting, and competition with proven best in class performance.

g9defense.com

I have a 6.5 creed tikka takeoff that's chopped @ 18" and threaded but it sits neglected in favor of it's 6mm brothers. Figured a hot loaded 130 TMK would might get some time if I want something a little bigger than 6mm for elk.

 

[mtmuley]

These are an intriguing mono option to me for a 6.5. Maintain higher velocities and also solid BC. Not much out there on them though.

6.5 Creedmoor 113gr Long Range Hunter

Solid copper ammunition engineered for defense, hunting, and competition with proven best in class performance.

g9defense.com

I have a 6.5 creed tikka takeoff that's chopped @ 18" and threaded but it sits neglected in favor of it's 6mm brothers. Figured a hot loaded 130 TMK would might get some time if I want something a little bigger than 6mm for elk.

Most of their stuff is out of stock looked like. mtmuley

 

[El Jason]

From what I can see, I should have no trouble getting a 112 HHT to 3k FPS with a 17-18” barrel. Easy 600 yards of effective range, which is about 150 more than I really need.

 

[elevatorman]

This sounds like a very good reason to buy a reloading press. Then make the short barreled rifle you really want and tailor the ammo to suit your needs. Cheaper ammo too. You can run a faster powder that would be less than optimal in a 24" barrel in an 18" barrel to get it to fully burn up and keep your velocity decent.

 

[brockel]

This sounds like a very good reason to buy a reloading press. Then make the short barreled rifle you really want and tailor the ammo to suit your needs. Cheaper ammo too. You can run a faster powder that would be less than optimal in a 24" barrel in an 18" barrel to get it to fully burn up and keep your velocity decent.

Even slow powders will have a full burn on the 18”. My experience is the best powder at 24” is still the best at 18”

 

[elevatorman]

Even slow powders will have a full burn on the 18”. My experience is the best powder at 24” is still the best at 18”

I'm sure your right. I'm not the most experienced reloader. Just reloading for my needs. But I think reloading in general gives you so much more control over your ammo and what you want it to do

 

[Westside24]

These are an intriguing mono option to me for a 6.5. Maintain higher velocities and also solid BC. Not much out there on them though.

6.5 Creedmoor 113gr Long Range Hunter

Solid copper ammunition engineered for defense, hunting, and competition with proven best in class performance.

g9defense.com

I have a 6.5 creed tikka takeoff that's chopped @ 18" and threaded but it sits neglected in favor of it's 6mm brothers. Figured a hot loaded 130 TMK would might get some time if I want something a little bigger than 6mm for elk.

Is your 6.5 takeoff for sale by chance?

 

[turbobrick]

Let’s talk silencers, barrel length and cartridges a moment in the context of hunting. This isn’t really a question per se…but rather just an open stream of thinking here.

I am super happy to say that I have two silencers (a Q Thunder Chicken and a TBAC Dominus CB)…and I’ll probably have a third in the not too distant future.

This was the first year I had the opportunity to hunt silenced and I gotta tell you, I don’t think I’m ever going back!

My primary hunting rifle at this stage is a Christensen Arms Ridgeline Carbon, 24” barrel in .308, topped with a Leupold VX3 3.5-10x40. 150 grains of bullet delivered at 2850 fps pretty much means anything this side of the Big 5 in Africa or the great bears is well hunted. Add the Dominus (7”) silencer to it and I now have a 31” hunting rifle. (!). That’s a loooong rifle…and the weight is around 9# scoped with the silencer on.

Getting the rifle back down to, say, 7# scoped & silenced I think is doable…5# naked rifles are definitely out there. Add Scope, rings and silencer to a 5# gun and we’re pretty much right back at 7#. But that also means a chopped down barrel…quite probably down to 16 or 18”. (*16” + 7” of silencer takes us to 23” OAL…I have plenty of 20” barreled rifles…but those aren’t designed for a silencer.)

Cut a 308 down to 16” from 24” and velocity loss will probably be in the 250-300fps range. (*I’m sure someone has done the experiments here) and now we have a 30-30 - which is fine for eastern woods hunting but rather neuters the .308 for longer shots. Maintaining the 308 velocity therefore means going to a heftier cartridge…300 PRC, for instance, to get the velocity back to what a .308 delivers in a 24” barrel.

Here’s the part that gets me: a 300 PRC in a 16” barrel is going to be super loud. The Dominus is right on the edge of hearing safe in my 24” .308…I’d be willing to bet that’s nowhere near enough silencer to shoot a PRC without plugs/muffs (*which is exactly the reason I wanted to get the silencers in the first place). The T-Chicken definitely suppresses more sound…but I have a very hard time believing it (*or just about any silencer) could suppress enough sound from a 16” PRC to do the job without plugs.

All of this circular logic rather takes me back to the beginning and makes the point of “there’s no free lunch”.

Thoughts? What are you guys thinking?

Suppressors and suppressed hunting has been my thing for a long time now. I've been through a bunch of setups playing with length and cartridge, and weight has always been a big concern too. I started with a 22" 260rem, went to a different 260 in 20", then a 24" 300wm, a 20" 300wsm, and a 22" 300wsm. Additional set ups are a 16" 260, 16" 6arc, 19" 6arc, 20" 30-06, 8" 8.6blk. My primary is a custom Defiance Model 7 length 22" 300wsm. It weighs exactly 8lbs with a Scythe and 4.5-22 LHT. My wife just filled her spike elk tag with it on Saturday, sounded like a cap gun out in the field. I'd carry that rifle anywhere it is in no way too long, its a one hole gun with 162ah at 3150fps.

My experience has been that the short magnum type cartridges do really well in short barrel applications, and I don't really need less than 20" in a hunting cartridge to feel like the gun is short enough. The Scythe is over 2" shorter than my original hunting cans, and 5 ounces lighter. I ran an almost 8" can on a 24" barrel for several seasons and loved it.

 

[Robert N]

Suppressors and suppressed hunting has been my thing for a long time now. I've been through a bunch of setups playing with length and cartridge, and weight has always been a big concern too. I started with a 22" 260rem, went to a different 260 in 20", then a 24" 300wm, a 20" 300wsm, and a 22" 300wsm. Additional set ups are a 16" 260, 16" 6arc, 19" 6arc, 20" 30-06, 8" 8.6blk. My primary is a custom Defiance Model 7 length 22" 300wsm. It weighs exactly 8lbs with a Scythe and 4.5-22 LHT. My wife just filled her spike elk tag with it on Saturday, sounded like a cap gun out in the field. I'd carry that rifle anywhere it is in no way too long, its a one hole gun with 162ah at 3150fps.

My experience has been that the short magnum type cartridges do really well in short barrel applications, and I don't really need less than 20" in a hunting cartridge to feel like the gun is short enough. The Scythe is over 2" shorter than my original hunting cans, and 5 ounces lighter. I ran an almost 8" can on a 24" barrel for several seasons and loved it.

Really timely post.

I’m torn on this - I have a Rem AWR (*first edition) from their now defunct Custom Shop in 7mm SAUM. That rifle naked is 6# with a 22” barrel…scoped up with a 2.5-12x50 Swaro, it’s right at 7# ready to shoot. It’s an incredible shooter (I’ve shot plenty of sub 1” 200 yard groups)…and that’s the issue. I generally shoot a 140 AB at a smidge over 3k…I’m not pushing the brass at those speeds and get 10 reloads without annealing.

I think it’s the ideal candidate to go short…but it’s also a known performer. Part of me thinks I’d be better off putting it on the market and just finding a new rifle…but the easy money is to lop it down to 18” and thread it. I’m not sure how much 4” of steel barrel weighs but I’d think I’d save 4oz there and adding a can won’t affect the overall weight…and I could easily do a scope swap and knock the weight down another 4 oz pretty quick.

 

[turbobrick]

Really timely post.

I’m torn on this - I have a Rem AWR (*first edition) from their now defunct Custom Shop in 7mm SAUM. That rifle naked is 6# with a 22” barrel…scoped up with a 2.5-12x50 Swaro, it’s right at 7# ready to shoot. It’s an incredible shooter (I’ve shot plenty of sub 1” 200 yard groups)…and that’s the issue. I generally shoot a 140 AB at a smidge over 3k…I’m not pushing the brass at those speeds and get 10 reloads without annealing.

I think it’s the ideal candidate to go short…but it’s also a known performer. Part of me thinks I’d be better off putting it on the market and just finding a new rifle…but the easy money is to lop it down to 18” and thread it. I’m not sure how much 4” of steel barrel weighs but I’d think I’d save 4oz there and adding a can won’t affect the overall weight…and I could easily do a scope swap and knock the weight down another 4 oz pretty quick.

I’d send that thing to @p_ham, cut it to 18 or 20, grab a light scope and can and go hunting.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

Is your 6.5 takeoff for sale by chance?

I suppose for the right price but they don't demand much so I planned on holding on to it. Mine's muzzle threaded 9/16" and the tennon threads dont look perfect after removal so I'd want to make sure everything works like it should before taking money for it.

If i were looking for one I'd hit up p_ham and see if he has one and have him do the 5/8" threading as he outlined in linked post below. It looks like he'd price it at about what I'd want for the barrel and I think you'd be better off with the P ham option.

New rifle, barrel, or cut and thread existing

I'm debating suppressing my hunting rifle, which is a tikka t3x lite chambered in 308. I'm not sure what to do. Cut and thread existing barrel, replace the barrel, or get another rifle? I hate the idea of modifying something that functions flawlessly. But it might be the most cost affective...

www.hunttalk.com

 

[WVmike]

Barrel length is really the thing holding me up on pulling the trigger on a seekins ph2, other than that it checks a lot of boxes off the shelf…

I have one in 7mm Rem Mag with the 26 inch barrel, so throwing one of those on the end would be like carrying a tree through the woods lol. Easily the nicest rifle I have ever owned. Shoots great groups with reloads, factory ammo and isn't overly heavy.

 

[Westside24]

I suppose for the right price but they don't demand much so I planned on holding on to it. Mine's muzzle threaded 9/16" and the tennon threads dont look perfect after removal so I'd want to make sure everything works like it should before taking money for it.

If i were looking for one I'd hit up p_ham and see if he has one and have him do the 5/8" threading as he outlined in linked post below. It looks like he'd price it at about what I'd want for the barrel and I think you'd be better off with the P ham option.

New rifle, barrel, or cut and thread existing

I'm debating suppressing my hunting rifle, which is a tikka t3x lite chambered in 308. I'm not sure what to do. Cut and thread existing barrel, replace the barrel, or get another rifle? I hate the idea of modifying something that functions flawlessly. But it might be the most cost affective...

www.hunttalk.com

Thanks. Just thought I'd check. Just in the process of getting first suppressor and checking options.

 

[bklotthor]

Here is my 300wsm 20.5" with a scythe ti. It is the same length as a 300wm would be with a 26" barrel and no can . It is a balance between performance and maneuverability.

How do you like the scythe on the .300 WSM? I have a Tikka t3x stainless in that caliber that I’m planning on having cut to 20”, threads would be 1/2x28 due to the thinner barrel. Trying to determine what suppressor I want and also the best mounting solution.

 

[Wanna_track_well]

Let’s talk silencers, barrel length and cartridges a moment in the context of hunting. This isn’t really a question per se…but rather just an open stream of thinking here.

I am super happy to say that I have two silencers (a Q Thunder Chicken and a TBAC Dominus CB)…and I’ll probably have a third in the not too distant future.

This was the first year I had the opportunity to hunt silenced and I gotta tell you, I don’t think I’m ever going back!

My primary hunting rifle at this stage is a Christensen Arms Ridgeline Carbon, 24” barrel in .308, topped with a Leupold VX3 3.5-10x40. 150 grains of bullet delivered at 2850 fps pretty much means anything this side of the Big 5 in Africa or the great bears is well hunted. Add the Dominus (7”) silencer to it and I now have a 31” hunting rifle. (!). That’s a loooong rifle…and the weight is around 9# scoped with the silencer on.

Getting the rifle back down to, say, 7# scoped & silenced I think is doable…5# naked rifles are definitely out there. Add Scope, rings and silencer to a 5# gun and we’re pretty much right back at 7#. But that also means a chopped down barrel…quite probably down to 16 or 18”. (*16” + 7” of silencer takes us to 23” OAL…I have plenty of 20” barreled rifles…but those aren’t designed for a silencer.)

Cut a 308 down to 16” from 24” and velocity loss will probably be in the 250-300fps range. (*I’m sure someone has done the experiments here) and now we have a 30-30 - which is fine for eastern woods hunting but rather neuters the .308 for longer shots. Maintaining the 308 velocity therefore means going to a heftier cartridge…300 PRC, for instance, to get the velocity back to what a .308 delivers in a 24” barrel.

Here’s the part that gets me: a 300 PRC in a 16” barrel is going to be super loud. The Dominus is right on the edge of hearing safe in my 24” .308…I’d be willing to bet that’s nowhere near enough silencer to shoot a PRC without plugs/muffs (*which is exactly the reason I wanted to get the silencers in the first place). The T-Chicken definitely suppresses more sound…but I have a very hard time believing it (*or just about any silencer) could suppress enough sound from a 16” PRC to do the job without plugs.

All of this circular logic rather takes me back to the beginning and makes the point of “there’s no free lunch”.

Thoughts? What are you guys thinking?

Saw a guy with a silencer hunting elk teamed up with a buddy, thoughts about this would be not to spook possible other elk coming along for the other guy to shoot.. shorter barrels supposedly better through thick brush.

 

[Derek-307]

Animals still react with a suppressor. The noise is different than the traditional report. Something about the gases all not escaping immediately changes their ability to know where the noise came from. Or at least that’s my experience.

One year I shot a bull out of a group of 40. After I shot a group that I thought was only 10 erupted out of the trees and ran right towards me and my brother. He was able to shoot another bull but he had a muzzle brake. Once he shot the elk filled straight away.

 

[Robert N]

Animals still react with a suppressor. The noise is different than the traditional report. Something about the gases all not escaping immediately changes their ability to know where the noise came from. Or at least that’s my experience.

This is true. I shot a nice buck this year, silenced for the first time. The Doe a few yards away just looked around, wondered why the buck was down and wandered of about 20 seconds later. I should have shot her too but didn’t want to carry two deer out of the field on the same day.

 

[sccritterkiller]

I shoot a 18" FC with Rugged Radiant...I rolled my own but I am pushing 150gr AB at 2850 ft/per second per my lab radar, and I am not even at max load. It does 95% of what I need...If I was going to build another rifle for a can, it would be 20" 300WSM.

 

[Potsie]

If it means anything to anybody, on a tikka 6.5 PRC barrel I cut off 6" and lost ~150 - 160 fps with a 125 HHT/R26. Prior was at 3280 fps and was right at 3120 fps after the trim. On my .223 which lost 4" I lost right at 100 fps on my 77 TMK/Benchmark load.

I have to say, a 16" .223 bolt gun with a can is about as much fun just popping rocks as I've had in a long time.

 

[Robert N]

I have a 16.25” Proof pre-fit being mounted on my .308 rifle now. Pretty exciting to say the least!