Barrett rifle .308

GKPrice

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I've never been interested in a suppressor until the last few years...as "middle youth" encroaches I'm beginning to value physical ability more than the arrogance of youth.

A lifetime of shooting and industry and I can only talk on a phone with one ear....plan on keeping what's left of my hearing. Plugs and muffs work, but hunting in a group (with my kid, partner, etc.) a suppressed rifle makes a lot of sense. A friend in the UK hunts several properties that don't allow non-suppressed shooting at all. Among the hunting societies of the world...more of them use cans than don't.

don't be surprised if that way of thinking takes hold here as well - It might not be such a "bad" thing all else considered
 

William Hanson (live2hunt)

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I wholeheartedly agree with you (but remember that the $1000 gives no tangible value to the product except government intrusion)
A quiet rifle that doesn't require ear protection may be minimal to you but the advantage of alpha glass is minimal to a lot of guys too.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
 

Muttly

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As far preventing hearing loss, a lifetime of running equipment, occasional carpentry, and a few too many explosions, along with not even thinking about hearing protection with firearms...
That ship has sailed, at least for this kid.. Four years after the Beaver that broke the camel's back, I,'ve mostly gotten used to the constant ringing.

At this stage in the game, I might as well compare the cost of suppressors to hearing aids, which kinda has the cans looking a little better cost wise...

Gotta admit, moving forward, threaded barrels that let me run a brake or a can seem more like a practical move than a hankering for another toy.
 

elkguide

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After a lifetime of shooting, rock-n-roll concerts, power tools and heavy equipment operating......

I'm anxiously awaiting the prices and waiting period to come down.
 

GKPrice

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Hearing loss is a tragic thing, that it "could" have been lessened or avoided is behind we that suffer but I'd have to ask you all, the ones who scoff at hearing protection NOW, are you totally deaf ?? I have an uncle who I am closer to in most ways than I was with my Dad, spent countless days with him up in B.C. and watched him gradually progress from bad tinnitus to total (I'm talkin' TOTAL) hearing loss, the poor guy was lonely in a crowded room - He may have been the first, he was definitely "one of the first" to undergo cochlear implants in Canada, he's 88 now I can't have a meaningful phone converstation with him - I watched him progress into total deafness and it was one of the saddest things I've seen in my life - Suppressors don't, to my understanding, completely eliminate the blast of a rifle, but apparently they do help - Call them a "toy", call them unnecessary, say it's all a conspiracy, I really don't care - Each of you has an opinion, that is what "forums" are mostly about but to compare the cost of a suppressor to the cost of a scope ? whatever .......
 

GKPrice

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So, how many suppressors do you own?

None yet, why do you ask ? Shot a few and been around a bunch but my budget hasn't allowed as yet - the first one I heard was on John Noveske's 45 acp, sounded like his Toyota pickup door closing, made a believer of me - I religiously wear hearing protection AND have tinnitus ..... how about you ?
 
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elkguide

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I guess that I'm lucky in that the Tinnitus that I have is only crickets and not a ringing. I am fortunate that I can still hear quite well in the woods and in most environments, unless there is some back round noise from a fan or a motor or a crowded room filled with lots of different voices.
I don't ever go to my bench without ears nor do I even mow my lawn without ears on but unfortunately, a lot of damage has been done and anything that I can do to save what little bit of hearing is left that is where I am going to focus.


Anyone ever stood beside one of your hunters and have them shoot their .300 Weatherby with muzzlebrake before you had a chance to at least get your hand over your ear or have time to step back behind the muzzle?

Just an FYI........ your ears will ring for about three days!
 

GKPrice

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I guess that I'm lucky in that the Tinnitus that I have is only crickets and not a ringing. I am fortunate that I can still hear quite well in the woods and in most environments, unless there is some back round noise from a fan or a motor or a crowded room filled with lots of different voices.
I don't ever go to my bench without ears nor do I even mow my lawn without ears on but unfortunately, a lot of damage has been done and anything that I can do to save what little bit of hearing is left that is where I am going to focus.


Anyone ever stood beside one of your hunters and have them shoot their .300 Weatherby with muzzlebrake before you had a chance to at least get your hand over your ear or have time to step back behind the muzzle?

Just an FYI........ your ears will ring for about three days!

I actually fired a shot from a bench in that same scenario, I called the shot but my friend said he never heard it, he was fiddling with his right ear for the entire trip and I felt like shit - THAT damage don't go away ..... Chainsaws, outboard motors, nail guns, shooting, but who ever thought the drone of a Detroit diesel fire engine would do it too ?? I wonder if they make nail gun suppressors ??
 
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Just figured such a staunch advocate such as yourself would have a few of the items that you so adamantly push, that's all. You know, money where your mouth is kinda thing.

I neither care for breaks on hunting rifles, nor do I stand next to another's.

So, moral of the story is: wear hearing protection and don't have dumbass friends who shoot next to your head.
 

GKPrice

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Just figured such a staunch advocate such as yourself would have a few of the items that you so adamantly push, that's all. You know, money where your mouth is kinda thing.

I neither care for breaks on hunting rifles, nor do I stand next to another's.

So, moral of the story is: wear hearing protection and don't have dumbass friends who shoot next to your head.

good wisdom ..... from one "dumbass" to another "dumbass" .... NOW, what's that got to do with suppressors ?
 
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kravguy

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So since all the talk about the suppressors was tossed in here, I thought I should lay this out there. I am not interested in the 18" barrel so I can add a suppressor to it. I am interested in the 18" barrel to keep the rifle to a smaller overall package. I am still only missing out on about 75-100 fps, or is there some magical accuracy gains by keeping the 3" longer barrel?
 

hodgeman

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I am interested in the 18" barrel to keep the rifle to a smaller overall package. I am still only missing out on about 75-100 fps, or is there some magical accuracy gains by keeping the 3" longer barrel?

The notion that a longer barrel is more inherently accurate comes from the days of iron sights....the longer sight plane was easier to shoot well than a rifle with a short sight plane.

In rifles with scopes, shorter barrels tend to be more forgiving, with wider nodes, have less barrel whip and generally easier to get to shooting really well compared to a longer barrel, especially a light contour.

My 18" Fieldcraft is an honest 1/2" gun. My 20 year old Steyr Scout 19" is a 3/4" gun. My son's American Compact 18" 7-08 is a 3/4" gun... and I've worked with several more carbines that just shot incredibly well with factory ammunition. Short barrels are no detriment to accuracy and a longer barrel is likely harder to get there with.

The hardest rifle to get shooting well was a Weatherby UL...with a 26" thin barrel it was simply a nightmare. Finicky about everything- bullet, powder, primers.

Longer barrels can be accurate, but it generally takes a bit more work to get there as compared to a short barrel in my experience.
 
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kravguy

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The notion that a longer barrel is more inherently accurate comes from the days of iron sights....the longer sight plane was easier to shoot well than a rifle with a short sight plane.

In rifles with scopes, shorter barrels tend to be more forgiving, with wider nodes, have less barrel whip and generally easier to get to shooting really well compared to a longer barrel, especially a light contour.

My 18" Fieldcraft is an honest 1/2" gun. My 20 year old Steyr Scout 19" is a 3/4" gun. My son's American Compact 18" 7-08 is a 3/4" gun... and I've worked with several more carbines that just shot incredibly well with factory ammunition. Short barrels are no detriment to accuracy and a longer barrel is likely harder to get there with.

The hardest rifle to get shooting well was a Weatherby UL...with a 26" thin barrel it was simply a nightmare. Finicky about everything- bullet, powder, primers.

Longer barrels can be accurate, but it generally takes a bit more work to get there as compared to a short barrel in my experience.

Thank You!!
 
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