Short Range Suppressed Rifle for Deer Woods

[ericwh]

Right now I have a 24" Tikka T3x 6.5 Creedmoor with a 3-15 Vortex Razor HD LH mounted as low as possible (Talley extra-lows). Very happy with this setup - cheek weld is good, very light sleek setup. Reticle is a little fine for fading light in the woods. I use it for Pronghorn out west (time to use ear plugs), whitetail in the woods here in the east (ear plugs not always feasible), hopefully mule deer in the future.

I want to use my suppressor (which adds about 8") when deer hunting here. Shots are between 30 and 100 yards and I spent most of my time on low magnification. Most of my time is spent sitting against a dead tree/blow down/live tree/ground blind, with some sneaking thrown in. I have only taken a follow-up shot once in my life, and it wasn't actually necessary.

I can either:

• Chop and thread my current barrel
  • Thinking 18"
  • Would require raising my optic to get the suppressor out of view at low magnification and adding a cheek riser to get cheek weld back
  • Velocity should still be good at the distances I'm shooting out west
• Build something dedicated for suppressed short range deer hunting
  • Probably stay 6.5 Creedmoor so I could share ammo with my other rifle
  • What action? Bolt? Break action to keep the OAL down?
  • What optic?

AR-15/AR-10 setup is out due to PA hunting regs.

 

[ahlgringo]

find a 18.5 fieldcraft, if you have a little time/patience they are out there. Put a lightweight low mag scope of your choice and you should be set forever.

I have a suppressed fieldcraft 308 at 18.5, use it as you do as well as for elk. right now it wears a swfa 3-9x.

 

[ericwh]

find a 18.5 fieldcraft, if you have a little time/patience they are out there- you should be set forever

I shoot left-handed. I believe they are not available left-handed.

 

[robtattoo]

Right up until your very last sentence, I was going to suggest a nice little 10" braced AR pistol in 6.5 Grendel.

 

[Lawnboi]

What can do you have? Direct thread or taper mount?

 

[ericwh]

What can do you have? Direct thread or taper mount?

It's a Form 1 can I put together - 7.5" tube x 1.625" OD. It uses griffin taper mount.

 

[Lawnboi]

It's a Form 1 can I put together - 7.5" tube x 1.625" OD. It uses griffin taper mount.

Have enough meat on the tikka to thread 9/16x24? I’d just do that. And I’d cut down to atleast 20”.

If you don’t like the ffp scope hunting. Put a rail on your gun, grab some rings and a sfp scope of your choosing and swap them out when needed.

More guns are nice though too.

 

[ericwh]

Have enough meat on the tikka to thread 9/16x24? I’d just do that. And I’d cut down to at least 20”.

If you don’t like the ffp scope hunting. Put a rail on your gun, grab some rings and a sfp scope of your choosing and swap them out when needed.

More guns are nice though too.

If I cut to 18" it will be about .65"/.66" diameter which is what TBAC is suggesting for 9/16x24. And the gun would be about 2" longer than it is now which doesn't seem too bad.

I'm not sure what the can will sound like with 6.5 Creedmoor and 18" barrel. Right now I'm using it on a 20" .223 and I'm very happy. 16" AR-15 was noticeably louder. I guess if it's even close I will still be happy.

I'm going to see if I can figure out how high my optic would have to be at say 4x to keep the suppressor out of view...

 

[Avonac]

I shot an 18" 6.5 creedmoor a few days ago. With a Q suppressor, it wasn't bad at all. I would also wait and see what the can looks like through the scope before buying new rings. It might not be as bad as you think. I ran Talley Lows on an 18" Barrett with a Omega can. I don't ever remember seeing the suppressor through the scope.

 

[Formidilosus]

If I cut to 18" it will be about .65"/.66" diameter which is what TBAC is suggesting for 9/16x24. And the gun would be about 2" longer than it is now which doesn't seem too bad.

I'm not sure what the can will sound like with 6.5 Creedmoor and 18" barrel. Right now I'm using it on a 20" .223 and I'm very happy. 16" AR-15 was noticeably louder. I guess if it's even close I will still be happy.

I'm going to see if I can figure out how high my optic would have to be at say 4x to keep the suppressor out of view...

You’re not going to see your suppressor. Tikka lite barrels can be threaded 5/8x24 without issue when cut to 20”. 18” is easy.

 

[ericwh]

I can see my suppressor on my 20" CTR up to about 6x. That rifle has a 20moa rail and Weaver Tactical extra-low rings.

EDIT: do you think the 20moa rail is why I see it? because the scope is pointed downward?

 

[bmicek]

I built exactly what you are looking for, for the same reason. You could use any cartridge but this is my little 300blk pistol. Put a folding brace on it and it has been a little deer hammer. You could do the same with a 6.5 creed pistol as well. Since there is no “action” it makes it a super compact setup. I’ve even been successful with it antelope hunting in Wyoming.

 

[bmicek]

And as a follow up to my 300blk Contender, I put together this little 357mag. It also is wicked in the woods.

 

[ericwh]

I built exactly what you are looking for, for the same reason. You could use any cartridge but this is my little 300blk pistol. Put a folding brace on it and it has been a little deer hammer. You could do the same with a 6.5 creed pistol as well. Since there is no “action” it makes it a super compact setup. I’ve even been successful with it antelope hunting in Wyoming.

View attachment 240149

That is pretty cool.

I was looking at the CVA Scout offerings in compact rifles and pistols. They have some interesting options and are pretty inexpensive. Looking at the overall length of the compact rifle they'd be saving me about 2.5" vs the Tikka. That was a little less than I was expecting but not nothing...

They have a 20" 6.5creedmoor that is 38" overall. Not threaded

They make a stainless 16.5" 300blk that is 34" overall and threaded. I think that'd be a cartridge limit of about 100yards right? I actually have 125 sierra soft points.

They also have a 14.5" 6.5 creedmoor pistol which is threaded but I think I want to be about 18" for that cartridge size.

 

[bmicek]

That is pretty cool.

I was looking at the CVA Scout offerings in compact rifles and pistols. They have some interesting options and are pretty inexpensive. Looking at the overall length of the compact rifle they'd be saving me about 2.5" vs the Tikka. That was a little less than I was expecting but not nothing...

They have a 20" 6.5creedmoor that is 38" overall. Not threaded

They make a stainless 16.5" 300blk that is 34" overall and threaded. I think that'd be a cartridge limit of about 100yards right? I actually have 125 sierra soft points.

They also have a 14.5" 6.5 creedmoor pistol which is threaded but I think I want to be about 18" for that cartridge size.

You’d be surprised how capable the 300blk is with the right bullet selection. My Contender is 10” and I wouldn’t have any problem shooting a deer out to 200-225 yards or so. I use the Barnes Tac-TX ammo designed specifically for the 300blk and its velocities. I shot my Wyoming antelope at about 130-150 yards and it performed flawless.

 

[bmicek]

You’d be surprised how capable the 300blk is with the right bullet selection. My Contender is 10” and I wouldn’t have any problem shooting a deer out to 200-225 yards or so. I use the Barnes Tac-TX ammo designed specifically for the 300blk and its velocities. I shot my Wyoming antelope at about 130-150 yards and it performed flawless.

I would highly recommend this bullet for the 300blk.

 

[ericwh]

Here's scientific mockup of suppressor on 18" barrel. Tube is 1/8 off in OD but close enough. Length is correct. I can just barely see it at 3x. By 4.5x it's totally clear.



This is actually much better than my CTR - must be the 20moa rail bringing it into view more on that one.

The alternative would probably be the 16.5" CVA Scout in. 300blk which would be ~4" shorter overall.

 

[Afhunter1]

I have a fieldcraft 18” with a 30cal ultra 7 suppressor. It is not bad outdoors but I do find if I’m under roof that my ears will be aggravated and ring. I don’t find this with a 223 bolt gun and this suppressor.

 

[Murtfree]

Another option if you want to start from scratch and depending on your ultimate goal. I am also in PA and hunt almost exclusively with suppressed rifles of many variations. I sometimes hunt with a full powered 257 Weatherby with a 30 caliber suppressor and it sounds about like a 22 mag rimfire. Thats what I use when I need to reach out and don’t require extreme suppression . In a different direction I go with subsonic cartridges which basically have a max range of less than 150 yards and usually under 100. With many suppressed years under my belt I’ve learned that when you can’t gain energy do to sub 1000FPS velocities you need to increase bullet caliber and weight. I just finished a new .458 SOCOM build with this exact purpose in mind. I already have one I built as an AR Pistol with brace but needed a bolt action to make it legal for hunting. Haven’t begun working up load data yet but planning on using Trail Boss powder with a 500 to 600 grain bullet. Most of my subsonic suppressed loads end up almost being “James Bond Quiet”. I’ve used a subsonic 45-70 years ago with 500 grain bullets and deer usually never went more than 20 yards. When I used a subsonic 308 with 220 grain bullets, deer never seemed to notice they were shot and would continue feeding for about 30 seconds and then suddenly tip over. Just some food for thought going in another direction of suppressed rifles. Pictures below.....still waiting for the scope that USPS seems to have lost for the last 6 weeks

 

[541hunter]

Don’t know how short you are looking but I think the sig cross comes in a pretty small package. I think a 16” barrel on the 308 and 18” on the 6.5 creed and threaded for a suppressor. It’s also a bolt action.