Yes, yes, I know that 338 Win Mags are do not produce excessive recoil, but I have never liked that of my Sako 75 Stainless steel synthetic.
I recently installed a suppressor that reduces the noise and, as importantly, reduces recoil a great deal.
As you can see from the photo with waterbuck recently hunted, it is even more big and bulky than it was previously, but is now an absolute pleasure to shoot.
My choice load is 225 gr Hornady Interbonds.

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I know that 338 Win Mags are do not produce excessive recoil

They sure can if the stock doesn't fit you well!

Does the suppressor make it muzzle heavy?

LWD

This gunsmith is very skilled in getting the balance near-normal and once you are used to the added weight and length, there is little problem.
I agree that some 338's do kick and even though this Sako 75 is such a good rifle, the designers did err in that regard.

Whatever blows your skirt up, if it works and your happy then your in good shape.

I don't know I Been shooting and hunting with a Sako 75 SS in 338 since I got it in 1996. Shoots fine, and all in all it was such a good rifle that its one of the ones I kept when I paired things down some a few years back.

Looks neat,


Did you swap your loads down to subsonic for the suppressor? Is it liquid filled? Does it really help that much on noise if you didn't change your load?

I am new to the details of suppressors...

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Did you swap your loads down to subsonic for the suppressor? Is it liquid filled? Does it really help that much on noise if you didn't change your load?

As I understand the suppressor is made of baffles. It does make a noticable difference to the noise and almost more so to the recoil.
You simply shoot the same load as before, though with anything bigger than a .224 there is a big difference in point of impact.
It has no effect on groupings, generally, and if anything improves them. This may be to better shooting from the human side.
I have a 221 Fireball and am experimenting with subsonic loads but they are very different to normal loads.

quote:

Originally posted by LWD:

quote:

I know that 338 Win Mags are do not produce excessive recoil

They sure can if the stock doesn't fit you well!

Does the suppressor make it muzzle heavy?

LWD

If a Sako stock doesn't fit you well, then it's an anatomy issue rather than the stock. Sako stocks are engineered to fit Homo Sapiens. If you are a Neanderthal or Orangutan, it may not fit well.

I think it's a damn shame that the suppressor isn't a common item for nearly all hunting rifles in this country. It's a reflection of our collective political will, that it is subject to restrictions. IMO, it's one of the most under used and under rated or under appreciated tools for hearing protection and just pleasurable shooting.

KB

I would like to know more about the suppressor. Make, model, how it has affected the velocity, group size, etc.

I have been toying with the idea of one myself but have yet to drop the dough on one. Nate

Nate, we live on different continents and there are dozens of indiviuals who can do the job for us locally.
They are effectively home made, but the better gunsmiths do better jobs.
While I have not tested the loads yet myself besides altered the scope setting, there is very seldom any difference to velocity, group size, etc. according to my friends.
Parts of the Eastern Cape you will look hard to find a rifle without a suppressor (we still call them silencers) out in the field.
Interestingly, I was given that waterbuck for free but the condition was that I had to have a suppressor on my rifle so as not to frighten the rest of the game too much.
I thought that it was illegal to have a suppressor in much of the US.

Here is a pic of a British hunter with kudu from my ranch. They have very high quality suppressors there but each one has to be individually licenced, I understand.