Gentlemen,
I think most of you are required to use a "sound moderator/silencer" on your rifle. Can you tell what is the actual difference in sound? Not just for the shooter but for someone downrange a bit? For ex. with a 223 Rem..what can I expect?

Regards
Esskay

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There is no requirement to use one. Personal choice. Obvious sound reduction without any real negative other than a few ounces of extra weight. Also game less spooky.

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obviously depends on caliber, moderator, distance from muzzle, quality of product....

Percepeted sound like between a 22lr and 22wmr with a swoushing sound.

Nordic,

Thanks much

Hi Esskay,
Not a legal requirement but useful if you want to retain your hearing into old age. They can be viewed as a Health & Safety requirement for this reason.
They are curiously classed as a firearm (part) and permission to possess one has to be listed on your Firearms certificate along with calibre.
In practical terms, they produce a significant reduction in perceived noise and muzzle blast from the shooter's position which also helps reduce flinch and increase accuracy.
They also help to muffle the sound of a shot being heard by the target game or by persons living nearby in our crowded island.
They can sometimes add a little stability and balance to the handling of a rifle but not always.
I hope this helps?

As others have said there is no requirement for a moderator.

There are however many advantages to one - effectively no muzzle blast or flash, a great reduction in noise, usually better accuracy (not always) and protection to your hearing. They do not eliminate noise, as I'm sure you appreciate, but if you are culling deer for the protection of trees or crops they also frequently mean you can take several deer from a group without moving or pushing them on. No, its not sport - its a numbers game but its what some people (have to) do - including me.

They do however tend to make rifles muzzle heavy - which makes them easy to shoot but a pain in the neck to carry. When shooting on my own account I frequently use an unmoderated rifle - you can't just take the mod off without re-zeroing.

Thanks much all. Kuwinda, that about seems to echo my experience.

Regards

go across to the www.thestalkingdirectory.com and there are lots of threads on this topic. My sense is that many are actually going back unmoderated rifles for general deer stalking. Most 22rf will be silenced and shoot subsonic - they are truly quiet. Foxing rifles being shot off a bipod and after dark again tend to me moderated. For a stalking rifle I am not convinced.

Here in Norway moderators/silencers see a lot of use among deer hunters that hunt from stands / blinds during dark hours (legal in Norway)
Benefits are as others have pointed out, much less noise and no muzzle flash.
Here moderators are free to buy, no registration or permits needed.

For those of us that do a lot of walking, especially stalking moose and rein deer, moderators are not so common, I guess added weight and a more cumbersome rifle are the reasons.

I have a moderator on my .22 LR , my stalking rifles are "naked" and will remain so.

An interesting thing is that quite a few of the young generation seems to love suchs gadgets as moderators, bipods, picatinny rails, stocks that can be adjusted in all directions etc.

Arild: why surpressor on a 22?

quote:

Originally posted by Goldeneye:
Arild: why surpressor on a 22?

I use it mostly for taking out crows and magpies in my back garden.
Neighbors are mostly very tolerant but I prefere to keep a lov profile anyhow.

I live in the middle of prime red deer country and stalking guns are found in almost every home, but here and there lives a twisted mind that hate guns.

A couple of years ago Police came to check out two stalkers that were legaly hunting roe deer, after a person reported hearing gunshots not far from a small town.

In such situations I see the benefit of supressors.

quote:

Originally posted by Goldeneye:
Arild: why surpressor on a 22?

A moderated 22 with subsonics is very close to silent - if you have a lot of, say, rabbits to take out its the best tool. A few unmoderated supersonic shots and they get wise to this and one shot is all you will get thereafter before they clear off.

A short range rig but mine (P94S) will put ten shots in one small hole at 50yds - subs are very "loopy" beyond this.

A good moderator on a 222 sounds like a loud pellet gun.