Suppressors - needed or not?

[CptnBlues63]

Originally Posted by TargetRick

While suppressors and sound reducers are in general very good, I was thinking on it the other day and considered a different factor:

- on Crown Land type of open areas where I might be walking or ATVing around, maybe suppressors are not so useful.
- if someone is shooting, I certainly WOULD want to hear the bang, from a distance of course.

That way, I can get the heck out of the way before the shots come flying my way. Having once been accidentally shot at, I can testify this is a useful thing, and really makes one move quickly.

If suppressors were on, I'd never hear it. I'd just feel the bad news of the bullet. And oh the zing of that bullet can bring some bad, bad news.

- Yes to suppressors and sound reducers on the ranges, where all the benefits can be known and useful.
- But No to suppressors on public lands.

That's my thinking - what's yours?

TargetRick

As has been pointed out by several previous responses, suppressors do not eliminate the sound in real life like they do on TV and in movies.

I've fired a .308 with a suppressor on it and can tell you, it's not a whole lot quieter than an unsurpressed rifle. It does reduce the decibel level to one that won't damage your hearing though which is the good side of them.

Shooting at the range with a suppressor would help but honestly, if your range is indoor, or is outdoor but has the little roofs over the shooting benches like mine does, you are definitely going to want to wear hearing protection while shooting with a suppressor on. You just wouldn't have to double up on protection.

While they would help reduce hearing damage in the field, they also affect accuracy over distance. So if you want to make a 500 yard shot, you wouldn't want a can on the end of your rifle.

I'm ambiguous to be honest about the whole idea. Are they worth the cost of buying them and outfitting your rifle/handgun with them? I'm not sure I think so..........but that's just my opinion. I likely wouldn't bother myself but others would. Each to their own.