![]() The reality is most pigs will leave the area at a dead run immediately after the first suppressed shot is fired. These cartridges use heavier bullets to make up for the energy lost by keeping the bullet subsonic but at the cost of lower velocity resulting in decreased range.Ī common misconception (and most frequently asked question on our JAGER PRO™ YouTube Channel) is many hunters falsely believe a sounder of feral pigs will continue feeding and allow a hunter to shoot the entire group with a suppressed rifle without any reaction. 44 magnums) are designed to expand at subsonic speeds and may be a better choice for suppressed rifle operations. Bullets manufactured for pistol calibers (such as. Keep in mind, most rifle caliber bullets are not designed to expand at subsonic speeds and are basically "flying drill bits." They simply punch a hole through the animal with the same sized entry and exit wound with no expansion to create a larger wound channel. Subsonic ammunition (approximately 1100 feet per second and slower) is available in many common calibers to eliminate the supersonic crack of the bullet. A firearm suppressor can only dampen the muzzle blast, but not the sound of the bullet's flight. Most modern rifle loads are manufactured and designed to travel at supersonic speeds. The gases which propel the bullet expand and depressurize into the baffle chambers, where they decelerate considerably (thereby producing less sound) by the time they finally exit the suppressor.Ī bullet travelling at supersonic speeds (approximately 1100 feet per second and faster) cannot be suppressed because the bullet creates its own sonic boom commonly referred to as ballistic crack or supersonic crack. When the cartridge is fired, the bullet travels the entire barrel and passes through the length of the suppressor. Each baffle has a passage through which the bullet may pass. Most firearm suppressors have a cylindrical casing segregated into chambers called baffles. Both types of mufflers are cylindrical devices much larger in volume (compared to the firearm barrel or exhaust pipe) to provide a controlled environment for hot gases to expand before exiting into the air with less energy and noise. In layman’s terms, a firearm suppressor is a gun muffler and works much in the same way a car muffler reduces exhaust noise from an automobile. How Firearm Suppressors WorkĪccording to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE), firearm suppressors (also known as gun or firearm silencers, sound moderators or cans) are defined as: “any device for silencing, muffling or diminishing the report of a portable firearm, including any combination of parts, designed or redesigned and intended for use in assembling or fabricating a firearm silencer and any part intended only for use in such assembly or fabrication.” The loudest noise is produced by the propellant gases exiting the barrel and shredding the surrounding air creating both muzzle blast and muzzle flash. The resulting pressure propels the bullet forward through the barrel. However, the decibels increase when the firing pin strikes the primer to ignite the gunpowder creating a small controlled explosion inside the cartridge. The initial act of pulling the trigger to release the hammer and striking the firing pin is relatively quiet. There are multiple sounds associated with the discharge of a firearm. Constantly changing legislation and the growing popularity of suppressors gives us an opportunity to educate gamekeepers about firearm suppressors, how they work and how to legally purchase them. The civilian market for firearm suppressors soared 37 percent in 2013 with nearly 500,000 sales compared to 360,000 in 2012 and 285,000 in 2011. The other 39 states allow the legal ownership of suppressors and 30 states allow their use for hunting game animals. Despite common perceptions, suppressors are perfectly legal to own unless you live in the 11 states of California, Delaware, Hawaii, Iowa, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont. Rod Pinkston | Originally published in GameKeepers: Farming for Wildlife MagazineĪlabama became the most recent state to legalize the use of firearm suppressors (or gun silencers) for hunting in October 2014.
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