.223 moderators advice

Kran

So I haven't been shooting much for a few years and I'm just getting back into it. I have a very lightly used Howa .223 that I bought new a good few years ago. I might only have fired 50 shots or less from it which is a pity. I've since moved house and got permission for land in a lovely valley within walking distance. It's an ideal spot for some longer range and totally safe shooting in my opinion. I can barely remember how loud the .223 is. It has a mod fitted but I'm unsure of the make and doubt it is a very good one as I knew nothing about them when buying and just bought the only one the RFD had in stock.
My question is how loud is a moderated .223 vs a shotgun and what is the best mod available in Ireland easily. Also how loud is the shot from a distance to a bystander say if I'm shooting about 500 yards away fron houses and also firing away from the houses. There are horses on the neighboring farm but still maybe 300 to 400 yards away. I don't want to upset any of my neighbors but I'm dying to start making use of this gun again.

Cass

Weird, just talking about something similar on another thread.

Kran wrote: »

My question is how loud is a moderated .223 vs a shotgun

The suppressed 223 will be quieter than the shotgun at the shooter. Overall it would, i imagine, be quieter than the shotgun but the thing the 223 does that the shotgun doesn't is the bullet travels a lot longer.

If you've ever heard a rifle being fired in the distance you'll notice it creates a very distinctive crack that seems to last a while. If a shotgun is fired you get a much "deeper" and shorter bang.

There is a lot of shooting where i live and i can tell the difference between a shotgun shot and a rifle.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWqpJGJ300Y

and what is the best mod available in Ireland easily.

Ask a hundred people and you'll get a hundred answers.

There are a number of suppressors available and lads opinions will differ from mod to mod and some even have different opinions about the same mod.

Some of the more popular brands for centrefire include:

• Hausken
• Ase
• Wildcat
• A-Tec
• Reflex (T8/T4)
• SAI

This is an old post of mine about some of the suppressors i've used on the various rifles i owned.

An Ase Utra S5 on a .308 & .243

• Great mod, great results with little to no difference in POI out to 300yds with it on or off.
• Easy enough to clean.
• Best sound reduction.
• Heavy on the end of the barrel.
• More expensive than most other mods.
• Tough wearing and will last as long as the owner if treated right.

T8 on 30-06 and .243

• Good on the .243 and 30-06, but difference in POI with mod on was 7" at 200yds.
• Prone to rusting.
• No more difficult to clean than an Ase, etc.
• Screws down over barrel so reducing excess weight on the end of the rifle.
• Has a resonance when fired.
• Cheapest of the current available stock of mods.
• Lighter than the Ase.

T4 AR on .223

• Difference in POI with mod on or off at 100yds.
• Prone to rusting. Needs regular maintenance
• No more difficult to clean than an Ase, etc.
• Screws down over barrel so reducing excess weight on the end of the rifle.
• Cheapest of the current available stock of mods.
• Lighter than some.

Wildcat on .223

• Great mod, and very little in difference in POI with in on or off.
• Lighter than the Ase and ( i think) the T8.
• Screw down over the barrel for reduced weight.
• Completely comes apart for easy cleaning.
• Baffles can be changed allowing the mod to be used on a .223 up to .30cal wth new inners.
• Polymer housing gives no resonance.
• Cheaper than Ase, but a little more expensive than T8.

A-Tec Maxim on .243

• Lightweight
• Good sound suppression
• Reflex
• Cheaper than most other makes at around €300
• Comes apart for easy cleaning
• Small change in POI with mod on to off.

Also i currently have a T4 on my Howa 223. It's quiet, effective, doesn't affect the POI too much and if over the barrel so it doesn't bother the balance too much.

Also how loud is the shot from a distance to a bystander say if I'm shooting about 500 yards away fron houses and also firing away from the houses.

You're into the whole Doppler effect there and that is way outside my wheelhouse.

Sound to an observer is relative and when it comes to people you could have ten at a house and all ten will give varying statements on the level of the same heard shot. However for the purposes of an answer i'd say it' be relatively quiet. A low, and "moving away" crack is all that would be heard.

There are horses on the neighboring farm but still maybe 300 to 400 yards away. I don't want to upset any of my neighbors but I'm dying to start making use of this gun again.

I've shot around livestock, granted not Horses, and never had an issue. If in doubt don't take the shot. Better to let it go than risk the anger of the land owner.

Kran

Thanks for the great reply Cass. I've shot plenty around livestock too and they seem to not even notice it. I've never heard a moderated 223 fired from a distance though, only from behind the trigger myself. If you were buying a new mod for your .223 and price was not a factor (within reason) would you buy a T4 again or something else?

tikkamark

Wildcat evolution's are a great mod and not mad money and very modular design so parts can be changed for wear and to allow to to be fitted to multiple rifles of different calibers.....also there nice an compact and light.
I had a t8 never again would I buy another rotted on me in no time.

sniperman

hi again kran,(hope the scope is ok)just seen your post,on my last 223 i used an ase,hausken,and wildcat evolution,the hausken and wildcat sounded the same,easy to strip and clean,light weight,the evo is over barrel,and looked good,if i were to buy another it would be the evo,a mate had a t8 , and like said above rotted with rust in no time,despite cleaning it regularly.sports den have the evos,id highly rate them,but everyone will have a favorite,regards,

Kran

sniperman wrote: »

hi again kran,(hope the scope is ok)just seen your post,on my last 223 i used an ase,hausken,and wildcat evolution,the hausken and wildcat sounded the same,easy to strip and clean,light weight,the evo is over barrel,and looked good,if i were to buy another it would be the evo,a mate had a t8 , and like said above rotted with rust in no time,despite cleaning it regularly.sports den have the evos,id highly rate them,but everyone will have a favorite,regards,

Scope is perfect for my job, thanks again. Looks like the evo is the way to go so.
Here is a link to the light I was telling you about.
https://www.taclight.co.uk/collections/torch-brands/products/olight-m2x-javelot-ut#.WTWg1DykrYU

sniperman

Kran wrote: »

Scope is perfect for my job, thanks again. Looks like the evo is the way to go so.
Here is a link to the light I was telling you about.
https://www.taclight.co.uk/collections/torch-brands/products/olight-m2x-javelot-ut#.WTWg1DykrYU

thanks alot,think ill get one for the .22,ps,you wont go wrong with the evo;)

ejg

Sound reduction vs weight the Hausken JD224 is hard to beat. This was also the result of a German test.
I have recently received a new Roedale 55 type mod for my 223. This mod is larger and heavier than the Hausken. It is supposed to be quieter also. I want it to be as quiet as possible and upset livestock/horses as little as possible.
http://wp.roedale.de/hauptmenue/schiesslaermminderung/hunter-55/

edi

minktrapper

I was hoping to put a different moderator on my .22 magnum . I have a Sak at the moment on and was hoping to improve the sound levels with something like a wildcat. Anyone any experience of doing something similar.

Cass

As above i usually prefer to use a smlightly larger mod on my rifles. For two reasons:

1. It fits more than one gun
2. I find the heard report lower. Might be in my head, but a 30 cal mod on my 223 or 243 seems quieter than a caliber specific mod.

I currently run a .25cal (6mm) on my 223 and can put my 30cal on it if i choose. On my HMR i had a .25 cal mod and it was quieter than any SAK, PH, etc.

minktrapper

Would a wildcat be an improvement on the Sak for a WMR.

Cass

Do you mean the Wildcat Whisper (think that is the name of their rimfire model)?

If so i'm not sure. I've only ever seen them and never used one. I've used other Wildcat, but never the Whisper model.

Here is a review on suppressors and the guy used them on a hmr which would be very similar to a WMR for noise. The SMII won with the best noise reduction and i can vouch for this having used one on my last HMR. Great suppressor for the money.

minktrapper

Would there be any problem with using a centre fire moderator on a rimfire.

Cass

Overall none that i've found.

Some say that going too big can be a problem as it allows gases to "escape" ahead of the bullet. So using say a 30 cal (7.62mm bullet with a suppressor muzzle diameter of roughly 10+mm) on say a hmr (4.5mm bullet) is too big and would allow such a situation to arise.

I cannot talk on this as i generally don't go that big. As said above i've used a .25 cal (average of 9mm) on my 22 (5.7mm) and hmr (4.5mm), and a 30 cal (average of say 10mm) on a 223 and 243 (5.6 & 6mm respectively).

minktrapper

And is there any benefit to doing such a thing. I was considering getting a suppressor for a.22 hornet and it would double up for use with the WMR.

Cass

The only two benefits i experience are the ones listed above.