The Best of the Best in Hunting Suppressors

Nowadays, most hunting rifles have their barrels threaded. Why? Easy answer, suppressors. Suppressors have been around since the early 1900s. Unfortunately, for civilians, suppressors were included in the 1934 National Firearms Acts, being lumped in with automatic and short-barreled weapons, requiring an ATF application and $200 tax stamp once the government’s blessing was received. This stunted suppressor access for civilians in the US.

Fast forward to the early 2000s, $200 was no longer such a significant burden when compared to the 1930s. Entities like Silencer Central started helping to streamline/simplify the process for obtaining suppressors. The BATF's recent efforts to reduce the ridiculous wait times—previously measured in months and now in weeks—have only encouraged further interest. As a result, suppressor acquisition among civilians burgeoned. With the Trump Administration’s “Big, Beautiful Bill,” ending the $200 tax stamp requirement, many are predicting suppressor popularity to escalate even more.

WHY HUNTERS SHOULD USE SUPPERSSORS

One segment of the market that shows consistent growth and acceptance of suppressor use is hunting. Suppressor manufacturers are working hard to keep up with demand. A threaded rifle muzzle is now the standard. The advantages of using suppressors are hard to deny, such as sound reduction, recoil control and flash suppression.

Requirements for a hunting suppressor are different from those for the military and do not have to withstand full-auto fire, thus making it possible to use different materials that lessen weight, length and cost. Hunting suppressors usually directly thread on the barrel, further saving weight by not requiring the attachment components on the rifle and suppressor. Controlling toxic fume blowback when mounted on automatic rifles is not a concern with a hunting suppressor, further simplifying matters.

Suppressor use for hunting has advantages and disadvantages, mostly advantages though. The con is the extra length and weight added to your rifle. With that said, suppressor manufacturers have stepped up their game with designs and materials that mitigate this. Rifle manufacturers have also reacted to the growing popularity by not only offering threaded barrels from the factory, but also shortening barrels, balancing ballistics with accommodating the installation of a suppressor.

The suppressor pros are obvious with hearing protection. However, more subtle is the increased situational awareness by avoiding that awful ringing in your ears after a shot is fired unsuppressed, which often causes long-term hearing damage. A suppressor is also a very effective muzzle brake that promotes better accuracy by removing the “flinch” factor. This promotes more accurate shot placement.

With a suppressor, prey often cannot discern where the shot is coming from. Not a big deal if you hit your mark. But in the off chance you miss with a suppressor, that large buck you just put a round over or under may not bolt for the next county. Thus, offering you a shot at redemption and saving your shirttail. Other scenarios where suppressors could prove advantageous involve sitting over a prairie dog field without wanting everything to go to ground when the first shot is made or predator hunting with multiple coyotes coming to your call. Lastly, it is just plain polite, especially in areas that are crowded with hunting pressure.

Once you invest the time and money into hunting with a suppressor, most likely you will be hooked. With that said, let's explore some hunting suppressor candidates.

BANISH BACKCOUNTRY

The Backcountry is a fixed-length .30-cal suppressor that measures only 5.5 inches in length and weighs just 7.8 ounces, thanks to titanium construction. Its compact size and weight translate into minimal interference with the host rifle. The Backcountry’s six-baffle design drops the decibel level down to approximately 135dB. The Banish Backcountry is a direct-thread suppressor designed to eliminate any extra weight associated with a muzzle device method of attachment, but it is also available with an optional muzzle brake attachment method if a user desires. The Backcountry is rated up to .300 RUM and typifies the hunting suppressor. MSRP: $1,099

AERO PRECISION LAHAR-30

The Lahar-30 is constructed using a laser-welded combination of 17-4 stainless steel blast chamber and secondary baffles with an Inconel blast baffle to provide increased performance under hard use. The Lahar-30 has no minimum barrel length restrictions and is full-auto certified tough. It is rated for calibers up to .300 Win Mag. The Lahar-30 weighs 15.4 ounces and measures 6.2 inches in length. It can be ordered with either a 1/2-28 or 5/8-24 thread pitch interface mount. Long (L) and short (K) versions of the LAHAR-30 are also offered. MSRP: $699

DEAD AIR SANDMAN S

The 6.8-inch, 17.7-ounce Sandman S is the epitome of a hard-use, .30-caliber suppressor thanks to its Stellite-constructed baffles surrounded by a stainless-steel outer tube. Stellite is more durable and corrosion-resistant than even stainless steel or Inconel. What you get is a suppressor oblivious to barrel length, along with full auto-rated performance. The Sandman is one of the few suppressors included in this hunting-based feature that is equally at home in a military-grade application. Its features demanded it be present.

The Sandman S offers 30-32dB reduction, making firing with supersonic ammunition tolerable without hearing protection. The mounted Sandman S is a muzzle brake and flash hider in its own right. Recoil is minimized with the suppressor mounted and is non-existent with sub-sonic loads. MSRP: $999

AAC JAEGER

The Advanced Armament (AAC) Jaeger 30 is purpose-built for hunting with bolt-action and single-shot rifles as its intended hosts. The Jaeger was not designed for high-volume fire associated with high-capacity, assault-style automatics. The Jaeger 30 directly threads on the rifle’s muzzle and is kept light at only 13.9 ounces. The suppressor measures 9.28 inches in length with a 1.47-inch width.

The Jaeger 30 features a Grade 9 Titanium mount and blast baffle. The outer tube and monolithic core are machined from 7075-T6 aluminum. The black anodized Titanium mount is the strongest component of the silencer and carries the serial number and data panel. This is an important nuance in case the outer tube and/or baffle system are damaged in the field. These parts can be repaired without involving BATF procedures for shipping and/or replacement work. The 5/8-24 threads of the Jaeger 30 are compatible with the majority of threaded .30-caliber hunting rifles. The 7075-T6 aluminum tube and monocore are finished with Type 3 OD Green hard coat anodize. MSRP: $499

B.O.S.S. CHAIRMAN

The B.O.S.S. Chairman features the company’s proprietary Tesla-inspired vented baffles inside the 8-inch titanium tube housing. The titanium allows for only 11.5 ounces at the end of your barrel. The suppressor utilizes a traditional baffle stack with certain key improvements. B.O.S.S. starts with a raw tube of Grade 9 Titanium, with the baffles, mount and cap being created either from 17-4 H900 stainless steel or Grade 5 6Al4V titanium, depending on whether designated stainless or titanium model. 17-4 H900 is used for the blast baffle for all models. No less than four unique baffle profiles, often more, dependent on specific B.O.S.S. suppressors, are then stacked in a specific order, which is what allows the Tesla-inspired vents to function properly and are indexed to each other to allow for perfect alignment of the asymmetrical baffle clips. Along these lines, B.O.S.S. has created a unique baffle retainer that is installed via a tool of their own design/manufacturing. MSRP: $799

BANISH MEATEATER

None of the Banish MeatEater suppressor traits should surprise, considering the input from Steven Rinella’s crew of avid hunters. Hunters know minimizing size is important not just for humping into the bush, but also for not creating a front-heavy cantilever on your rifle’s barrel. The MeatEater suppressor measures just under 6 inches in length with a width of 1.73 inches. The increased girth helps maintain volume, which is important in how suppressors reduce sound. The Banish MeatEater suppressor weighs only 10.3 ounces, thanks to titanium construction, yet offers enhanced sound reduction at 32dB along with its anchor brake feature. The MeatEater by Banish suppressor introduces the concept of the anchor brake into the Banish lineup. MSRP: $1,299

RUGGED SUPPRESSORS ALASKAN 360

The Rugged Alaskan360’s lightweight multicaliber adaptability just fits as a hunting suppressor. The Alaskan360 can be used with 9mm pistols/SMGs and rifles up to .338 Lapua thanks to 17-4 stainless baffles. The Rugged Universal Mount, or R.U.M., is made from US Grade 5 titanium and is compatible with Rugged's Dual Taper Locking System and industry-standard mounts. The Rugged Alaskan is 1.6 inches in diameter, 7.5 inches long, and weighs 11.8 ounces. MSRP: $1,084

DEAD AIR NOMAD L

Typical of Dead Air’s attention to detail, they created the Nomad L (long) .30-caliber suppressor for use on the higher-pressure hunting cartridges—think .300 Win Mag, 7 PRC, etc. The Nomad L features a high-efficiency baffle design with industry-leading sound reduction at the muzzle and minimal first-round pop. It ships in its direct-thread configuration with 5/8-24 threads. At only 18.3 ounces and 8.4 inches long, the Nomad L remains agile enough for use out hunting, while offering superior sound reduction. MSRP: $999

BANISH 46-V2

The Banish 46-V2 is a great example of suppressor flexibility and a brand that listens to its clients. The Banish 46-V2 is meant for use on large-caliber rifles such as .338 Lapua and .45-70. It can also be turned to for pistol use with the 10mm, .44 Mag and so on. If it is .45 caliber and below, the Banish 46-V2 can be of use. The V2 is significantly lighter than its original form, while still maintaining user serviceability with removal baffles for cleaning. It went on a diet with titanium construction, with a weight of just 15.3 ounces. The can measures 8 inches in length and 1.59 inches in diameter. This is a pretty compact suppressor for big-caliber rifles but still offers a 30-decibel reduction in sound output. The Banish 46-V2 was designed to be the perfect all-in-one suppressor, making it a great choice for shooters looking to buy just one silencer to use on multiple firearms. It is more maneuverable than other big-bore suppressors thanks to its compact design and lighter weight. MSRP: $1,099

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