For those who own (or are thinking about getting) an extreme long-range rifle platform like a TAC-338, CheyTacⓇ M200 Intervention or AR-50A1, muzzle devices can make a big impact on how the rifle performs, overall. And, in some cases, they might improve performance in ways you don’t expect.
Here are a few things you should know about suppression in extreme long-range shooting.
Why Suppress?
First let’s cover some of the main reasons that suppression is seen as a benefit, and why it might make more sense for you than a muzzle brake (since brakes are commonly appended to long-range rifle barrels to begin with).
Muzzle Blast Reduction
The main benefit of installing a suppressor is that it will cut back on the volume and the muzzle blast. In general, the bigger the cartridge, the more severe the muzzle blast and the volume of the rifle. A suppressor will capture some of that gas at the muzzle, alleviating this aspect of shooting.
Another thing to note is that suppressors can increase port pop, but since most extreme long-range rifles are bolt-actions, that won’t be the case here. That condition only really occurs with semi-auto platforms.
Recoil Reduction
What most people don’t know about suppressors is that they don’t just diminish the muzzle blast, they can also have a profound effect on felt recoil.
Now, many extreme long-range rifles like the CheyTacⓇ M200 Intervention are very heavy, and that helps counteract recoil too. But a suppressor can still slash felt recoil by between 10% and 20%, and in some cases, maybe even more.
This is not to suggest that suppressors are as effective at mitigating recoil as dedicated muzzle brakes, which can often counteract it to the tune of 30% to 50%, but considering the other advantages of a suppressor, it’s a good callout.
Slightly Greater Power
The way a suppressor works is (from a very high level) by trapping and redirecting gasses within the device due to a combination of a series of internal vanes and baffles.
Because of this, suppressors considerably increase chamber and bore pressures. With a huge cartridge, this increase can be noteworthy, and the effect is that the bullet leaves the muzzle with a slightly higher velocity than it would have unsuppressed.
Which means that with some cartridges a suppressor can actually improve your trajectory slightly.
Two Things to Know
While the advantages of suppressing an extreme long-range rifle are notable, there are a few considerations you should make before you get one. Here are probably the two biggest of them.
Barrel Harmonics and Shifting Point of Aim
One potential drawback of a suppressor – although it is not a drawback if you take the time to tune and sight in your rifle once the suppressor is installed – is that it can shift your point of aim.
Because the suppressor will add mass to the end of the barrel, it can mess with barrel harmonics and potentially can complicate accuracy. However, this will vary according to the rifle you’re shooting, the cartridge, barrel length and harmonics, and of course, the suppressor itself.
You should be aware, however, that when you install or remove a silencer your point of impact is almost definitely going to shift so the rifle will need to be re-zeroed every time you install or remove the suppressor.
Keeping It Clean
Because suppressors increase bore pressures, they trap a lot of fouling, not only inside the can itself but also in the barrel. Suppressed rifles tend to run a lot dirtier than unsuppressed rifles, so if you do get one, make sure you assiduously clean it, much more frequently than you’d clean a rifle that wasn’t suppressed.
