Suppressing a Dangerous Game rifle - 458 lott

[generalzip]

I own suppressors and for hunting use them on two dedicated AR platforms for pigs and coyotes. As @mdwest notes, a suppressor is far from silent, but does increase the chances of a successful second animal in a sounder of pigs at midnight.

Unless sitting in a stand, I have zero interest in trying to drag a suppressed rifle through a stalk - particularly for a dangerous game animal. I just used a Mauser so equipped in Hungary for that role stalking roe deer and found it an abomination.

Thread 'HUNGARY: Roe Deer On The Hungarian Plain And Mouflon Of The Bakony Mountains - Or, How I Came To Despise A Bolt Action Equipped With A Suppressor'

Apr 24, 2025

Not wishing to drive off any Gen X, Z, or tacticool readers immediately, I’ll withhold my rifle evaluation until later.

I had visited Budapest twice before over the last twenty-five years, but I never had the opportunity to see anything of the country. However, thanks to the Cold War, I at least was very familiar with its terrain from map studies and exercises. We had concluded back in those days that it represented excellent tank country once our formations moved east of the Danube. It was to this area, the Great Hungarian Plain (lföld or Nagy Alföld), that a local friend, Rick, and I...

• Red Leg
• Replies: 49
• Forum: Hunting reports Europe

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In thick country, I carry the rifle slung, butt up over the left shoulder with the the left hand controlling it on the forearm. It goes everywhere I go effortlessly, is almost impossible to snag, and comes up as quickly as port arms. The suppressed Mauser, negotiating a wood line in Europe, much less the jess in Africa, it was like trying to maneuver a revolutionary war musket, and would have dug a furrow in the dirt with the butt up carry.

Also, on dangerous game, how does that whole follow-up thing work? Open sights are a non-starter. How much of your vision is hampered by the can when the scope is dropped to 1X to deal with something angry and inbound.

To your last point it depends on a few things including sight height, barrel length, and suppressor length and diameter. My suppressor is 1.57” so no very wide compared to others. On a 18-20”’rifle I find it obscured very little. I would use a red dot on this rifle which elevates the sight height significantly and the suppressor does not obstruct it at all. I shoot s lot of tactical rifles and PRS where my optics even on bolt guns sit in 1.35” mounts which is wayyyy taller than most people like. I really like to be higher off my stock (maybe I have a fat face haha) and pushing into the stock in a heavy recoiling rifle to get to the irons I find quite uncomfortable. This is of course just my personal experience as everyone’s face structure and chest/shoulders are different dimensions.

 

[generalzip]

Look, a suppressed bolt gun with even a 16” barrel is about as long as an unsuppressed 26” rifle. That, and large caliber suppressors that actually work well have large volumes. Think it through carefully.

From top to bottom:
26”
20”
16”
17”

The bottom rifle has a Bowers Vers 458.

Nice collection. I suppose the worst that can happen is I have a super handy 19” .458 win mag. Guys use 18” b&m rifles so don’t see why it would be any different. Should be about the same speed since case capacity is the same. The difference is you’re trading an around .6” in action length for 1 less round in your magazine.

 

[JG26Irish_2]

I am not sure I would suppress a classic big bore DG rifle. Why? Those big ass 458's are already going pretty slow, even with a std length bbl. What is that length? 25" or 26" more or less. Shorten that by 20% and your already slow at 2300 or 2400 fps muzzle velocity is going to drop down to what? 2100? To me the extra energy is more important than the sound suppression.

Then there is the weight of a Lott rated can. No thanks. It is going to weight too much to be worth the trouble. And if you are hunting with a 1-6x or 1-8x optic or a red-dot sight that is shot with both eyes open, the big round appendage on the muzzle will be visible in your sight picture and will obscure a portion of your view of the animal. Critical? Probably not but would be distracting to me. I am already a little distracted by the sight of the bbl in my sight picture when I look thru the scope at 1x.

Your not going to shoot that cannon enough to hurt your ears much. If you are really that worried, then buy a pair of the electronic noise cancelling ear plugs. I love cans for hunting. Use them a lot with 22lr when squirrel hunting and am looking at getting a 7mm - 30cal can for future use but would go for a small, compact Titanium can that is not too obtrusive.

 

[generalzip]

I am not sure I would suppress a classic big bore DG rifle. Why? Those big ass 458's are already going pretty slow, even with a std length bbl. What is that length? 25" or 26" more or less. Shorten that by 20% and your already slow at 2300 or 2400 fps muzzle velocity is going to drop down to what? 2100? To me the extra energy is more important than the sound suppression.

Then there is the weight of a Lott rated can. No thanks. It is going to weight too much to be worth the trouble. And if you are hunting with a 1-6x or 1-8x optic or a red-dot sight that is shot with both eyes open, the big round appendage on the muzzle will be visible in your sight picture and will obscure a portion of your view of the animal. Critical? Probably not but would be distracting to me. I am already a little distracted by the sight of the bbl in my sight picture when I look thru the scope at 1x.

Your not going to shoot that cannon enough to hurt your ears much. If you are really that worried, then buy a pair of the electronic noise cancelling ear plugs. I love cans for hunting. Use them a lot with 22lr when squirrel hunting and am looking at getting a 7mm - 30cal can for future use but would go for a small, compact Titanium can that is not too obtrusive.

You will not lose anywhere near that much velocity. Usually it’s around 15 fps per inch in the 458 bore size.

My hybrid with a steel mount weighs 15oz on my scale. Switch to titanium mount it’s about 14 oz.

while using a red dot on a suppressed rifle it does not obscure your view of what you’re aiming at in the least in my vast experience doing so. If you’re getting distracted by your barrel that’s just a training thing. Practice more and you will not even notice it.

One single round from an unsuppressed high power rifle does damage to your hearing. This is simply science And biology. You might not think it does. The consequence may not be immediate. But absolutely you are damaging your hearing firing a rifle of roughly 170+ dB at the muzzle. Depending on the barrel length will determine what that is at the shooters ear as well as your surroundings and environment.

Ultimately it’s your decision and I’m not telling you what to do. It’s a decision with trade offs. To me adding a suppressor has more pros than cons. I cherish my hearing and health and am strong enough luckily to hold such a rifle fairly easily. If the cons outweigh the pros for you by all means don’t use a suppressor. It’s a free country after all.

 

[WI-2021]

I'll start by saying that I'm not a dangerous game hunter. I've never even been to Africa, though that will be changing within a month. I do, however, own a pair of .375 Ruger Hawkeyes. One, an African, has a 23" barrel and is unsuppressed. The other, an Alaskan, has a 20" barrel and a Rex Silentium MG7 on it.

I can't comment from DG experience, but the Alaskan with the rather small MG7 on it is effectively the same length as a 25" barreled unsuppressed rifle, though a bit more muzzle-heavy since the 12-ish oz. MG7 is a bit heavier than 5" of extra barrel. I think that if you can get through the brush with a 26" barreled rifle, you can do it with the suppressed Alaskan. That being said, it would still be easier to get through the brush with the 20" Alaskan without the suppressor. FWIW, I can, just barely, use the express sights with the can mounted.

I bought the MG7 for a much lower-powered rifle originally, but figured that since i had it, I should get the Alaskan threaded to accept it. It is, quite frankly, too small for the .375. The can is bored for .458, so that doesn't help, but there's just too much gas with the .375 for it to be very effective. It reduces recoil and noise slightly, but not enough to be worth the hassle in my opinion. A much larger can would be much more effective, but at the expense of even more added length and weight.

I'm the sort of person who wants to suppress all of his rifles, but the MG7 on my .375 has been a disappointment. Within the next few weeks, my custom .375 should be completed. This one will also be threaded, but I'll probably end up buying a larger, .375 bored, titanium can for it to gain better suppression. Should I ever hunt dangerous game with the rifle, I'd likely remove the suppressor to reduce the overall length.

All that said, the next project is a .416 Rem Mag. That one will be threaded too, since it's way easier to do it when building the rifle than it is to move the front sight back to thread it later. I'm sure I'll try it with the MG7, and likely be just as underwhelmed. That rifle will probably spend its life with a thread protector on it instead of a suppressor.

In short, I think that any can with enough volume to effectively suppress a dangerous game rifle is also likely to be bigger than I would want to deal with in the field. My outfitter's rental .375 is suppressed and I'll probably be hunting larger plains game with that rifle later next month, so that may change my mind.

 

[Daisy]

I'll start by saying that I'm not a dangerous game hunter. I've never even been to Africa, though that will be changing within a month. I do, however, own a pair of .375 Ruger Hawkeyes. One, an African, has a 23" barrel and is unsuppressed. The other, an Alaskan, has a 20" barrel and a Rex Silentium MG7 on it.

I can't comment from DG experience, but the Alaskan with the rather small MG7 on it is effectively the same length as a 25" barreled unsuppressed rifle, though a bit more muzzle-heavy since the 12-ish oz. MG7 is a bit heavier than 5" of extra barrel. I think that if you can get through the brush with a 26" barreled rifle, you can do it with the suppressed Alaskan. That being said, it would still be easier to get through the brush with the 20" Alaskan without the suppressor. FWIW, I can, just barely, use the express sights with the can mounted.

I bought the MG7 for a much lower-powered rifle originally, but figured that since i had it, I should get the Alaskan threaded to accept it. It is, quite frankly, too small for the .375. The can is bored for .458, so that doesn't help, but there's just too much gas with the .375 for it to be very effective. It reduces recoil and noise slightly, but not enough to be worth the hassle in my opinion. A much larger can would be much more effective, but at the expense of even more added length and weight.

I'm the sort of person who wants to suppress all of his rifles, but the MG7 on my .375 has been a disappointment. Within the next few weeks, my custom .375 should be completed. This one will also be threaded, but I'll probably end up buying a larger, .375 bored, titanium can for it to gain better suppression. Should I ever hunt dangerous game with the rifle, I'd likely remove the suppressor to reduce the overall length.

All that said, the next project is a .416 Rem Mag. That one will be threaded too, since it's way easier to do it when building the rifle than it is to move the front sight back to thread it later. I'm sure I'll try it with the MG7, and likely be just as underwhelmed. That rifle will probably spend its life with a thread protector on it instead of a suppressor.

In short, I think that any can with enough volume to effectively suppress a dangerous game rifle is also likely to be bigger than I would want to deal with in the field. My outfitter's rental .375 is suppressed and I'll probably be hunting larger plains game with that rifle later next month, so that may change my mind.

Try the AB raptor 8 in 375. It is an over the barrel supressor so only adds 5” of length, but with large cavity for sound and recoil reduction. I love mine on my 375.

 

[samson7x]

I'll start by saying that I'm not a dangerous game hunter. I've never even been to Africa, though that will be changing within a month. I do, however, own a pair of .375 Ruger Hawkeyes. One, an African, has a 23" barrel and is unsuppressed. The other, an Alaskan, has a 20" barrel and a Rex Silentium MG7 on it.

I can't comment from DG experience, but the Alaskan with the rather small MG7 on it is effectively the same length as a 25" barreled unsuppressed rifle, though a bit more muzzle-heavy since the 12-ish oz. MG7 is a bit heavier than 5" of extra barrel. I think that if you can get through the brush with a 26" barreled rifle, you can do it with the suppressed Alaskan. That being said, it would still be easier to get through the brush with the 20" Alaskan without the suppressor. FWIW, I can, just barely, use the express sights with the can mounted.

I bought the MG7 for a much lower-powered rifle originally, but figured that since i had it, I should get the Alaskan threaded to accept it. It is, quite frankly, too small for the .375. The can is bored for .458, so that doesn't help, but there's just too much gas with the .375 for it to be very effective. It reduces recoil and noise slightly, but not enough to be worth the hassle in my opinion. A much larger can would be much more effective, but at the expense of even more added length and weight.

I'm the sort of person who wants to suppress all of his rifles, but the MG7 on my .375 has been a disappointment. Within the next few weeks, my custom .375 should be completed. This one will also be threaded, but I'll probably end up buying a larger, .375 bored, titanium can for it to gain better suppression. Should I ever hunt dangerous game with the rifle, I'd likely remove the suppressor to reduce the overall length.

All that said, the next project is a .416 Rem Mag. That one will be threaded too, since it's way easier to do it when building the rifle than it is to move the front sight back to thread it later. I'm sure I'll try it with the MG7, and likely be just as underwhelmed. That rifle will probably spend its life with a thread protector on it instead of a suppressor.

In short, I think that any can with enough volume to effectively suppress a dangerous game rifle is also likely to be bigger than I would want to deal with in the field. My outfitter's rental .375 is suppressed and I'll probably be hunting larger plains game with that rifle later next month, so that may change my mind.

Yeah, I wouldn’t expect stellar performance with a 5” overbore can on a 375. Take a look at the TBAC magnus series. I’m thinking the S version in 375 should sound quite nice without adding a lot of weight and length.

Maybe I’m crazy but I can still walk through brush with a suppressor attached. It really is not that big of a hindrance.

 

[WI-2021]

Try the AB raptor 8 in 375. It is an over the barrel supressor so only adds 5” of length, but with large cavity for sound and recoil reduction. I love mine on my 375.

Yeah, I wouldn’t expect stellar performance with a 5” overbore can on a 375. Take a look at the TBAC magnus series. I’m thinking the S version in 375 should sound quite nice without adding a lot of weight and length.

Maybe I’m crazy but I can still walk through brush with a suppressor attached. It really is not that big of a hindrance.

The Raptor in .30 caliber is likely going to be added to the collection. Unfortunately, it's not an option on my .375's due to the sights unless I eliminate the reflex which is an option since it's modular. I'm definitely considering a Magnus S. My Ultra 5 is a really nice can, though again, it's not that quiet. There's only so much that can be done with that small of a footprint. One other consideration is the Ecco Machine Accipiter Ti. I'll likely end up with one of the two, along with a .30 caliber Raptor 10 with a 5" reflex for an upcoming .308 precision rifle build.

The MG7 was bought for a .44 magnum Henry that I no longer own. I didn't expect it to compare to my larger cans on the .375 but figured it was worth a try.

I also walk through the brush after deer with a suppressor attached, but that's on a very lightweight 16.5" .308. I don't find that to be a problem, but a longer barrel and chasing something that could kill me may change my mind.

 

[Datchew]

I've cut through brush tight enough to make you crawl.

Anyone that's ever stalked deer in a group in Maine (make sure you keep it under 3 or the Northwoods law dogs will getcha!) knows what it's like.
You almost can't see more than 40 yards in some areas.

The suppressor isn't the issue as much as your own body. A sling is the real bother in right veggies.

 

[JG26Irish_2]

While using a red dot on a suppressed rifle it does not obscure your view of what you’re aiming at in the least in my vast experience doing so. If you’re getting distracted by your barrel that’s just a training thing. Practice more and you will not even notice it.

I will have to defer to your "vast" experience on this subject Sir. As a former National Champion precision rifle marksman, I probably do need to practice more. In my case, I was simply attempting to convey that any suppressor that is larger in diameter than the bbl may obstruct some of the sight picture in some cases. Not a big deal. Lots of PH's in Africa suppress their loaner rifles. Makes sense.

Sounds like you have made up your mind. If it works for you, then you are good to go. I have nothing against suppressors. I am curious. Do you sell or mfg suppressors?

One single round from an unsuppressed high power rifle does damage to your hearing. This is simply science And biology. You might not think it does. The consequence may not be immediate. But absolutely you are damaging your hearing firing a rifle.

Technically, your above statement is true. Hearing loss is progressive. A suppressor is one way to improve that issue. So, are the digital, electronic ear plugs. They work, are relatively low cost and do not require NFA paperwork in the USA.

Suppressors, are a tool we can deploy selectively, where and when they offer the most benefit. For me, that is at the range when practicing where the repeated exposure to muzzle blast is vastly more repetitive than in the field hunting where one or two shots is usually all that may be required. Have a good-un.

 

[RLL]

Suppressed in thick jess on buff works great and maneuvered easy. Next is chopping a 416 B&M to suppress.

 

[generalzip]

I will have to defer to your "vast" experience on this subject Sir. As a former National Champion precision rifle marksman, I probably do need to practice more. In my case, I was simply attempting to convey that any suppressor that is larger in diameter than the bbl may obstruct some of the sight picture in some cases. Not a big deal. Lots of PH's in Africa suppress their loaner rifles. Makes sense.

Sounds like you have made up your mind. If it works for you, then you are good to go. I have nothing against suppressors. I am curious. Do you sell or mfg suppressors?


Technically, your above statement is true. Hearing loss is progressive. A suppressor is one way to improve that issue. So, are the digital, electronic ear plugs. They work, are relatively low cost and do not require NFA paperwork in the USA.

Suppressors, are a tool we can deploy selectively, where and when they offer the most benefit. For me, that is at the range when practicing where the repeated exposure to muzzle blast is vastly more repetitive than in the field hunting where one or two shots is usually all that may be required. Have a good-un.

Did you use a suppressed rifle with red dot the whole time in your career to winning a national championship? Otherwise, I'm not sure how that comment is very relevant to what I said. For the record, I wasn't implying you're a bad shot (I know nothing about you), just that you must not have much experience shooting suppressed rifles with red dots if you drew the conclusion your sight picture would be impaired. If it is you are not set up properly or using a crazy ass 2+" diameter can haha. Funny because I actually own one called the Resilient putnik made for an AK platform.

I do not sell or mfg suppressors. I own around 30 suppressors (all bought by me) of various sizes and use them on all kinds of firearms. If it's obstructing your sight picture then you're not set up correctly. Totally agree ear plugs are a solution but wearing them on a 10 day safari in the heat I thought would get really old really fast. Batteries in them typically don't last more than 6-8 hours in my experience and after awhile they start to cause ear pain. Still, it is an option and I've considered just having ear pro around my neck. For me, the reduction in recoil alone is worth the trade off. The reduction in sound makes it a win/win. The cool thing about these big bore rifles s they lose very little velocity with barrel length. As 16-18" 458WM with a can would be a pretty neat tool and I bet pretty effective in a magnum action where you can load them longer.

 

[generalzip]

Suppressed in thick jess on buff works great and maneuvered easy. Next is chopping a 416 B&M to suppress.

Nice! what's your rifle, caliber, and barrel length if you don't mind me asking.

 

[Red Leg]

I'll start by saying that I'm not a dangerous game hunter. I've never even been to Africa, though that will be changing within a month. I do, however, own a pair of .375 Ruger Hawkeyes. One, an African, has a 23" barrel and is unsuppressed. The other, an Alaskan, has a 20" barrel and a Rex Silentium MG7 on it.

I can't comment from DG experience, but the Alaskan with the rather small MG7 on it is effectively the same length as a 25" barreled unsuppressed rifle, though a bit more muzzle-heavy since the 12-ish oz. MG7 is a bit heavier than 5" of extra barrel. I think that if you can get through the brush with a 26" barreled rifle, you can do it with the suppressed Alaskan. That being said, it would still be easier to get through the brush with the 20" Alaskan without the suppressor. FWIW, I can, just barely, use the express sights with the can mounted.

I bought the MG7 for a much lower-powered rifle originally, but figured that since i had it, I should get the Alaskan threaded to accept it. It is, quite frankly, too small for the .375. The can is bored for .458, so that doesn't help, but there's just too much gas with the .375 for it to be very effective. It reduces recoil and noise slightly, but not enough to be worth the hassle in my opinion. A much larger can would be much more effective, but at the expense of even more added length and weight.

I'm the sort of person who wants to suppress all of his rifles, but the MG7 on my .375 has been a disappointment. Within the next few weeks, my custom .375 should be completed. This one will also be threaded, but I'll probably end up buying a larger, .375 bored, titanium can for it to gain better suppression. Should I ever hunt dangerous game with the rifle, I'd likely remove the suppressor to reduce the overall length.

All that said, the next project is a .416 Rem Mag. That one will be threaded too, since it's way easier to do it when building the rifle than it is to move the front sight back to thread it later. I'm sure I'll try it with the MG7, and likely be just as underwhelmed. That rifle will probably spend its life with a thread protector on it instead of a suppressor.

In short, I think that any can with enough volume to effectively suppress a dangerous game rifle is also likely to be bigger than I would want to deal with in the field. My outfitter's rental .375 is suppressed and I'll probably be hunting larger plains game with that rifle later next month, so that may change my mind.

I assume this is a game farm hunt in South Africa? No criticism of the choice, but much of that model and experience, excluding the animals themselves, is looking more and more like fenced concessions in Europe or the Hill Country of Texas than the rest of the African continent. Paying by the inch and the use of suppressors are two examples. We had another commentator on this thread drawing conclusions about all PHs using suppressors eventually based upon a single set of observations in South Africa. The continent is a big place.

I also fully realize that suppressors are something of a generational thing. In my day it was tricking out the Model 1911. Next, and is to some extent still, was the tricked out AR. Now it is the suppressor on everything. As I noted above, both my midnight pig and things go bump in the night guns are suppressed. I should also note, I have no issue with a suppressed rifle from a deer stand. Indeed, on many properties, they can be an advantage.

A major part of my aversion to suppressors on a "stalking rifle" - dangerous game or otherwise - is the eventual length. As I noted earlier, in brush, I carry the rifle muzzle down over the left shoulder held by the left hand. The rifle in this photo is a Highland Stalker in Zambia. It comes up instantly - into a hasty sling if needed. It goes anywhere the body goes, and is far less trouble than even port arms with a rifle without a sling. Add any length and it would be digging a furrow with every bend of the knee.

On a dangerous game rifle, I want nothing that can interfere with sight picture - instinctive or otherwise. All my DG options have detachable scopes and excellent open sights for a possible follow-up in really tight quarters.

 

[samson7x]

I assume this is a game farm hunt in South Africa? No criticism of the choice, but much of that model and experience, excluding the animals themselves, is looking more and more like fenced concessions in Europe or the Hill Country of Texas than the rest of the African continent. Paying by the inch and the use of suppressors are two examples. We had another commentator on this thread drawing conclusions about all PHs using suppressors eventually based upon a single set of observations in South Africa. The continent is a big place.

I also fully realize that suppressors are something of a generational thing. In my day it was tricking out the Model 1911. Next, and is to some extent still, was the tricked out AR. Now it is the suppressor on everything. As I noted above, both my midnight pig and things go bump in the night guns are suppressed. I should also note, I have no issue with a suppressed rifle from a deer stand. Indeed, on many properties, they can be an advantage.

A major part of my aversion to suppressors on a "stalking rifle" - dangerous game or otherwise - is the eventual length. As I noted earlier, in brush, I carry the rifle muzzle down over the left shoulder held by the left hand. The rifle in this photo is a Highland Stalker in Zambia. It comes up instantly - into a hasty sling if needed. It goes anywhere the body goes, and is far less trouble than even port arms with a rifle without a sling. Add any length and it would be digging a furrow with every bend of the knee.

View attachment 688914
On a dangerous game rifle, I want nothing that can interfere with sight picture - instinctive or otherwise. All my DG options have detachable scopes and excellent open sights for a possible follow-up in really tight quarters.

I find it funny that you assume a hunt must be in SA just because a guy wants to use a suppressor.

You seem very passionate about not using one on DG. We get it, you’re apparently not able to navigate brush with the way you carry your rifle and any additional overall length. I’m glad you found something that works for you. Others are using suppressors and Im glad that also works for them. I’m also glad we have so many options in weapons, optics, and accessories these days.

There are optic options that work well with suppressors attached. Red dots and LPVO for example. In a close quarter situation, one should be shooting with both eyes open utilizing the Bindon aiming concept. Are you familiar? You’ve mentioned that you prefer a detachable scope but what is your preferred optic?

 

[375Fox]

I find it funny that you assume a hunt must be in SA just because a guy wants to use a suppressor.

You seem very passionate about not using one on DG. We get it, you’re apparently not able to navigate brush with the way you carry your rifle and any additional overall length. I’m glad you found something that works for you. Others are using suppressors and Im glad that also works for them. I’m also glad we have so many options in weapons, optics, and accessories these days.

There are optic options that work well with suppressors attached. Red dots and LPVO for example. In a close quarter situation, one should be shooting with both eyes open utilizing the Bindon aiming concept. Are you familiar? You’ve mentioned that you prefer a detachable scope but what is your preferred optic?

It’s a pretty good assumption considering they are only legal in South Africa and Namibia and the number of buffalo taken from Namibia is a very small fraction compared to those from South Africa. All other countries in Africa are a gray area at best to fully illegal in others.

 

[375Fox]

Suppressed in thick jess on buff works great and maneuvered easy. Next is chopping a 416 B&M to suppress.

That’s honestly pretty open for buffalo hunting. I did my first early season hunt this year and it changed my perspective on things. First buffalo shot at 5 yards. Second buffalo shot at 10 yards. I never saw a full live buffalo the entire trip just patches of buffalo. I’d take a short barreled 458 if I was to do trip again but wouldn’t remotely consider a suppressor legal or not. I cut the side pockets off my pants because I was tired of them hanging up.

 

[samson7x]

It’s a pretty good assumption considering they are only legal in South Africa and Namibia and the number of buffalo taken from Namibia is a very small fraction compared to those from South Africa. All other countries in Africa are a gray area at best to fully illegal in others.

Fair enough then, I’m not versed in the legalities of other countries.

Still don’t think it’s pertinent to the discussion of practical suppressor use.

 

[DWB]

I have been sitting on my fingers not wanting to derail the thread...

But I have a firm belief that Buffaloes don't take lightly to being whispered to...

I take pride in learning how to shoot my big bores and learning to manage the recoil.

As for those places requiring suppressors, they will survive without my money....

A DG gun needs open sights, purely for those clean underpants moments, use it don't use it, but having the available counts!

I pretty much feel about suppressors on big bores the same I feel about people shooting buffalo from the relative safety of a bakkie (truck).

Rant off...

 

[RLL]

That’s honestly pretty open for buffalo hunting. I did my first early season hunt this year and it changed my perspective on things. First buffalo shot at 5 yards. Second buffalo shot at 10 yards. I never saw a full live buffalo the entire trip just patches of buffalo. I’d take a short barreled 458 if I was to do trip again but wouldn’t remotely consider a suppressor legal or not. I cut the side pockets off my pants because I was tired of them hanging up.
View attachment 688935View attachment 688933View attachment 688934

Yes, that pic didn’t fully justify how thick that riverine bush really was, also middle of Julys winter, but we weren’t gonna drag him back in for a photo op. And yes it was a 60,000 hectare SA game farm. Like shooting fish in a barrel…

Overall length on that 375 Ruger was 24” with can. Still almost musket length in my opinion…but me and the PH were right there with him, iron sights, 458s, mine with a more civilized 20” barrel…