The .308 and the Silencer: My South African Experience

[Doug Hamilton]

Exactly. My R8 .300 Win is 20" and normally wears an Ultra 5. Very handy setup!

Isn't a .300 Win with a 20" barrel more or less equal to a .30-06 with a 24" barrel?

 

[Gomer]

youre not hunting enough.

It’s the 1 deer, 1 elk, I am allowed per year. That, and a few coyotes. Hopefully next year will be bountiful and I get stretch that to 16.

 

[Andrew62]

I just returned last week from my safari where I also used a .308 suppressed. I had the barrel of my Kimber rifle cut down to 17", then mounted a Scythe-TI suppressor which is lightweight. My gun balances wonderfully well and it was a real pleasure to be able to shoot without hearing protection. Before buying the titanium model, I had mounted my Omega 36 on my rifle, I would not want to hunt in the field with that heavy of a suppressor.

 

[Choupique]

that heavy of a suppressor

Theres no reason to buy a heavy suppressor in 2026 for a hunting rifle. There are ao many featherweight options that work great. Heavy suppressors are for fighting wars.

 

[Philip Glass]

Isn't a .300 Win with a 20" barrel more or less equal to a .30-06 with a 24" barrel?

Not sure. What is your point? I am describing what I find to be the ideal Hunting rifle for me. I am sure ballistics wise we could always want a longer barrel but not for hunting in the jesse!

 

[Philip Glass]

Isn't a .300 Win with a 20" barrel more or less equal to a .30-06 with a 24" barrel?

I grew up with and loved my .30-06 Remington 700, it broke twice before a safari. We took my oldest son's rifle and both shot it. Without being able to dial back in those days we struggled with the long shots in Namibia. Also I had a REM 700 in .300 RUM with major barrel issues from the factory. I have no Remingtons and the only '06 I own is a hand-me-down M1 from my late brother. O the memories!

 

[dchum]

Not sure. What is your point? I am describing what I find to be the ideal Hunting rifle for me. I am sure ballistics wise we could always want a longer barrel but not for hunting in the jesse!

Ya that kind of statement is silly to me.

The argument against cutting barrels down for suppressor use has always seemed circular to me.

Why cut a .300 Win Mag to 20 inches? At that point you basically just have a .30-06.”

Because what happens when you cut the .30-06 to 20" too? It loses velocity as well. Now someone can say, “Well, that’s basically .308 performance.”

You can do the exact same thing with a 6.5 PRC:
“Why run a 20" 6.5 PRC? You’re just turning it into a 6.5 Creedmoor.”

You’re not trying to make the most efficient use of every grain of powder. You’re trying to get the most performance you can from the overall rifle length you actually want to carry....

 

[dogcat1]

I use a titanium very light suppressor on my .300 WM and really do not feel the weight.
In RSA, you may have been using an older inconel or steel suppressor that does carry a bit of weight.

 

[KPinOKC]

I won’t put a suppressor on any of my hunting rifles. Mostly, I think they are an eyesore. If I wanted one of those things on a hunting rifle, I’d just buy a Ruger American. Yes, I am absolutely a “Fudd” when it comes to my hunting rifles.

I’ve had to use them in my professional life for the last 20+ years. I hate “tactical” stuff. But, my needs on the job are different, so function outweighs form to a certain degree. I don’t need to establish fire superiority on a deer or a rockchuck.

A few rounds without ear protection isn’t as terrible as people make it out to be. Just wait until you get into a gunfight indoors someday. Everything is a dull “pop”. My hearing is still great.

You look young in your photo. When I was younger I used to say the same thing, “it’s not really that loud and it’s just a handful of rounds a week”. Now the constant tinnitus ringing in my ears, which literally sounds like I’m sitting in a small room with a dozen crickets, never goes away, and has made me fully aware that ear damage is cumulative, and for the most part irreversible. A suppressor is a small price to pay for preserving your hearing.

 

[Gomer]

You look young in your photo. When I was younger I used to say the same thing, “it’s not really that loud and it’s just a handful of rounds a week”. Now the constant tinnitus ringing in my ears, which literally sounds like I’m sitting in a small room with a dozen crickets, never goes away, and has made me fully aware that ear damage is cumulative, and for the most part irreversible. A suppressor is a small price to pay for preserving your hearing.

I’m in my mid 40s, so not that old….unless comparing me to everyone I work with! Those of us in my position are referred to as “the old man”

I do have suppressors for anything I use for high volume shooting (no pun intended). My 22 that I use for ground squirrels, duty rifle, etc. But my big game rifles are a combination of classic/thin barreled rifles and aren’t good suppressor hosts. If I had something like a Tikka, I might consider it. If I did, I’d get it in something like 308 where I’m not neutering performance. Hmm, a 20” 308…..

 

[dchum]

I’m in my mid 40s, so not that old….unless comparing me to everyone I work with! Those of us in my position are referred to as “the old man”

I do have suppressors for anything I use for high volume shooting (no pun intended). My 22 that I use for ground squirrels, duty rifle, etc. But my big game rifles are a combination of classic/thin barreled rifles and aren’t good suppressor hosts. If I had something like a Tikka, I might consider it. If I did, I’d get it in something like 308 where I’m not neutering performance. Hmm, a 20” 308…..

If you’re gonna do 20 with .308 Just do 18” you won’t regret

 

[Gomer]

If you’re gonna do 20 with .308 Just do 18” you won’t regret

Nah….

 

[dchum]

Nah….

Great discussion gooner.

Love how you said “Lpvo” is stupid
But in the same breath you call your AR-15 a “duty rifle”

You are an interesting character for sure.

 

[Gomer]

Great discussion gooner.

Love how you said “Lpvo” is stupid
But in the same breath you call your AR-15 a “duty rifle”

You are an interesting character for sure.

It’s issued, not a personal rifle. I guess I can call it “issued rifle”. I wouldn’t own an AR in this setup if I was required. I like my A4 with a 3-9x scope and the front sight chopped off. Great coyote gun.

 

[JG26Irish_2]

I have a 30cal Scythe-Ti suppressor that is made of Titanium and weighs only 7.3 oz and is 6" long. I mostly use it on my Titanium/Carbon CT Edge rifle which has a 20" bbl. The rifle is also super light weight which helps. The can does add length and some weight and I get it that the added weight being out on the end of the bbl is not ideal. But, besides the obvious benefit of reduction of the report and muzzle blast, I found that at least on this rifle, the can seems to tame some of the bbl harmonics resulting in it shooting tighter groups with my chosen ammo 140g TSX. It made the already super accurate rifle, even better. Plus the Scythe has a muzzle brake incorporated into the design which increases the recoil reduction that is already one of the benefits of a suppressor. This makes the 7mm/08 feel more like a 223.

A can on any supersonic centerfire rifle is not able to make it quiet like in the movies. That is not possible. But, there is no way it is not a benefit. For the flip side, I have a 7mm RM also that is threaded for a can but that rifle has a 26" bbl and is too long already. So, adding the can to it just makes a bad situation worse. Too get the most from a can, it needs to be paired with short, light, handy rifles that will still be handy even with the added 6" in length and a few ounces of added weight. I would include a pic but have never taken one of the CT Edge since I added the can to it.

 

[Tex .416]

I know that my preferences are not reflective of the market. Companies are making what sells. And if we don’t do something to create more hunters, our way of life and heritage will die. I totally get all of that.

But when I hear people say “kit” and words like “primary, secondary, tertiary”, it kinda makes me laugh.

Might want to slow down with the laughing at others. The words "primary," "secondary," and "tertiary" have been in use in non-military contexts for centuries.

Online Etymology Dictionary

The online etymology dictionary (etymonline) is the internet's go-to source for quick and reliable accounts of the origin and history of English words, phrases, and idioms.

www.etymonline.com

early 15c., primarie, "earliest, most basic, first in time or sequence;" 1560s, "first or highest in rank or importance," from Latin primarius "of the first rank, chief, principal, excellent," from primus "first" (see prime (adj.)).

The meaning "first or lowest in order of growth or development; elementary, preparatory" is from c. 1800, first in education; primary school is attested by 1793 in translations from French, from école primaire.

The Paris journals ... are full of a plan, brought forward by Fourcroy, for the establishment of primary schools, which is not interesting to an English reader. [London Times, April 27, 1802]

Primary color is attested from 1610s (at first the seven of the spectrum, later the three pigments from which the others can be made). Related: Primarily.


secondary(adj.)
late 14c., secondarie, "belonging to the second class; not chief or principal; second in importance or authority; of a lesser quality or worth; subordinate to something else, depending upon the action of primary qualities," from Old French secondaireand directly from Latin secundarius "pertaining to the second class, inferior," from secundus (see second (adj.)).

Opposed to primary (adj.) or principal (adj.). Of colors, under the old theory, from 1831; in reference to schools or education, from 1809. Of characteristics peculiar to one sex but not necessary for reproduction, from 1780. Related: Secondarily; secondariness.

As a noun from mid-15c. as "thing or place of secondary importance or which is dependent on a primary;" 1590s as "a delegate or deputy." The U.S. football sense of "defensive backfield" is by 1955.

tertiary(adj.)
1650s, "of the third order, rank, degree, etc.," from Latin tertiarius "of or pertaining to a third," from tertius "third, a third," from root of tres "three" (see three).

The geological sense (with capital T-) in reference to the era between the Mesozoic and the Quaternary is attested from 1794, after Italian terziari, used in this sense 1760 by Italian geologist Giovanni Arduino (1714-1795). It dates from a very early period in geology and a division of rocks into Primary, Secondary (the older name for the Mesozoic) and Tertiary based on resemblance of fossil shells to populations of living seas. In early use in England it meant vaguely "the Formations above the Chalk."

 

[Red Leg]

I absolutely sympathize with the OP. On a full size rifle, they are an abomination in the field. My first experience using them on anything but an AR platform, or in a stand, or on a handgun, was in Hungary a year and a half ago. Mounted on a Mauser in .300 WM I might has well been trying to stalk roe deer with a Civil War rifled musket. I could not imagine trying to maneuver the thing through southern African jess and thorn. The problem with creating a compact rifle with one, is shorting barrels to 20 inches on chamberings I like for Africa is I essentially losing that chambering selection for something less powerful. My .300 becomes a 30-06. Nothing wrong with a 30-06 , but if I wanted to use one, I would take it and it wouldn't have a thing hanging off the end.

I am not a complete luddite with respect to hunting with one. My "backyard" rifle on our place here in Texas is an R8 with a suppressed 6.5x55 barrel in place. But I am shooting from a stand, not trying to stalk a whitetail with it. Plus the 6.5 is already a relatively short barrel and is mounted on the R8's short action. My repel boarders firearm is a suppressed DDM4 "pistol" which creates a very handy firearm for varmints large and small.

But this is a ridiculous solution for a hunting rifle. Though, as I think about it, attaching a Penn Reel to it might make it more useful.

My backyard R8 6.5 with suppressor.

The DDM4

 

[Gomer]

Might want to slow down with the laughing at others. The words "primary," "secondary," and "tertiary" have been in use in non-military contexts for centuries.

Online Etymology Dictionary

The online etymology dictionary (etymonline) is the internet's go-to source for quick and reliable accounts of the origin and history of English words, phrases, and idioms.

www.etymonline.com

early 15c., primarie, "earliest, most basic, first in time or sequence;" 1560s, "first or highest in rank or importance," from Latin primarius "of the first rank, chief, principal, excellent," from primus "first" (see prime (adj.)).

The meaning "first or lowest in order of growth or development; elementary, preparatory" is from c. 1800, first in education; primary school is attested by 1793 in translations from French, from école primaire.


Primary color is attested from 1610s (at first the seven of the spectrum, later the three pigments from which the others can be made). Related: Primarily.


secondary(adj.)
late 14c., secondarie, "belonging to the second class; not chief or principal; second in importance or authority; of a lesser quality or worth; subordinate to something else, depending upon the action of primary qualities," from Old French secondaireand directly from Latin secundarius "pertaining to the second class, inferior," from secundus (see second (adj.)).

Opposed to primary (adj.) or principal (adj.). Of colors, under the old theory, from 1831; in reference to schools or education, from 1809. Of characteristics peculiar to one sex but not necessary for reproduction, from 1780. Related: Secondarily; secondariness.

As a noun from mid-15c. as "thing or place of secondary importance or which is dependent on a primary;" 1590s as "a delegate or deputy." The U.S. football sense of "defensive backfield" is by 1955.

tertiary(adj.)
1650s, "of the third order, rank, degree, etc.," from Latin tertiarius "of or pertaining to a third," from tertius "third, a third," from root of tres "three" (see three).

The geological sense (with capital T-) in reference to the era between the Mesozoic and the Quaternary is attested from 1794, after Italian terziari, used in this sense 1760 by Italian geologist Giovanni Arduino (1714-1795). It dates from a very early period in geology and a division of rocks into Primary, Secondary (the older name for the Mesozoic) and Tertiary based on resemblance of fossil shells to populations of living seas. In early use in England it meant vaguely "the Formations above the Chalk."

I just say, “first, second, and if that shit don’t work”.

 

[Muskox]

I would like to see an ongoing study on muzzle brake blast versus, no muzzle brake versus suppressors.

A good brake is a great thing, but a bad brake is venom to your ears, and I believe that overpressure creates health issues long term.

KDF style muzzle brakes are terrible on your hearing and that overpressure is hell.

Side port brakes, especially the APA fat bastard and Bothnia brakes are great.

Huge fan of silencers, and I think 100% of everything I own is headed that way.

 

[Doug Hamilton]

Ya that kind of statement is silly to me.

The argument against cutting barrels down for suppressor use has always seemed circular to me.

Why cut a .300 Win Mag to 20 inches? At that point you basically just have a .30-06.”

Because what happens when you cut the .30-06 to 20" too? It loses velocity as well. Now someone can say, “Well, that’s basically .308 performance.”

You can do the exact same thing with a 6.5 PRC:
“Why run a 20" 6.5 PRC? You’re just turning it into a 6.5 Creedmoor.”

You’re not trying to make the most efficient use of every grain of powder. You’re trying to get the most performance you can from the overall rifle length you actually want to carry....

And, after you add four inches of "can" to your barrel you are still back to 24" with reduced performance and an ugly deformity on the end of your rifle.