In case you haven’t heard the good news… last week the ATF announced that it will no longer require Form 4 registration for silencers, short-barreled rifles and short-barreled shotguns. That means if you live in all but the 15 backward states that require the Form 4 Federal paperwork for transfers of items like suppressors, you can now purchase a silencer at a local shop, over the counter with a simple 4473 form, the same form used to buy any firearm from a retailer.
There is ZERO excuse to not own a suppressor for hunting and recreational shooting now… none!
The enormous benefits of suppressed hunting are plain to the folks who have taken the plunge and now the roadblocks have been removed for the majority of states. For the sake of your hearing, your kid’s hearing, the folks shooting next to you at the range, and the game you pursue, I would urge you to go purchase a silencer. Once you hunt with a suppressor you’ll never want to shoot without one.
A word to the wise however… There are still 15 states that make buying a suppressor a tad difficult and a few states where even owning a suppressor is illegal – check your State’s regulations before jumping into the suppressor pond. Also, be 100% clear on your State’s laws regarding hunting with a suppressor.
As I said previously, if your state allows it, go buy a silencer, you can thank me later.
There are literally thousands of options on the suppressor market so here are a few of my thoughts on getting the right tool for the job.
- Buy a multi-caliber suppressor: If you own several hunting rifles under .30 caliber then start with a single .30 caliber can rated for .300 RUM and less. You’ll be able to shoot anything smaller than a .300 RUM through it. Check the specs to make sure you’ve got a long enough barrel when shooting the magnums.
- Don’t worry about cleaning it: If you’re only hunting with your silencer and firing a few sight-in rounds you likely will never need to clean your suppressor. If you shoot a lot (500-1000 rounds per year) then you’ll need to clean it every 100-200 rounds.
- Shorter is better for hunting: Long silencers offer the greatest sound reduction but a .30 caliber can in the 5-6” configuration will be all you need to quiet a normal hunting rifle while keeping weight and barrel length down.
- Todd’s picks: Dead Air Nomad 30, Dead Air Nomad OTB, Banish Backcountry, Banish HNT 30 SS – This is just a glimpse of some hunting specific cans that are a great bang for the buck.
4 comments
Too damn expensive
Winner winner elk dinner
If your state allows this type of purchase beware if you take it out of state. Check the state you are hunting and the states you will be traveling through to your hunt destination.
The tip about a single .30 caliber can rated for .300 RUM and under, and keeping it to 5-6″ for weight and barrel length, makes sense for a multi-rifle hunter. Craig’s reminder above about checking the laws in every state you travel through on the way to a hunt is worth repeating, since the rules clearly differ a lot by state. When I was comparing models and state rules online, I kept hitting a loop where google asking if im a robot interrupted my searches, so it helped to know why that happens and how to stop it.