Silencers are only effective if you you use low velocity (sub-sonic) ammunition. If you use normal high velocity rounds, the silencer will reduce the sound level of the muzzle blast, but will do nothing to reduce the noise from the projectile breaking the sound barrier. The average muzzle velocity of a .22 Mag is around 580 metres/second (1.7 times the speed of sound). The most common calibre weapons that would be used for feral animal control would be the likes of .270 and .308 Winchester, which scoot along a fair bit quicker than the .22 Mag and have much larger projectiles. The larger and faster the object breaking the “sound barrier” the more noise.
I don’t know who came up with the idea of silencers for hunting long- arms, but I think they have been watching too many spy movies.
Carl Clifford
On 26/02/2013, at 9:47 AM, Bill Stent wrote:
I’m not a shooter, but I have fired a .22 magnum with a suppressor in Norway, where they’re compulsory within some distance of accommodation. Can’t say it was much quieter than the normal sound, to be honest.
Bill
On Tue, Feb 26, 2013 at 9:13 AM, Carl Clifford
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