Hunting with a Suppressor

Pheasant Hunting with a Salvo-12 suppressor from Silencerco
It is an exciting time as Suppressors were Legalized in MN as of July 1st this year and now come August 1st we’ll be able to hunt with them as well. A lot of people want to get to the range and have fun with their friends testing out a suppressor for the first time, but what people overlook is the benefits from hunting with a suppressor.
Whether you’re looking to hunt pheasant, elk, dove, whitetail, wild boar, or ducks you can Choose a Suppressor to do it with. You’ll reduce the noise, felt recoil, and likely increase your accuracy and all of which will add up to a more enjoyable hunt. Don’t believe me? I’ll explain how.
Heightened Awareness – When you’re hunting any game, its always important to have good awareness of your environment. The ability to hear well and have situational awareness such as what’s a deer coming towards you and what happens to be the 200th squirrel you’ve seen today can’t be understated. If you’re having to wear ear muffs or small ear plugs to protect your hearing from the concussion of your own firearm, then you’re at a disadvantage. With a suppressor you’ll be able to hear everything before and after your shot.
See More Game Animals – Who has been sitting in their stand on the morning of deer opener and the first 15 minutes of legal shooting hours sounds like the start of World War III?… And then silence…. No more deer…. Anywhere. If you hunt with a suppressor, whether its on your rifle or shotgun, you’re less likely to scare every deer out of the woods if you do shoot. A lot of mature deer know what gun fire sounds like (its not their 1st rodeo). They also judge and perceive the distance of that gun fire by how loud it is (just like we do). So if your .300 Win. MAG suddenly sounds like a .243 Win. being fired from far away then you just might have a chance of retaining the remaining deer on your parcel of woods instead of driving the deer away like you’re chasing them with pots and pans.

Dove Hunting with a Salvo-12 Suppressor
Improved Accuracy – Young and old shooters alike anticipate recoil and noise when shooting whether its to a significant or small degree. This affects our breathing, trigger pull, grasp of the firearm, steadiness, and so many other elements that going into shooting. When that nervousness and pre-fire jitters are removed, we shoot better. Its the exact reason why everyone can shoot a .22 LR well and very few people can drop consistent shots inside the 10-Ring with a .300 Win MAG.
Follow Up Shots – Another benefit to hunting with a suppressor is better and faster follow up shots. With less muzzle rise and less recoil, you’re more likely to stay on target better and continue shooting. We often only get a glimpse of a trophy whitetail or a fast fly-by of some mallards so instead of wasting time re-acquiring your target from your first shot you’ll be able to recover faster and shoot more.
Youth Want to Hunt More – Imagine you’re 12 years old again going on your first hunt, and you’ve just been given all the advantages previously discussed… How cool would that be! When our youth hunters have less recoil, less noise, less muzzle rise, more awareness, more accuracy, and pull off more shots in the field, they’re going to fall in love with hunting! It makes they’re hunt tremendously more enjoyable and if you can share your passion and see their excitement, then hunting with a suppressor is absolutely worth it!
So the next time you stop by The Guns and Gear Store or your nearest gun shop, give suppressors a look. Whether you have questions on How to Buy your 1st Suppressor, Choose your 1st Suppressor, or you’re ready to pull the trigger on a specific one we would be glad to help!