On a recent Ruger American Rifle Predator, I had a chance to test numerous suppressors. The gun was chambered in .308 Win. and features an 18-inch barrel with a 5/8x24 thread. I shot each suppressor with a number of different hunting rounds, including all-copper bullets. Prices below are from SilencerShop.com.

Thunder Beast Arms Ultra 9

This all-titanium suppressor was designed with accuracy in mind. The Ultra 9 does a fantastic job with sound suppression, reduced recoil and construction, but it’s also designed to offer repeat accuracy every time it’s attached to the end of your barrel. The 9-inch suppressor only weighs 11.9 ounces and suppresses everything from a .223 Rem. all the way up to a .300 RUM. If you’re an accuracy nut and long-range shooting is your thing, then you’ll want to look at the Ultra 9. This suppressor sells for about $1,200. For more information, visit thunderbeastarms.com.

Gemtech Tracker

It suppresses rifles chambered in .30 caliber — and smaller — all the way up to the .300 Win. Mag. It is not fully-auto rated, which doesn’t mean a hill of beans on a food-plot hunt. It’s 7.9 inches long and only weighs 11.3 ounces. It’s constructed with titanium and aluminum. Perhaps the best part of the Gemtech Tracker is that it sells for right around $500. The Tracker suppresses the shots well, is light on the end of the barrel and does a great job smoothing out recoil. The Ruger rifle has a sharp punch when fired unsuppressed, but improved greatly once fitted with the Tracker. For more information, visit
www.gem-tech.com.

Griffin Armament Recce 7

This .30-caliber suppressor is fully-auto rated and suppresses calibers up to .300 Win. Mag. The parts are CNC machined from solid billet and Tig fusion welded for strength. The Recce 7 is 7.6 inches long and a bit heavier at 17½ ounces. While this is one tough suppressor, it doesn’t carry the same display quality of some of the other cleaner designs. The welded areas are a bit unsightly and overall no design details. But it’s built for rugged use and that’s what matters. While sound suppression was great this model didn’t seem to reduce recoil as much as the others tested. It sells for around $750. For more information, visit www.griffinarmament.com.

Liberty Victory Magnum

This suppressor was built to gobble up the blast of larger rifles like the .300 Win. Mag. This 11-inch suppressor has plenty of volume to properly cool-down a magnum blast. This larger suppressor would also offer maximum suppression on a .308 Win. round. This is a considerably longer suppressor, so slipping through the woods will be more of a chore, but if you have a sweet .300 Win. Mag. for shooting across bean fields and cutovers then this would be the suppressor to get. It weighs 18½ ounces and is made from titanium. This suppressor sells for about $1,600. For more information, visit libertycans.net.

AWC Thundertrap

I didn’t have an opportunity to shoot this one and it isn’t found at Silencer Shop, but the price and size would make for an ideal deer-hunting suppressor. The 8.3-inch suppressor is made from stainless steel and accommodates calibers from .223 Rem. up to .308 Win. There is also a shorter 6.3-inch model available in .30 caliber. You can find this model selling for around $700. For more information, visit awcsilencers.com.

How About New Suppressors?

SHOT Show 2017 featured a lot of buzz about suppressors and what the future has in store. The Hearing Protection Act of 2017 was reintroduced to Congress on Jan. 9 — just one week before the show — and has been the talk of the industry since. The goal of the act, formally known as H.R. 367, is to remove suppressors from the NFA and have purchase and transfer treated the same as they are for long guns.

This could be a big year for suppressors and ownership. With that in mind, here are releases several more companies have for 2017.

SilencerCo

Two new silencers — the Saker ASR and the Omega K — are being released by SilencerCo in 2017.

The Saker ASR was designed for bolt-action, semi-auto and full-auto firearms. In addition to its performance, its design allows for maximum user adaptability and convenience. ASR (Active Spring Retention) Mount technology facilitates attachment via a variety of different flash hiders, muzzle brakes, and direct thread mounts. It comes available in three models — 762, 556 and 556K.

 

The Omega 9K and Omega 45K are exceptionally versatile suppressors. The Omega Ks are the smallest, lightest and quietest silencers in their respective classes. The Omega K series is fully auto rated and usable with pistols, rifles, and submachine guns. It offers extreme durability in an ultra-compact package. It is compatible with 9mm as well as subsonic and supersonic 300 BLK. With the fully welded, tubeless, minimalist Omega K, big sound suppression now comes in a tiny footprint.

For more information on the Saker ASR or Omega K series, call (801) 417-5384 or visit www.silencerco.com.

SIG Sauer

The usual durability, reliability and accuracy SIG suppressors have become known for are increased with the SRD22X. The new pistol suppressor is a direct thread 22LR with a Grade 9 titanium tube. It’s fully user serviceable with 17-4 stainless steel baffles. It has ½x28tpi and M9x.75mm rear mounts. For more information, call (603) 418-8102 or visit www.sigsauer.com.

Yankee Hill Machine

Yankee Hill Machine has two new suppressors coming out this year, the Turbo and the Nitro 30.

The Turbo, YHM’s new 5.56 suppressor, utilizes a tubeless design made from heat threated 17-4 stainless steel along with head-treated 718 Inconel blast baffle. The combination allows the suppressor to be fully auto rated and designed for rigorous use. The overall length measures 6½ inches with a 1.56-inch diameter. It weighs 13½ ounces. The Turbo is well within the hearing safe threshold of 130 dB, having an average sound pressure level of 134 dB on a 14½-inch AR shooting 55-grain ammo. MSRP is $489.

The Nitro 30 is another answer YHM has released to answer the demands of today’s suppressor community. It is full-auto rated and will accommodate 300 ultra mag to .17HMR. The Nitro comes with two different .30-caliber muzzle caps. One of the muzzle caps is geared toward tactical use, while the other for target shooting. The Nitro also has a rear cap for quick detachment between multiple platforms and another rear cap for the 5/8-24 direct thread specifically. The Nitro 30 comes with one Basofil heat-resistant pouch and a hard-seded carry carry. MSRP is $890.

For more information on the Turbo and Nitro 30, call (877) 892-6533 or visit www.yhm.net.