Big-bore AR calibers are cool. A few years back they were all the rage. While there’s not as much hype today about these devastating rounds that are fired from the small AR-15 platform, there are still plenty of applications for these hellacious rounds. From bears to hogs to dead-right-there deer, the .458 SOCOM is a formidable weapon with a lot of bang. Fortunately, there’s a suppressor for that — the Bowers VERS 458 suppressor.
For this review, I was firing Detroit Ammo Company 500-grain Hornady jacketed soft-point rounds. The hunk of lead leaves the muzzle at a subsonic 980 FPS and carries with it a whopping 1,599 ft./lbs. of energy. That’s impressive for a subsonic load and all the more reason to equip this caliber with a suppressor.
That’s where the Bowers VERS 458 suppressor steps in. The VERS 458 was designed specifically for the .458 SOCOM round. It’s rated for a .460 projectile traveling at 2,650 fps and slower. There are also no minimum barrel length restrictions for use on .458 rifles.
The VERS 458 is 11¼ inches long, 1¾ inches in diameter, weighs 23.2 ounces, features an aluminum tube with stainless steel baffle stack, has a black anodized finish (available in a pink anodized finish, too) and is full-auto rated.
The .458 SOCOM firing the subsonic 500-grain projectile shines with the Bowers suppressor installed. While it does help remove some of the recoil — the .458 SOCOM doesn’t kick near as hard as the .50 Beowulf that we tested last time — the Bowers VERS 458 suppressor turned this ear buster of a round in to a quiet killer. When watching the video, you’ll notice that there is a first-round pop (FRP) with this suppressor. If you’re not familiar with first FRP, it’s when the oxygen in the suppressor is burned out with the first shot, making a slightly louder first shot than subsequent shots. However, the only reason that it’s noticeable is because the subsequent shots on this subsonic load are extremely quiet. I found the .458 SOCOM extremely enjoyable to shoot with the Bowers VERS 458 suppressor. This would be a superb setup for a brush gun or for dropping deer, hogs and bears right in their tracks.
Silencershop.com sells the Bowers VERS 458 for $825.
