Next hunting rifle- caliber for a suppressed build?

[R.K.]

I have a Ruger American in .308- it shoots great with 165gr Barnes Vortex, and I love the results.

However- I got a chance to hunt with a friend’s suppressed .300 Mag, and I think I’m in love. With suppressors, that is. Which means that my next hunting rifle would preferably be suppressed. I’ve been thinking about getting a second rifle for a while, to get a little more bang for elk- now I could see this becoming my new all-around gun, including for antelope and Midwest whitetail.

With that said- what caliber would you choose for a suppressed rifle build? And is a budget of $1500 doable, all in? Gun, can + stamp, optics + rings? I haven’t exactly looked at prices the last few years, especially not outside of “bargain guns”.

 

[MThuntr]

And is a budget of $1500 doable, all in?

not a chance. The better cans are going to be around $1000 with a tax stamp. You could have your 308 threaded then be good to go for less than $1500.

EDIT: You could probably get a lower end stainless steel suppressor for $500 plus the $200 tax stamp. At that point you could probably buy a lower end rifle with a threaded barrel and go cheap on a scope but it doesn't sound like you want a bargain gun

EDIT 2 I had to look for what would be my minimum: Bergara Wilderness 6.5PRC $860, Zeiss 3-12 $700, Talley Rings $45, SilencerCo Harvester Evo $579+$200 stamp = 2385 (plus possible fee for Trust Documents)

 

[G. McAlister]

not a chance. The better cans are going to be around $1000 with a tax stamp. You could have your 308 threaded then be good to go for less than $1500.

EDIT: You could probably get a lower end stainless steel suppressor for $500 plus the $200 tax stamp. At that point you could probably buy a lower end rifle with a threaded barrel and go cheap on a scope but it doesn't sound like you want a bargain gun

Second on this. There are also hidden costs like how the suppressor will attach and purchasing proper mounting hardware that works for your gun. Personal recommendation would be mid-range suppressor and tax stamp, thread the barrel of the .308 and try to upgrade your glass with anything left over, unless you are already running something high end, then throw that extra on a higher end suppressor.

 

[VikingsGuy]

I am doing one now - 7x57AI. I wanted a shortish barrel and didn’t want to blow a bunch of unturned powder into the suppressor. I think shooting 300wm in a shorten and suppressed barrel is a waste of powder and going to be tough on the suppressor over time. YMMV.

(I don’t like long barrels made longer by suppressor when I am taking to the field)

 

[kiwi hunter]

I thought the Australian government was a thieving pack of assholes but to pay 200 bucks stamp duty takes it to a new level. Suppressors should be mandatory as it's damn good in helping with fighting hearing loss(within reason). A short barrel is always going to be a negative.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

I'm a bit of a snob but the bare minimum options I'd consider:
Sico harvester evo ($780 w/ stamp)
Scope - Maybe $300ish for a meopta optika5 or fixed power SWFA
Rings - if picatinny rings, used to buy a lot of seekins for $120ish but most are more now. Sportsmatch rings for Tikka are $60ish. no thanks on the talley one piece.

That leaves you with $300 for the rifle. But really i probably missed tax, shipping, or adapters or something else so that $ could pay for a smith to chop and muzzle thread an existing rifle.

As far as cartridge goes, id pick whatever you would want without a suppressor with the understanding that with some bigger cases you can only go so short on the barrel before exceeding the manufacturer's ratings.

 

[Chingon]

The answer is 7mm PRC. According to the Youtube influencers, this new round's SAAMI specs basically guarantee sub-MOA accuracy and better velocity/drop than 300 PRC at distance.

Ruger American with a can of your choice and steal the optics from your 308. Buy a cheap scope setup for your 308 to keep as a backup rifle until you can save up for optics.

 

[Arcola]

$1000 on a nice, lightweight can plus $200 tax stamp, maybe a transfer or filing fee from your dealer, and a couple hundred to thread the barrel of your existing rifle is probably your best route for that price point.

 

[Tikka06]

I have a YH Resonator K, it’s not the quietest can out there, but it is small and relatively light. I have shot it on a Ruger American Predator 308 and it was great. Would make a fine hunting rig.

 

[Don Fischer]

What is a tax stamp?

 

[Arcola]

You have to pay the government $200 for them to allow you to purchase a suppressor.

 

[R.K.]

What is a tax stamp?

Legalized theft by the ATF.

 

[Farmerj]

With that said- what caliber would you choose for a suppressed rifle build? And is a budget of $1500 doable, all in? Gun, can + stamp, optics + rings? I haven’t exactly looked at prices the last few years, especially not outside of “bargain guns”.

Can is $1200 all in.
Rifle is $1100 for like a Bergara or decent production gun.
Scope is going to be $600-1000.

You can add another $160 for threading if the barrel isn’t already. A pencil factory contour makes it almost necessary to replace the barrel as there’s not enough meat to properly thread the barrel.

You can about double or a little more your “budget”.

Caliber as far as I’m concerned is a personal choice.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

What is a tax stamp?

It's a stamp you have to buy from the ATF in order to legally own a suppressor. Think duck stamp, but for guns.

In 1934 the NFA was passed due to all the gangster violence and machine guns, short barrel shot guns, and suppressors were all heavily regulated. The intent was to make them so expensive to own that no one would bother.

The tax stamp was $200 in 1934 and that prices hasn't been changed, meaning that adjusted for inflation the tax stamp was originally ~$4,367.

National Firearms Act | Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

The NFA was originally enacted in 1934. Similar to the current NFA, the original Act imposed a tax on the making and transfer of firearms defined by the Act, as well as a special (occupational) tax on persons and entities engaged in the business of importing, manufacturing, and dealing in NFA...

www.atf.gov

 

[drake2h]

$1000 on a nice, lightweight can plus $200 tax stamp, maybe a transfer or filing fee from your dealer, and a couple hundred to thread the barrel of your existing rifle is probably your best route for that price point.

I think this is a great suggestion. The American I had shot great. Can’t remember if they differentiate action lengths which could limit your new cartridge selection.

 

[howl]

Get the can immediately and figure out the rest later, 'cause ATF processing time is your biggest obstacle. Get that started ASAP. Silencerco Harvester EVO and Griffin Armament Sportsman Ultralight are the two more affordable lightweight hunting cans. Even so, they're half your budget.

Having a barrel threaded is like $150 many places. That's a big discount on an entire rifle. I'd spend the rest of the budget on another rifle and move my scope.

Ruger sells an 18" threaded 308 in the American Predator line. That's the only one I can think of. I don't spend much time looking at backwards rifles.