Suppressors and Handloading

[VikingsGuy]

I finally am jumping on the suppressor bandwagon. While my suppressors are in the NFA penalty box I figured I should get my rifles ready. I would like to use the suppressors at the range for load development and target practice (less noise, seeing impacts, etc.), but will most likely leave them at home when I hunt (don't want the extra 7 inches on top of a 22-24" barrel). I expect that anything I attach to my barrel will effect how it shoots. From what I have read, suppressors will likely have a fairly small but fairly repeatable POI shift when I take them on and off. But this is completely manageable, as I re-zero when I get to my hunting elevation anyway (I am a flat lander). But my concern/question is about effect on the precision of my handloads.

My understanding is much of handloading is finding an optimal "barrel resonance node". But if I change the barrel (threading, adding a brake, adding a suppressor, etc.) I have to assume there is a chance there is a change to this "node". So that leads to three related questions:

1. If I have a non-threaded 24" sporter-weight barrel chambered in 25-06 with a handload that shoots .6 MOA, will threading it 1/2x28 and adding a standard thread cap be expected to change the node enough to require redevelopment of the load from a precision (MOA) perspective? What about if I then screw on a 7 inch suppressor?
   
   
2. I have a new 24" mid-contour barrel chambered in .280AI that comes factory threaded 5/8x24, if I developed a handload with the suppressor attached should I expect the precision (MOA) to change when I take the suppressor off to hunt?
   
   
3. While smaller than suppressors, would the answers to 1 or 2 also be expected to also apply to adding/removing a muzzle brake?

I can speculate as to rationales that would support either view - change or no change, but hoping someone here with experience with this can help out. I have a number of non-threaded rifles with good handloads (similar to example one above) that I probably won't thread if I will screw it up (no pun intended), but if not, would be nice to have the options provided by having them threaded. Similarly, I would like to develop a handload for my new 280AI with the suppressor on, but won't if that means I must then use the suppressor in the field. (And, you may ask, why even buy the suppressors if that is the case? Because, unrelated to this discussion I have several range-only target rifles that are already threaded and will now shoot exclusively suppressed.)

 

[Gut Shot]

The answer to all three questions is MAYBE.

You are going to have to experiment to find out.

 

[mrjashu]

I just have this feeling that once you get used to shooting with a suppressor, you're going to want to hunt with it too. For me one of the biggest draws would be not having to mess with ear pro in the field.

 

[Schism]

The answer to all three questions is MAYBE.

You are going to have to experiment to find out.

This^^^

All my rifles shoot pretty well suppressed with my hand loads (easily sub MOA). The majority of my rifles shoot decent without, but often not as good without the suppressor. A couple rifles go to about 2 MOA when shooting without the suppressor.

As @mrjashu said, once you shoot suppressed you may find you don’t enjoy shooting without a suppressor as much and will find yourself hunting with a suppressor.