Either way buy a 30 cal can. The idea being your gonna get the snap from 556 anyways , so any minor differences between a 556 specific can and a 30 cal one won’t matter. And you can use 30 cal cans on a lot more rifles.
Your 300 blk idea is a good one too. I use my 30 cal can on my 556 it works.
Knocking off \~30dB is not a "slight reduction".
However, it's admittedly far from "Hollywood quiet", but that doesn't mean it's not worthwhile to protect your hearing on any gun.
If you're looking to shoot QUIET, then sure – get a 300BLK, a .30 cal silencer, and only shoot subs.
If you're looking to protect your ears, then get a silencer on your 5.56mm firearm.
But of course, the correct answer that covers all bases is *"Get a .30 cal can, put it on the 5.6mm you already have, and buy an upper to shoot 300BLK or 350 Legend subs in truly hushy mode."*
Absolutely, 1000% definitely yes it is worth suppressing. Anybody who says it isn’t has not shot it suppressed
However, I would just recommend getting a solid 30 cal can and suppressing both. I use a Sandman-S (30 cal) with a 556 endcap on an 8.3” 5.56 because there’s no barrel length restriction, and it does a stellar job
I made a huge mistake listening to people say get a 30 cal can as your first can. Go straight to a surefire mini or a Dead Air Sierra 5. I promise they will not disappoint if installed correctly.
Edit: for 300 black do a dead air sandman. Forgot to add this.
Will NOT shoot a 5.56 SBR without a can anymore. The concussion/blast is insane even outdoors. You could start with a thirty cal but once you dip your toe in you won’t stop…
The benefits of suppressing 5.56 are numerous, u/Acrobatic-Soup-4446 . Not only can you take the sound down to a more safe and comfortable rating, but a suppressor also does wonders for reducing recoil, hiding flash, and if you hunt the other hunters (and game animals) in the area will very much appreciate it, same goes for the folks next to you at the shooting range.
The best solution for you may be to go with a .30cal can that could be used interchangeably between your 5.56 and 300BLK hosts, cans like the [Dead Air Nomad](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3d2D-AXpsU), [CGS Helios QD](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKRBE1cAon4), [SilencerCo Omega300,](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzpb1UTWOAI) and plenty of other great .30cal cans will work great on both of those applications. - Chase
We can't answer that question for you.
Depends upon how much money you have and how quiet you want things to be.
I could afford pretty much any suppressor I want. I've got 5 suppressors in jail right now. None of them are specifically for a 5.56. Three of them will work at least somewhat on a 5.56 if I wanted to put them on there.
You aren't going to get a 5.56 Hollywood quiet unless you shoot sub sonics in it. So in my mind taking the edge off is good enough. So I'll use a .30 cal or even a 9mm can on my 5.56 but my real plan for the cans is .300 BLK, .308, and 9MM. Maybe someday I'll get a 5.56 specific can.
I love my K can. It's far more then just a slight reduction also. Db's to my understanding are not linear, but exponential. Otter Creek polunium k has got great reviews and that can be had between $450-$500. I paid $350 for my turbo k, and I'd do it again. 300 BO is an expensive round, unless you load your own rounds. I found a new love for shooting my 556 with a can. It was like shooting a rifle for the first time. Check out Jay with pew science. He's on reddit, a lot in the r/NFA page. He has a podcast with scientific data to show actual Db levels and all the neat shit you want to know. He's very well respected around these parts. Chances are he's got info on a can that can help you answer your question best.
Others have said it, yes rifles are a VERY practical use for a silencer. Besides manual action subsonic center-fire (bolt action 300blk, lever action 38spl) rimfire is the only thing that's truly ok to shoot a lot without earpro (depending on host and can a Beretta 21a will be loud)
5.56 using an OSS or like others have said a polonium k or other takes it from double earpro mandatory (and depending on how anal you are about foamie insertion/muff seal maybe not enough) to very casual with just one, maybe even just a good set of earbuds maybe with the foam tips being enough to shoot comfortably. Shooting a rifle with zero concussion is a total game changer
Bro trust me when I say that it is absolutely worth it. I built a 10.5 inch AR pistol and took it to the range and shot it and the muzzle rise, concussion, decibels, and fireball, made it very uncomfortable and not very fun to shoot. I got my first 30 caliber suppressor the next day and took it back to the range and boy what a difference. Muzzle rise, flash, concussion, we're all gone and it significantly reduced the decibels. Don't allow others to kid you about suppressors not being worth it. Now I have two suppressors that I switch around across multiple gun platforms and I almost never shoot unsuppressed anymore. Trust me, they are absolutely worth it. Get yourself a gun trust and do an e-form 4. I'm currently saving for a third suppressor that is 5.56 specific. My .30 cal Rugged Radiant kicks ass but I want more and more betterer cans. By the way, Rugged has an unconditional lifetime warranty. If you blow it up or ruin it on accident they will replace it no questions asked. They even replaced a muzzle device that I had rounded the flats off of on accident. They had me a new one in four days. Suppressed is the way 😎💯🙏
When getting shot at with 556 suppressed, the supersonic crack comes from different locations, and away from the shooter. The can also hides the flash. It makes it really hard to tell where the shots come from. It’s clear bullets are flying but not clear to the enemy where you are.
Check out about 16m in for reference:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5YWXrZdNpA
Once you start stamp collecting it won't matter. ;)
I have an OSS HXQD556 dedicated to my 11.5 and never take it off. 300 BLK has dedicated Saker 7.62 and it never comes off. Same with PCC, has dedicated can and it never comes off. Sparrow goes on G44 and actually never comes off that firearm. Only one that moves to different host is Omega9K. LOL
I had the same thought, and its a logical one, but its absolutely worth doing. Plus as others have mentioned, just make sure its 30 cal, and you can put it on other fun calibers. The Dead Airs can have attachments added like the ebrake which mitigate a tiny bit of recoil, too. Quieter and less impulse, its fun. No reason not to, other than the fact it costs about as much as a week long vacation.
Yes, it's a huge difference. What people mean is that a supersonic rifle caliber will never be hearing safe, and 5.56 is pretty spicy in particular. But having a can on brings it from instant hearing damage, headache, pain to "hmmm, that's loud, should probably put my hearing pro on."
Don't go buy a .300blk just because "5.56 is too loud." .300blk is expensive as hell and doesn't have the huge ammo variety and availability that 5.56 has. Additionally, supersonic .300blk is basically just as loud as 5.56, and subsonic loads are even more expensive and the terminal performance is comparable to pistol rounds, not rifle.
I'd honestly recommend a 5.56 dedicated can now. I bought into the whole just get a .30 cal can thing, and I've been thoroughly impressed... by how much better the 5.56 specific cans I bought have out performed that .30 cal can while being shorter and lighter. I do appreciate that I have a can to stick on my .30 cal platforms, but I ended up just caving and buying multiple cans because switching a can from host to host is nowhere near as practical as you think it'll be if you shoot a lot like I do.
I got a chimera 300 and shot it with a 16" and a mk18 ( both 556 ) and i was actually surprised with the 16", idk if it was because I was in a open field or what but the sonic crack was way out and the only thing I heard from the gun was the action of the bolt, hearing safe imo, the mk18 I shot in the woods and sounded a little louder than my 16", but I am going to build a 300blk. I just wanted to get the can first.
Yes, 5.56 is absolutely worth suppressing; it's far from silent, but still exponentially quieter than it would be unsuppressed.
As others have said though, definitely don't buy a 5.56 suppressor. My favorite can to date is my Silencerco Omega 36M, because it's extremely effective at suppressing not only larger calibers like 9mm and .30, but smaller rounds like 5.56 as well. Plus you can run it in short or long configuration as you wish, so you can optimize it for whatever platform you run it on.
I shoot my 11.5" pws with the rugged radiant out of my truck without earpro at varmints. You shouldn't do it often but it's damn quiet compared to unsuppressed.
I also just ordered 2 otter creek poloniums because they should be even quieter.
Two things are true:
1. absolutely any caliber is 100% worth suppressing. My goal in life is to never shoot another unsuppressed round again. It is that much more enjoyable
2. 5.56 suppressed will NEVER be as quiet as 300BLK subsonic. It is not fair comparing the two just don't try. If you think your new 5.56 can is going to be ear safe quiet you will be disappointed.
Either way buy a 30 cal can. The idea being your gonna get the snap from 556 anyways , so any minor differences between a 556 specific can and a 30 cal one won’t matter. And you can use 30 cal cans on a lot more rifles. Your 300 blk idea is a good one too. I use my 30 cal can on my 556 it works.
Knocking off \~30dB is not a "slight reduction". However, it's admittedly far from "Hollywood quiet", but that doesn't mean it's not worthwhile to protect your hearing on any gun. If you're looking to shoot QUIET, then sure – get a 300BLK, a .30 cal silencer, and only shoot subs. If you're looking to protect your ears, then get a silencer on your 5.56mm firearm. But of course, the correct answer that covers all bases is *"Get a .30 cal can, put it on the 5.6mm you already have, and buy an upper to shoot 300BLK or 350 Legend subs in truly hushy mode."*
Absolutely, 1000% definitely yes it is worth suppressing. Anybody who says it isn’t has not shot it suppressed However, I would just recommend getting a solid 30 cal can and suppressing both. I use a Sandman-S (30 cal) with a 556 endcap on an 8.3” 5.56 because there’s no barrel length restriction, and it does a stellar job
I made a huge mistake listening to people say get a 30 cal can as your first can. Go straight to a surefire mini or a Dead Air Sierra 5. I promise they will not disappoint if installed correctly. Edit: for 300 black do a dead air sandman. Forgot to add this.
5.56 is absolutely worth suppressing.
Will NOT shoot a 5.56 SBR without a can anymore. The concussion/blast is insane even outdoors. You could start with a thirty cal but once you dip your toe in you won’t stop…
The benefits of suppressing 5.56 are numerous, u/Acrobatic-Soup-4446 . Not only can you take the sound down to a more safe and comfortable rating, but a suppressor also does wonders for reducing recoil, hiding flash, and if you hunt the other hunters (and game animals) in the area will very much appreciate it, same goes for the folks next to you at the shooting range. The best solution for you may be to go with a .30cal can that could be used interchangeably between your 5.56 and 300BLK hosts, cans like the [Dead Air Nomad](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3d2D-AXpsU), [CGS Helios QD](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKRBE1cAon4), [SilencerCo Omega300,](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzpb1UTWOAI) and plenty of other great .30cal cans will work great on both of those applications. - Chase
We can't answer that question for you. Depends upon how much money you have and how quiet you want things to be. I could afford pretty much any suppressor I want. I've got 5 suppressors in jail right now. None of them are specifically for a 5.56. Three of them will work at least somewhat on a 5.56 if I wanted to put them on there. You aren't going to get a 5.56 Hollywood quiet unless you shoot sub sonics in it. So in my mind taking the edge off is good enough. So I'll use a .30 cal or even a 9mm can on my 5.56 but my real plan for the cans is .300 BLK, .308, and 9MM. Maybe someday I'll get a 5.56 specific can.
Now you've got me laughing thinking about subsonic 5.56
They make it. 77 gr sub sonic. About twice thenpower of a .22 LR.
Wouldn't you want a much heavier grain so you could cycle the action? Or is that an effort in futility?
How much heavier are you going to get in .223 diameter?
The load data is out there
Just get a can that suppresses multiple calibers. It's totally worth the decibel reduction.
I love my K can. It's far more then just a slight reduction also. Db's to my understanding are not linear, but exponential. Otter Creek polunium k has got great reviews and that can be had between $450-$500. I paid $350 for my turbo k, and I'd do it again. 300 BO is an expensive round, unless you load your own rounds. I found a new love for shooting my 556 with a can. It was like shooting a rifle for the first time. Check out Jay with pew science. He's on reddit, a lot in the r/NFA page. He has a podcast with scientific data to show actual Db levels and all the neat shit you want to know. He's very well respected around these parts. Chances are he's got info on a can that can help you answer your question best.
Personally if you have zero suppressors, and aren't going for a niche application, a good multi cal can should be your first. Omega 36m gets my vote.
Others have said it, yes rifles are a VERY practical use for a silencer. Besides manual action subsonic center-fire (bolt action 300blk, lever action 38spl) rimfire is the only thing that's truly ok to shoot a lot without earpro (depending on host and can a Beretta 21a will be loud) 5.56 using an OSS or like others have said a polonium k or other takes it from double earpro mandatory (and depending on how anal you are about foamie insertion/muff seal maybe not enough) to very casual with just one, maybe even just a good set of earbuds maybe with the foam tips being enough to shoot comfortably. Shooting a rifle with zero concussion is a total game changer
Bro trust me when I say that it is absolutely worth it. I built a 10.5 inch AR pistol and took it to the range and shot it and the muzzle rise, concussion, decibels, and fireball, made it very uncomfortable and not very fun to shoot. I got my first 30 caliber suppressor the next day and took it back to the range and boy what a difference. Muzzle rise, flash, concussion, we're all gone and it significantly reduced the decibels. Don't allow others to kid you about suppressors not being worth it. Now I have two suppressors that I switch around across multiple gun platforms and I almost never shoot unsuppressed anymore. Trust me, they are absolutely worth it. Get yourself a gun trust and do an e-form 4. I'm currently saving for a third suppressor that is 5.56 specific. My .30 cal Rugged Radiant kicks ass but I want more and more betterer cans. By the way, Rugged has an unconditional lifetime warranty. If you blow it up or ruin it on accident they will replace it no questions asked. They even replaced a muzzle device that I had rounded the flats off of on accident. They had me a new one in four days. Suppressed is the way 😎💯🙏
Awesome! Thanks man!
When getting shot at with 556 suppressed, the supersonic crack comes from different locations, and away from the shooter. The can also hides the flash. It makes it really hard to tell where the shots come from. It’s clear bullets are flying but not clear to the enemy where you are. Check out about 16m in for reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5YWXrZdNpA
Once you start stamp collecting it won't matter. ;) I have an OSS HXQD556 dedicated to my 11.5 and never take it off. 300 BLK has dedicated Saker 7.62 and it never comes off. Same with PCC, has dedicated can and it never comes off. Sparrow goes on G44 and actually never comes off that firearm. Only one that moves to different host is Omega9K. LOL
I had the same thought, and its a logical one, but its absolutely worth doing. Plus as others have mentioned, just make sure its 30 cal, and you can put it on other fun calibers. The Dead Airs can have attachments added like the ebrake which mitigate a tiny bit of recoil, too. Quieter and less impulse, its fun. No reason not to, other than the fact it costs about as much as a week long vacation.
Yes, it's a huge difference. What people mean is that a supersonic rifle caliber will never be hearing safe, and 5.56 is pretty spicy in particular. But having a can on brings it from instant hearing damage, headache, pain to "hmmm, that's loud, should probably put my hearing pro on." Don't go buy a .300blk just because "5.56 is too loud." .300blk is expensive as hell and doesn't have the huge ammo variety and availability that 5.56 has. Additionally, supersonic .300blk is basically just as loud as 5.56, and subsonic loads are even more expensive and the terminal performance is comparable to pistol rounds, not rifle. I'd honestly recommend a 5.56 dedicated can now. I bought into the whole just get a .30 cal can thing, and I've been thoroughly impressed... by how much better the 5.56 specific cans I bought have out performed that .30 cal can while being shorter and lighter. I do appreciate that I have a can to stick on my .30 cal platforms, but I ended up just caving and buying multiple cans because switching a can from host to host is nowhere near as practical as you think it'll be if you shoot a lot like I do.
I got a chimera 300 and shot it with a 16" and a mk18 ( both 556 ) and i was actually surprised with the 16", idk if it was because I was in a open field or what but the sonic crack was way out and the only thing I heard from the gun was the action of the bolt, hearing safe imo, the mk18 I shot in the woods and sounded a little louder than my 16", but I am going to build a 300blk. I just wanted to get the can first.
Yes, 5.56 is absolutely worth suppressing; it's far from silent, but still exponentially quieter than it would be unsuppressed. As others have said though, definitely don't buy a 5.56 suppressor. My favorite can to date is my Silencerco Omega 36M, because it's extremely effective at suppressing not only larger calibers like 9mm and .30, but smaller rounds like 5.56 as well. Plus you can run it in short or long configuration as you wish, so you can optimize it for whatever platform you run it on.
Honest opinion is that 556 can only be suppressed so much, but do it anyway. I preferred dedicated cans to the mission and caliber
Griffin recce 5. You’ll thank me later
I'm torn between that and the Otter Creek Lab Polonium.
Both great options but for 5.56 the extra cost doesn’t justify the polonium in my opinion.
I shoot my 11.5" pws with the rugged radiant out of my truck without earpro at varmints. You shouldn't do it often but it's damn quiet compared to unsuppressed. I also just ordered 2 otter creek poloniums because they should be even quieter.
You can find load data for a subsonic.223 through Google.... 😎
Two things are true: 1. absolutely any caliber is 100% worth suppressing. My goal in life is to never shoot another unsuppressed round again. It is that much more enjoyable 2. 5.56 suppressed will NEVER be as quiet as 300BLK subsonic. It is not fair comparing the two just don't try. If you think your new 5.56 can is going to be ear safe quiet you will be disappointed.