SOFTLY, SOFTLY…

Choosing the right sound moderator is crucial for stalking. Bruce Potts reviews six options, balancing noise reduction, weight and durability for optimum performance

The choice of sound moderator for your stalking rifle can be very personal decision. Many shooters are bemused by the endless variety available. Calibre certainly does plays a part, as does the length of the rifle and the barrel diameter. Here is a selection that I have found to cover all the bases for the eager stalker. You would think noise reduction would be at the top of the list of desirable qualities, but if a suppressor weighs a ton it’s not practical, so decibel reduction, weight, longevity, ease of cleaning and good looks are all relevant. Ultimately, though, you should choose what is best for the calibre, weight of rifle, length of barrel and frequency at which you shoot the rifle.

ELITE
Wildcat sound moderators are made in the UK and there is a diverse array for any application from rimfire to centrefire, and magnum calibres as well. Its flagship Elite line offers everything a stalker could wish for in three muzzle-mounted models – Elite Compact, Elite and Elite TI. As the name suggests, the Compact is a smaller version of the standard Elite, while the TI version is made from titanium. Prices are £495, £635 and £865.

The Elite in .30 calibre is a very well-built, premium product designed with the aim of it being the ultimate rifle moderator. It had to be extremely durable, rated for magnum use if necessary and able to withstand a high shot count. The standard Elite is 44mm in diameter and 187mm long but adds 172mm to the rifle as these are muzzle cans, which I prefer. It weighs 635g, while the titanium version weighs only 364g with the same dimensions. The rear section has replaceable threaded inserts for different rifle muzzle threads, which are £80 each. Options include 14×1, 15×1, 17×1, 18×1, 18×1.5, ½in x28, 5/8in x24, 11/16in x24 and ¾in x24.

The Elite employs a combination of 17-4 stainless steel and grade 5 6Al-4V titanium for its unique single-billet manufacturing process, which incorporates a front-mounted dual-core design. This achieves excellent durability and is highly effective at recoil reduction. I also like the Compact Elite option, which I use on short-barrelled woodland deer rifles, because the noise reduction and handling is still excellent.
From £495
Wildcat Sound Moderators

RCC M48
I do prefer a muzzle can over a reflex mod. I tend to use short barrels in my rifles, which is why this new RCC M48 sound moderator made in Sweden is ideal. It’s a large aluminium-bodied muzzle-mounted moderator with changeable muzzle thread and calibre inserts. It is modular in design, so you can extend or reduce the segments as you wish. The M48 weighs 375g and is 150mm long with an outside diameter of 48mm.

For threads you can choose between ½x20in UNF, ½x28in UNEF, 5/8in x24 UNEF, M14x1, M15x1, M16x1, M17x1 and M18x1. The individual baffles of the segmented design are unscrewable and therefore replaceable, which is handy. In my .30 cal, I have four segments. The baffles enclose stainless-steel gauze to maximise noise reduction and retard the expansion of hot expanding gases.

At the rear is the exchangeable stainless steel threaded inset, which gives the option to change this component if you need to use the mod on another rifle with a different thread size. It’s light, quiet and does not upset the balance of even the lightest stalking rifle I have used.
£249
Highland Outdoors

ASE UTRA JET-Z COMPACT AND ATEC PRS-2
I include a couple here. The Jet-Z Compact remains one of the best all-round sound moderators one can purchase for a stalking rifle. It offers excellent noise reduction in a short, compact design. The muzzle-mounted mod is offered from .25 to .30 calibres including magnum. It weighs 493g and adds 155mm to the length of a rifle. With a diameter of 40mm, it is also slim enough to be used with a low-mounted telescopic sight. A variety of metric and imperial threads to fit directly onto the rifle muzzle include M14x1, M15x1, M17x1, M18x1, ½in x20 UNF and ½in x28 UNEF.

Alternatively, try the A-Tec PRS 2. When is a sound moderator not a sound moderator? When it’s a muzzle brake as well. This hybrid mod/muzzle brake combines the advantages of a traditional moderator, using internal baffle stacks to reduce the noise signature, with those of a forward-venting muzzle brake to reduce recoil. So you have a combination of decibel reduction for more covert use, and far less recoil or muzzle-flip for a quick second shot or observation of the bullet strike.

The PRS 2 model is 175mm long by 44.4mm diameter and weighs 465g. A longer PRS 3 is also available. The stainless-steel construction aids longevity as it protects it against flame erosion and corrosion from internal acids and deposits. The tough satin-black Cerakote finish, which resists contact abrasion and shrugs off any moisture courtesy of the good old British weather, makes it a real winner.
From £426 and £399
Jackson Rifles