sound moderator

Yes, I have shot second and third beasts, especially roe in woodland that I wouldn't have shot had my first shot been unmoderated. The other factor to consider is how much the deer being shot at are being pursued, the old hinds don't forget. Regards JCS
 
They do tend to spoil balance and some are definately more effective than others - but they get my vote.

In pure terms of more deer it's hard to quantify, but from experience we have all seen hinds TEND to stand much longer when culling. As with all things stalking, there are few hard and fast givens.

Dealing with a lot of novice or infrequent stalkers, moderated rifles do help them shoot better - which ultimately results in more deer in the larder I suppose.

Heard of, but not so far encountered scope problems.

Hope helps.
 
No, there's more to shooting deer than the sound of a gun
Jc how do you know you would not have shot those deer:)
 
No, there's more to shooting deer than the sound of a gun
Jc how do you know you would not have shot those deer:)

I shot two does with the T8 on my .243 just after I had it fitted. Both does were aware of me before the first shot. The second doe just stood looking up the ride at me. I think I was ~80yds away. Previously on that piece of ground I had only shot single roe deer. Regards JCS
 
Moderators get my vote less recoil and the noise reduction alone does it for me you can here the thud and saves your own ears.
 
i think it depends on what sort of stalking you do, if your stalking large groups of fallow and need to take as many animals in one go as possible then yeah im sure a moderator will help but if you just stalk roe like i do and your only out to take one animal per stalk then no a moderator wont make any odds. this said tho there is a much bigger bang going forward of the rifle than what you hear sat behind it.
 
Taff
Please explain and give your opinion on the question asked . Curious
Ok I have never shot deer in Scotland , but from my limited experience of stalking, I think to shoot multiples of deer you have to get the wind right first and also not be seen. After the shot don,t rush out until after the other deer have left, I have shot upto three roe at a time in the same field while sitting on my mule, my best fallow count is five, if shooting at a group after the first shot the others generally take say ten steps and look back that is when you need to be ready for the next shoot. Big fallow bucks in a group will always tend to look at there fallen companion. So does a moderator help you shoot more deer by itself no. But can it be used as part of the kit to help I don,t know as I have never been able to retake a shot with one.
 
Taff
Please explain and give your opinion on the question asked . Curious
Ok I have never shot deer in Scotland , but from my limited experience of stalking, I think to shoot multiples of deer you have to get the wind right first and also not be seen. After the shot don,t rush out until after the other deer have left, I have shot upto three roe at a time in the same field while sitting on my mule, my best fallow count is five, if shooting at a group after the first shot the others generally take say ten steps and look back that is when you need to be ready for the next shoot. Big fallow bucks in a group will always tend to look at there fallen companion. So does a moderator help you shoot more deer by itself no. But can it be used as part of the kit to help I don,t know as I have never been able to retake a shot with one.
 
this said tho there is a much bigger bang going forward of the rifle than what you hear sat behind it.

I don't think this is true. The sound pressure levels in all directions around a rifle will, assuming equal distance, be roughly equal as there is little or nothing to shield any point from the sound and the rifle doesn't "project" the sound in a directional fashion. There may be a small shadow at high frequencies cast by the person pulling the trigger but this will be pretty minor.

What there is, however, and what I believe is important when considering the effect of a moderator upon the reaction of deer to a rifle shot is the supersonic crack from the bullet. This crack is significantly less loud than the report of the unmoderated rifle but on the other hand if the bullet passes close to a deer, say you shoot the animal standing beside it, then due to the bullet moving much faster than sound the crack from the bullet will arrive it its ears first. If deer sound perception works anywhere close to the human version then its brain will perform a very tasty balancing trick relating to time of arrival and loudness to pinpoint the direction from which the noise is thought to have come. With a moderated rifle the actual report of the shot will be very much less loud than with an unmoderated rifle and so this makes it much more likely that time of arrival will win over loudness in terms of positioning the source of the noise. It is, therefore, likely that under some circumstances, much more common when using a moderated rifle, deer will conclude that they have only heard one bang, rather than a crack and a bang, and that this noise came from the deer standing next to them. I believe that this explains why people using moderated rifles sometimes describe the deer as being confused as to where the shot has come from.
 
I am not convinced that deer are all that worried by the soundof the shot. I have had plenty of occasions with both Roe and Red when undisturbed deer have hung around for a long time after the shot.

What deer are very alert to though is metallic noise (ie the rattling of a bolt whilst reloading), movement and above all else smell.

I did quite a bit of culling in days before moderators were used and never found lack of moderator a problem - believe me when you have shot twenty beasts between three of you, you are in the larder for a good few hours!

My take on moderators is for occasional stalking as I do, with a nice classic rifle then no need, but if I was getting a "working" rifle I probably would, but it would need to be short and light.
 
Using a moderated .243 on roe, I have noticed that if there is woodland, or stone walls, or both behind the deer, after the first shot the deer tend to walk
toward me. This often gives a second chance of a shot.

I think the deer are hearing the reflection of the supersonic crack which they think is behind them.

This is just my random thoughts on using a moderator and would be interested on other experiences.


Brianm
 
A sound mod, reduced sound ( sonic bang) reduces re-coil , allowing better 2nd shot IF rquired , & also reduces barrel lift on larger cals. There the benefit, the down side it attaches 2lb + to your front barrel, the wrong balanced mod makes for an uncomfertable shot, free standing without a rest (pod or sticks, etc)
 
I would never be without one. Less recoil means you can see your bullet strike and watch the animals reaction (and possibly direction!) rather than reeling backwards in a cloud of smoke wondering what the hell happened!:lol: No need for ear defence. less likely to develop a flinch. More likely to get more shots at groups of deer - sometimes they will even run towards you as they hear the crack of the supersonic bullet and not the bang of the rifle!;) They do alter the balance of the rifle, but the weight at the end also provides stability. You will also get a slight increase in muzzle velocity as it effectively lengthens your barrel. Other than the cost, and the need to remove for storage, it's far better to be with than without!!
MS:)
 
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