Mod or no mod?

big ears

Well-Known Member
I'm looking to buy a lightweight stalking rifle. I think the calibre will be 6.5 x55. I like the look of the sako finnlight but this is not final. The question is would you use a moderator on it in which case get it screw cut. I know mods are all the rage these days but would shooting without a mod make much difference.

thanks for your help.

BE
 
Makes a lot of difference to your ears!
some mods are heavier than others but all will increase the weight of your setup, so for you to decide if the increase in weight is a worthwhile trade off for the benefits of reduced noise, recoil and muzzle flip.
 
Most rifles do come screw cut already, so why not go for a mod? If possible try your rifle with one on, then make your assessment from there. I have an ATEC Maxum on my Tikka T3 Lite, and it balances perfectly. It will definitely safe your hearing, and iv never been a fan of wearing bulky ear defenders while shooting! Each to thier own but I prefer it for sure
 
I've got a Hardy Gen IV on my Sako 75 6.5x55. Great bit of kit. Not the quietest (my T8 brick was quieter) but as I spend most of my life carrying rather than shooting, the weight was of more interest than the small difference in moderation.

There are other great mods out there, but i did my research, and this is what I went with.

I only wear ear defenders on the range, never when stalking, so the mod is on there when doing range work to retain the "in field zero" rather than stop my ears getting a battering

Cheers
iain
 
Increased chance of opportunity to grass a second or third beast with a mod on imo..

Turn up at any estate with a group of guys for a weekend stalk/highseat and youll probably find yourself closest to the nearest road/boundary..

Definately worth getting a mod
 
A very good but 'Marmite' question.

You do not NEED a moderator for stalking, and non moderated shots down range rarely make a huge difference to the deer behaviour post shot.

To balance that tho' there several good reasons for moderating the report.
1. Your hearing, once your hearing is damaged it will remain as such if you value or need your hearing then do everything you can to preserve it.
2. Weight ( as alluded to above) if your rifle weighs more the felt recoil will be less, also with a lightweight rifle it WILL flip significantly upon firing. Having a large lump on the barrel could well be the difference between getting a second shot off and not as they can help target acquisition.
3. More land owners are 'requiring' that you work moderated, probably to keep 'save the bambi, clan' from getting on their tits.
4. Keeping something we currently have. Whilst we don't really need a mod to stalk, the more folks that use them responsibly the more likely we are to be able to keep them. There a lots of countries that do not allow the use or ownership of moderators.

My thoughts FWIW.
 
A moderator does make a huge difference as already said previously but it's the weight thing. This is usually a bit of a trade off for sound reduction against weight however most of the recognised mods on the market reduce the sound to a perfectly acceptable level.

I use a "Hardy Gen IV", weight 296g / 10.4oz - it's an overbarrel type with a built in muzzle brake and very light. Very good piece of kit I use on my 6.5x55.

Also use an "Ace Utra Northstar NS-3S", weight 686g / 1 lb 8.2oz - overbarrel type made of stainless which is very effective but heavy. I use this on my 7mm-08 however I have started using the "Hardy Gen IV" because it's so much lighter and still highly effective.

FYI the "Hardy" is imported and made for Riflecraft Ltd in Norfolk £285.

​ATB
 
no mod for me I am afraid.
in fact I just tested my .222 without last night. zero is a little off to the right compared to moderated but the hassle factor of a seriously unbalanced rifle when hiking around the hills and woods outweighs any perceived "second shot" advantage.
Moderator up and it constantly wants to swing down
Moderator down and i am in the grass with the muzzle

thats without looking at the extra weight

2 little plugs are all that stand between you and ringing ears.
they take seconds to fit, weigh nothing and are so easy to pop in one handed.
I have these:

product428282image2.jpg


they slip in easily without fuss and they work.
i put a unmoderated shot through a 3ft concrete tube last night standing in the tube entrance. impressive blast came my way, no issues for these

IMO the unmoderated boom is often enough to disorientate deer and especially in enclosed woodland or deep glens. They have no idea where it is coming from
 
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There is one big, and often ignored, benefit of stalking in electronic ear defenders. If you turn the gain up you are really aware of how much noise you are making! I suspect a human with the gain turned up can hear almost as well as a deer.

David.
 
If you have a nice gun it spoils it fitting a mod. I have one gun with no mod and it wont ever have one. Peltor electronic ear defenders are superb.
 
photo.JPG Depends on the Rifle a can would spoil this and the Muntjack did not hear the shot, Deer dont clear the wood as a Fallow doe came to within 40m of me while i sorted the Muntie.
Don't think the lightest is best !
I bought a CMM4 for my Remington model 7 to make a very light stalking rifle. But it would not shoot !! Put the Ase S6 back on and it shoots sub 1'', So the lightest is not always the best.
 
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Just get it cut by someone the likes of Mike Norris, have an invisible thread protector made, your rifle is then compliant in all respects, Pretty!, and also able to make use of a moderator!,... simples!:D
 
I was looking for the same in 270, the finnlight doesn't come factory threaded (probably for a reason?) and weighs 2.9 kg in medium action the sako 85 synthetic stainless weighs 3.0 kg and comes threaded, no brainer for me. With an Atec CMM4 mod its a very light well balanced set up.
 
I used to hate the look of moderators and never would have been seen alive with what used to look like a 'Dust Bin' stuck on the end of an otherwise classic stalking rifle!!!! untill I had a go with a Jet Z.
They are so much more compact and lighter that for general use I would not now be without one with the exception of my stunning .270 Heym SR20 which still has its open sights but my other rifles that came with a plain barrel have now be screw cut and a Jet Z moderator used.
 
If you have a nice gun it spoils it fitting a mod. I have one gun with no mod and it wont ever have one. Peltor electronic ear defenders are superb.

+1 You will never see a mod on any of my rifles. For all those who say it cuts down recoil on a normal stalking rifle, stop being such big girls blouses. Recoil from a 6.5 -.308:rofl:.
 
+1 You will never see a mod on any of my rifles. For all those who say it cuts down recoil on a normal stalking rifle, stop being such big girls blouses. Recoil from a 6.5 -.308:rofl:.

What about the damage to the hearing of your dog that tends to sit to the side of the muzzle (or at least closer to it) and will on occasion experience far more of the blast than you will positioned safely well down from the barrel????
 
What about the damage to the hearing of your dog that tends to sit to the side of the muzzle (or at least closer to it) and will on occasion experience far more of the blast than you will positioned safely well down from the barrel????

Doggy ear defenders???:lol:
 
What about the damage to the hearing of your dog that tends to sit to the side of the muzzle (or at least closer to it) and will on occasion experience far more of the blast than you will positioned safely well down from the barrel????

Tracking dog at home in the kennel till needed. Hunting dog never near the muzzle blast.
 
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