Hunting with "silencers"?

[Pathfinder1]

Hi...


I recently read where the Georgia Senate is considering allowing suppressors ("silencers") on rifles and shotguns for hunting wild hogs.

If carried, they will need federal registration, per their Senate.

Is this good, or bad?

Do other States allow them?

[Lamebeaver]

I am not aware of any states where silencers are legal.

[limaker]

I have never heard of this either but it seems like a bad idea early on. I could see something happen where not hearing a random gun going off in the woods could (maybe) lead to more accidental shootings.

[ppine]

Legalizing silencers is not that different than legalizing poaching. I agree that it would not be as safe either.

Most of the poachers I have known used .22s or arrows.

[Grandpa]

Poaching gun? Saw one of those yesterday. It was an original 1894 winchester of a type that broke down for saddlebags and also had a threaded barrel end to accomodate a silencer. I didn't realize just how many variations the old 1894 came in. This one was chambered for the .32-20.

[Pathfinder1]

Hi...


Just in case some people didn't know...a "silencer" does not eliminate the sound of a gunshot (like in the movies). What it does is surpresses...or reduces...the sound of the gunshot.

[LeadOperator]

The whole idea behind suppressors for hog hunting is that like I said before...hogs is SMART. You shoot one with a loud bang, and the rest scatter. What you wanna do is drop him in his tracks & line up on his cousin and so on. Now the hard part is droppin'em in their tracks. I've seen'em shot with a 30.06 & run a quarter of a mile. I saw one absorb 47 (yes, 47) .22 long rifle hollow points before he dropped. Gotta hit'em hard and accurately. The main thing you hafta remember when you're in an area with feral pigs...you are NOT at the top of the food chainat that point.

[Grandpa]

Excellent advice Lead Op.

[catspa]

Ppine, you might as well say, "Legalizing bows and arrows is not that different than legalizing poaching." It's not the sound that does the job, bud.

That said, there's a reason suppressors have traditionally been used on pistol-caliber weapons for short-range work. Depending on the supressor design, long range accuracy can be severely degraded and the "silencing" effect is minimal. Unfortunately, not many people know much about how supressors actually work, having in their mind instead the mistaken Hollywood idea of "silencers". A person thinking they'll just screw a can onto their 30-06 and fire at game is going to be severely disappointed.

Parker

[Judy Ann]

Originally Posted by Pathfinder1

Hi...


I recently read where the Georgia Senate is considering allowing suppressors ("silencers") on rifles and shotguns for hunting wild hogs.

If carried, they will need federal registration, per their Senate.

Is this good, or bad?

Do other States allow them?

This may be one of the most inane statements that I have heard in decades. Spent many years with Southern hunters that relocated wild hogs after tracking them on private property and setting traps or riding horses and ATVs for a little more sport. This would be very much like roping a wild steer to some folks and hogs if killed were good for a pig pickin. If you can't shoot a bow then get out of the way and let real hunters do the job. All we need is a bunch of yahoos out in the country wounding animals and shooting anything that moves without noise letting the rest of us know that they are nearby. Dang, we need some folks with brains in government.