Suppressor box - backyard shooting

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v8stang289

v8stang289

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Hi everyone. Basically, because of a busy schedule, 6 month old, etc. I dont really have much time to go to the range. In fact its been a few months since I've been shooting. So I want to make a small range in my backyard to shoot my .22 savage mk II when I get a few minutes here and there.

Before anyone asks my property is butted up against a few hundred acres of woodland and I plan to build a small berm, and it is perfectly legal to shoot where I am. So safety issues are taken care of.

The only thing that worries me is I dont want to bother my neighbor. I know i can shoot colibris or CCI cb's but it would be nice to have the option to shoot standard velocity.

I remember seeing a thread sometime back about making a box or barrel to shoot through to help reduce the sound. Basically an acoustic box of some sort that supresses or contains some of the sound of the shot. Since its not attached to the gun, I wouldnt think it could be considered a supressor.

Does anyone have any ideas about constructing one or on how well they work? I tried to search for the other thread but couldnt find it.

thanks for the help.

-Matt
 
In the May-June 1988 issue of Handloader Magazine (No. 133), Ken Waters had an article on “Building a Range Sound Reducer.” His sound baffle was built from 2" X 3" stringers and 1/2" plywood. It was a large box, set up in his indoor shooting range. I doubt that any reasonable person would call it an illegal “silencer.”

If you have access to back issues of Handloader Magazine, you can find that article. If not, post back here, and maybe some of us can help.
 
Thanks for the quick reply. Unfortunately I dont have access to back issues of handloader. I did a google search for "ken waters" and
"Range sound reducer", but I didnt turn up anything that way.

All ideas are welcome
 
Kinda have to agree with Funderb, plant a double row of evergreens on the side of the range that is adjacent to you neighbor and let them do most of the work for you

other than that, try a box about 6x6inches and maybe 18inches long that have foam padding on the inside, gives you room to aim the barrel over and will more than likely direct the sound downrange as well as back towards you so make sure to wear your ear protection.

All of this is just some thoughts so take it all with a Large pinch of salt
 
I had never thought about a muffler-box. I need to make one!! I'd put baffles in it, just like a regular silencer. And, I'd pour some water in it, to help absorb the sound waves.
 
One issue with a six month old is to be aware of lead dust contamination of the area around were you are shooting. Make sure that you clean or change your shoes prior to coming back into the house. I have an 8 month old myself, and have separate range shoes (old pair of sneakers) that I change into and out of at the range to reduce lead contamination of my house.
 
I cant really do the hedgerows, because of the way my backyard is and the landscaping thats already been done. There is a building on the property line in my backyard between my property and the neighbors and that will will block some of the noise, but I am trying to keep it a little quieter and I am looking for a slightly more portable and less permanent solution than hedgerows. Thanks for the suggestions and the ideas for the boxes.
 
Try a 55 gallon plastic barrel with both ends cut out and lined with a foam egg shell mattress (the kind supplied to invalid patients to help prevent bed sores).
 
Here's my Savage Mk II BV that I had cut down to 16" and threaded 1/2-28 tpi. With the AAC Aviator suppressor & CCI subsonics it's the quietest suppressed host I have, much more so than even my RWS air rifle. This way you won't be tethered to a box either.

Dscf0094.jpg
 
KingTiger, nice rifle. That would definately be the way to go, but unfortunately I dont have the disposable funds necessary for a tax stamp, supressor, and barrel threading.
 
Here's my Savage Mk II BV that I had cut down to 16" and threaded 1/2-28 tpi. With the AAC Aviator suppressor & CCI subsonics it's the quietest suppressed host I have, much more so than even my RWS air rifle. This way you won't be tethered to a box either.
Click to expand...

To KingTiger:

That's a beautiful rifle for sure - two questions:

1) What was the approximate cost to convert the rifle?

2) How much accuracy did you lose by shortening the barrel?

P
 
I've seen a couple of these over the years. One was two 55 gallon steel drums fastened end to end with the heads removed & lined with fiberglass insulation. The kind in your attic. The other was just a stack of old tires, about 12 feet worth, layed on it's side on a table. These folks were shooting centerfire handguns & from 30 feet away you really couldn't tell they were gunshots.
 
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I saw someone somewhere post pics of one that was made from an old swing set with several old used tires hanging from it (all bundled together creating a tube) and stuffed with fiberglass insulation.

Dunno how well it worked, but that should be pretty darn cheap to throw together.
 
Yes it does, but there is a significant loss of amplitude when you transition from one to the other.
Click to expand...

I suppose that makes a certain amount of sense. Kind of like airplanes get more lift on a cool dry day than a warm humid day because the cool dry air has more molecular mass than warm humid air.
 
Pyle - 1. $100. A local smith did it. I seen $'s from $60-$100 for this service.
2. None. Barrel length typically doesn't affect accuracy. BTW - it's a very accurate rifle with the subs. The monster scope helps alot, although it's fairly heavy.
 
Build a box that has as many layers of old carpet or canvas sandwiched in it as possible and cut a hole in the middle of the carpet/canvas panels so that you can easily insert the barrel into the space and shoot comfortably. Use foam to line the walls of the space between the "baffles". Make the box whatever size you want/need.

Let us know how well it works.
 
If you have a window facing your treeline you could open it and get as far back from the window as possible. The sound would be "suppressed" by the rooms of your house.
 
Thanks for the suggestion hso.
P95, I dont think the wife would approve of that, especially with the 6 month old in the house
 
If you use super sonic ammo you will still get a pretty loud sonic "crack". A suppressor box will not help for much for small caliber firearms.

-Mark.
 
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