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I surveyed the 200 top-ranked shooters in the Precision Rifle Series (PRS) from this past season to learn what gear they’re running in long-range rifle matches. These guys represent the best precision rifle shooters in the country, and clearly, their gear is capable of performing at the highest levels. (Learn about the Precision Rifle Series)
This is the 3rd and final article in a mini-series of posts about muzzle devices used in the PRS and trends related to them:
- Suppressors vs. Muzzle Brakes: Deep dive into the preferences of these top-tier shooters and the key reasons they choose one over the other. This article also explores innovative new hybrid products that allow shooters to strike new balances when it comes to the benefits of both.
- Most Popular Muzzle Brakes & Barrel Tuners: Share the exact brands and models of muzzle brakes these pro shooters prefer.
- Most Popular Suppressors: This post will share the brands and models of suppressors these guys choose to run to connect with targets at long range.
Before we dive into the brands and models, I want to mention one overall trend I’ve seen in the data, which is that manufacturers and shooters tend to be trending toward larger-diameter suppressors. For the longest time, most suppressors had a 1.5” diameter, but newer suppressors designed for precision rifles seem to be trending toward 1.75” or 1.8” diameter. Going from 1.5” to 1.8” diameter might not sound like much, but it can add 44% to the volume of the suppressor – and volume correlates with sound suppression performance.
I looked up the specs for all of the suppressors these guys said they were using. The chart below shows the diameter of the suppressors these guys were running:
On the chart above, the various colors represent where a shooter landed in terms of season rank in the PRS. For example, black indicates shooters who finished in the top 10, the darkest blue is people who finished 11-25, and the lighter the blue, the further out they finished in overall standings. The chart legend itemizes the ranks each color represents, but basically, the darker the color, the higher the shooter’s overall ranking.
Then the chart below shows the length of the suppressors they were running, where it could be clearly determined from the model they said they used:
So, the most popular suppressor dimensions among these pro shooters in the PRS are 7” long and a diameter of either 1.75” or 1.8”. That seems to be the balance most of these guys believe is right between suppression performance and maneuverability in PRS matches.
Now let’s analyze what brand of suppressor these top-ranked shooters run in national-level rifle matches:
Thunder Beast Arms Corp (TBAC) was the most popular suppressor again among these pro shooters. They represented an impressive 40% of these pro shooters! They also had 4 shooters represented among those in the top 10, and 56% represented among the top 25.
Thunder Beast has dominated the precision rifle suppressor world for quite some time. I’ve surveyed these top-ranked rifle shooters many years, with data back to 2012 – and Thunder Beast has been the most popular suppressor for the overwhelming majority of those years.
TBAC was founded by competitive precision rifle shooters, and their primary focus over the years has been on making no-compromise suppressors tailored for precision rifles.
Thunder Beast has several models of precision rifle suppressors to choose from, and here is a breakdown of what these guys chose to run:
Note: When I asked about suppressors, I asked each shooter what brand they used and then asked what model as a follow-up question. I told them to simply leave the model blank if they couldn’t remember or weren’t sure. The suppressor model charts only include the people who provided the model name.
The Ultra-7 is currently the most popular TBAC suppressor among this group, but there is also a good number of shooters using the 338 Ultra, Ultra-9, Magnus, and Dominus-SR models.
And just because I know someone reading this is wondering – nobody is using a 338 caliber rifle to shoot PRS matches. As I mentioned earlier, suppressor volume is correlated to suppression performance. The 338 Ultra suppressor is a very large suppressor (10.4” long with 1.8” diameter), because it was designed for large, magnum cartridges like the 338 Lapua Mag. However, the extra volume also gives you some benefit when using smaller cartridges. TBAC’s test data shows the 338 Ultra is their quietest suppressor when shooting a 6.5 Creedmoor.
The TBAC Magnus suppressor is the company’s latest product release, although they still offer the 338 Ultra, Dominus, Ultra-9, Ultra-7, and Ultra-5. I’d suspect some of those may be eventually phased out by the Magnus. The Thunder Beast Magnus is rated for magnums and full-autos (when using their SR mount).
“To put it simply, the MAGNUS line is the highest performing hard-use titanium suppressor on the market right now.” – Thunder Beast Arms Corp
The Magnus is offered in 3 lengths and 3 calibers:
- Lengths: 5.5”, 6.9”, and 9.0”
- Calibers: .30 cal, .338 cal, and .375 cal
In late 2022 and 2023, Thunder Beast developed their new ULTRA50 suppressor, which is designed for the 50 BMG. It is very difficult to tame the recoil on such a monster cartridge, but their testing on that product clearly demonstrated the effectiveness of a muzzle brake mounted on the exit end of the suppressor. They were surprised at how much “work” a brake was still able to do on the end of a suppressor and how much it further reduced recoil.
At SHOT Show earlier this year, TBAC released new configurations of Magnus suppressors that have a brake attached to the end of them, which they designate as the “Magnus RR.” The RR stands for “Recoil Reduction,” and the brake adds 1.5 inches to the end of the suppressor. So you basically have the option of the standard, flat-endcap version or the new “RR” brake at the end.
I’d suspect those Magnus RR suppressors will be very popular among PRS shooters. The first production run of those shipped to distributors in summer 2024. However, two of these shooters said they were running a Magnus RR suppressor at the finale last year, so they likely were part of an early test group.
The RR suppressors are around twice as effective at reducing recoil! However, there is no free lunch – so that extra recoil reduction comes at a cost. The brake on the end does increase the noise signature by around 10 dB. Because the range of possible sounds is so huge, the decibel scale is different from most. It’s logarithmic, which most of us aren’t familiar with. In general, when the sound level increases by 10 dB, it is perceived as twice as loud (source). So, while the “RR” suppressors are twice as good at recoil to reduction, they are also twice as loud as the models with the flat endcap. (If you want to learn more about sound measurements, check out this article.)
Below is a chart that TBAC has published showing the performance of each of their suppressors in terms of % of recoil reduction and the sound signature at the shooter’s ear. All of this data was recorded on a 300 Win Mag rifle.
I have personally talked to the owner of TBAC, Zak Smith, about whether the endcap of the Magnus suppressors could be swapped out by the end-user. The way I see it, if you are optimizing for recoil reduction, you’d want the “RR” brake on the end, but if you want to optimize for the quietest suppressor, you’d want the flat endcap. Unfortunately, their legal counsel has advised them that making the end of the suppressor modular or swappable by the end user doesn’t align with ATF regulations. There are other manufacturers that we’ll see later in this list that seem to take a different stance on their interpretation of the law. TBAC is following the advice of their legal counsel by selling suppressors with either the “RR” brake OR the flat endcap permanently attached. The end user can’t swap between them. If you’d like both, you’d need to purchase both and get an NFA Tax Stamp for each one. Thank you to our US government for that one!
Here are the most relevant specs for PRS shooters for the Thunder Beast’s Magnus suppressors, including the price at the time this was published:
KGM was the 2nd most popular brand of suppressors used by these pro shooters, representing 23% of the top 200 ranked shooters in the PRS. In fact, 3 of the shooters who finished the season in the top 10 said they ran a KGM suppressor on their competition rifle.
Seeing KGM represented so well was a bit surprising to me because the last time I published this data in 2019 – they didn’t even make the list. So to see so many represented now just shows how compelling of a product they must have. KGM’s website says, “At KGM, we have built hundreds of thousands of suppressors,” so they aren’t a new startup.
Most of the people who said they ran a KGM suppressor didn’t specify the model they used. So I reached out to all 5 guys in the top 25 who had said they ran a KGM suppressor and asked what model they were running. All the guys ranked in the top 25 were all running a KGM R-Series Suppressor, which is their titanium suppressor that is 7.3” long with a 1.75” diameter, and it weighs just 12 oz without a mount. KGM offers the R-Series suppressor in different calibers, and two of those guys in the top 25 said they were running the R6 (6mm version), 1 was using the R6.5 (6.5mm version), and 2 were using the R30 (30 caliber version).
“The KGM R-Series line of suppressors are designed to maintain your current weapon system’s accuracy levels through what KGM calls ‘complete suppressor concentricity.’ Adhering to their standard of minimal runout from both the outside diameter and internal aperture, KGM suppressors allow every projectile fired to have an even dispersion of pressure as it travels through the bore. Thus, providing superior system accuracy and minimal POI (Point of Impact) Shift.” – Altus Shooting
One of the unique and compelling features of KGM’s suppressor design is an Adjustable Port End Cap (APEC), which allows you to tune external gas flow. You can basically remove the set screws facing up on the end of the suppressor to redirect slightly more gas up than is being sent in other directions. That can help offset muzzle rise through recoil and help you stay on target. Spotting your shots is one of the most critical aspects of success in the PRS, so it’s not surprising to see so many shooters attracted to that feature.
As far as I know, they are the only manufacturer with that feature. But if you know of other suppressors with a similar feature, please let us know in the comments!
The KGM R30 suppressor sells for $1,000 MSRP.
At 17%, the Area 419 Maverick suppressor was the 3rd most popular suppressor among the pro PRS shooters. They did have 1 shooter in the top 10 who said he occasionally uses a Maverick. #7 Jeff Guerry reported that he sometimes uses a Maverick and sometimes uses a “Boss One Shot” suppressor, depending on the match. There were 3 others in the top 30 who said they exclusively use an Area 419 Maverick.
But here is the fascinating data point related to the Area 419 Maverick: Of all the people in the top 100, there were only 10 shooters who said they only use a suppressor in matches. The others all primarily use a muzzle brake and only sometimes use a suppressor (maybe only for “suppressor only” matches that require it, like Box Canyon or Silent Night). Of those 10 shooters in the top 100 in the PRS who said they exclusively use suppressors to compete, 90% of them run the Area 419 Maverick!
Here is a chart that is limited to the shooters who said they always use a suppressor to compete (i.e., they never use a muzzle brake):
For those who haven’t heard of Area 419’s Maverick, it’s a unique, modular suppressor design that can be configured in several configurations (shown below) depending on your application.
Keep in mind that the Maverick is considered a single suppressor (i.e., requires a single ATF tax stamp), but it gives you the ability to have a 4”, 5”, 8” or 9” suppressor. The 5.5” and 6.5” configurations with the brake on the end of the suppressor are especially relevant for PRS competitions.
Most people run the 5.5” configuration with the brake in competition. The brake helps the suppressor further tame recoil and stay on target, but since it has 4” of suppressor in front of it – you get that performance without the noise or concussion of a traditional brake. Area 419 says that the 5.5” configuration is +1 dB louder than a bare muzzle. So it actually doesn’t “suppress” the noise any over a rifle without a muzzle device. Keep in mind that a difference of 1 dB is the just-noticeable difference (JND) for the normal human ear (source) and is imperceptible by some people. A difference of 5 dB is clearly noticeable. (Learn more about sound ratings)
I shared more about the Area 419 Maverick in this recent article, including some recent trends related to new hybrid muzzle devices that give shooters new options for striking a balance between recoil reduction, staying on target, and noise/concussion: Suppressor vs. Muzzle Brake – What The Pros Use.
Two of the competitors ranked in the top 30 who said they use the Area 419 Maverick exclusively to shoot matches are Chad Heckler and Francis Colon. Most people reading this are probably familiar with both of them from their Miles to Matches podcast. If you haven’t heard it, you should absolutely check it out!
The Area 419 Maverick is priced at $1,500 if you want the complete kit for configurations up to 9″ total length, as shown above. They also offer a $1,300 if you only want the total length to be up to 8″ long.
10% of these pro shooters said they used a suppressor made by SilencerCo, including 1 shooter who finished in the top 10 in last season’s standings.
Here is a breakdown of what model SilencerCo suppressors these top-ranked competitors said they run:
Note: The “Unknown Model” means they didn’t write in the specific model, only that they run a SilencerCo brand suppressor.
The most popular model these guys were running was the SilencerCo Omega 300 suppressor, which was also what the top 10 shooter was using:
You can see the Omega suppressor features a brake on the end, which SilencerCo calls an “anchor brake.” They said it “reduces felt recoil by 20% to 50% depending on the caliber.” They also sell caliber-specific flat endcaps that the end user can swap the brake out for if you’d prefer to optimize for sound suppression instead of recoil reduction.
The Omega suppressor is 7” long, has a 1.57” diameter, and weighs 12.6 ounces. It is rated up to a 300 Win Mag.
SilencerCo’s Scythe-Ti suppressor is their latest flagship model designed for precision rifles. It is SilencerCo’s first suppressor completely constructed from titanium and only weighs 7.3 ounces! It is 6.2” long and has a 1.73” diameter. The Scythe-Ti is a 30-caliber suppressor and is rated up to 300 RUM.
SilencerCo added a very compact, single-port brake on the end, which they say reduces recoil while maintaining minimum length.
The SilencerCo Omega 300 DT is priced at just $699, and the newer Scythe-Ti suppressor is $1,174.
The brands above represent 89% of the 200 top-ranked shooters who said they ran suppressors in PRS matches, but the list below contains 13 other brands that each had at least 1 or 2 shooters represented among this group of elite marksmen.
I’m not claiming that these other suppressors aren’t as good. They are clearly capable of world-class precision. They simply aren’t as popular among this group as the others listed above.
- Crux Suppressors: 2 shooters (Models they reported using: “Titanium 30 cal” and “Ark30”. It appears Crux is out of business.)
- Dead Air Silencers: 2 shooters (Models they reported using: “Sandman Ti” and “Nomad or Sandman”)
- Otter Creek Labs Silencers: 2 shooters (Models reported using: “Polonium” and “Hydrogen-S”)
- BOSS Silencers: 1 shooter who finished in the top 10 (#7 Jeff Guerry said he sometimes uses the “BOSS one shot” or the Area 419 Maverick.)
- Aero Precision Suppressors: 1 shooter (No model info provided, but at the time this was published, the “LAHAR-30” was the only model suppressor Aero Precisionwas selling.)
- CGS Suppressors: 1 shooter (Model reported: “Hyperion”)
- Desert Tech Suppressors: 1 shooter (Model reported: “338LM Titanium”)
- Elite Iron Suppressors: 1 shooter (No model info provided)
- Gemtech Suppressors: 1 shooter (Model reported: “Sandstorm”)
- Gunwerks Suppressors: 1 shooter (No model info provided)
- SAS Suppressors: 1 shooter (Model reported: “Unk”)
- Silencer Central Suppressors: 1 Shooter (Model reported: “Banish 30”)
- YHM Suppressors: 1 Shooter (Model reported: “Resonator”)
It looks like there have been a lot of shifts and innovations in suppressors since the last time I reported on what suppressors the pros were using in 2019. It seems like the trend is towards shorter suppressors (6-7”) with a fatter diameter (around 1.7-1.8”) and also possibly towards suppressors with brakes on the end for extra recoil reduction.
3D-printed titanium could shake this up even more over the next couple of years. That technology allows manufacturers to create titanium structures that were previously impossible through traditional machining. There are already a few manufacturers using that technology in their suppressor designs. Will it unlock the next level of performance for rifle suppressors? I can’t wait to find out!
If you enjoyed this content, there is more to come! Over the next few months, I’ll be publishing a ton of data on what the top precision rifle shooters are using. Check out the other “What The Pros Use” articles that have already been published.
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