Quote: We're envious of you Eagle27! Our pollies here think that they're some 'evil' device along with pump & semi-auto action shotguns & semi-auto rifles; obviously they watch too much of the Hollywood 'crap'. I suppose most of us here are mid fifties & up which will mean that we're mostly hearing impaired as well (also work related for me). Hearing protection now being easily available, all my kids & grandkids do so. Any help for the old ears is a blessing! Cans included!
Back when I was still at school but regularly hunting red deer to sell the meat, suppressors or silencers as they were called, were 'illegal' here but I don't think there was any actual law, it just seemed accepted that silencers were not used even though they were around. These were just the 22RF silencers, centrefire suppressors did not come until much later when it just seemed to transition where suppressors were acceptable. There was no great fanfare of a law change or anything like that that I recall.
Suppressors just slipped on in to general use and now are encouraged by the industry and health and safety to preserve hearing. I may even suggest that due to public pressure around ranges, some which are close to other activities, that suppressors could become compulsory on larger bores for use on ranges here in the future.
My two younger sons with their rigs, both 7mm-08 and very easy to shoot. Both had good success with these when tahr hunting back in June this year.