Silencer Central and Buck Commander have partnered to release the BUCK 30 by BANISH, an affordable .30-caliber suppressor for deer hunting.
There were a lot of exciting guns to shoot at CANCON Georgia 2023, as companies brought out everything from suppressed belt-fed machineguns to the latest tactical PCCs and carbines. That said, much of what drew the longest lines was far more fun than practical. Conversely, Silencer Central’s lane was showing off an unpresuming new can, but this humble black tube will certainly prove far more popular in the real world than anything that was on the muzzle of an M240.
Called the BUCK 30 By Banish, this .30-caliber suppressor was a collaborative effort between Silencer Central and Buck Commander. If the name didn’t give it away, this can was designed with deer hunters in mind. There are plenty of .30-caliber hunting suppressors on the market, however, so what sets the BUCK 30 apart?
For The Everyman
It has to be said up front, one of the most attractive aspects of the BUCK 30 is its price. With an MSRP of just $699, it’s tied for the least expensive .308 suppressor currently listed on Silencer Central’s website. You’d be hard-pressed to find a cheaper can for sale that’s not rimfire-only.
Versatility
Speaking of calibers, Silencer Central’s BUCK 30 is rated for everything from .17 HMR to .300 Winchester Magnum. For a hunter on a budget, that’s an excellent feature, as it allows you to be a one-can-man even if you regularly go after a variety of game using rifles chambered for different cartridges. While the suppressor may have been dubbed BUCK 30 with deer hunting in mind, it could obviously serve you equally as well when chasing other species.
For maximum compatibility with different platforms, the BUCK 30 also features a variety of mounting options. When ordering one from Silencer Central, you will have to choose a thread pitch for direct mounting to a muzzle. These pitches include 5/8×24, 1/2×28, .578×28, 11/16×24, 3/4×24 and M16x1RH.
For those who would prefer a quick-attach mount or improved cross-compatibility between several rifles, the BUCK 30 also uses the industry-standard HUB mounting system.
In The Field
As a suppressor designed for hunters, by hunters, the BUCK 30 checks every box that makes a suppressor good for field use.
The top quality that any hunting suppressor can have is the ability to reduce the sound level of a shot to hearing-safe levels. This is because wearing ear protection while hunting isn’t just annoying, but it can potentially be dangerous too. While the use of suppressors for hunting has really only just started to become normalized, cans like the BUCK 30 will help push the trend in the right direction. That’s better for everybody, whether they hunt or not.
Since the BUCK 30 will purportedly reduce the report of an 18-inch .308 rifle to just 131 dB, well below the hearing-safe level of 140 dB, it accomplishes this handily. I shot a rifle with the BUCK 30 installed at CANCON and it definitely proved quiet enough that you could leave your muffs or plugs at home when taking a similar setup into the field.
Suppressors that get taken on a hunt are more likely to get banged up as well, so durability is another factor to consider. The BUCK 30 has a tubeless, laser-welded stainless steel construction that should help it survive in the field.
One downside to hunting with a suppressor hanging off your muzzle is the added bulk and weight. So, naturally, good hunting suppressors try and minimize this as much as possible. The BUCK 30 achieves this as well, though it isn’t the shortest or lightest .308 can on the market. It has an overall length of 6.9 inches, a diameter of 1.54 inches and a weight of 13.8 ounces, making it just small enough to not be too noticeable when installed. Given, I didn’t haul the setup for miles through the backcountry, but handling the rifle with the BUCK 30 at CANCON was enough to tell that it wouldn’t be a major burden to do so.
Could it be even shorter, lighter and less cumbersome? Theoretically, sure, but not without sacrificing sound reduction performance or increasing its cost. Silencer Central aimed for the sweet spot between all these attributes with the BUCK 30, and the company definitely hit the mark.
Parting Shot
To be completely honest, after sending some rounds through a BUCK 30 at CANCON, I wasn’t shaking with excitement. But who would be? This is a very practical suppressor with a singular goal in mind—hunting—and we were shooting at steel. That said, I did walk away impressed.
The can is perfectly hearing-safe, is light and handy enough to not be very noticeable on the muzzle and it does all this for a very attainable price. For anyone who hunts in a state where the use of a suppressor is legal, the real excitement of the BUCK 30 will come after you use one to drop your first deer without your ears ringing or having to listen to the muffled sounds of nature through your ear pro.
If you still hunt with muffs on, there’s probably not a single better piece of kit you could get to improve your experience.
More On Suppressors:
- The Suppressor: How They're Made, How They Work, And How To Buy One
- Best AR-15 Suppressor Options For A Quiet Advantage
- Handgun Gear: Best 9mm Suppressor Choices
- Best .22 Suppressor Choices To Mute Your Plinker
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