Moderator Question

After watching all the photos and videos form RMAC, one thing stands out for me. Most of the competitors were using a moderator of one sort or another. Ken Hicks even said in his interview that his moderator was NOT for sound reduction. Since they are not required in competition, what other reason could there be for using one? Is it possible they serve as a sort of air stripper?
 
Many moderators include an air stripper component. The theory, if the air turbulence at the muzzle is directed away, there will be less interference with the initial flight of the pellet. I've always had doubts of that, since the pellet is leaving at a subsonic velocity, and the turbulence of a supersonic blast is absent. But smarter people seem to state it as fact.
 
Many moderators include an air stripper component. The theory, if the air turbulence at the muzzle is directed away, there will be less interference with the initial flight of the pellet. I've always had doubts of that, since the pellet is leaving at a subsonic velocity, and the turbulence of a supersonic blast is absent. But smarter people seem to state it as fact.


i would think it depends on how much air (and pressure) is still behind the pellet when it leaves the barrel. if the pellet is still accelerating, than it seems possible to me that the air behind it, absent of the pellet as a restriction within barrel, may travel faster and overtake the projectile.
 
Many moderators include an air stripper component. The theory, if the air turbulence at the muzzle is directed away, there will be less interference with the initial flight of the pellet. I've always had doubts of that, since the pellet is leaving at a subsonic velocity, and the turbulence of a supersonic blast is absent. But smarter people seem to state it as fact.


i would think it depends on how much air (and pressure) is still behind the pellet when it leaves the barrel. if the pellet is still accelerating, than it seems possible to me that the air behind it, absent of the pellet as a restriction within barrel, may travel faster and overtake the projectile.

That's exactly what happens when a bullet leaves the muzzle supersonic, but slows to subsonic before reaching the target. The sound barrier disturbance overtakes it and affects it flight, which why all match grade RF ammo is subsonic. But I'm not aware of anything similar happening with subsonic projectiles. But then there's a lot of which I am not aware!
 
i have an Avenger 25 and i shoot on 4 ac in marana az. no one around me has heard me shoot i only saw my gun. we can not worry about what others think, i have watched so many vids about shooting in back yards i do not understand the concern about noise. we have to stand up for this concept that air guns are not weapons or the gov will intervene in our passion. when i was kid, younger the 12 i could buy any ammo for my gun, ride on my bike and go shooting. no license requoired and not i cant walk out of the house i livedin in ca without being arrested. 

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Many moderators include an air stripper component. The theory, if the air turbulence at the muzzle is directed away, there will be less interference with the initial flight of the pellet. I've always had doubts of that, since the pellet is leaving at a subsonic velocity, and the turbulence of a supersonic blast is absent. But smarter people seem to state it as fact.


i would think it depends on how much air (and pressure) is still behind the pellet when it leaves the barrel. if the pellet is still accelerating, than it seems possible to me that the air behind it, absent of the pellet as a restriction within barrel, may travel faster and overtake the projectile.

That's exactly what happens when a bullet leaves the muzzle supersonic, but slows to subsonic before reaching the target. The sound barrier disturbance overtakes it and affects it flight, which why all match grade RF ammo is subsonic. But I'm not aware of anything similar happening with subsonic projectiles. But then there's a lot of which I am not aware!


i am referring to air behind the projectile, not in front of it.

for example, a heavy pellet or slug in a short barrel might leave the muzzle at 700fps, but excess air and pressure behind it might come out at 850fps without the pellet restricting it inside the barrel. here is an article that talks about it in a firearm.

https://www.gunsandammo.com/editorial/boattail-vs-flat-base-projectiles/375628
 
I'm sure it also depends on how and where it is tuned. If it is tuned with it, you would not want to change or remove the moderator once you are competing as things would change both in harmonics and poi. I would want to tune it without the noise away from everyone else. But changing anything once you have your tune can ruin everything for you on the day of competition.
 
Many moderators include an air stripper component. The theory, if the air turbulence at the muzzle is directed away, there will be less interference with the initial flight of the pellet. I've always had doubts of that, since the pellet is leaving at a subsonic velocity, and the turbulence of a supersonic blast is absent. But smarter people seem to state it as fact.


i would think it depends on how much air (and pressure) is still behind the pellet when it leaves the barrel. if the pellet is still accelerating, than it seems possible to me that the air behind it, absent of the pellet as a restriction within barrel, may travel faster and overtake the projectile.

That's exactly what happens when a bullet leaves the muzzle supersonic, but slows to subsonic before reaching the target. The sound barrier disturbance overtakes it and affects it flight, which why all match grade RF ammo is subsonic. But I'm not aware of anything similar happening with subsonic projectiles. But then there's a lot of which I am not aware!

Don't buy this at all. Nothing is "catching up" to the projectile. It is just crossing the sound barrier, at whatever distance from the muzzle that happens to occur.
 

That's exactly what happens when a bullet leaves the muzzle supersonic, but slows to subsonic before reaching the target. The sound barrier disturbance overtakes it and affects it flight, which why all match grade RF ammo is subsonic. But I'm not aware of anything similar happening with subsonic projectiles. But then there's a lot of which I am not aware!

Don't buy this at all. Nothing is "catching up" to the projectile. It is just crossing the sound barrier, at whatever distance from the muzzle that happens to occur.

It's been proven many times with high speed imaging. The description of the shock wave "catching up" is a misnomer. The bullet is slowing down from the time it leaves the muzzle. As long as it remains super sonic, there is a shock wave trailing directly behind it. As it slows to subsonic speed, it is caught up in the turbulence, which is not dissipating at the same rate. With HV rimfire ammo, under certain light conditions and with a powerful BR scope, you can actually see it occur. It appears as a gray blur in the scope where the bullet is destabilized, which is why that ammo is never used in BR competition.