The Banish Backcountry Suppressor
When the Banish Backcountry showed up, I was surprised by few things. As I lifted it from the foam-lined box, it became clear what the engineers had in mind with the Backcountry can. If I had to describe the Backcountry with one word, I suppose it would be “simplicity.”
The Banish Backcountry uses a traditional baffle design made from titanium and welded together. The slight departure from tradition is that the Backcountry uses the Banish line’s industry-standard mounting hub, allowing the user to swap out the mounting situation to whatever best suits their needs.
The 1.375x24 threads are nearly universal even among other manufacturers, allowing incredible variety in how you attach this suppressor to the host firearm.
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Features
The Backcountry suppressor came to me with a handsome black finish, although I am a big fan of the OD Green, too. I was extremely impressed at its light weight – coming in under 8 ounces is outstanding. At under 6 inches in length, it won’t add much to my hunting rifles.
The light weight of this suppressor is thanks to the titanium construction as well as the simple design. I removed the threaded cap at the breech of the suppressor to see the untouched blast baffle inside. This universal hub mounting craze is fantastic. I remember when you’d have to get your barrel threads recut to match a suppressor – now, it’s as easy as swapping thread caps.
Specifications
- Length: 5.5 inches
- Diameter: 1.6 inches
- Weight: 7.8 ounces
- Material: Titanium
- Thread Pitch: 5/8x24 (included)
- User Serviceable: No
- Caliber: .300
- Maximum Caliber: .300 RUM
- Color Options: Black or OD Green
- Finish: Gun Kote
- Sound Reduction: 30 dB
- Mounting Style: Direct-thread universal mounting hub
- Full-Auto Rated: No
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Limited Lifetime Warranty
Mounting the Banish Backcountry
The Backcountry suppressor would be a perfect fit for several rifles I use during hunting season. First up was the rifle I hunted with this season: the Modus 6.5 PRC from Patriot Valley Arms. Its lightweight design would be enhanced by the light and compact Backcountry suppressor. I also planned to shoot the Backcountry on my Bergara Crest Carbon .308 rifle, another lightweight hunting rifle that is optimal for the Banish Backcountry suppressor.
Related Review: Bergara Crest Carbon in .308 Win Is at Home on the Hunt
For some serious testing, I would mount the Backcountry to my Desert Tech SRS M2, a rifle I shoot frequently. This would allow me to evaluate the Banish’s characteristics based on known performance.
The simplicity of the direct thread mounting is ideal for hunting rifles, as it reduces the can’s weight and length. Backcountry hunters know how nice it is to have a lightweight and more compact rifle. I guess you could say it’s kind of a no-frills approach, which is fine by me.
Shooting Time
I hiked into the Rocky Mountains with the Backcountry affixed to my rifle, looking forward to seeing how it affected performance. While the handling differences are obvious (yes, it makes the rifle a little longer), the benefits far outweigh the small increase in length.
Shooting the Backcountry suppressor on smaller cartridges like the .308 Winchester was pleasant. The muzzle report is dampened enough to allow your full attention to be focused on the target. This is a huge bonus when hunting, especially when the pressure is on. We’ve all been in those exciting moments when quick decisions have to be made, and hearing protection is rarely a priority. With the Banish Backcountry, it’s easy for hunters to whisper back and forth and take shots uninhibited by hearing protection. Not to mention, you’ll avoid ringing ears and hearing loss after the fact.
Related: Harvesting with Suppressors – All About Safer Hunting
The .308’s report was muffled sufficiently, and in the open country of the Rockies, it was insignificant. Larger calibers like 6.5 and 7 PRC produced little more of a “hiss” but were still well within the realm of comfortable sound suppression.
The lightweight construction of the Backcountry suppressor means that it will heat up pretty quickly with repetitive shots. As most hunting scenarios are only going to involve a handful of shots, this isn’t a big deal. If you are concerned, you can always put a suppressor cover on it.
The excellent accuracy my rifles displayed before adding the suppressor was just as good with it installed. The Backcountry added the benefit of recoil reduction, which is helpful for spotting your hits or misses.
Pros & Cons
From the purpose of a hunting rifle suppressor, there is very little to criticize on the Banish Backcountry. As an avid hunter in rugged country, the Backcountry suppressor has everything I want and nothing I don’t.
