Taking TiON's Dragoon Mini Suppressor on a Large Adventure

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I know fellow hunters that balk at the idea of bringing “nice things” to Southeast Alaska. Why? Well, probably because it’s perpetually wet, muddy, misty, and salty—a perfect environmental medley of rust-inducing, barrel-plugging conditions that keep the most adventurous coming back for more.

Saying “Nay” to that sentiment, I elected to thread on a TiON Dragoon Mini 7.62 DA suppressor to the Tikka .308 Winchester rifle I was bringing with me on my Prince of Wales Island spring black bear hunt.

According to TiON, “The Dragoon Mini 7.62 is a compact, all-titanium suppressor engineered for unmatched durability, serviceability, and performance.” What better way to test out the functionality and mettle of a product than on this upcoming hunt? I thought.

First Impressions

When I first opened the well-packaged box, I was impressed by the small form factor of the suppressor. The patriot brown Cerakote finish I chose was well-applied and added a handsome touch to its contours. TiON has 6 Cerakote finish options for you to choose from if you so desire, and black is the default finish.

At an overall length of 5.5 inches and a negligible weight of 7.8 ounces, I was not worried about getting snagged in the rich entanglement of the old-growth forest we’d set up camp in, and I intended on using the noise reduction from the can to our advantage since we were going to an area with a high density of bears—not that either of us planned on missing vitals on our first shots—but we also didn’t want to say, “Hey bears, man is here and hunting.” Ironically, their noses probably already knew that information.

The Travel Durability Test

After long travel by air, ferry, large landing craft, and 10-foot skiff, I was optimistically hopeful that nothing on the rifle shifted badly during transit, and the first chance I had—I'd verify this. I chose a pebble-clad secluded beach to shoot at 100 yards.

The metaphoric sweat off my brows didn’t need to be wiped off, as the rifle’s zero was still spot on and the TiON Dragoon Mini held the same point of impact as previously. If any kerfuffles were to ensue on this hunt, it would be on the part of us hunters and certainly not our gear.

The Hunt Durability Test

The weather during our hunt surprisingly cooperated in our favor—instead of torrential downpour, we had consistent drizzle with sparse sunshine breaks in between. I made sure to wipe down my suppressor often, but wetness from the sky or sea was inevitable.

Thankfully, TiON’s titanium construction is highly weather-resistant.

We ebbed and flowed with the tidal charts like phantom pirates in our tiny skiff, looking for a proper cove to beach and tie off on. After hiking on foot with the wind in our favor, we arrived at a tiny earthen spit—a perfect vantage point to use our binos and spotters to glass up any exposed grass areas and get an evening pulse.

Much to our delight, we spotted bears coming out from the dense forest everywhere. With ample time on our side, we sized them up and found one I wanted to pursue.

The Moment of Truth

After sneaking around a coastal bend—using driftwood snags and thick vegetation to disguise our movements—we closed the distance from 840 yards to a little over 300 yards.

The target bear was feeding and rummaging about in front of a large, downed tree on a beach across from this receding inlet. My intentions are to always get closer, when possible, but with the wind starting to swirl and now being fully exposed, I was confident in my abilities and gear to make an ethical, clean kill.

I laid down prone, adjusted my Gunwerks Elevate 2.0 bipod, quickly made an impromptu rear rest, and steadied my breathing—waiting for an ideal shot angle.

When the bear turned broadside, I sent the 168-grain Nosler ABLR bullet on its collision course with vitals—the quiet rapport of the TiON only being out-shadowed by the thwack of impact on meat. The big black bear pancaked immediately and never took a step.

Final Thoughts on the Tion Dragoon Mini

The Dragoon Mini not only held up to the extreme rigors and unpredictability of a hunt like this but also superseded performance expectations.

TiOn’s patented Total Breakdown Technology (TBT) allows users to remove, clean, and service all components at home or in the field, which came in clutch for me, as I was determined to not wait another week before I arrived home in Montana to address this.

If you are looking for a new, lightweight, all-titanium suppressor, I’d highly recommend the TiON Dragoon Mini. The dedicated team from TiON are churning out some excellent products with cutting-edge engineering and manufacturing capabilities out of their Red Lion, Pennsylvania, HQ. They are now offering an enhanced port end cap on all their 7.62 suppressors—also available for purchase as a standalone for retrofit on existing suppressors—something I will be upgrading to soon.

TiON Dragoon Mini 7.62 DA Specs

• Rating: Optimized for .308 Win, and .300 Blackout (But can handle up to .300 PRC & .300 Weatherby Mag)
• Construction: All-titanium
• Length: 5.5 in.
• Diameter: 1.375 in.
• Weight: 7.8 oz.
• Finish: Cerakote
• Price: $1,150
• Manufacturer: TiON, tioninc.com

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