Oh I get it now, a moderator is a sound suppressor. Yes, a muffler on a .223 might help, but I'll still get that supersonic crack. As fate would have it, a local suppressor maker has developed one for the 17 HMR that is very quiet. If I can hit within .8" or so of poa, that's good enough. I'm getting there. The trees in my yard make it less windy than out by the marsh.