Subsonic Ammunition

[Discreet Ballistics]

Welcome to the Forum, and thanks for being a sponsor.
Your question is fairly vague, what do you actually want to know?

Thank you. I probably should have specified shooting subsonic ammunition through a silencer. I'd like to know:
1. If folks view it more as a novelty or as ammunition that can be used for home defense/hunting
2. What their experience has been when it comes to using subsonic for hunting
3. What their experience has been with commercially manufactured subsonic ammo.

 

[Discreet Ballistics]

Who wants to buy some.

Haha - I wouldn't be opposed to folks trying our products out. But I honestly wanted to get some opinions.

 

[Discreet Ballistics]

I'm loading some subsonic 300BLK presently to use in my AR pistol. Working on the correct formula to be fairly accurate, quiet, and still work the bolt enough to pick up the next round. Planning on adding a suppressor at a later date.

That's great to hear you've taken the dive into 300BLK. I'd recommend trying to use a can to figure out your loads. If you're using a standard (non-adjustable) gas block there may be a significant difference cycling between shooting with and without a can...

 

[Discreet Ballistics]

The OP specifically asked about experience with subsonic ammo. I'll try to stick to that.

• Shooting experiences
  • The classic .38 Special HBWC loads are something I'm always stocked up on. I can reload stuff such as Vaquero referenced. Out of any of my .38 revolvers, they're a joy to shoot.
  • Subsonic, heavy-for-caliber high-BC projectiles are wonderful for their reduced wind drift. There are shooting games that basically live in the transonic velocity region but you never have to deal with transonic weirdness if you launch your bullets slowly enough.
    • If the OP wants a use case in pistol silhouette, start a conversation with me. The numbers would cause most readers eyes to glaze over.
• Non-shooting experiences
  • In some centerfire chamberings, anything marketed as "subsonic" tends to be too high-priced. For .308 Win and .223, subsonic ammo is apparently some sort of low-volume boutique industry or at least it views itself as such. In those two chamberings, speaking only of brass-cased ammo, the cheapest subsonic ammo is roughly twice the price of supersonic practice-grade ammo. I need somebody to explain that to me.

Thanks for your detailed reply. I run one of those "low volume boutique" companies haha. We develop and load centerfire rifle subsonic offerings in 308, 300BLK and 8.6 Creedmoor. Probably the biggest reason for the higher price of subsonic ammo is the price of the heavier 30 cal projectiles (220gr SMK for example) which upwards of 3x more expensive than pulled 147gr FMJs. Also, the most effective subsonic projectiles that are designed to expand are machined copper and therefore quite expensive to manufacture - but great fun to develop!

 

[Discreet Ballistics]

I’ve loaded up subsonic ammo for a few calibers (30-06, 45/70) It’s a ton of fun to play around with.


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Do you shoot it with a suppressor?

 

[dogbone]

Thank you. I probably should have specified shooting subsonic ammunition through a silencer. I'd like to know:
1. If folks view it more as a novelty or as ammunition that can be used for home defense/hunting

Both. I get a big kick out of ringing steel at 200 yards with suppressed subsonic 22LR, where the loudest noise is my laughter following each shot. I've also taken deer with a suppressed subsonic 300 BLK and enjoyed the ability to protect my hearing without deadening surrounding natural sounds. I can see it being helpful in a home defense situation, if used in a suppressed firearm.

2. What their experience has been when it comes to using subsonic for hunting

Great for taking out squirrels 'n such without annoying the neighbors. I feel comfortable using subsonic 300 BLK at shorter ranges for deer.

3. What their experience has been with commercially manufactured subsonic ammo.

I've tried GemTech and Remington in 300 BLK. They've been okay but my favorite sub load comes from TomKat Ammunition. They make a great 300 BLK and some very nice 9mm.

 

[ZX9RCAM]

I don't have a dog in this hunt, but maybe the OP would consider sending 1 or 2 members a sample of their ammo, so that those with experience shooting subsonic can compare?

ETA: I have no idea how expensive this could actually end up being, just a thought.

 

[Brains]

Might not be a bad idea. I'm curious about these machined projectiles, but not curious to buy something other than what I have been buying for years. I'm not the best option for testing though either, I'd rather see someone do some pretty objective work compared to me shooting hard drives or iPads with it.

 

[Discreet Ballistics]

I don't have a dog in this hunt, but maybe the OP would consider sending 1 or 2 members a sample of their ammo, so that those with experience shooting subsonic can compare?

ETA: I have no idea how expensive this could actually end up being, just a thought.

we'd be very interested to get feedback from those here who shoot subsonic 300BLK and 308Win

 

[IXLR8]

Since all subsonic ammo is velocity limited, regardless of caliber they all have very similar ballistics.

As a result, 9mm 147g is the cheapest centerfire subsonic ammo. Please explain to me why you would use anything else. It cycles in every 9mm that I have ever shot. You have a choice of pistol, or carbine to suit your needs.

YMMV

 

[paulbow]

Do you shoot it with a suppressor?

Don’t have one yet.

 

[paulbow]

Since all subsonic ammo is velocity limited, regardless of caliber they all have very similar ballistics.

As a result, 9mm 147g is the cheapest centerfire subsonic ammo. Please explain to me why you would use anything else. It cycles in every 9mm that I have ever shot. You have a choice of pistol, or carbine to suit your needs.

YMMV

300bo is can do a few more things than a 9mm. Smaller bore plus heavier projectiles means a better ballistic coefficient so the effective range will be a little better. All 30 cal cans will also work well for 300bo while a 9mm pistol can may not be ideal on a carbine.

 

[Ole Cowboy]

Wanted to get some opinions on what folks here think of subsonic ammunition. What have your experiences been?

I have a good friend who shoots a lot of Sub .22. He lives in a neighborhood around a lake, its heavily wooded and loaded with squirrels, which do major damage to homes. He is a gun guy and if his neighbors even knew that they would vote him off the island for sure, so he kills off the squirrels with his Ruger 10/22 with a can, no one knows what he is doing since its so slient. Sub ammo has a time and place and this is one of them.

 

[ZX9RCAM]

He's regularly shooting a .22 in his neighborhood?
Seems like a high powered pellet gun would be more appropriate.
I could very well be wrong.

Just my .02

 

[avvidclif]

He's regularly shooting a .22 in his neighborhood?
Seems like a high powered pellet gun would be more appropriate.
I could very well be wrong.

Just my .02

I have one of the high powered pellet rifles. It's as noisy as a regular 22LR.

 

[ZX9RCAM]

I have one of the high powered pellet rifles. It's as noisy as a regular 22LR.

I wasn't referring to the noise, more to the safety of regularly shooting a .22 in a neighborhood.

 

[paulbow]

Maybe it’s a big neighborhood?

 

[avvidclif]

I wasn't referring to the noise, more to the safety of regularly shooting a .22 in a neighborhood.

Ok.

 

[SloppyShooter]

He's regularly shooting a .22 in his neighborhood?
Seems like a high powered pellet gun would be more appropriate.
I could very well be wrong.



Just my .02

Have you checked the FPS on those "high powered pellet guns"?

 

[ZX9RCAM]

Have you checked the FPS on those "high powered pellet guns"?

High powered is subjective.

I'm thinking I'd prefer being shot by a pellet gun, rather than a subsonic .22.

Again, just my .02.