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Range Report Best performing subsonic rifle round?

Lofty

Gunny Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Jun 14, 2008
1,307
31
57
Lenexa KS
With the increasing popularity of the .300 blackout I've been thinking about a rifle just for subsonics.

However I've heard lack luster reports of the 220 grain subsonic round regarding terminal performance.

What is the best subsonic rifle round over all? Accuracy range and terminal performance.

I've read somewhere someone was saying their .338 whisper was good to 500 yards.

Sounds a bit unbelievable to me but I've never shot one.

I'm moving to Texas soon and I want to build a subsonic pig killer.
 
Re: Best performing subsonic rifle round?

I have experience with a 300 whisper. Even at 100 yards, the 220 grain pill is flying in a serious arc. Its like lobbing in artillery. You would have to have your ballistics and distance to target mapped out very accurately to make a clean kill imo. Corbon 220 grain hollowpoints dont expand at all on impact. Lehigh makes subsonic ammo for the 300 whisper and they claim to get great penetration and expansion, but I have no first hand experience with them. I hope to soon.

To me, subsonic rounds for hunting are a wasted effort. Supressed full power rounds make all the sense in the world though. You get to shoot your standard rifle with your your choice of ammo but you get the bonus of slightly better accuracy, no 'subsonic price premium' on the ammo and significantly reduced muzzle blast.
 
Re: Best performing subsonic rifle round?

I shot a decent size pig with my 300BLK subsonic. The 208 A-max left a 30 caliber hole clean through. The pig made it 100 yards or so, which was interesting in 5 foot tall wolfweed at night. Shooting subsonics is very much like bowhunting, only you have a bit more range. You have got to be good at estimating range, or use a rangefinder, then expect to track the bloodtrail unless you are making headshots. I like the idea of subsonics, and they are quiet, but it has been my experience that supersonics are where it's at for hunting.

-Dan
 
Re: Best performing subsonic rifle round?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: The Mechanic</div><div class="ubbcode-body">510

http://www.snipershide.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1129220 </div></div>

That .510 was beautiful.

Do you know if the 750 AMAX will flatten in tissue at subsonic speeds?

I'd bet it does more damage on most animals at subsonic speeds. Supersonic it just blows a hole through whatever it hits unless it's a big enough animal to give the bullet time to deform.
 
Re: Best performing subsonic rifle round?

For subsonic and hunting a good idea is a big bore, big nose (flat point, round nose, big HP, etc).

For shorter ranges the 44mag or a 45-70 subsonic with big heavy cast lead bullets are FANTASTIC animal medicine.

With a 300gr XTP you don't have to download the 44mag a whole lot to keep it subsonic.

In the mind of a "pure rifle round" there are some bullets made by Lehigh Defense that act like broadheads when they hit and expand into some razor sharp leaflettes that slice. Looking at the pictures and video that Lehigh had at SHOT to demonstrate the effectiveness I was highly impressed. They "got it right" on these things.
 
Re: Best performing subsonic rifle round?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Lofty</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: The Mechanic</div><div class="ubbcode-body">510

http://www.snipershide.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1129220 </div></div>

That .510 was beautiful.

Do you know if the 750 AMAX will flatten in tissue at subsonic speeds?

I'd bet it does more damage on most animals at subsonic speeds. Supersonic it just blows a hole through whatever it hits unless it's a big enough animal to give the bullet time to deform.</div></div>
I don't think you will get much flattening of an AMax. You could however get some of the hunting bullets from Leheigh (sp?)
 
Re: Best performing subsonic rifle round?

Those Lehigh bullets look fantastic.

Very interesting idea using a payload bullet.

I'd love to see the max effective range on a .510 whisper using one of those.
 
Re: Best performing subsonic rifle round?

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