Subsonic .308?

[micahb]

My suppressor will be here in a few months so im gonna go ahead and look into subsonic.

I have a Remington 700 AAC-SD 308 1-10"

I have a few questions

What are some good recipes ?

I'm thinking about using 178amax and trail boss

Can I start high and work down till its quiet?

Do I have to have a suppressor to developed a load?

Is a chrono mandatory ?

Anything else a new loader should know?

 

[redbullitt]

Re: Subsonic .308?

I had good luck with the 150/170 flat noses, and the 180 round noses. Bullets like that are easier to stabilize than the pointy long smks and vld style bullets.

Trailboss is a very good choice. You will probably look at around 9.5 to 11 grains depending on your barrel.

Be sure to work your way DOWN, and a chronograph will be very helpful. Shoot for around 1050 to 1080 fps. The chrono is not mandatory, but it makes it much easier. You will be able to hear the difference when you are sub vs super though.

Develop your load without the can. DO NOT use the suppressor until you have everything sorted out. You gotta make sure your rounds are stable. Shoot through a piece of cardboard and a sheet of paper close to the muzzle and further out to make sure you are not keyholing. Don't want to wipe your baffles lol.

You may not get great accuracy simply because your case will not have good load density. If you get 1 to 1.5 moa CONSISTENTLY, be very happy. Just don't expect great consistency.

Be careful as always.

 

[micahb]

Re: Subsonic .308?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 331V8</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I had good luck with the 150/170 flat noses, and the 180 round noses. Bullets like that are easier to stabilize than the pointy long smks and vld style bullets.

Trailboss is a very good choice. You will probably look at around 9.5 to 11 grains depending on your barrel.

Be sure to work your way DOWN, and a chronograph will be very helpful. Shoot for around 1050 to 1080 fps. The chrono is not mandatory, but it makes it much easier. You will be able to hear the difference when you are sub vs super though.

Develop your load without the can. DO NOT use the suppressor until you have everything sorted out. You gotta make sure your rounds are stable. Shoot through a piece of cardboard and a sheet of paper close to the muzzle and further out to make sure you are not keyholing. Don't want to wipe your baffles lol.

You may not get great accuracy simply because your case will not have good load density. If you get 1 to 1.5 moa CONSISTENTLY, be very happy. Just don't expect great consistency.

Be careful as always.</div></div>

10-4 thanks man

Comman sense was kinda telling everything you just said I just wanted to hear it from somebody else.

I really wasn't even expecting 1.5 moa
More like better than 3 and il be happy lol

 

[Chanonry]

Re: Subsonic .308?

NO can until you are sure the holes are round, don't want the can flying down range as well.

Midway sell the specialist Lapua Sub Sonic bullet head which is a 200gr FMJ. I seem to recall it has a centre of gravity slightly further forward which is supposed to stabilise it better. Don't know, it may be marketing b/s.

Anyway I went with that, used 13 gr of Trailboss as my starting load. Despite other posts, this was light for me and I was immediately subsonic by some margin. My barrel is typically a bit slow so perhaps I should not have been surprised.

24" Sako 75 Varmint

I have shot stuff with it, not impressive but why should it be and a lousy trajectory.

Interesting though

 

[micahb]

Re: Subsonic .308?

I just plan on killing yotes at 100yds for fun

 

[Chanonry]

Re: Subsonic .308?

worth a go !

 

[jagged77]

Re: Subsonic .308?

Check out the 180gr round nose from Sierra or Hornady, they fly extremely well at subsonic speeds. I worked up a load using Trail boss and Federal brass, it has considerably less case capacity than other cases which helps with load density and consistency. I was able to get sub MOA with mine. Good luck!

 

[flyrodder]

Re: Subsonic .308?

+1 on the Sierra 180 grain round nose - they work great in my Ruger Scout over Trail Boss, and I never saw any instability regardless of velocity. Great fun to shoot, especially at a couple of hundred yards into water (at a steep downward angle, of course).

 

[sirhitalot]

Re: Subsonic .308?

If i were you, i would try the 220gr Sierra Pro Hunter. It is as short as possible with that weight (RNSP). I shoot it in my .30-06 1-10" and 20" barrel with great success! Allthough people said i might get problems stabilizing it, it works for me.
This is what it sounds like. 315m/s ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gXsdsa3nEk

 

[micahb]

Re: Subsonic .308?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: sirhitalot</div><div class="ubbcode-body">If i were you, i would try the 220gr Sierra Pro Hunter. It is as short as possible with that weight (RNSP). I shoot it in my .30-06 1-10" and 20" barrel with great success! Allthough people said i might get problems stabilizing it, it works for me.
This is what it sounds like. 315m/s ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gXsdsa3nEk</div></div>

You think it'll stabilize in my 1-10 308?

Shooting subs may actually make shooting a whitetail at 100yds fun
Most of the time around here the longest shot is 200yds that's why I don't hunt

 

[coldboremiracle]

Re: Subsonic .308?

I've tried a bunch of different loads using TB and clays with bullets from 150 to 220 out of both 10 twist and 8 twist. Hands down the best accuracy came from the Berger 210 vld and TB (12.0) I've had good hits beyond 450yds.

 

[Huckleberry75]

Re: Subsonic .308?

Here is my recipe for an AAC-SD in .308 on a 100yd target. I am running the Sierra Pro-Hunter 220gn bullets and getting 1036fps. The 170 flat nose with 10.5gns of TB also ran and shot very well, but I figured if you can only fly 1050fps Max, then throw the biggest chunk of lead possible. Thing hits like a flying anvil...flys about the same.

 

[micahb]

Re: Subsonic .308?

Heck those groups are better than my normal groups lol

 

[mtrmn]

Re: Subsonic .308?

Is it just me or do the holes look out of round? Especially the bottom group.

 

[Huckleberry75]

Re: Subsonic .308?

They are coming in at a pretty steep angle. But I have tested many times and never had a keyhole.

 

[mtrmn]

Re: Subsonic .308?

OK, coming in like mortar rounds. I should have been able to figure that out....

 

[micahb]

Re: Subsonic .308?

I just tried

175smk with Trailboss

11.4
11.2
11
10.8
10.6

I couldn't tell if it went sub or not
It got quieter every shot
Any advice on how to tell without a can ?

 

[mtrmn]

Re: Subsonic .308?

OK, you need to be shooting a good distance, at least 100 yds before the bullet hits. Better if you are in a wooded area or with some surrounding objects like a barn or a high dirt bank etc for the sound to bounce back from. In Open fields etc it's much harder to tell if the bullet is supersonic. Take a 22LR rimfire RIFLE with good HIGH VELOCITY ammo that is sure to be supersonic with you. Fire a few rounds with the 22 and ideally have a buddy shoot it while you listen from off to the side. You will hear a high frequency sound echoing down through the timber or as the bullet passes any object downrange. It will fool you into thinking it's just the echo of the muzzle blast, but it's not.

NOW fire a few subsonic 22 rounds. When you cross over into subsonic territory, that echoing sound will be absent, although the muzzle blast will still be there as a pop, like firing a primed cartridge without a powder charge. Once you hear this difference between super- and subsonic shooting, it will be very easy to determine when the supersonic crack goes away as you work your way down through the loads.

I can also tell you that when a supersonic bullet passes by your position downrange, you will hear a crack just like somebody shooting a 22LR unsupressed-just as loud as it is when it leaves the gun. This crack will be loud enough to completely drown out the sound of the suppressed gunshot and you will not be able to locate the shooter's position. The sound seems to come from where the bullet passed nearest your position. This is why game acts so crazy sometimes when they experience a near miss with a rifle. That bullet passing over the deer's back makes a sound like a 22LR going off in his ear and then the bullet strikes the ground nearby drawing his attention to the bullet strike. The muzzle blast from 200 yds away will not be the deer's main worry, if he hears it at all.

 

[mtrmn]

Re: Subsonic .308?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: micahb</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I just tried

175smk with <span style="color: #FF0000">varget</span>

11.4
11.2
11
10.8
10.6

I couldn't tell if it went sub or not
It got quieter every shot
Any advice on how to tell without a can ? </div></div>

Go get some Trail Boss powder, it fills the cases better-like halfway. I've never seen anyone use Varget for subs. Probably about 11.5 grains Trail Boss will be the max for subsonic performance.

 

[micahb]

Re: Subsonic .308?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: mtrmn</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: micahb</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I just tried

175smk with <span style="color: #FF0000">varget</span>

11.4
11.2
11
10.8
10.6

I couldn't tell if it went sub or not
It got quieter every shot
Any advice on how to tell without a can ? </div></div>

Go get some Trail Boss powder, it fills the cases better-like halfway. I've never seen anyone use Varget for subs. Probably about 11.5 grains Trail Boss will be the max for subsonic performance.</div></div>

I'm crazy I'm using TRAILBOSS
I'm just used to typing varget

 

[micahb]

Re: Subsonic .308?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: mtrmn</div><div class="ubbcode-body">OK, you need to be shooting a good distance, at least 100 yds before the bullet hits. Better if you are in a wooded area or with some surrounding objects like a barn or a high dirt bank etc for the sound to bounce back from. In Open fields etc it's much harder to tell if the bullet is supersonic. Take a 22LR rimfire RIFLE with good HIGH VELOCITY ammo that is sure to be supersonic with you. Fire a few rounds with the 22 and ideally have a buddy shoot it while you listen from off to the side. You will hear a high frequency sound echoing down through the timber or as the bullet passes any object downrange. It will fool you into thinking it's just the echo of the muzzle blast, but it's not.

NOW fire a few subsonic 22 rounds. When you cross over into subsonic territory, that echoing sound will be absent, although the muzzle blast will still be there as a pop, like firing a primed cartridge without a powder charge. Once you hear this difference between super- and subsonic shooting, it will be very easy to determine when the supersonic crack goes away as you work your way down through the loads.

I can also tell you that when a supersonic bullet passes by your position downrange, you will hear a crack just like somebody shooting a 22LR unsupressed-just as loud as it is when it leaves the gun. This crack will be loud enough to completely drown out the sound of the suppressed gunshot and you will not be able to locate the shooter's position. The sound seems to come from where the bullet passed nearest your position. This is why game acts so crazy sometimes when they experience a near miss with a rifle. That bullet passing over the deer's back makes a sound like a 22LR going off in his ear and then the bullet strikes the ground nearby drawing his attention to the bullet strike. The muzzle blast from 200 yds away will not be the deer's main worry, if he hears it at all. </div></div>

Thank you sir

 

[Huckleberry75]

Re: Subsonic .308?

I ran 10.5gn of TB with the 170 flat nose. Still shot 1/2-3/4 moa at 100yds.