Subsonic hunting & cartridges

[coyotekilla]

So, a year ago I expanded into the world of suppressed hunting. First with a 22-250, then sub suppressed with a 300aac & 22lr. I'm well aware of the drop issue and have it handled. Took a pigeon at 184yds with a 22 for example. My question is this. How much do I gain going to a big bore subsonic (45-70) vs using a 300aac or 308 sub?

My largest dia can at the moment is a 30, so 8.6blk, 375 raptor, 400 legend, etc are out. I have 308, 300 aac.

Target would be whitetail, black bear, hogs, etc.

 

[HandgunHTR]

What you gain going with a larger bore subsonic is a heavier bullet. That being said, the ballistics of a 45 caliber bullet out of a 45-70 are not that great, so there is not really any advantage over the 30 caliber subs.

The 300BO is pretty much the top of the curve when it comes to subsonics. There is absolutely no difference between it and a 308 sub other than having to stuff the 308 case with filler. If you want to get a large bore can and step up to the 8.6BLK, go for it, but don't expect wildly different end results.

 

[coyotekilla]

Well handgunhtr, I thought I'd gain more impact energy / penetration with a 45-70 compared to the 300aac. Going from 190 to 500gr of lead. 1 cannot just add more gas, cause speed of sound is a hard line. Doing a little research, the marlin might have issue cycling the 500gr pill... likely I'll keep using the 300aac

 

[Dan in Alaska]

I wish Hornady made a heavier 30-cal Sub-X bullet for the .300 Blackout. They offer a 255gr for the 7.62x39, but the bullet diameter isn't suitable for the .300 Blk. If you want to use your existing 30-cal suppressor, maybe a 7.62x39 is your easiest/cheapest upgrade? It isn't a big difference, though.

Last year, I bought a Ruger American (and an Obsidian 45) in 450 Bushmaster for suppressed hunting. The 395gr Sub-X offers considerably more "thump" than the 190gr Sub-X out of my .300 Blackouts. I took it to Texas in March, but I never got the chance to shoot a pig with the 450. It's still on my "to do" list for next year.

Heading even further down the suppressed-hunting rabbit hole, I recently built a 338 ARC. I am hoping it proves to be more accurate and more reliable, in an AR, than the .350 Legend was for me. The two ARs I had in .350 Legend, didn't feed reliably, and I never found a subsonic load with the 250gr Sub-X that I liked. My supersonic .350L loads were always much more accurate than the subsonic loads I tried.

 

[Presswood_936]

Heavy 308 subs suck because of the 1/10 twist of most 308s . Discreet ballistics has some 160s that are great . I hunt with subsonic 300blk almost exclusively and have taken thousands of pigs at this point and many deer . 200 yard shots are very possible if you know your dope . Get a 1:5 twist 300blk and call it a day .

 

[Presswood_936]

I wish Hornady made a heavier 30-cal Sub-X bullet for the .300 Blackout. They offer a 255gr for the 7.62x39, but the bullet diameter isn't suitable for the .300 Blk. If you want to use your existing 30-cal suppressor, maybe a 7.62x39 is your easiest/cheapest upgrade? It isn't a big difference, though.

Last year, I bought a Ruger American (and an Obsidian 45) in 450 Bushmaster for suppressed hunting. The 395gr Sub-X offers considerably more "thump" than the 190gr Sub-X out of my .300 Blackouts. I took it to Texas in March, but I never got the chance to shoot a pig with the 450. It's still on my "to do" list for next year.

Heading even further down the suppressed-hunting rabbit hole, I recently built a 338 ARC. I am hoping it proves to be more accurate and more reliable, in an AR, than the .350 Legend was for me. The two ARs I had in .350 Legend, didn't feed reliably, and I never found a subsonic load with the 250gr Sub-X that I liked. My supersonic .350L loads were always much more accurate than the subsonic loads I tried.

If you want a heavier sub look at phantom defense , they make 200 and 220 grain loads with maker bullets that are nasty

 

[glennjones]

I have a 450 bushhamster that I shoot a good bit of sub sonic through. It seems that the smaller the caliber the quieter the report. However it is a lot easier to get expanding bullets in 452 and if the don't expand they are the size of a 308 at 1.5x expansion. I've killed a bunch of deer with both a 308 win subsonic and the 450, and for me I'm taking the 450 every time if I'm range limited in my hunting spot.

 

[Gsr1578]

A friend of mine runs a 45acp in a Ruger carbine suppressed and it’s fun too shoot but he has taken any animals. Personally I love the 300 blackout with 208’s . Killed several animals with it and super quite being a bolt gun.

 

[North River]

Heavy 308 subs suck because of the 1/10 twist of most 308s . Discreet ballistics has some 160s that are great . I hunt with subsonic 300blk almost exclusively and have taken thousands of pigs at this point and many deer . 200 yard shots are very possible if you know your dope . Get a 1:5 twist 300blk and call it a day .

What bullets do you use?

 

[Presswood_936]

What bullets do you use?

Discreet ballistics 188 grain mostly

 

[coyotekilla]

Heavy 308 subs suck because of the 1/10 twist of most 308s . Discreet ballistics has some 160s that are great . I hunt with subsonic 300blk almost exclusively and have taken thousands of pigs at this point and many deer . 200 yard shots are very possible if you know your dope . Get a 1:5 twist 300blk and call it a day .

Have a ruger ranch 300aac, very accurate rifle. Took a deer with it last fall, quite effective with the 190 sub x

 

[Bluefish]

Maker offers a 400 and 500 grain 45 cal subsonic. It will open down to 800 fps and with its .44g1 it doesn’t drop under 800 fps until way out there, 700-800 yards. I took 2 deer with the 500’s didn’t go far. Less than 20 yards, lots of penetration. I load 400’s now as I didn’t need all the penetration and I can spot shots with the 400’s but can’t with the 500’s. The Hornady 410’s also shoot to the same point of aim allowing for some cheaper practice.

 

[Bluefish]

Well handgunhtr, I thought I'd gain more impact energy / penetration with a 45-70 compared to the 300aac. Going from 190 to 500gr of lead. 1 cannot just add more gas, cause speed of sound is a hard line. Doing a little research, the marlin might have issue cycling the 500gr pill... likely I'll keep using the 300aac

My 336 has no issues cycling the makers. I am pretty sure you could take anything, annywhere under 100 yards with a 500g maker. If dialing the drop it could work out to 500 or more.

 

[686]

I had a Ruger American in 450 Bushmaster for awhile that I shot with my Rugged Obsidian suppressor. It was really quiet with subsonics, but the accuracy dropped off for me like a rock past 100 yards with Hornady ammo. The only big game animal I’ve wounded and not found in over 25 years and approaching 100 animals was with that 450 BM and subsonics. I shot a doe at maybe 125 yard clearly broke her onside shoulder as her leg was waving uncontrolled as she ran off. No blood trail, tracked as long as I could, but no dice. The wounding with subs is just not good in my experience. The recoil wasn’t exactly enjoyable either. I wouldn’t consider the 450 BM a fun little plinking rifle like the 300BlK, its work to shoot.

 

[nm.otter]

If projectile mass really matters at subsonic velocities, 338 ARC wins.

 

[Bluefish]

If projectile mass really matters at subsonic velocities, 338 ARC wins.

Not even close to a 45-70. The 500g maker is over 1.5” long, a huge bullet.

 

[nm.otter]

Of course, and I should have qualified that.

Perhaps something like "at or below its bore in a factory accurate package"...

 

[SURVEYOR]

I’ve killed a few pigs and deer with both hard cast and the 395 subx in the 450 bm, All bang flops. My boy has killed several pigs with a 44 mag contender with subsonic hardcast and XTP mags. Loaded subsonic with a hybrid 46 the sound of breaking ribs and shoulders is way louder than the shot. All pass throughs, so I’ve yet to catch a bullet and I prefer wide flat nose hardcast both for the cost and I like hearing the more pronounced impact THUMP The furthest shot was about 75 yards and most shots were under 50. I have some .452 and .308 makers loaded but haven’t shot a critter with those yet

 

[djewell87]

Maker offers a 400 and 500 grain 45 cal subsonic. It will open down to 800 fps and with its .44g1 it doesn’t drop under 800 fps until way out there, 700-800 yards. I took 2 deer with the 500’s didn’t go far. Less than 20 yards, lots of penetration. I load 400’s now as I didn’t need all the penetration and I can spot shots with the 400’s but can’t with the 500’s. The Hornady 410’s also shoot to the same point of aim allowing for some cheaper practice.

Are you saying that subsonic loads with those bullets are still going 800 fps at 700 or 800 yards? I played around with a 405gr subsonic 45-70, its really fun to shoot.

 

[jakew1984]

Have a ruger ranch 300aac, very accurate rifle. Took a deer with it last fall, quite effective with the 190 sub x

My sub x 190s perform good as well. Still room for improvement. Really wamt to try some maker bullets tho. They look like they'd do the job!