I was wondering on the use of subsonic loads...

Any of you guys out there use them? If so, what are their uses and applications?

Has anyone found them useful in training people to shoot???

I have read about the 300 Whisper, developed by JD Jones... and evidently it has some appeal to people...

Working with downloads, I have stumbled across some loads from a 30/06 with bullet weights from 150 to 180 grains, that have muzzle velocities below 1000 fps....

The report of the muzzle, after being shot is like a 22 Long rifle or less ( if that is possible!)... Recoil is non existant, less than a 223 with light loads....

Haven't had a chance with monsoon season to get over to the range to test it... but have seen it go thru some wood back stops and I was actually surprised that it had some penetration possibilites to it....

Actually had a couple of 150 grain Rem SPs drill thru a steel plate that was a 1/4 of an inch thick or so... that really surprised me.....but I have learned playing with downloads.. that downloaded bullets penetrate a lot better than many shooters will give them credit for....

any shared experiences would be appreciated.. thanks in advance...

cheers
seafire

easy on the ears - works w/supressors.

Yep, been there and done that. .22 Hornet, .44 Mag in rifle with round balls and conicals of lead. It's easy to stick a jacketed bullet in a rifle barrel doing this so be careful...not much difference is sound with the Hornet when that happens and the load is 1.5 gr of Bullseye.

Uses? Pest control in the 'hood in the past. I gave it up awhile back in favor of the CB Short in .22 RF. Less trouble, less hazard and more accurate.

subsonics don"t make a lot of sense for you guys on that side of the pond(i"m in the UK), unless you"re doing a very specific job(or just like doing projects out of curiosity)
i know some people here are using downloaded deer rifles to shoot foxes, as it"s pretty simple to get a sound moderator/suppressor here legally.
as Dan has already said, it"s very easy to lodge a bullet in the bore, and the heavier bullets usually associated with subsonics give poor trajectories at that kind of speed.
i would"nt even want to think about shooting a deer with a subsonic, as i doubt if anything tougher than playdough would expand at subsonic velocity!
.22 rimfire subsonics are about the only really useful subsonic cartridge i"d give space in my ammo box!
good shooting

PMC Moderators (38 gr HP) will punch thru 3, one gallon milk jugs filled with water and are stopped in the 4th. That would equal 24" +/- of water. that's pretty impressive to me!! Not an elephant round, but certainly a useful round!!