I'm considering a surpressed/subsonic bolt action or single shot rifle for shots under 100 yards on small acreage (50ac) in a populated area. Despite being next to our city limit, it is loaded with whitetails and some axis. It is legal to shoot here, as long as the bullet stays within the property. Any caliber recommendations?

Forrest,
fastest/effective is a handirifle in 300 blackout and 180 gr subsonic ammo .. if you send the action in for a factory trigger job, its not bad..

or a savage 223 redone into the same or 458 socom, sumsonic ...

and, of course, a subsonic 308 with 220s works...

best luck
jeffe

Jeff/others, will a surpressor reduce much more noise if already subsonic, fairly long barrel?

i couldn't actually tell you .. i've only got observer time on mufflers -- though g's 300 whisper subsonic with can sounded like a paint ball marker

I have loaded subsonic rounds for my K Hornet and shot them in my NEF. There is nothing but a click when the hammer hits the primer. Not another sound, and they were spookily accurate: one ragged hole at 25 yards.

I would think that a heavy for caliber bullet at subsonic velocities would work well, assuming you can get it to group, and a lead bullet would be better than jacketed, I believe, because it will require less pressure to exit the barrel.

I have been meaning to experiment with my 30-30 NEF barrel and cast bullets to see if I could get anything subsonic to work; I just haven't gotten it done yet.

A 338 Whisper or Spector will have more power than the 300 blk. Might also consider the 458 socom. I shoot all of these plus the 510 whisper.

Ranb

With my Savage bolt rifles with cans and suppressed ammo (308 win and 223), all you really hear is the firing pin striking the case. Then a "pfft" from the rifle and the "splat' of the round hitting the berm if it is wet.

The ammo I've used is accurate at 50 yards. I don't know if I'd want to shoot a deer at 50?
I intend to just shoot hogs at close range with suppressed ammo.

Have both 300 BLK and 338 Spectre.

Both are adequate for deer with a well placed shot.


220s from a 300 BLK tend to upset on impact. Have had them come out full on sideways. Neck shot is a DRT.

Have not seen that instability with 250s in the Spectre.

Only have a 9mm can for the Spectre ... so it is louder and lower in tone than the BLK. BLK w a 30 cal high efficiency rifle can is very quiet.

Subsonic, suppressed 300 BLK-Out under 100 yards (simple mass x velocity). Done deal. Hollywood quiet. VERY lethal at the ranges specified.

As always, shot placement is critical.

The 458 SOCOM matches the 300 gr 45-70 loads.That's a good performer on deer but often will exit a deer too.
A suppressed very accurate round like the K Hornet mentioned .with carefull head shots might be a better answer.

I got a 300 blk and a sas ti can, it's very quite in a bolt gun,and sounds like a mag pellet rifle in a AR. There are good expanding subsonic bullets in the .308 dia, loadable subsonic in 308 or 300 blk.

I got a 458 socom also waiting on my stamp any time, for it's can. It most limey won't be as quite as the 300 blk. I think the 300 and 458 are way more than what you need. I am going to build a 45 acp to work with my 458 can. most loads or sub sonic to begin with, and bullets open up at subsonic speeds. Under 50 yards it should dump all it's energy, and won't over penetrate.

Forrest, I think you're better off with the 300 Blackface whatchamacallit than the 458 SITCOM for your purposes. The SITCOM bore to powder charge ratio makes it much harder to get really quiet and the subsonic trajectory mimics a long field goal attempt. And then there are feeding issues in a bolt gun with the 458. Minor, but still a PIA.

I have that exact thing..mine is a sauer 200 16.5 inch barrel with a AAC SDN-6 308win.. Loaded it with a 170 grain flat point hornady bullet behind 12 grains of trail boss...wow....

How about a suppressed subsonic .44 Magnum? I have a Rossi Pomba single shot rifle with over barrel suppressor , shoot 240 gr XTP's at approx 1000fps . All you hear is a "puff" when you fire it and a "whop " when you connect. Fully capable of one-shot kills on deer sized critturs and cheap to load.

Ruger gunsite scout, pull the flash hider off and thread on a can!

friend of mine has a ruger bolt 44 mag with intergral suppressor. He has had great luck with it with 300 grain bullets.

I got my two 45 acp rig running. One is a single shot Sako action 16"barrel, The other a Megtac 1911 carbine conversion converted to a pistol. The bolt gun is hollywood quite, the mag ted not far behind. the can is a 458 socom can marked by SBR but apparently made by coastal. It is a large subsonic sub gun can 45 acp thaw been popped up for 458.@ in groups at 50 yards with magtec, bolt gun not as good, either did not like the loads or It needs a new scope . very minute of pig, little or no kick, quite as my 22

JD

I have a single shot 45 Colt rifle with 28" barrel that with 1000fps loads does not really need a suppressor. google "cat sneeze" loads for a variety of similar options

Thanks for the comments. I went out with a friend who has a 223 & 308 with suppressors. I thought they were still pretty loud. For my needs, I think I am going to have to go with something strictly subsonic and keep my shots in close. Friend had some subsonic 223 with 75 grain HPs that would work but don't think my bolt actions with 1:12 twist will stabilize. He suggested Aquila rimfires, off the record.

quote:

Originally posted by fla3006:
Thanks for the comments. I went out with a friend who has a 223 & 308 with suppressors. I thought they were still pretty loud. For my needs, I think I am going to have to go with something strictly subsonic and keep my shots in close. Friend had some subsonic 223 with 75 grain HPs that would work but don't think my bolt actions with 1:12 twist will stabilize. He suggested Aquila rimfires, off the record.

you will have to find a fast twist 22 lr to get the 60 gr sub aquila to stabilize. I don't know of any production rifles that will. There use to be 1 in 9 twist aftermarket 10-22 barrels available but I have not seen them lately.

quote:

Originally posted by fla3006:
Thanks for the comments. I went out with a friend who has a 223 & 308 with suppressors. I thought they were still pretty loud. For my needs, I think I am going to have to go with something strictly subsonic and keep my shots in close. Friend had some subsonic 223 with 75 grain HPs that would work but don't think my bolt actions with 1:12 twist will stabilize. He suggested Aquila rimfires, off the record.

If you reload your 308 and trail boss will get the job done. 300 blkout with sub loads are real quite. The bullet strike of even a 22 sub load is quite loud . No way to get around that. even a arrow hitting a deers chest sometimes makes a loud pop. I will hunt with subs for the first time this year, I am thinking of it similar to bowhunting. 50 yards over bait, brainpan shots. with my 300 blk, or through the lungs and shoulder with the 458 socom or 45 acp.

I also have an old Marlin 32-20 that belonged to my great grandfather, a tack driver with open sights and factory loads. Maybe I could load it down?

I currently putting something similar together for hogs. I decided to go with the Ruger 77/44 and subsonic 300 grain bullets. I'm might also get a .458 Socom upper, but NV can be fragile, and I'm very hesitant to subject it to the recoil.

The reports from the field on subsonic .300 blk have not really impressed me; supersonic is another story, of course.

quote:

Originally posted by fla3006:
I also have an old Marlin 32-20 that belonged to my great grandfather, a tack driver with open sights and factory loads. Maybe I could load it down?

If you're going to go that direction, what about the Taurus Thunderbolt pump in .45 Colt? I know it's a Taurus, but it looks fun nevertheless.

quote:

analog_peninsula: what about the Taurus Thunderbolt pump in .45 Colt?

Yep, those are kinda cool, should work. I've loaded all kinds of 45LC handgun loads, don't know how they might group from a rifle.

I've been using not-so-quite 223s (55 grain spitzers at about 2650fps), all neck shots, 2 whitetails and an axis, no complaints from neighbors yet. They all worked like they were supposed to but I have limited my shots to those I was pretty sure of.

Any one have any data for 416 Rem Mag with 400 gr cast @1000-1100fps?M98 used H4227 in his Ruger Mag.Should be a quiet 475 Linebaugh.

Looks like M98 has it worked out in his Veral Smith thread for his 416 Ruger also Chuck Hawks has reduced loads w 5744 for all the 416s.

quote:

I currently putting something similar together for hogs. I decided to go with the Ruger 77/44 and subsonic 300 grain bullets. I'm might also get a .458 Socom upper, but NV can be fragile, and I'm very hesitant to subject it to the recoil.

I solved the recoil problem by putting the PVS-14 on a helmet and use a laser for targeting. Works great.

Nice, I never thought of the obvious. Thanks for the suggestion.

Curiosity bites me again - what suppressors are you using with the 308s that are suitably quiet? I'm toying with the idea of subsonic loads in my 308.

I currently have an AWC Thundertrap and an AWC Thor TI. I am about two weeks out in getting my Surefire SOCOM.

Both are very quiet.

I actually use an AWC Thor 338 suppressor on my LMT 308 supersonic loads and it works amazingly well.

the SSS require about a 9 twist. they are VERY quiet compared to regular 22s.

a surpressed subsonic 300 blackout sounds like a paintball marker - the bolt slide and slap is louder than the report .. saw this last Feb with a friend's rifle..

unsupressed subs are actually pretty quiet from the human end .. i THINK the gas is still super sonic and there is a noise.. but if you goal is quiet for neighboring humans, i don't believe the report carries

sss 22s in a rifle aren't as loud as my 1000fps springer air rifle... go figure

CDNN has model 7's in 300 blk out for 625. Thread muzzle.

quote:

what suppressors are you using with the 308s that are suitably quiet?

Thunder Beast Arms 30P-1, does a good job

My suppressed 22 rifle with Colibri ammo is much quieter than my pellet rifle.

I have an AR-pistol with an 11" barrel in 300 Blackout. With my YHM Suppressor on, 1060+/-fps 247gr cast bullets are very quiet. If you stand twenty feet away with your eyes closed, you cannot tell what direction the shot is coming from. The loudest noise is the AR bolt cycling.
With the gas turned off, it's hard to hear anything. Mouse fart level..

Rich

quote:

Originally posted by Rusty:
My suppressed 22 rifle with Colibri ammo is much quieter than my pellet rifle.

Rusty,
have you shot anything with colibri? it will NOT kill a possum or cotton mouth...

I have an approved Form 1 for a 10" 45 caliber can. My intent is to thread the barrel of my 45-70 Handi Rifle and shoot a pure lead 500 grain bullet at just below Mach 1. I suspect that will get the job done.

For what it's worth I've been using a suppressed .308 with subsonic 200 grain bullets (Lapua factory loads). Very quiet, and against conventional wisdom, FMJs. They blow through whitetail and axis from any angle, and I haven't lost one to date.

Elkins,

What powder are you using and DID your experiment work...?

THANKS
RJ

quote:

Originally posted by Elkins45:
I have an approved Form 1 for a 10" 45 caliber can. My intent is to thread the barrel of my 45-70 Handi Rifle and shoot a pure lead 500 grain bullet at just below Mach 1. I suspect that will get the job done.