7/14/2023 0 Comments Subsonic 223 recipes![]() Granted, you may pick up or lose some speed given external variables, but fear not as there isn’t that big of a difference in performance at the effective range of most subsonic cartridges. The second thing to concern yourself is one that often escapes people: bullet stability. The projectile must be able to stabilize in subsonic flight in order to be accurate. Again, seems like a no-brainer but I’ve seen many guys load subsonic that keyhole at 100 yards or less. You don’t want that to happen with an expensive suppressor attached. A Bolt Action Rifle was used for shooting Subsonic. 308 Win Handloadsįor this article I’ll be using. 308 Win ammunition in a bolt action as my example as it is easily made subsonic and is a good cartridge to begin working with. 308 in a bolt gun because it allows more linear testing without the variable of cycling pressure and gas bleed-off. In short, I’m using something that simply launches bullets in order to remove obstructions that could cause error. ![]() The rifle I have has a 13.5” barrel with a 1:10 twist. 308/7.62 rifles and is in my opinion the most versatile twist rate available for any. I’ve found that the 1:12 twist rate isn’t fast enough to stabilize most projectiles moving at subsonic speeds. You are almost guaranteed a keyhole from a 1:12 bore. The tighter twist rate enables the slow-moving bullets to gain a bit more gyroscopic stability in flight and this is a huge thing when we’re dealing with low pressures and short ranges. In this test I’ll be loading several bullet options from Hornady and I’ll be using the premier subsonic powder on the market: IMR Trail Boss Powder. Trail Boss (TB) was originally designed to work in cowboy action cartridges like. 38 with Trail Boss and love how it works. The kernels of powder look like little Cheerios at first glance. 308 because it is made to take up lots of internal space inside the case. Fifteen grains of TB is enough to nearly fill a. What this provides is an even and consistent cartridge ignition. Other pistol powders will not fill the case and this can result in erratic velocities or dangerous pressure curves. There are several schools of thought when it comes to picking the right bullets for subsonic use. Most are familiar with the use of heavy match bullets in the. 300 Blackout offer themselves to reliable and accurate performance with a truly massive range of bullet weights. The bullets I’ll be using are the new Hornady ELD Match 225gr and the more traditional 180gr RN Interlock. These bullets each represent an extreme on the scale of shape and performance. The 180gr RN is a fairly archaic design and would be right at home in vintage. 30-03 loadings dating back over one hundred years while the 225gr ELD bullet represents the very cutting edge of projectile technology in our current age. So which one will fare better at the same speed?. Since our target velocity is 1050fps, I began load development starting high and working my way down. Starting high ensures that you know the ceiling of your loads given that there is a danger of getting a bullet stuck in the barrel if you start too low. ![]() It is far better to reduce a load from 1200fps to 1050 than to start out at 600fps and accidently blow your gun up. The information below is only for your reference. This information is solely for my rifle and my reloading setup. You will doubtlessly experience problems if you use my data in a rifle with a longer or shorter barrel. I loaded all rounds to feed from an Alpha Mags AICS pattern magazine. I began with some preliminary research into some reloading manuals and internet forums. I’m always careful to believe what is in either for different reasons. With a rough idea in mind, I started the process with neck-sized Lapua Rifle Brass. I decided it best to test my hand loads with both standard and magnum primers to see if there were any differences in velocity or consistency. Many people drill out their primer flash holes, but I’ve found this to be unnecessary and a hassle to inexperienced reloaders. Primers used in the test were CCI #200 Large rifle and Winchester 9 ½ Magnum. I started the 180gr loads seated to the cannelure with 12, 11, and 10 grains of TB. I made three each with standard and magnum primers.
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