308 SUBSONIC

Is anyone currently using a subsonic load in 308 in the UK ?

It'll be used to clear Foxes in a noise sensitive area at ranges between 50 and 150 yards.

The bullet is Hornady 190gr subsonic.

Case 308 W Lapua match.

Primer .. CCI Large rifle.

If so ... what UK reach complient propellant are you using ?

And how many grains ?

Any information would be greatly appreciated.
 
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I would recommend getting a lyman Reloading’s manual , they have some great loads for cast bullets which you can use for subsonic load development

Practice a lot you’ll be shocked at the trajectory at 150m !

Personally i have stockpiled trail boss which is great otherwise see if you can get some unique that works well but i don’t no if its reach compliant ?
 
I would recommend getting a lyman Reloading’s manual , they have some great loads for cast bullets which you can use for subsonic load development

Practice a lot you’ll be shocked at the trajectory at 150m !

Personally i have stockpiled trail boss which is great otherwise see if you can get some unique that works well but i don’t no if its reach compliant ?
Hi buddy,

I used to shoot 308 X 150gr subsonic but many years ago. I can't remember the recipe.

I have a bullet to use ... Hornady 190gr subsonic.

Trail boss was perfect but unobtainable now as you'll know.

I have some unique power ... I use it in a pistol.

Have you ever used it for 308 subsonic ? ... if so, how many grains ?

Would you sell a pot of trail boss ?????
 
Lot on the site already - 8gns of Titegroup is listed by Hodgdons on their reloading data - brilliant at 50-75 yards (see my avatar) but be warned - THEY BOUNCE!
🦊🦊
 
Lot on the site already - 8gns of Titegroup is listed by Hodgdons on their reloading data - brilliant at 50-75 yards (see my avatar) but be warned - THEY BOUNCE!
🦊🦊
Hi,

I'm in the UK. Can no longer buy Titegroup as its not reach compliant.

So I need an alternative that's been used and tested and available in England.
 
I use 7gn of unique in a 3030. Unique is easy to live with but in all honesty one of your bullets bouncing and potentially screaming will get the attention of any wokies quicker that a single shot from a rimfire!
Remember, nothing is silent, part of the energy conversion will always be a percentage of noise!
 
I use 7gn of unique in a 3030. Unique is easy to live with but in all honesty one of your bullets bouncing and potentially screaming will get the attention of any wokies quicker that a single shot from a rimfire!
Remember, nothing is silent, part of the energy conversion will always be a percentage of noise!
I have unique.... so that's an idea I can experiment with.

Cheers.
 
VV N310, N320 will work for you and you will find the load between 10 and 5 grains.

BUT

- you might have unrealistic expectations to the terminal effects on the bullet of choice
- you cannot mix'n'match supers and subs and expect to hit something (with the subs)
- you probably cannot shoot the subs w/o certain preparation and expect to hit something
- velocity variation would be out of window (bore condition, successive round count etc)
- at 50m/y it's kind of difficult to make a load that WOULD NOT have acceptable accuracy (velocity wise)
- at 150y it's VERY difficult to make a load that WOULD have acceptable accuracy (velocity and general dispersion)
- even if you succeed in everything else, 308 subs have practically the same trajectory as 22LR subs so over 100y/m your basically "centimeter per yard" drop if not worse

If you insist on trying, first get hold of reliable chrono. Then work down as stated, you can surely find loads from US forums. If you're not bothered to find them, DO NOT bother with loading them.

Make sure to have reasonable samples and pay attention how velocity varies (prob rises) when round count goes up in single session. Try to find cleaning regime that gives you decent amount of shots with decent variation, shot as you would in real use case (so no consecutive shots w/o long cooling periods in testing). Then zero with cold bore, preferably over several sessions. Similar support as using in field.

Make very sure you start field testing with short distance (50y in your case) and bait station or similar where you take the guesswork out of equation. I'd bet Sub-X is OK for 50y terminal wise. Longer ranges it's a toss. Also make sure you practice religiously and make sure you have foolproof way of getting ranges. Work very slowly from 50y out to the distance you feel comfortable. Remember that even 50y the flight time is relevant, fox might move after you make the decision to shoot and before bullet gets there.
 
- you cannot mix'n'match supers and subs and expect to hit something (with the subs)
- you probably cannot shoot the subs w/o certain preparation and expect to hit something
Yes its why I choose to use supersonic loads in my 300blk. I dont want to have it sighted in for subsonic, then I can have Varmint and fmj supersonic reasonable close but subsonic a feet or two low at 50m.
 
While there always is problem with zeroing several different loads, I was mostly talking about bore condition and how the subsonic rounds behave when you're shooting several of them in shortish amount of time (well that was another point than the ones quoted by KimE but important nonetheless).

Digital scopes make the zeroing quite easy, but I much prefer models where you can see the current zero profile in the main window. And I tend to name the profiles in a way that helps me instantly recognise them. E.g. in Yukon/Pulsar products "A 150" might be the main zero for full power and "A 50" is the subsonic zero in same rifle. There are few profiles with hardcoded alphabets, and you can adjust the number part quite freely (it's presumably meant for the zero yardage and I use it as such, only that in my use it also designates the round used).
 
Roger at SYSS has recently built an 8.6 Blackout, a really handy little rifle.

My main concern with using my normal 20” .308 for use on vermin / fox would be the cold bore first round shot. It was always low out of a cold barrel out of mine. For reliable performance in subsonic I’d be inclined to build a purpose built rifle like the Blackout.
 
Roger at SYSS has recently built an 8.6 Blackout, a really handy little rifle.

My main concern with using my normal 20” .308 for use on vermin / fox would be the cold bore first round shot. It was always low out of a cold barrel out of mine. For reliable performance in subsonic I’d be inclined to build a purpose built rifle like the Blackout.

The 8.6 is a cracking round. I know the guys at Q who developed it. They have shot many many African planes game with it, hundreds to be frank. Yet in subsonic format is still doesn’t meet the minimum requirements for the deer Act.

A 425gr bullet is required at 1050fps to achieve 1000 ft/lbs.

What’s frustrating is that subsonic bullets have come a long way in recent years. One of these to the chest and the rapid blood loss is catastrophic.

 
I used the reload swiss data for the hornady 190gr sub x.
I ended up with 10.6 gr of Reload swiss 14.
That's in a 16.5 in .308
1086fps single digit es from 3 shots.
That powder is amazing.
Only shot at 40m so far butv3 shots touching. I'm hoping that it will still stay tight at 100m
 
I used the reload swiss data for the hornady 190gr sub x.
I ended up with 10.6 gr of Reload swiss 14.
That's in a 16.5 in .308
1086fps single digit es from 3 shots.
That powder is amazing.
Only shot at 40m so far butv3 shots touching. I'm hoping that it will still stay tight at 100m
Hi,

Thanks for the reply. I've worked a load using VV N120.

I've got a tight group using 10.9gr but it's slow.

I'm going up in 0.3gr increments. I can go up at least another 200fps .

Happy so far.
 
I reload a dose of 10 grains of shotgun powder (one x 32 grams), Hornady SubX 190 bullet and synthetic buffer that keeps the powder slightly compressed. Good up to 60/70 meters, zero noise
I also want to know what buffer to use. Does it gum up the moderator? I tried cotton balls fluffed up but it stays in the mod. And i can only dismantel it in 2 big pieces.
 
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