300 whisper!!!

[MagnumCaliber357]

Does anybody has any ballistic info on the 300 whisper. From what I gathered it uses a necked up 221 fireall case and is loaded with a 220 grain bullet. I read on a couple websites that it is sub MOA and subsonic, but im baffled at how a 220 grain bullet in such a small case produces sub-MOA accuracy AND is subsonic. Someone fill me in on its magic.

 

[444]

The Whisper cartridges were designed by J.D. Jones of SSK Industries: http://www.sskindustries.com/

Here is a brief description from that website:
"Whispers®: A wide range of calibers encompass the 'Whisper®' series of cartridges. A "Whisper®" cartridge must be capable of sub-sonic extreme accuracy with very heavy bullets for its caliber; i.e. 240 grains in 30, as well as moderate to high velocity while maintaining excellent accuracy with light bullets for the caliber; i.e. 125 at 2300 FPS in 30. The 300 Whisper® was the first of the series, and, contrary to what you may have read about it, the fact of the matter is the cartridge was designed as a multi-purpose cartridge from the beginning. Its design parameters, in addition to the ballistics quoted above, were that it must be capable of being used in the AR-15/M-16 family of rifles, Contenders and bolt action rifles as well as being easily suppressed. I know that because I invented it. It revolutionized the tactical suppressed sub-sonic field in controllability in full auto, power and accuracy. It has been very successful and has gained wide acceptance as a hunting round for mid-size game, such as deer, and has probably taken a wider variety of game than any other handgun cartridge in the same time span. Due to its small case capacity, its recoil is very mild. One Whisper® series from 6 mm, 6.5 mm, 7mm, 300 and 338 is based on the 221 fireball case. Another series is based on the 7 BR case in 338, 375 and 416 caliber to convert 308 case head size actions. Another used the 460 Weatherby case for 50 caliber conversions to 300 Win Mag case head size rifles. Others use rimmed cases, such as the 50-70-750, for use in single shots."

I don't see anything magical about it. You shoot a heavy for caliber bullet: this brings down the velocity and makes the bullet more effective when it hits something. The small case makes this easier since you can't get a lot of powder in there to begin with.

 

[Okiecruffler]

My next Contender barrel will be a custom 300/221. (maybe, I just got these danged .256win dies that I have to get something for). The Whisper has proven time and time again that it delivers what is promised. Part of that I believe is the quality of the custom barrels rather than the cartridge itself.

 

[Berek]

Ok, I went to SSK's website and I guess I'm going to pass on the new car. I saw the 14.5mm JDJ and ... well... wanna go bark squirrels?

Berek

 

[beerslurpy]

How is this an improvement over 7.62x39 subsonic?

 

[only1asterisk]

beerslurpy,

Off the top of my head:
Less powder=smaller suppressor
Feeds from standard AR15 magazines
Uses available .308 match bullets (although to be fair so could a modified 7.62x39 chamber)

 

[444]

The 7.62x39 isn't even in the same league with this cartridge. I am not even sure why you make the comparison.

Please exapnd on the idea a little so we can see where you are going with this.

 

[beerslurpy]

You can easily load 180 and 200 grain 303 british rounds into AK cases and move the same size bullets at any of the same velocities as 300 whisper. The case capcity and the bullet sizes are all comparable.

Except my propsed round is merely a different loading of an existing cartidge that can be fired out of millions of existing arms for which suppressors are already available.

There will be no feeding or magazine fitment issues and there will be no need to buy fancy custom uppers to get the round to fire safely.

Range is identical. Accuracy with well made good ammunition and a well built AK should abe comparable to 300 whisper. Basllistics will, for obvious reasons, be nearly identical.

 

[Fumbler]

I worked with a forester in the US Forest Service. He spent a few weeks out of previous years working on Russian black boar population control in national forests. At one point he was issued a suppressed T/C Contender in 300 Whisper. He told me the loads they used were 220gr softpoints loaded to 950 fps out of the 8" barrel and his particular gun would consistently shoot MOA off a bench with a 4x scope.

Its not really magic that you can get sub MOA accuracy with a subsonic round. Accuracy doesn't have much to do with velocity when you dont have to deal with the sonic/subsonic transition. All that matters in accuracy is that you do the same thing repeatedly. A smaller case is better for slower rounds because powder burn is more consistent than a reduced charge in a larger case.

 

[Father Knows Best]

You want an accurate, hard hitting and yet quiet rifle? A couple guys I know have Ruger 77/44's with integrated suppressors. They just look to the casual observer like bull barrels, but they'll put a 300 grain .430 slug downrange at just subsonic velocities, and do it so quietly the first thing you hear is the splat as they hit the target. If you want more power you can load them up to 44 mag velocities. Even then, they sound like a pellet gun.

 

[Okiecruffler]

Doesn't Tamara have a Turk Mauser in 300 whisper? Or am I imagining things?

 

[rockstar.esq]

I'm surprised that there are so many of you that like the 300 Whisper but didn't mention one of the most logical reasons that a subsonic loading would be accurate. The transitition from supersonic to subsonic greatly affects a bullets ability to remain stable. This creates a "turning point" where the bullet may tend towards inaccuracy. This is not to say that it won't re-stabilize, after all there are plenty of 1000yd competitions shot with cartridges that start supersonic and end subsonic. It has long been my contention that heavy for caliber or light for caliber work well for extended ranges. The lighter projectiles obviously have flatter trajectories but I am not a guy who will worry about that "3 inch difference at whatever..." I am much more concerned with retained energy. I have a .22LR pistol that shoots great with nearly everything, but when I stoke it with Aguila's SSR which have a 60 grain bullet vs. a standard velocity loading (40 grains) The squirrels drop like they've been hit with a .22 mag!

 

[JShirley]

Okie, yes.

beerslurpy, I hear what you're saying. If it were that easy, though, wouldn't the Russians have done it, instead of going with the 9x39mm?

John

 

[Fumbler]

I'm surprised that there are so many of you that like the 300 Whisper but didn't mention one of the most logical reasons that a subsonic loading would be accurate. The transitition from supersonic to subsonic greatly affects a bullets ability to remain stable.

Did you read my post?