Just finished my dedicated subsonic rifle

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TIMC

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Put together a Savage Hog Hunter in .308 with a Leupold VX3 4.5-14 scope, Boyds thumbhole stock and a Thunderbeast 30 P1 suppressor.

Took way more effort than I thought to work up a good accurate subsonic load with 220 grain RN bullets but I finally figured it out. I now have a super quiet round and a rifle to quietly play. Not a lot of subsonic load info out there so there was a lot of trial and error involved. Trail Boss powder was my final choice with Sierra 220 grain RN bullets, Only problem now is finding more bullets at a reasonable price. I'm not looking to pay $35/100 for them.

Here is the finished product which I think is as quiet if not more than my Gammo pellet rifle.
183F495E-6274-4395-A03A-98E13F51C492-5708-00000A2B203C67CA_zpsa1ff7278.gif
 
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Fixed it, hit decimal point by accident. Now the anal retentive's can rest! ;)
 
Listen I am a newer reloader I wasn't trying to be anal I was being very serious as I did not know I really like the look of your gun as well :D
 
"Only problem now is finding more bullets at a reasonable price"


Invest less than you have into your scope into some casting molds, sizing dies, and a lead melting pot; grab some wheel-weights from your local tire store, and spend two hours in your garage. You'll have more bullets than you can shoot.

In that rifle, hard cast lead would be an excellent choice, accurate, and they are good stoppers against hog sized critters.


Willie

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If it's a dedicated subsonic rifle, why is it using a muzzle can?
Because they are more effective for a subsonic.
The supressor reduces the muzzle blast but can do nothing about the sonic boom. Subsonic=much quieter with a supressor since there is no sonic boom.

Mike
 
If it's a dedicated subsonic rifle, why is it using a muzzle can?

Because I want really quiet and this is as quiet if not more so than an air rifle (pellet gun).
 
Invest less than you have into your scope into some casting molds, sizing dies, and a lead melting pot; grab some wheel-weights from your local tire store, and spend two hours in your garage. You'll have more bullets than you can shoot.

That's half the problem solved, now where do I go to get the time to make them?
;)

I found 500 at Graf & Son for $28/100 which is decent so I am back in buisness
 
Have you shot any groups at 50 or 100 yards with it?

That rifle turned out nice...good job.

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

Not since I installed the new stock. Here is a pic of the 100 yard target from my last range session during load development. This is a 10 shot group with 220 grain subsonic rounds that averaged 1040 fps. I think she will do better with the new stock, the factory stock had more flex that I have ever seen in a rifle stock.
1BA66275-3E0C-48A5-AB5F-7E5A93EF3FF3-4694-000009A2D843D1ED_zpsdc7c1cd9.gif

This is definitely good enough for a head shot on just about any animal at 100 yards and like I said I'm confident the new stock will improve the grouping.
 
Is that really the case? As an example, the Daniel Defense .300 BLK integral has a suppressor section only 5.8" long.
 
Uh, an integral is always going to be way more quiet than a muzzle can. The volume is about 3-4x greater, more baffles, porting, etc.

I'm not sure that it'll always be quieter. You could have an integral that is made with washers that isn't as quiet as a properly designed (monocore/baffle) thread on can. Volume helps a lot but it isn't the final measure of how a can will sound. It also makes sense to use a thread on can if you want to suppress more than one rifle. Just because that gun is dedicated to the suppressor doesn't mean the can is going to be used only on that gun.

I'd also be careful about shooting cast bullets through a can if you can't take it apart to clean it.
 
Invest less than you have into your scope into some casting molds, sizing dies, and a lead melting pot; grab some wheel-weights from your local tire store, and spend two hours in your garage. You'll have more bullets than you can shoot

As I recall, the Thunderbeast cans are not user serviceable so I would not shoot unjacketed bullets through one.
 
I have several 308's that I have shot subs in and while they do ok none are twisted fast enough for heavies at low speeds.
Recently decided to make up something similar. Went with a 300 Blackout for a truly dedicated subsonic rifle. It's twisted 1:7 just like my SBR AR15 and handles 240's just fine.

I would suggest cutting your barrel down to 16.25" as the extra length does nothing for subs.

Here is what I came up with though the suppressor isn't shown attached.
IMG_6259_zpsc14beadb.jpg

IMG_6251_zps0414a494.jpg
 
That looks like a bunch of fun. If you don't get the accuracy you desire from the stock change, you could consider buying a 16 inch barrel in a faster twist, as dubbleA suggested, to let you use even heavier bullets.

I will be very interested in your progress as I've been planning something similar, but dubbleA threw a wrench in my plans when I saw his .300 blackout.
 
Not interested in rebarreling or cutting down, this was a subsonic on the cheap rifle. Accuracy is good enough to bust pigs at 100 yards with head shots and in subsonic it's not worth much and farther. I have less than 1k in it including the optic. With about the same invested in the suppressor. I went with a can instead of an integral suppressor so I could se it on other rifles, she is plenty quiet enough as is.
 
I bet it is quiet, that is the suppressor I'm planning on also. Shot a friends and was impressed. I would agree that you already have enough accuracy to be confident thumping pigs!
 
It is the relatively short roundnose bullet that allows subsonic velocity in a standard twist.

From what I have READ I would not care to shoot cast bullets through a silencer unless it were readily demountable for cleaning.
 
It is the relatively short roundnose bullet that allows subsonic velocity in a standard twist.

From what I have READ I would not care to shoot cast bullets through a silencer unless it were readily demountable for cleaning
.

No plans on cast bullets for this one. The 220 grain Sierra RN #2180 bullets are easy enough to find.
 
I shoot cast through my 30 caliber can. If it gains weight I will chemically clean the lead out. No problem.

Ranb
 
I just finished up loading 150 rounds for the rifle this evening and maybe another 50 this weekend. I am thinking I will only keep about 200 rounds loaded for this rifle since its not going to be an every day shooter or my primary hunter. Most of my pig busting is done with an AR-10 which was the main reason I bought the can.

These puppies should do the job nicely for short range oinkers and other vermin.
835EACA0-58E5-44EE-99BC-4926B263589C-9421-000011A542B1837C_zps6af5ad6f.jpg
 
For cast subsonic bullets using the tumble coating method with powder coat powder in solvent one can encapsulate cast bullets to reduce/prevent barrel leading and lead fouling of baffle stack in suppressor. The major labor expense is resizing as the coating adds 2 to 3 thousandths to the as-cast diameter. Some people get good results out of the Lee 300 BO mold just with tumble lubing with Lee liquid alox, but others have found that the powder coat improves accuracy. I haven't tried either yet as I've plenty of jacketed bullets on hand, but casting is looking like a more attractive option over time.
 
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