Post your sub sonic .308 loads?
- Thread starter Mean_Man
- Start date
Just post what ya got and run yourself.
I found plenty of data online and have a few books but since some powders like Trail Boss are pretty scares now days just wondering what people are running bullet and powder wise in .308 of what can be easily sourced.
As mentioned titegroup is worth a look. Hodgdon even suggests it and had posted load data these days. Easy to find too. I'd probably start there were I you.
Lotta variability here between barrels and bullets. Couple ways to go about it... light bullet and tiny powder charge, say a 90g xtp or similar cast with a bit of red dot etc or trail boss if you're lucky. Light bullet with less powder and a longer barrel will get the quietest result.
Other option is to get a big heavy bullet, 240 smk, 250g cast etc if your twist can do it. This will eat up case capacity and add consistency. Likely a little slower burning powder will work well here, but lots of room to experiment.
id not chase the lands generally, but have had a few rifles where it was worth it. Most of the time seating deeper helps eat case capacity and ends up more consistent.
Cast lead works amazingly here if that's an option, can go much slower and quieter without risk of sticking a bullet. Can drop the speed down a bit to 900 or 950 fps with jacketed and help with noise if that is a goal. Sometimes groups better as well... just depends.
Unique titegroup and red dot have done well for me. Generally do not need any kind of filler with those fast fluffy pistol powders. Usually something like 2400 or 5744 in a reduced loading can benefit from a filler. A tuft of dacron fluff can sometimes help if trying for maximum consistency or having to shoot off field positions. Make sure to use enough to hold powder, don't wanna have it mix around... I'd avoid granular fillers since juice likely not worth the squeeze here at all. Wads are generally a bad idea here too, and I'd completely avoid them.
Sometimes you can find reduced capacity 308 cases.... that is the way to go if you see em for sale or can make em. Possibilities for bullet and powder combos are huge if that's in play. Very cool.
Lotta variability here between barrels and bullets. Couple ways to go about it... light bullet and tiny powder charge, say a 90g xtp or similar cast with a bit of red dot etc or trail boss if you're lucky. Light bullet with less powder and a longer barrel will get the quietest result.
Other option is to get a big heavy bullet, 240 smk, 250g cast etc if your twist can do it. This will eat up case capacity and add consistency. Likely a little slower burning powder will work well here, but lots of room to experiment.
id not chase the lands generally, but have had a few rifles where it was worth it. Most of the time seating deeper helps eat case capacity and ends up more consistent.
Cast lead works amazingly here if that's an option, can go much slower and quieter without risk of sticking a bullet. Can drop the speed down a bit to 900 or 950 fps with jacketed and help with noise if that is a goal. Sometimes groups better as well... just depends.
Unique titegroup and red dot have done well for me. Generally do not need any kind of filler with those fast fluffy pistol powders. Usually something like 2400 or 5744 in a reduced loading can benefit from a filler. A tuft of dacron fluff can sometimes help if trying for maximum consistency or having to shoot off field positions. Make sure to use enough to hold powder, don't wanna have it mix around... I'd avoid granular fillers since juice likely not worth the squeeze here at all. Wads are generally a bad idea here too, and I'd completely avoid them.
Sometimes you can find reduced capacity 308 cases.... that is the way to go if you see em for sale or can make em. Possibilities for bullet and powder combos are huge if that's in play. Very cool.
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- Nov 3, 2010
- 11,119
- 24,872
10 grains of titegroup with a Hornady 220 grain round nose works good in my 11.25 twist 20 inch gun. Was running about 971fps or so over a small sample
208 eldm seconds, cci 450, 8.1g of n110 out of a 16” pistol gas ar. Through an ultra 7. Quite enough for me, plenty accurate to 250y
My bad, above is for 300blk. Should learn to read.
My bad, above is for 300blk. Should learn to read.
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My rifle is 1:10 twist so I can go fairly heavy for .308 but I'm not sure I can go to 240-250gr heavy... Now a friend of mine just put a 1:8 twist barrel on his .308 so I'm sure he can. Is there no pressure problems with seating a bullet super deep in subsonic loadings? I had heard of do-nutting? But that's a more "normal" loading thing, though I'm not sure exactly what they're talking about.
Good thing about the heavy cast is they are stubby usually. Don't think that sleak smk profile is as effective at 950fps, and certainly not much gain at "NORMIE" subsonic ranges inside 75 yards. A 250 cast is a good bit easier to stabilize than a 208 amax or 220smk etc. Not sure in your twist, but could be worth a try to see
The 160 ftx and the flat nosed and round nose bullets are easy to get up to 220g weights. Good chance you can stabilize and get something in there to shoot well.
Hell a 90 etp or 100 semi jacketed is crazy quiet with red dot trail boss, or a bunch of other pistol powders. Very fun, just don't double charge em.
Keep in mind the fast pistol powder stuff is NOT low pressure. Gotta really be careful playing with those.
I've seen quite a few slower ( compared to 1/7 et) twist rifles do really well subsonic. I have an older GAP hospitaller with a 1/11 i think... it hammers with 160ftx and 170 flat nose ( the 3030 ones) jacketed bullets doing a little under 1000fps. Unique and trail boss and tin star - Good luck on the last 2 lol- all shot very well. I could expect sub 1 inch at 75 yards pretty much every time without doing all the in depth stuff beyond same headstamp brass. Was very happy with that for a quiet mouse fart 308 load from a 1/11.
Takes some time to figure it, but it's fun and worth it in the end usually if you have realistic expectations.
As to seating them deep, I usually shoot my 220g and 250g bullets at about 2.1xx or so. Sometimes shorter, just depends what shoots. As far as I know, plenty of manuals list that as a good length for mag function. Seems to usually work better than typical 2.260 etc. Never had any issues with pressure if done as typical load work up.
Obviously use common sense, don't be smashing a shit ton of powder, going mega short with unknown combo of fast pistol powder and a 240smk etc. I'm sure there are ways to fuck it up lol. It's generally a good idea to consider it a typical load work up type of thing.
Find your powder charge that gets your target velocity safely, then play with seating depth and see what shoots. Usually for me 2.260 and similar has not done as well ( there have been exceptions) as getting closer to 2.1xx or a bit under with a 220smk etc.
Have not seen doughnuts related to running a 220smk or similar at 2.1xx 2.2xx 2.3xx or closer to 2.0xx. Possibly they are referring to case forming issues? Not sure otherwise.
The 160 ftx and the flat nosed and round nose bullets are easy to get up to 220g weights. Good chance you can stabilize and get something in there to shoot well.
Hell a 90 etp or 100 semi jacketed is crazy quiet with red dot trail boss, or a bunch of other pistol powders. Very fun, just don't double charge em.
Keep in mind the fast pistol powder stuff is NOT low pressure. Gotta really be careful playing with those.
I've seen quite a few slower ( compared to 1/7 et) twist rifles do really well subsonic. I have an older GAP hospitaller with a 1/11 i think... it hammers with 160ftx and 170 flat nose ( the 3030 ones) jacketed bullets doing a little under 1000fps. Unique and trail boss and tin star - Good luck on the last 2 lol- all shot very well. I could expect sub 1 inch at 75 yards pretty much every time without doing all the in depth stuff beyond same headstamp brass. Was very happy with that for a quiet mouse fart 308 load from a 1/11.
Takes some time to figure it, but it's fun and worth it in the end usually if you have realistic expectations.
As to seating them deep, I usually shoot my 220g and 250g bullets at about 2.1xx or so. Sometimes shorter, just depends what shoots. As far as I know, plenty of manuals list that as a good length for mag function. Seems to usually work better than typical 2.260 etc. Never had any issues with pressure if done as typical load work up.
Obviously use common sense, don't be smashing a shit ton of powder, going mega short with unknown combo of fast pistol powder and a 240smk etc. I'm sure there are ways to fuck it up lol. It's generally a good idea to consider it a typical load work up type of thing.
Find your powder charge that gets your target velocity safely, then play with seating depth and see what shoots. Usually for me 2.260 and similar has not done as well ( there have been exceptions) as getting closer to 2.1xx or a bit under with a 220smk etc.
Have not seen doughnuts related to running a 220smk or similar at 2.1xx 2.2xx 2.3xx or closer to 2.0xx. Possibly they are referring to case forming issues? Not sure otherwise.
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