Sub-sonic .22-250 loads?

[lancetkenyon]

I (and MANY neighbors) have been having an issue with coyotes lately. There is a huge pack that lives in a wash near our 6 house area. They have taken to treating themselves with the local livestock and pets recently, and two of my neighbors and I broached the subject of a little coyote reduction with the others in our area. No one is opposed to the idea, but we still can't be shooting high powered stuff. We have been contemplating .22LR sub-sonic ammo, but I was wondering if anyone had a good sub-sonic recipe for a .22-250 bolt gun?

We have safe backdrops (an entire mountain) where we will be staging the ambush spots.

Also would be nice for bunnies in the desert with my kids.

I realize the .22-250 is a HV round, but a 900-1K fps 50gr. V-Max should work just fine for what I want.

 

[ptaylortx]

I think any amount of a powder like trail boss that would fill the case enough would surely push it super sonic and a low fill on a slower power may give to the danger of detonation. You would definitely need a 69 gr + bullet, then the typical 14 twist barrels might not stabilize it. Might not be possible. I'm sure someone more experienced might know.

 

[RTH1800]

I think you will find it much easier to just go with a 22RF.

 

[former naval person]

As RTH says. You have to be VERY careful when working up subsonic loads with jacketed bullets. A bit too low a charge or incomplete ignition due to the powder distribution in the case can stick a bullet. Lead bullets can be tapped out. A jacketed .22 bullet stuck halfway down that barrel and you may need a good gunsmith, and maybe a new barrel. FWIW a 110 grain carbine bullet ahead of 10 grains of Unique is just at 1000 fps in the .308 Win. A friend reported on working up quiet loads for his .45-70. Start with 5 grains of Bullseye behind a 400 grain lead bullet and reduce .5 grains at a time till one sticks in the barrel. Tap that bullet out and go back up .5 grain. Almost silent...the longer the barrel the quieter.

 

[xdeano]

Sounds like an excellent excuse to buy a new rifle. 300 blackout and a 30 cal suppressor. Pick up some subsonic ammo and its quieter then a pellet gun.
Xdeano

 

[mtrmn]

I can assure you the Vmax WILL NOT PERFORM at subsonic velocities, at least not in water tests. I fired several into 6 milk jugs of water lined up. Punches a hole through about 3 jugs and stops in the 4th-and I could probably re-use the bullet. It was not deformed at all except the engraved rifling marks. Most any jacketed bullet designed to leave the barrel above 2000 fps will not mushroom or otherwise perform like it is designed to do at 1050 fps. This is not to say a well placed round won't kill, but you completely lose every advantage of having a high-velocity round when you go subsonic. And velocity is what makes these small calibers shine. Many animals react like they were struck by lightning and are DRT with these fast bullets--but slow that bullet down and the magic is gone.

CCI 22LR subsonic HPs, on the other hand performed admirably in the water tests. The HPs mushroomed perfectly and the first jug exploded like it had been hit with a 223 full house load. The bullet went on through the second jug, which had a 3" split at the entrance hole, and punched a neat hole in the 3rd jug where it stopped.

The CCI SEGMENTED HP subsonic performed just as designed as well. First jug blew up and the bullet separated into 3 equal slivers, 2 of which remained in the first jug and one penetrated into the second jug. Just as it was designed to do.

If you HAVE to be quiet, I would put much more faith in the subsonic 22LR HP than the 224 dia Vmax at subsonic speeds. Hitting tissue rather than water may well cause a greater upset in these bullets, but I ruled them out after the water tests. Since this test, any animal shot with a jacketed bullet is shot with a full power load around my house. My suppressor works very well at reducing muzzle blast, and the supersonic crack is about as loud as an un-suppressed 22LR with high velocity ammo. Also, the POI is about a foot low from normal at 100 yds, whether it be 223 or 308.
If that's not enough, the bullets that are designed to be launched at 3000+ fps may not stabilize well at such low velocity and cause baffle strikes.

Now, if you decide to go with a larger caliber (at least .30) then you can load a heavy bullet and have a much greater effect on game. Flat nose bullets will impart greater shock value, and the heavy bullet will retain enough energy to drive it deep. Like real estate, location location location--bullet placement is key.

All this summarized: By reducing your 22-250 to subsonic velocities, you will reduce terminal performance to a level considerably lower than subsonic 22LR HPs are capable of.

Subs are fun for shits and grins and impressing your friends with your suppressor, but for serious use and humane taking of game or varmints you are severely handicapped when using smaller calibers. All the foregoing is strictly my opinion and I'm sure there are many who would disagree, but that's my story and I'm stickin to it.

 

[biffj]

I gotta go with the last post.....trying to make a 22-250 run subs makes no sense at all. The case capacity is way to high to make it reasonable and chances are your rifling twist is too slow to run bullets that might actually make sense. The whole point of subsonics is to retain energy while reducing sound levels. If you could run the 82gr or heavier bullets subsonic you might get something useable though the case capacity rules out most powders that would retain accuracy and consistency. Trailboss may work but even so there will be enough space left in the case to allow the powder to move around and screw up the consistency of the light up and burn. That messes with accuracy. So far no one has come up with an expanding subsonic bullet that isn't soft lead so popping a .22 cal hole in the target may not do the job. 300blackout with 220-240gr slugs makes much more sense than 50gr pellets in the 22-250.

Frank

 

[1911fan]

I don't think a subsonic .22 is a humane way to kill animals that size. If your neighbors are less ok with the coyotes than they are with a few loud noises, use the full-power loads and kill them cleanly.


1911fan

 

[Rprecision]

This is like tuning a F1 Car to work as a taxi cab in NY.

The cartridge design will fight you.

Why cant you shoot fullpower ? Is this a legal issue (city limits) or something else. If you have a safe backdrop then...........

Talk to your local wildlife office / police department. Sometimes you can get special permits

If you think you have problems now, what are you going to do when you have a handful of yotes running around wounded. It takes alot of luck and skill to score a good hit on a coyote with a subsonic .22LR AND kill it. You can argue that it will die of a infection, Etc but a wounded animal is going to be more of a handful then what you have now. On top of that people are going to talk and know what happened, this doesnt portriat a good image for hunters. Besides, I have ethical standards personally, I dont like making a animal suffer for days even coyotes.

Maybe you could find another solution taking a cue from archery and good blind.

 

[MikeeBooshay]

Get thyself a Ruger 77/22 integral suppressed rifle, shoot 22LR subs in it - I have used the Colibri 60 grain subs to great effect on pigs, a coyote should be no issue at all. Shot placement still matters, most of the big bore subsonic stuff can be a little less accurate than you'd like.

Ditto the suggestion for the 300 Blackout, in a bolt gun at that. very effective at varmints.

 

[lancetkenyon]

I appreciate all the responses. I will not be going that route.

I am also for a quick, humane kill on all animals, whether it be a prairie dogs, game birds, varmints or big game. I have some discussions to have with the neighbors.

I do have a 77/22, and a couple 10/22s also. Might have to look into the sub-sonic .22LR route.

To be honest, I have heard shotgun discharges during the night from a few neighbors. Anyone make a suppressor for a scatter gun???

 

[mtrmn]

I must assume you DO have a suppressor for the 22-250? If so, then it ain't really THAT loud with full power ammo is it? I know mine makes my 308 and 223 ARs sound like a 22LR with hi-velocity ammo. And it's still that loud at 100 yds when the supersonic bullet passes by your position. The sound of the bullet going by completely drowns out any sound you might hear from the firing position. It sounds just like somebody standing nearby shot a 22LR, with the sound coming from the direction of the bullet's closest flyby of your position. So, the sounds your neighbors will hear will be like: "Oh that's just somebody shooting a 22 somewhere."
And if everyone has had trouble with these coyotes I would think most would welcome being rid of them, by whatever means necessary as long as it's safe.

 

[mallrat]

Google "Metro barrel extension"

Exactly what is your aversion to being heard? I can understand not wanting to disturb your neighbors, but the odd shotgun or small caliber rifle discharge isn't going to be that disruptive.