Thread: 12 Gauge steel subsonic loads

I'm looking at loading 12g steel subsonic loads for some close work on ducks and rabbits, but not finding much in the way of recipes. I will be using a suppressed 12ga pump and there is a real possibility that i will need to use fibre wads through the suppressor.

I also thought about using a biodegradable wad as well http://www.opticsplanet.com/mec-oxo-...tal-wad-12-gau... to do my bit for the environment but don't know if they are available in NZ.

I'm reloading for the 6.5 and the 25-06 which seems much easier than the shotgun scene, from what i can see there aren't many commercial subsonic loads available in NZ, and those that are are exclusively lead in about a #7 shot size. I think i will probably be trying for #4 shot in steel as an all-round load at about 1000 fps.

I've done quite a bit of reading and research but thought I'd ask the people that are out there doing it if they can recommend some starting loads, or alternatively a company that could load the ammo for me at a reasonable price.

If it were me id be using lead. Steel is pooh at best and you need to double your shot size to get close to lead performance. Id take it youd be shooting upland anyway. Im not a gamebird guy but as a farmer the idea of a silent shotty is pretty mint.

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Lead would be my preference as well, but there will be times when i will need to shoot over water and it seems pointless to have separate loads for paddocks and ponds.
I will have to use a 3" shell and #4 steel shot to get the density and range for the subsonic load.

Are you intending to use a shotgun like this
hushpower.co.uk



I shoot with a guy who uses a Laporte (spelling) Nice gun but why don't you use 20g with paper shells/fibre wads available from Mai Mai Supplies
Surely the lead is not that bad, and normal shells are pretty quite thru a supressor. The laporte is very quite

Well whisper, your performance will not be great at all, have tested steel on rabbits.
It just doesn’t cut it (crap) as for a load. I haven’t got one, but you shouldn’t have much trouble finding one (USA web).
You have just got to get it to 1065ft per sec Depending on your suppressor and there you have it..
A quite but useless performer. Stick with lead, there's this option which will take a few years may be before there is no lead overwater.
http://sub-silentsuppressors.com/?page_id=144

Thanks everyone for the comments.
@mikee - yes I'm using one of their screw-on 12Ga suppressors on a pump action. I don't really want to have a separate fully suppressed shotty so i'll load for the 12Ga rather than buy a shotgun to fit the available subsonic loads i can get from the shops.

@Kiwi-Hunter - thanks for the opinion, maybe i will load a 3" shell with lead and use it in the paddocks as an alternative. Roget at sub-silent is quite a good engineer, and although i have a couple of his silencers for the PCP i wouldn't personally have one on a shotgun.

Because the steel would be starting so slow I would think 1 1/4+ of BBs would be the go. Or non toxic if you have the coin. Ill be interested to hare how you get on.

Steels bad enough loaded normal.

Originally Posted by Toby

Steels bad enough loaded normal.

I think a rabbit at 10m might disagree

A rabbit at 10m would disagree with my shitty old slug gun

A rabbit at 10 metres is better to be shot with a 22 sub, a lot cheaper, and we all know how cockies like cheaper....