Thread: Subsonic load for 308

what is the maximum distance a 308 sub load would be good for?

Originally Posted by Tararua Phil

Did you see this? a series of 3 vids...interesting. (hope it's the right one.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DB1DpwMth98

in the second video, that sweet dog is right up in the stinging nettle. its supposed to be deadly to dogs from what I ready?

Originally Posted by Mohawk660

what is the maximum distance a 308 sub load would be good for?

Depends on the sub projectile. I'm pretty sure one of the guys in here has shot deer at a couple of hundred yards with subs using the lehigh projectile. The lead HP ones, about 75yds would be the limit.

I limit myself to 50m with the cast 150g and trail boss,look at it like bow hunting,unless you can brain or spine shoot them be prepared to do some tracking.

@Mohawk660 check out this thread https://www.nzhuntingandshooting.co....ubsonic-23441/

Thanks Stug. Am looking at doing some sub loads as want to shoot over my dog. Looks as if i will be spending plenty of time at the range

@jim160 mate im sorry i haven't seen this post, probably best in some respects this is my first 24hrs in months with NO meds....... so hang on with any ramblings....

so, rifle that i used in this project was / is a single shot omark, I had a little removed from the end, threaded and a Gunworks maximus suppressor made up for it. Love Omarks and for the purest, ive saved a fair few over the years and this one was never going to be a target rifle again....i digress, but ive just found some reloading 2B4 old reloading notebooks so.....

the following is only around the subsonic development, my goal was to create a hard hitting accurate quiet round,

Powders that ive tried, 2206H, Alliant 2400, Trailboss, 700x wow a raft of them, found the 2400 lethal with a Carcano 6.5 with lead cast projectiles, the 308, it was trail boss!

Cast projectile weight ranged from 208Gr looks as if i sized to .312 of which with a very classic annoyed handwriting "with much annoyance, ive realised ive not properly written down the previous top load" "the author is a poor recorder of loads, an idiot"..............which makes me laugh, and a little cry as from what i can tell i was making a 224gr projectile sized .310 GC with wool filler, with 9gr trail boss another with 12gr of 2204 i know one was super quiet and more than adequately accurate, how so i made up a box of 50, and am now down to only a couple, owell ill be more attentive!

i also found a load for a 150rn sized to 310, notation = "quiet, very accurate" was with a filler, possibly with flared case 1430,1418,1407,1385, 1399fps

i will keep looking and see what moulds i was using, i know i was even making my own gas checks, my go to guru was / is The Cast Bullet Kid, jeff is truely a legend! in fact i may bug him next now that im able too!

ramblings done!

I’ve seen people drill out the flash hole to guarantee a god burn rate when using trail boss? Is this necessary or just a waste of time?

Originally Posted by G.I_Joel

I’ve seen people drill out the flash hole to guarantee a god burn rate when using trail boss? Is this necessary or just a waste of time?

I was told I didn't need to, so I don't.

Originally Posted by G.I_Joel

I’ve seen people drill out the flash hole to guarantee a god burn rate when using trail boss? Is this necessary or just a waste of time?

I skimmed through the Hodgdon sheet on using Trail Boss for reduced loads in rifles and a later article on the same subject by John Haviland on loaddata.com. Neither mentioned drilling out flash holes so I will not do it. Incidentally John got about 1050 feet per second from both 150 and 165 grain jacketed projectiles in a 16 inch barrel.
Grandpamac.

Originally Posted by G.I_Joel

I’ve seen people drill out the flash hole to guarantee a god burn rate when using trail boss? Is this necessary or just a waste of time?

Any body recommending drilling out flash holes steer clear of him he is an idiot, And knows little about reloading and nothing about cast bullets and loading subsonic loads.
I have a note on my pad to message you, I am back casting again, what was it you need I will fit it in some where I have couple of big orders to do but it is good to take a break
and cast something else.
Cheers
Robert.

Hi Robert, are you casting any heavier projectiles than the 151

Originally Posted by Martin358

Hi Robert, are you casting any heavier projectiles than the 151

I have a 170 grain pointed GC mold and a 200 grain flat point plain based mold the 200 grain is not stable at subsonic velocity in some rifles
the 151 works in all barrel twists at all velocities

This is a 151HP subsonic taken from a pig shot at 20 metres,
All the recovered bullets look like this,
You can email me at 'robs.reload@gmail.com'
I am still busy with orders but can probably do you some 151HP I am casting them this week
Cheers
Robert.

You need to go back a long way in time before any of you were born to find why the Drilling out of flash holes was in use,
When the .30 government was all the rage, They use to shoot indoor gallery matches at 50 feet with 173 grain cast bullets
loaded with very light loads of Pistol/Shotgun around 3.5 grains of Bullseye and other powders in that burn rate with kapok
as a filler, The problem was the pressure from the primer charge would cause the primer to back-out of the pocket and tie-up the bolt
so the solution was to drill out the flash hole to reduce the pressure, That is the simple version the long technical version is about a full page,
You can try it your self Seat a primer in a full length sized case and fire it , It may or may not back out of the pocket if you do it often enough
you will get it to work, I and a couple of friends did it one wet Saturday afternoon many years ago, 1969 don't remember which Saturday
Don't do it with subsonic loads it will increase pressure and pressure equals velocity and also stuff up the cases for higher pressure loads,
Use Trail Bass and other fast powders for subloads they give enough pressure to blow the case out to seal the chamber so you don't get
gas leaking back into the action and sooting it up, For reduced loads AR 2206H is the best loaded to 60% 2208 is marginal for this type of load.

Photos pop up on websites once in a while of rifles having S.E.E Secondary Explosive Effect or detention, The labs have never managed to duplicate it
so it must be rarer than getting struck by lightening, The labs maybe too well controlled Temperature and Humidity wise for it to happen it may need
the right weather conditions to trigger it, One thing every one agrees on that it is light charges of slow burning powder that causes it, there are two main theories
one is that the powder lays flat on the bottom of the case while in the chamber below the flash hole when the primer fires the flash does the length of the powder
igniting it all at once, No two is that the primer fires and starts the projectile moving it stops when it hits the rifling and then the powder ignites and hits a pressure spike,
They probable other theories, Until it happens in controlled condition no one knows, So don't load below recommend start loads and you can't go wrong, well you can but that is another story.