Thread: hunting with subsponic 44 or 45 cals

Fellas anyone here hunt with subsonics in the pistol calibre rounds, 44 mag, 45 colt or 45 acp, whether in lever guns or other carbines? Interested in hearing your experiences on game with cast and jacketed bullets. How effective do you find the slow moving slugs on medium sized game, and do you find the hollow points offer an advantage.

And subsonic, not subsponic

Awesome picture, can I ask what range you shot it at and also who did the conversion?

Don't forget 38special is subsonic too

Originally Posted by Tommy

Don't forget 38special is subsonic too

Good point I'll add to that the question, anyone use this on game? I have been experimenting actually in my 357 lever action. Found at subsonic speed most .357 HP and SP aren't expanding which is to be expected. The 135grain gold dot made for 38 special and 125 grain remington golden sabre seem to be about the best expanding, .55 cal or so at impacts down to about 850fps. That's on water jugs, not sure if this would be much of an idea on pigs.

Originally Posted by sixtus

Good point I'll add to that the question, anyone use this on game? I have been experimenting actually in my 357 lever action. Found at subsonic speed most .357 HP and SP aren't expanding which is to be expected. The 135grain gold dot made for 38 special and 125 grain remington golden sabre seem to be about the best expanding, .55 cal or so at impacts down to about 850fps. That's on water jugs, not sure if this would be much of an idea on pigs.

They're a big fat 22 sub basically. I have head shot a few goats with a rossi single shot. Worked mint ad they kind of milled around.

Chest shots worked well with the cast lead but a couple took a minute ot expire.

Worked well enough for me to be happy using them in a humane point of view.

I use a 357 Rossi Puma on goats. My favourite load is 38sp brass loaded to max +P data behind 158gn cast flat points. Very accurate. Soft recoil. Any goat I can hit with it up to 150m is a dead goat with a placed shot. I tend to favour/restrict myself to under 100m more because of eyes with open sights. Best advice I can give is find a clay bank where you can see a puff of dirt when bullet hits and practice at measured distances. Really learn to judge distance and learn what the rifle/load combination can and can't do before you start blasting away. Know what sight setting to change to at diff distances. These are not flat shooters. Using the same projectiles with a full house 357mag load I watched my adult son nail goats at 180-200 metres on two occasions. One chest shot, one neck. Both required aiming shots. I don't like that because of wounding potential. I dont recommend it especially with open sights unless you really really know your gun/load. Of interest, both goats were off their feet, rolling downhill on impact. Those lead slugs hit real hard even if they have a rainbow trajectory. No finishing was required. I don't use these loads on small game as I shoot for meat. They would be adequate for deer and pig at appropriate ranges. Great bush rifle as light and fast to aim. Have fun, take care of the game, practice like hell.

Originally Posted by Jhon

I use a 357 Rossi Puma on goats. My favourite load is 38sp brass loaded to max +P data behind 158gn cast flat points. Very accurate. Soft recoil. Any goat I can hit with it up to 150m is a dead goat with a placed shot. I tend to favour/restrict myself to under 100m more because of eyes with open sights. Best advice I can give is find a clay bank where you can see a puff of dirt when bullet hits and practice at measured distances. Really learn to judge distance and learn what the rifle/load combination can and can't do before you start blasting away. Know what sight setting to change to at diff distances. These are not flat shooters. Using the same projectiles with a full house 357mag load I watched my adult son nail goats at 180-200 metres on two occasions. One chest shot, one neck. Both required aiming shots. I don't like that because of wounding potential. I dont recommend it especially with open sights unless you really really know your gun/load. Of interest, both goats were off their feet, rolling downhill on impact. Those lead slugs hit real hard even if they have a rainbow trajectory. No finishing was required. I don't use these loads on small game as I shoot for meat. They would be adequate for deer and pig at appropriate ranges. Great bush rifle as light and fast to aim. Have fun, take care of the game, practice like hell.

Thanks so is that 38+P load in the carbine still subsonic. I'm guessing your are running a bit over if you are plugging things at 150m or do you run a range finder. Its a foot or two holdover at that range for subsonic velocities.

Hare with 44mag. 200 or 300gr plated, can't remember which. Unsuprisingly, bullet didn't expand - in stead bored a .429" hole straight through in through the shoulder and out through the neck. It died.

Those big flat meplats still transfer plenty of energy and cause a lot of damage even without expansion.

i hit a bunny with a 300gr 44 mag. wasnt pretty

in the good ol' days occasionally used the 357 rossi on possums. 125gr hollowpoints.
One looked like it had been taken to with an axe

Iv wapped plenty of stuff with my 308sub, I expected the 44 to be a big step up
without the hydroshock effect its just a big stab wound that you wait to kill them from blood loss

This is interesting. I have a .44 mag and sub load but havent shot anything with it yet. Lol. I am thinking goats really close in, maybe 10-20 m. How is that likely to play out? Or 50m? Projectile is 240 gn xtp with a hollow nose lots of exposed lead. Sorry i cant offer any actual experience, OP!

Iv shot a turkey with my 44/77 ruger with 44 special bullets
it must have missed everything vital as i had to shoot it again

i thought it would be inline with shooting it with a 12ga but really its more inline with a 22lr

the trick is that it has penetration and will keep going in the bigger stuff and will reach the vitals or CNS thats inside

The .44 Magnum farkin' flattens big pigs with @shooternz's 270gr pills. Head and neck shots. Have only used the flat nose so far and have 80 odd HPs to try next. Just learn the trajectory and keep the range short.

In .44 Mag with a 12" barrel and DPT, subsonic isn't exactly quiet like a .308 and 16" barrel, but its a lot quieter than full speed factory ammo and easy to use in tight bush where sound reflection is normally a problem.

I’m shooting the Bergara 44 mag single shot which has a 16.5” barrel and DPT. I would always wear ear pro if I had time, even with subs, but it’s ok. Quiet enough that you can hear the hammer drop, mixed in with the report of detonation. Trouble is with these larger calibres it’s just a big hole at the end and the sound gets out whatever you do.