308 Subsonic Hunting

[RFtinkerer]

My apologies if this has been answered before, but I have a suppressor in ATF hell right now I'm unsuccessfully trying to forget about for 9 months. I'm thinking about coyote hunting at night/early morning in my backyard (yes, it's legal for me), but don't want to wake my kids and neighbors with a shot in the early morning. So I'm thinking subsonic hunting rounds. This will be for 120 yards or less range; I'm pretty sure no actual bullets besides cast lead will do anything but pencil through. I don't reload (yet), and see that SW ammo and Corbon sell subsonic factory ammo with the SMK. I'm thinking I can cut off the nose to flatten out the head, and not really worry that I'm wrecking the BC. Has anyone tried this? Are there other options to go with?

 

[Nimrodmar10]

Take a look at the Outlaw State Bullets. They are a little pricey but very good bullets. I use them in my Remington 700 Tactical AAC with a Yankee Hill Phantom Suppressor. Try using Trailboss powder and a chronograph to make sure they are shooting 1100 fps or a little less. About all I hear is the firing pin fall and the bullet smacking the target.

Home - Outlaw State Bullets LLC

 

[hunterbob]

My apologies if this has been answered before, but I have a suppressor in ATF hell right now I'm unsuccessfully trying to forget about for 9 months. I'm thinking about coyote hunting at night/early morning in my backyard (yes, it's legal for me), but don't want to wake my kids and neighbors with a shot in the early morning. So I'm thinking subsonic hunting rounds. This will be for 120 yards or less range; I'm pretty sure no actual bullets besides cast lead will do anything but pencil through. I don't reload (yet), and see that SW ammo and Corbon sell subsonic factory ammo with the SMK. I'm thinking I can cut off the nose to flatten out the head, and not really worry that I'm wrecking the BC. Has anyone tried this? Are there other options to go with?

I used the 147 gr FMJ the last coyote I got, and he didn't go anywhere. Hit him past 60 yds through the shoulders and he did a flip, problem solved. If a 223 or a 12Ga #6 shot will drop them, a 308 will; no matter what bullet you use for it...I was using the 150 gr Rem Spire Point. I couldn't recognize it, after hitting a yote with that... LOL real messy for sure.

 

[RFtinkerer]

Excellent. I just want to make sure it's a quick kill. I ordered a box of EBR Thumpers from SST Tactical; I'll see if they stay subsonic in my 26 inch barrel...and hold a good group at 100, at least. And then wait, wait, wait some more.

 

[hunterbob]

Excellent. I just want to make sure it's a quick kill. I ordered a box of EBR Thumpers from SST Tactical; I'll see if they stay subsonic in my 26 inch barrel...and hold a good group at 100, at least. And then wait, wait, wait some more.

I just put a new scope on my Savage 308 Barsa 5x to 16x
I zeroed it in with the rifle in a lock down rest. A dime covered 4 bullet holes at 100yds. with rem 150 gr. and it shoots the same group with Winchester 150gr HPBT, and with Hornady 165gr GMX or SST. For the quick kills I used the Rem or Federal 150 gr Power points. That's if I don't want the pelt. I use the same ammo in my DPMS LR308 too. It shoots the same group at 100 yds too.

I saw the same results with kills with 147 FMJ. It's not always an instant kill, but I always try to make it that way, to limit suffering. Maybe i'm just weird or something, but I was taught by a mentor over 45 yrs ago, that you still have to have some respect for an animal even though its a varmint. Hunter ethics he called it. Shooting predators is necessary. We all get excited when we shoot one, but we don't shoot them to see suffering, only.
I always try to nail them in the right spot, just like you do. I got Winchester 168 grs and I save that for deer. Next week I'll be checking out some new areas and I'll use my Panther LR308 for that area with a 147 FMJ being the one in the tube, then 150 Rem PP after that, to use on those yotes, possibly bear and Hogs, may be in that area, so I like to have the ammo that's right; just in case...

 

[Grumulkin]

All going subsonic will do is eliminate the sonic boom; there will still be plenty of muzzle blast so personally, I wouldn't bother.

I've shot a fair number of animals around my home in the middle of the night and early morning hours. My wife is pretty alert and the ONLY time I woke her was when the muzzle blast set off our burglar alarm. Firearms used at night have included 22 LR (pistol), 204 Ruger, 243 Winchester, a braked 7mm/08 handgun and probably some I don't remember; none subsonic or suppressed. Unless someone is already awake and you only fire once, you probably won't wake anyone up.

Consider the above photo of a Coyote I shot at about 225 yards a couple of evenings ago using a 22-250 loaded with 55 gr. Sierra Varminter bullets. You can see the bullet wound on the shoulder and evidence of copious bleeding. After being hit like that, the Coyote ran FAST for at least 150 yards before going down. If you shoot a Coyote near any type of cover and wish to find it, I would strongly recommend an expanding bullet (not that nonexpanding won't work eventually) and take a neck or head shot.

 

[vendetta333]

if youre not worried bout the fur you could use amax's or bt's

 

[RFtinkerer]

To update, the EBR Thumpers shot like crap in my rifle. For now, I'm considering the Hornady Custom lite 125 SST load. It's actually quite a bit quieter in my rifle compared to full power loads, and still is greater than 1800 fps to 300 yards, so it should expand nicer while keeping the power lower to avoid total destruction. As a bonus, it's extremely accurate. The bad BC (estimating 0.28) shouldn't limit me too much for my short ranges. Now to grow a pair and actually TRY it to see if I wake anybody up.