Subsonic.308 for hogs

[Elkeater]

anyone have experience with killing hogs with a suppressed .308 win using subsonic ammo? I go on one or two combo axis deer/ hog hunts a year and the place I go has a lot of hogs and it's not unusual to kill 2-5 per evening in one stand. Only thing is after using my 7-08 the amount of ruckus at each stand gets a little high. I have a suppressor waiting on ATF right now and should have it before fall. I have a .308win barrel I can screw onto a savage action but I'm wondering if it's worth the hassle of using subs to keep the noise level down.

TIA

 

[xsn10s]

I'm not sure how the terminal performance would be. Wondering if a big heavy 45 cal lead bullet with a wide metplat would be better?

 

[Zen Archery]

Head shot only under 50 yards.

 

[Elkeater]

Sounds like maybe good for very specific applications?

 

[xsn10s]

All I can say is even standard 308 ammo was quieter with a suppressor. You can still hear the pop, but I didn't need muffs or plugs at the time.

 

[budlight]

My hog hunting experiences are mixed as to silenced VS non silenced. hogs that have been shot at before even from long distances scatter after the first hit. I've done non silenced feeder and stands and you can have a pig down and kicking even and the rest just keep eating. Or I just put down a couple and the feeding group scatters and then off to my left here comes a group of 20 trotting along together down the path.

 

[Bucklowery]

Yes it can help. Like Ed said head shot and will depend on twist of barrel and ammo. If you roll your own you can get ammo with better expansion at slower speeds

Thanks

Buck

 

[Elkeater]

I do handload so lots of bullet choices. I believe the .308 win barrel I have is a 10 twist so that could probably handle up to 180s maybe 190s. I've really thought about just buying a Ruger American ranch rifle in 300 blackout for shooting subs.

 

[Bucklowery]

I am shooting a 308 and like the extra thump

Thanks

Buck

 

[mongo4567]

I played around with it with a bolt gun and 10 twist. I bought some Trailboss and 180grn 30-30 bullets, but ended up finding some reasonably priced factory subsonic ammo to use before I loaded any. I took a deer and a pig if I remember right, it worked fine. With all of concerns around dealing with loading subsonic and all that case capacity in 308, I decided to focus on 300 blackout for that role. With 300 blackout I've started just using a supersonic load. You will seldom shoot a pig in a group and not have them run anyway (subs don't make much of a difference). It's not like they don't know something is wrong....with a suppressor they might run right at you with sub or super. Shooting subs is like bow hunting with the rainbow trajectory....the range finder and drop chart are your best friends.

 

[cohunt]

I load subs in 300bo and 308--- in the bo ( 1:8 twist) I use 195gr expanding monos , in the 308(1:10 twist) I use 220gr rn bullets with green dot pistol powder.

The 300bo cycles with both subs and supers-- the 308 wont cycle the subs--I'd have to bore out the gas hole so much ti get the subs to cycle it would be waaay overgassed with supers.

Bolt guns are more quiet than semis

Thing to realize is that all 30 cal subs are pretty much the same down range, 300bo/308w/300wm/300wsm/etc....but if you plan in shooting both subs and supers on the same trip then the larger cases are better--

- but remember to rezero---- my subs and supers hit more than 18inches apart vertically at 100 yards

 

[Mike D Texas]

They will work with head shots but generally suck with body shots. Also 300 blackout is better for suppressed due to the low powder volume velocities can be very inconsistent in 308.

 

[scrmblr1982cj8]

When I lived in SC, I killed a number of hogs using sub-sonic .308 Lapua ammo. My stand was about 40 yards from the feeder.

 

[458win]

Last time I shot a hog with a subsonic load I got child support payments.