# 308 sub sonic loads



## Chase4556 (Aug 26, 2008)

I am wanting to load some sub sonic loads to use in my buddies suppressed 308 when we pig hunt. He has bought factory sub loads, but I figure I can reload them for cheaper than we can buy them. Issue is finding load data on them. I dont have my certain bullets in mind at the moment, and will base my bullet choice off whatever load data I can find. 

Anyone have a source for some, or have your own that you care to share?


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## Bird (May 10, 2005)

13.7 grains of Trailboss with 220 grain Sierra Pro Hunter round nose. Don't have my load data here with me at work and I don't remember COAL but it was 0.015" off lands and grooves.

There is a thread about 308 sub loads from last year or so.


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## muney pit (Mar 24, 2014)

I use win brass, wlr primers, 10-11grains of trailboss with 175smk backwards or 220 round nose. Coal 2.800" out of a 24" tube its around 1,000 fps for me.

A goofy video of me shooting subs out back.





vs super sonic


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## Chase4556 (Aug 26, 2008)

So trailboss seems to be the powder everyone uses. I will probably pick up the 225gr round nose from outlaw state bullets. They seem to have good reviews. These are going through a 16.5" 1:10 barrel. Im assuming a grain or two more powder might be needed to get the velocities up, but I will of course start low and work up through the chronograph. 

If I can not find any load data with the outlaw state bullets, I may go with the 220 sierra pro hunters.


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## muney pit (Mar 24, 2014)

Actually when working with sub sonics you start high and work lower. You can fill the case up with trailboss and not be in any danger. The danger is getting a squib round. Start at around 12-13 grains and work down by .5 until your in that 950-1,000 fps.


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## Ready.Fire.Aim (Sep 22, 2009)

2 considerations, 
-rifle twist rate determines maximum bullet length ( weight) that can be stabilized. 
-Also is the suppressor screw on or integral with a drilled barrel? You will get different results and have to adjust powder charges. 

I have an integrally suppressed FN patrol bolt by Johns Guns. Factory barrel (1:12) optimized for 168g SMK so I am limited to 180g bullets.
It won't stabilize heavier ( longer) bullets. 

I use 15g Trail boss powder and Hornady 180 gn round nose bullets. COAL is 2.65"

I have killed a lot of wild hogs DRT with brain shots at night. Hollywood quiet, very accurate. About the same power as a .38 special. 

I just bought a few boxes of Lehigh Defense Maximum expansion subsonic bullets to work up some loads.

I have a screw on .308 suppressor (Thunderbeast) I use on my AR10s with full power loads. 

I also shoot subsonic .300 black and .44 Magnum in suppressed rifles. 



Have fun
RFA


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## JuanGrande (May 29, 2010)

Muney Pit, loading the SMK's backwards? Any ill-effects associated with this? 

I was loading some sub-sonic 300 BLK this past weekend using Hornady's 208gr BTHP. The thought occurred to me to try a few with the bullets loaded backwards. But I decided against it. May need to try it next time.


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## muney pit (Mar 24, 2014)

No ill effects other than i could never get them to shoot very well. Just another thing to tinker with. My 223 sub rounds i did i had several split necks on the brass. I never got into it alot. But there is a ton of info online from those that do. Good luck with it.


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## Bird (May 10, 2005)

Ok, here's my 308 sub load:

13.7 grains Trailboss, Win Large rifle magnum primer, Sierra 220grain pro hunter round nose, 2.778" COAL, 1040 fps avg (chrono'd). Keep in mind that I set my COAL based on the max chamber length in my Savage Axis minus 0.015". Max magazine length wasn't an issue. I used a Hornady modified cartridge and measurement tool to get my max length. Your's will likely be different.

All brass is Federal and I have trued the primer pocket and reamed the flash hole. This is not enlarging it rather trimming the metal from the inside of the case where the primer hole is punched through. I have the rifle zeroed at 100 yds with supers and the sub rounds are 3" low at 50 yds, all rounds shot with suppressor. Also, as said above, start high and work down. Check barrel if you even think you might have had the slightest possibility of a squib round. Also, start without the can to check for bullet stability, then go suppressed.


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## horned frog (Nov 9, 2008)

Any of the 150-170 grain bullets designed for 30-30 lever guns seem to work well for subsonic .308 without stabilization issues.

Trail Boss is the "go to" powder.


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## Ish (Oct 30, 2008)

bumpski...

anyone develop anything new in the last ~3 1/2 years?

i was thinkin' to start playing around with some old 178 amax's i have laying around, then when i get it down, swithcing to the eld-x in 178.

or is that a mistake? should I start with 208s and just clone beck's???

got a good idea about tb charge weight, but am pondering base to ogive (rather than COAL) seating depth... should i go with same seat depth of my long range super loads, or should i leave some jump in there to get up some speed before hitting the lands? i'm thinking for subs to go with some jump.

i fully understand the reasoning for both approaches (so no lengthy explanations are needed), but i was wondering about y'alls experience with base to ogive seat depths in subs vs supers.

as thanks/prepayment for your shared experiences:










poor form, yes, but i'd prolly be inclined to let it slide.


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## muney pit (Mar 24, 2014)

Honestly, i dont think ive reloaded any 308 since this thread. Once i got into 300 blackout, its all i shoot sub sonic now.


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## Bird (May 10, 2005)

All of my 308 loads, sub and super, are restricted by magazine length so the base to ogive or COAL is what it is. If I was shooting them single shot it might make a difference. Since the limiting factor in sub loads is velocity, I'm more interested in finding a load with consistent velocity, ie low standard deviation reading on the chronograph. Subs loads, in general, aren't super accurate compared to the supers although I have seen some guys get pretty decent accuracy out to 50. Much beyond that, the accuracy really falls off.


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## Ish (Oct 30, 2008)

i've had sub loads to 1-2 moa at 100, but it was with heavier bullets.

since subs don't expand anyway, i figured using all these old, cheap amax bullets would be great for sub hunting, rather than wasting the expensive good stuff. only problem is they're 30 grains lighter and i have to figure what needs to happen to stabilize them.

i'm using a bolt gun and am not worried about mag length, but i get where you're coming from.


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## Bird (May 10, 2005)

Ish said:


> i've had sub loads to 1-2 moa at 100, but it was with heavier bullets.
> 
> since subs don't expand anyway, i figured using all these old, *cheap amax bullets* would be great for sub hunting, rather than wasting the expensive good stuff. only problem is they're 30 grains lighter and *i have to figure what needs to happen to stabilize them.*
> 
> i'm using a bolt gun and am not worried about mag length, but i get where you're coming from.


LOL, cheap Amax bullets...well I guess they are cheaper than Lehigh Defense maximum expansion or controlled chaos pills.

Bullet stabilization comes from barrel twist. I have a 1:10 twist on my Savage that is fast enough to stabilize the 220gr bullets I load in my subs. For chunking 178's 1:12 is probably plenty fast enough twist to stabilize them. If you want to test it, load a few up and shoot at a target at different ranges. Look at the bullet holes in the target, if they are perfectly round, the bullet is stable in flight. If the holes are oblong then they aren't stabilizing, ie keyholing. I do this before I shoot any handload through one of my suppressors to make sure I won't get a baffle strike in the can. If they are keyholing, you can add some powder for bullet velocity as long as you are still subsonic or a faster twist barrel, which isn't necessarily the cheapest option...

I'm sure you know this but, however you decide to do it, make sure you work your loads down in velocity and not up. Just the opposite from loading supers.


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## Ish (Oct 30, 2008)

yes, i've got all that part of it...a 1:10, keyhole, starting high, etc.

and you are correct, i mispoke...i meant tighten up groups, not stabilize. not concerned about stabilization with 1:10 for such light bullets, just wanting feedback on experience with base to ogive seating depths.

and by cheap i meant compared to these and these.


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## Bird (May 10, 2005)

2.269" base to ogive as measured with my comparator tool. 220gr Sierra pro hunter, 13.7gr Trailboss, Fed 215M primer, deburred flash hole. 1040fps avg per chronograph. This a 2moa load for me. I've loaded and shot 100's of these and the velocity is very consistent. I never tried to improve this round as I won't shoot an animal over 50 yards with subs. This load has 500ft/lbs energy at 50 yards and 476 ft/lbs at 100 according to my ballistics app. They are ridiculously fun to shoot through my can. Unreal quiet coming out of a bolt gun with almost no recoil. The kids pellet gun makes more noise...


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## Ish (Oct 30, 2008)

thanks for the load info. on 220s.

when i figure out these 178s i'll share.


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## Ready.Fire.Aim (Sep 22, 2009)

Ish said:


> bumpski...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Looks like a Barrett .50BMG, she needs to get that stock aligned and tight into her shoulder pocket.

Just sayin......


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## Ish (Oct 30, 2008)

she needs her pelvis flat on the ground, spine in-line with traj, her legs spread, and feet kicked-out too, but i'm not complaining.


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## Chase4556 (Aug 26, 2008)

Blast from the past..

I have not played with 308 subs in a while either, now that I have the 300 blackout I usually just shoot that. I do have some load data for 150gr, 180gr round nose and 220gr round nose bullets with trail boss. I'd just have to go dig it out of the notebook. Those 220gr were the last ones I worked up, they shot well out to 100yds too. 

Maybe I need to load some up now that I have the suppressor... the bolt action 308 would be mighty quiet.


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