Quietest Bolt Gun Subsonic Load 220gr?

[Dweezil]

Honestly, I wouldn't bother with a heavy bullet for Subsonics if you're shooting a bolt gun. The main reason for the heavy bullet was so 300 BLK would cycle an AR-15. This obviously isn't a concern with a bolt action or single shot. Also, heavy bullets are more expensive and harder to find.
I'd go the other direction and shoot light PISTOL bullets like the Hornady xtp 90-100gr bullets. They're designed to expand at subsonic velocities and will actually perform better on soft targets than a heavy, pointy subsonic bullet designed for faster velocities. A fast powder like Red Dot will work fine for these with no problems with overpressure.
Just my 2cents.

[Poodleshooter]

Honestly, I wouldn't bother with a heavy bullet for Subsonics if you're shooting a bolt gun. The main reason for the heavy bullet was so 300 BLK would cycle an AR-15. This obviously isn't a concern with a bolt action or single shot. Also, heavy bullets are more expensive and harder to find.

Heavier bullets= better BC ,better ballistics, and a longer bore riding area that assists accuracy somewhat

I just ran a series with 5.7grs of Unique under the cast Lee 230gr 5r ogive bullet at about 2.21" OAL (seated to the crimp groove, and crimped with the Lee FCD). It was very quiet, very low pressure, and my entire test series (5.5-6.0grs) only had a 70fps ES across the entire range of loads. It's only going at pistol speeds, so no gas check is needed, and a relatively soft alloy can be used. For a bullet caster, that= cheap.

[talonxracer]

Honestly, I wouldn't bother with a heavy bullet for Subsonics if you're shooting a bolt gun. The main reason for the heavy bullet was so 300 BLK would cycle an AR-15. This obviously isn't a concern with a bolt action or single shot. Also, heavy bullets are more expensive and harder to find.
I'd go the other direction and shoot light PISTOL bullets like the Hornady xtp 90-100gr bullets. They're designed to expand at subsonic velocities and will actually perform better on soft targets than a heavy, pointy subsonic bullet designed for faster velocities. A fast powder like Red Dot will work fine for these with no problems with overpressure.
Just my 2cents.

Those bullets are a little too short, accuracy will be all over the place, the throat and freebore is intended for looooong bullets, 110's are as small as I would go, the little Vmax and some red dot would be fun to try plinking steel targets with, that is whenever they come back into stock, LOL. With bolts and single shots ignore the advertised COL's and seat using conventional "seating off the lands" reloading procedures, makes a world of difference.

[tallburnedmidget]

Honestly, I wouldn't bother with a heavy bullet for Subsonics if you're shooting a bolt gun. The main reason for the heavy bullet was so 300 BLK would cycle an AR-15. This obviously isn't a concern with a bolt action or single shot. Also, heavy bullets are more expensive and harder to find.
I'd go the other direction and shoot light PISTOL bullets like the Hornady xtp 90-100gr bullets. They're designed to expand at subsonic velocities and will actually perform better on soft targets than a heavy, pointy subsonic bullet designed for faster velocities. A fast powder like Red Dot will work fine for these with no problems with overpressure.
Just my 2cents.

You raise some good points. My main purpose is hunting quietly. A smaller bullet at subsonic speed will not gain me any advantages over the heavy ones I have. I plan to hunt subsonic with my AR as well so I already have heavies for the cycling need. I have Lehigh Defense and Outlaw State (194gr - 225gr) bullets that expand at subsonic velocities as my subsonic hunting bullets. My secondary purpose is simply curiosity

For working up my subsonic hunting loads, 200-220gr bullets are waaaaaaaaaay cheaper than the ones I plan to hunt with, plus I already have the heavies because of the AR. Once I get things working well with the 220gr SMKs I should have a good basis to load those stupidly expensive expanding bullets w/out wasting too many.

A little background info helps explain the madness

[imyomama]

I don't know about yall , but here in Texas , we like to shoot hogs with 300blk subs ! the only reason I shoot a 220 smk ( and soon 247 lead) is because they don't make a 500 smk in 30 cal. I would never shoot a 110 sub at a 250lbs hog ... ! If you shoot one of those big ones and don't kill it .. they will come looking for you!

270lbs .. with smk220 video : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJYckvdFbbU

last kill couple of weeks ago... #205 !

[tallburnedmidget]

Hahahaha I should have mentioned I live in Texas and base a lot of my hunting load goals around the fact that I ALWAYS have hogs in mind. I'm plan to stick 208Amax (bought 1k of the blems) or 220SMKs in the ear of hogs, however you don't always get an ear shot so the weight is needed for a vital shot at sub speeds.

I'm not going to waste my Lehigh or an Outlaw State bullet deer loads on hogs unless I'm deer hunting and hogs show up while I have my deer loads ready to go.

So, once again context is key. I'm all for a super quiet light/cheap plinking loads to show off the 300 BLK. That will be a separate load I get to work up for my rifle. Next time I see those plated Armscor 110gr 30cal bullets become available at $11.99/100 I'll buy about 500 for just such a load. It will be a fun load to work on

Btw, I loaded more of my potential Red Dot sweet spot load last night to try out soon. Also loaded .2 off the lands to see how that works out as well. Maybe this weekend I can shoot them. I will definitely get to within the next 3 weeks.

[tallburnedmidget]

OK I give up on trying to load Red Dot and the 220 SMK at 2.120 as I cannot get it to stabilize at that COAL.

HOWEVER, loading .02 off the lands I had 5 sure stable shots but the avg speed was 760fps though I knew the load would be a bit slow. I need to work the powder up at my "off lands" COAL to try and get some more speed out of the load.

[tallburnedmidget]

It's been a while on this thread but I finally started the load work again and I think I am rejuvenated about it as I think I've turned the corner on this load... it has been the toughest by far for me with 300BLK.

I won't report the loads I tested yet but I am close. I'm within .3gr of powder on my 208 A-Max and I am .5gr of my 220gr SMK, I might be out of SMK's though... will check hehe.

[ss355]

I have also experimented with some ultra quiet loads as well, although in my AR. ...

I took a load recipe from the Liberty Suppressors website:
165 NBT, SMK, or A-max
5.4 gr Red Dot
CCI-400
COAL - 2.120

They did not list a COAL, however I tried 2.120 as that is what has worked well with other subsonic loads in my experience. I have not tested accuracy as I have only shot these loads in my basement.

This load is extremely quiet, and is not bad even without a can.

Edit:
16" Noveske barrel, pistol gas, 1:7 twist

I tried this load, too, in my Noveske 10.2 with pistol gas, 1/7 twist, and adjustable gas block (SLR Sentry 7). Even with the suppressor on the gun, it was surprisingly noisy. However, I tested in my garage into a bullet trap. Perhaps it was the concrete reflecting the sound or the almost imperceptible difference between muzzle blast and target impact, but I expected slightly better sound attenuation. I assumed the shorter barrel length would produce higher muzzle pressure, but I didn't think it would be that much.

I now want to try Red Dot behind some heavy-ish pills in my Yugo SKS with gas cutoff. It also accepts my suppressor, so I hope the longer barrel length helps cut down the noise.

[certifiable]

I don't know if it would make the quietest heavy sub load for a bolt gun but Accurate No. 9 sure as hell won't run a suppressed sbr at sub velocities. As such, I think it would be rather quiet in a bolt gun
220 SMK @ 2.173" OAL, 1.604" by .30 cal comparator
LC converted case
CCI 400
8.2 gr No.9
Light crimp with LFCD
9" bbl got me 998 fps average velocity with an ES of 24 fps.
Suppressed this load ejected the spent case but failed to pick up the next round