Shoots fairly well considering what you are trying to achieve. I can't complain.
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223 subsonic loads
- Thread starter William F
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check on silencertalk.com in the reloading section.
but your best bet is probably going to be something like 80gr bullets and trailboss. the heavier bullets will be fine in the bolt action (vs. mag OAL issues in AR's) and trailboss is good at filling up space for lighter loads.
or you can just buy a new 300AAC Blackout barrel for your 700 and buy subsonic ammo over the counter..
but your best bet is probably going to be something like 80gr bullets and trailboss. the heavier bullets will be fine in the bolt action (vs. mag OAL issues in AR's) and trailboss is good at filling up space for lighter loads.
or you can just buy a new 300AAC Blackout barrel for your 700 and buy subsonic ammo over the counter..
I've used Trailboss to load some subsonics using Nosler 77gr OTM's. I don't recall the charge weight but I think it was 5.8 grains which filled the case about 70%- much better than stick powder.
I was shooting a 1:7 twist 18" AR and shot a slightly larger than 1" group at 100 yards (5 shots- about 1.2")
I checked a bullet stability calculator and a 77gr in a 1:12 twist is nowehere near stable. Even a 55gr was less than stable. Not a bad thing for small game or critters as the bullet goes all funky inside, but not good for suppressors.
Keep in mind on the 22LR that the bullet is hardly touching the rifling in a .224" barrel, if it touches at all. I'd guess it's likely riding on the rifling, not engaging it. .004" is a lot of slop for a bullet that should be engraved by the rifling.
I was shooting a 1:7 twist 18" AR and shot a slightly larger than 1" group at 100 yards (5 shots- about 1.2")
I checked a bullet stability calculator and a 77gr in a 1:12 twist is nowehere near stable. Even a 55gr was less than stable. Not a bad thing for small game or critters as the bullet goes all funky inside, but not good for suppressors.
Keep in mind on the 22LR that the bullet is hardly touching the rifling in a .224" barrel, if it touches at all. I'd guess it's likely riding on the rifling, not engaging it. .004" is a lot of slop for a bullet that should be engraved by the rifling.
Gotta disagree with you there. If the 223 barrel is the correct SAAMI spec, the groove diameter is .219". The 22LR bullet will engage the rifling, and that friction will retard the bullet progress. As a result of the friction, the pressure bulding behind the bullet plus the soft lead of a typical 22LR bullet, will cause the base of the bullet to obturate and fully engage the rifling. If it did't, you'd end up with a really bad gass blow-by with each round fired, and a lot of fouling in the barrel.
You can use trail boss for subsonic .223 loads. Works great.
I went this rout and came to the conclusion that it's not worth it. Really, all you are doing is creating a load that basically duplicates the performance of a 22LR and you are jumping through hoops to do it. WHY? Most 223 bullets will have terrible terminal ballistics at subsonic speeds, so even the heavier 223 bullet will not do as good a job as a subsonic 22LR hollow point. A good 22LR rifle is inexpensive and the cans cost less too. There is no "cool factor" this way, but for me the novelty wore off fast and I realized I had just wasted my time messing with it.
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