Subsonic hunting loads for bolt action

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Subsonic hunting loads for bolt action

Postby Buckeye66 » Sun Jun 04, 2017 9:09 am

I have a complicated question. I am building a rifle for the upcoming Ohio deer season and have decided that the .450BM most likely fits what I'm looking for. I'm a lefty so I'm looking at rebarreling a Savage 110 in 06 which gives me plenty of length and is available in left. The barrel will be threaded for a suppressor which is currently awaiting release from jail. I found a company called Outlaw State Bullets that makes a 500gr jacketed .458 hunting bullet that they will swage down to .452.

So-I'm looking for anyone with suggestions on powders or with experience in loading something similar in their BM. I know some people have had success with trail boss but I don't think that there is enough space to get around my 1000-1050fps target. suggestions?
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Re: Subsonic hunting loads for bolt action

Postby Al in Mi » Mon Jun 05, 2017 5:15 am

you could always go up the powder burn rate chart, Rel 7, H4198, etc. Might be a bit dirty thou.
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Re: Subsonic hunting loads for bolt action

Postby Hoot » Mon Jun 05, 2017 6:45 am

I don't think you need to go that heavy to get them down to sub-sonic. It's more about powder selection. At 500gr and 1050fps, they will have a rainbow trajectory. I suppose if you're just going to use it for close-in brush busting, it wouldn't matter. Sighted in at 100 yds, its like 3 inches high at 50 yds, but drops 3 ft at 200 and 10 feet at 300 yds.

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Re: Subsonic hunting loads for bolt action

Postby mcb » Mon Jun 05, 2017 8:48 am

I have not loaded any yet (but hopefully soon) but from playing with QuickLoads a ~400gr bullet seems to be optimal for a subsonic 450BM loads when pushed by TrailBoss. It's the only powder that seems to fill the case, burn completely, not cause over pressure, and will yields ~1050fps. That is almost 1000ft-lbs at the muzzle. Also the muzzle exit pressure is super low so with a suppressor I suspect is will be very quite.
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Re: Subsonic hunting loads for bolt action

Postby Buckeye66 » Sat Jun 17, 2017 8:07 pm

Yes you are correct on the range issue. 2 of my last 15 deer were at 80 yards. All the others were less than 50.

I'd really like to keep them at 500gr if it will work. If not I'll look at dropping to 400gr.
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Re: Subsonic hunting loads for bolt action

Postby howa-doing » Wed Aug 30, 2023 3:25 pm

this is what i am trying to do
seems like 1050 fps will have the same trajectory @ 400g or 500g
so i want to go 500g but 400 will do too i am sure

thinking unglue is the powder to choose
just can't find confirmation on useing 10g of unique
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Re: Subsonic hunting loads for bolt action

Postby dantiff3 » Thu Aug 31, 2023 5:50 am

howa-doing wrote:this is what i am trying to do
seems like 1050 fps will have the same trajectory @ 400g or 500g
so i want to go 500g but 400 will do too i am sure

thinking unglue is the powder to choose
just can't find confirmation on useing 10g of unique


You're correct. 1050 is 1050. Trajectory is same between projectiles at this speed. I sight in my sub loads to be 2" high at 50 yards. That makes them zero at about 85 and 2" low at 100. I have shot these out to 150y on paper and they are roughly 15" low. That's right in line with my second BDC drop from my Sig Buckmaster scope so works out good ; ) For my hunting load, I'm running the Hornady 395 sub x bullet over 12.2 gn of unique with a shorter than average OAL of 2.080. These feed great from my ruger and shoot awesome! Sound laughably quiet through a suppressor ; )
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Re: Subsonic hunting loads for bolt action

Postby howa-doing » Mon Sep 11, 2023 2:38 pm

so where did you get that 12.2 load of unique
what is the max load with 400g
did you find this load published or you going on experience
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Re: Subsonic hunting loads for bolt action

Postby dantiff3 » Tue Sep 12, 2023 4:43 am

howa-doing wrote:so where did you get that 12.2 load of unique
what is the max load with 400g
did you find this load published or you going on experience


This was all done by trial and error. I started off my 450 subsonic adventures with my homemade cast bullets (405 gn RNFP). Cast bullets tent to fly faster than their copper jacketed counterparts with less powder. So after knowing what I had learned finding a good load with lead bullets, I started working up loads with the jacketed 395 sub-x bullets. 12.2 gn of powder and putting the bullet deeper into the case gives my rifle the 1060 fps and accuracy that I was looking for. I have no clue what the max would be. My objective was only subsonic.
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Re: Subsonic hunting loads for bolt action

Postby howa-doing » Sat Nov 11, 2023 4:26 pm

dantiff3 wrote:
howa-doing wrote:so where did you get that 12.2 load of unique
what is the max load with 400g
did you find this load published or you going on experience


This was all done by trial and error. I started off my 450 subsonic adventures with my homemade cast bullets (405 gn RNFP). Cast bullets tent to fly faster than their copper jacketed counterparts with less powder. So after knowing what I had learned finding a good load with lead bullets, I started working up loads with the jacketed 395 sub-x bullets. 12.2 gn of powder and putting the bullet deeper into the case gives my rifle the 1060 fps and accuracy that I was looking for. I have no clue what the max would be. My objective was only subsonic.
Dan


you sound like you are going about it the way i will have too
you seem to have a little more experience
,,,,but i have done a few things ''out of the box''...just try to avoid it if possible
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