Thread: Calling all 308 subsonic users

Originally Posted by Kiwi Greg

Said it before, will continue to say it, purpose built subsonic lathe turned projectiles are the only way forward for accurate reliable terminal performance out to extended ranges

Not the cheapest for sure but definitely the ticket for successful hunting outcomes

If you want super quite/silentish you need a longer barrel rather than shorter and or more suppressor forward & efficiency

Interesting. I've not used lathe turned projectiles. I do agree with the longer barrel and the idea of more suppressor forward makes sense. The combination kind of goes against current trends of "how short can I go and why can't I still get 2995fps and shoot MOA at 650m?"...Anyway. Our bush on public lands, what's left of it, is a different proposition to woods hunting in the Northern Hemisphere where 24inch barrels when they came along were no doubt considered short. My 38-55 Uberti High Wall 1885 replica is a "Sporting Rifle" with a 30in barrel lol. But a format which no doubt put plenty of meat on the table in its day. Probably helped if you had a serf or two accompanying you as bearers.

Anyway, enough digression. Re subsonics and lathe turned monolithic projectiles, what do you consider "extended ranges" to be? Genuinely interested.

Im thinking that yesteryear, while not subsonic, a lot of low velocity kills were chalked up with well made cast bullets with muzzle velocities in the 1200-1800 fps range. The sweet spot probably being around 1400-1500 and ranges depending on cal being out to 150m plus but probably grouping around an average of 50-80m - but someone better informed on cast bullets can chip in here.

Im heading down that cast bullet track myself. Not because it's necessarily better or the best but because I can and it's fun (to me). Also I don't have a lathe. And I like to shoot as much as possible on the range the same loads as I occasionally get to hunt with. Cast = wallet efficient. So it would take a lot to get me to go to an expensive purchased premium bullet unless it did waaaay more than I can make at home. Of course not everyone who doesn't have a lathe wants to muck around with melted lead.

But if the argument was convincing Id certainly consider saving cast for low cost fun and going to a few monolithic lathed projectiles for certainty of kill at better ranges, if thats what you are offering.

Cheers.