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All Springer/NP/PCP Air Gun Discussion General => Back Room => Topic started by: Scooter B on January 10, 2011, 12:27:14 PM

Title: Sub sonic .22LR
Post by: Scooter B on January 10, 2011, 12:27:14 PM
After reading JReb's .22 topic, it got me thinking about pulling the Ruger Mk III Target out of the safe.  I can't shoot it around the house because of the crack of the round and I know it won't shoot shorts. (it loves CCI mini mags)  Seems like more ammo makers are comming out with the subsonic rounds.  Is there one that will function properly in the semi auto action of the MK III that will still be quiet?
Title: Re: Sub sonic .22LR
Post by: Progun on January 10, 2011, 01:48:51 PM
I doubt it. Getting it to function won't be hard but that short barrel won't help keep the noise down much even with a sub-sonic round. I have tried all kinds of sub-sonic rounds in an effort to to find a quiet but still effectively accurate squirrel getter. The most accurate in my Thompson Center are the PMC 38gr hp called the Moderators. I avg.933 fps @ the muzzle and these long rifle rounds reliably cycle in my autoloaders.Quieter than a HV round but still not "quiet". My longer barrel Marlin 39 shoots the CCI target short @ 830fps and is very quiet. Very stealthy but won't work in an auto loader unless you single load.Even then,the breech will open upon firing and throw some hot gas and fire at ya'.Auto loaders just ain't made for shorts and cb's.
Title: Re: Sub sonic .22LR
Post by: JonnyReb on January 10, 2011, 01:58:30 PM
 You could just shoot it as a single shot. I shoot a little 2.5" s&w alloy framed revolver, model 317 using my subsonic round of choice and find that only the colibri round is quiet enough(sounds like a capgun) to fire without hearing protection. Any of the other subsonic rounds are still pretty loud. I had a ruger auto pistol for a few years and found that mine needed a good bit of recoil to eject properly. I'll bet you could change a few key parts and modify it to shoot subsonic?. J
Title: Re: Sub sonic .22LR
Post by: wilded on January 10, 2011, 02:03:36 PM
You need about 16 inches of barrel or the sound is still loud subsonic or not.  I fired a CBee Long Rifle out of my Ruger 5.5 target barrel and it sounds like a regular round. They are pretty quite out of my 16 inch carbine. The Cbee will not work the bolt of my Ruger.
Title: Re: Sub sonic .22LR
Post by: Scooter B on January 10, 2011, 02:25:13 PM
Well, that's what I fugured.  I'll just stick to the air guns around the house and save the powder burners for the range/camp.

Thanks guys.
Title: Re: Sub sonic .22LR
Post by: JonnyReb on January 10, 2011, 02:54:51 PM
Guys, how quiet is the subsonic rounds? I've never fired them, or been around someone who has fired them.  Is that much of a difference?  Also, do they make subsonic rounds in other pistol calibers?  Sorry for my ignorance.

  In a long barreled bolt action, a subsonic shell is very quiet. Definitely comparable to an airgun i'd say.
Title: Re: Sub sonic .22LR
Post by: Jay on January 10, 2011, 03:31:02 PM
SS if you reload?? Yes you can make alot of low velocity round's for any gun.
Title: Re: Sub sonic .22LR
Post by: oldpink on January 10, 2011, 07:43:59 PM
Jay, there is no one in this world I know of who can reload for rimfire ammunition.
Title: Re: Sub sonic .22LR
Post by: Jay on January 10, 2011, 08:00:28 PM
OP it was to ShootersShoot's question that you can still see on JonnyReb's post above, I guess he must of taken it off? He asked about "other" pistol cal.'s able to be subsonic/low velocity? An yes I believe I "might" know a little on reloading as I've been at it for over 40 year's now, an a instructor for over 10.
Title: Re: Sub sonic .22LR
Post by: oldpink on January 10, 2011, 10:27:11 PM
Jay, oh, didn't see that one.
Must have been deleted, then.
You're definitely right about handloading subsonic ammo.
Just a matter of using small quantities (starting loads) of fast burning powder like Bullseye or Red Dot.
I even can do it easily using small charges of Unique in my .45 Colt.
Title: Re: Sub sonic .22LR
Post by: Jay on January 10, 2011, 11:25:19 PM
For sure OP I was waiting for him really to ask more so I could warn him of a few of the danger's of playing with some low velocity round's, they can kind of get on the dangerous side if you use a wrong powder or don't pay attention, it really is a art in it's own when reloading an not mentioned in many manual's because of such.
Title: Re: Sub sonic .22LR
Post by: oldpink on January 11, 2011, 02:39:19 AM
No question about it overly low charges of certain powders can be dangerous.
One that can cause a catastrophic detonation is W296/H110.
Starting loads are also what I refer to as minimum loads, and the slow burning double-based ball powders especially need the starting loads by the book and never under.
Title: Re: Sub sonic .22LR
Post by: Joshua A. on January 11, 2011, 02:49:20 AM
i have a marlin model 780 bolt action, what would be a quiet subsonic round to shoot from this rifle. it does shoot shorts S-L-LR.. would some shorts be quieter or subsonics?? i don't know an awful lot about rimfire cartridges....sorry LOL

Joshua A.
Title: Re: Sub sonic .22LR
Post by: oldpink on January 11, 2011, 03:40:23 AM
If you want the quietest round possible to shoot out of that, look no further than the CB, sold by the likes of CCI, Remington, and (I believe) Winchester.
CB in this case is an old term for "Cap and Ball" from way back when it was only a primer propelling a bullet.
The modern CB has a small powder charge to ensure the bullet makes its way out of the barrel, but they are definitely very quiet, certainly comparable to the lowest volume airguns out there.
Title: Re: Sub sonic .22LR
Post by: Progun on January 11, 2011, 12:59:19 PM
Oldpink is right about what rounds are the quietest. The cb caps are absolutely the quietest in your long barrel 780 Marlin. Unfortunately a quiet round that is inaccurate doesn't really have much value. The very low powder charges in all cb rounds contribute to low noise but their accuracy past 15 yds will leave you wishing/wanting for something more accurate. Try the CCI Target shorts in your rifle.They are just as quiet as the cb shorts and longs but more velocity and accuracy than either. A better mousetrap fer sure.
Title: Re: Sub sonic .22LR
Post by: wilded on January 11, 2011, 09:57:18 PM
If you have not tried the Remington C Bee Long Rifle Hollowpoints you need to pick up a box.  They are a little louder than a CCI but I have gotten very good accuracy out of my rifles with them and excellent bullet expansion with the scored hollow point.  Since they are long rifle length they function well through bolt, pump or lever actions.  ET
Title: Re: Sub sonic .22LR
Post by: JonnyReb on January 11, 2011, 10:38:15 PM
 I fired some of the Remington "Subsonic" ammo today for the first time, i was surprised to see that the 38gr. bullets are still being pushed out at a factory rated 1050fps.. and i couldn;t swear i was getting the "crack" of rounds going supersonic but if it wasn't it was close enough. Those rascals are LOUD. They were also very accurate and the all lead hollow point looked very capable. They are well worth trying but they go to show that there are many different levels of subsonic ammo and the remy subsonic and the RWS subsonic target are both just about as loud as a regular .22 shell. I won't be fooled by that term (subsonic)again when looking for a quiet shell and will instead look for velocity below 1000fps.  J
Title: Re: Sub sonic .22LR
Post by: wilded on January 11, 2011, 10:40:53 PM
The Remington CBee LR is 740 fps.
Title: Re: Sub sonic .22LR
Post by: MichaelM on January 12, 2011, 03:06:49 AM
Dont forget those aguila's that just use a light round and eley primer.... in a pistol they are louder(but not much) but in a rifle the hammer makes more noise then the cartrige does going off......  could prooly take a squirrel at 10-15 yards with one with a head shot  same with birds......

Wont cycle the action of an autoloader though thats for sure
Title: Re: Sub sonic .22LR
Post by: SDale on January 16, 2011, 06:24:20 PM
For pistols, I use Aguila Colibri. They're pretty quiet, sounds like a cap gun going off. Over the chrony in my Ruger MKIII they're doing just a smidge over 400FPS.

In my rifles I shoot the Super Colibri. Out of a 20 inch rifle barrel, all you hear is the firing pin strike. I pop sparrows in the backyard with a Remington 514 and Super Colibri. Perfect out to 18 yards.

Out of the Ruger they're louder than the standard Colibri and are doing closer to 530-550 FPS and around 480 or so out of the Remmy.

Gotta be careful shooting these out of a rifle though. Make sure the bore is CLEAN, then run a patch with some dry lube down the barrel. If not, you'll end up with a squib after 8 or 10 rounds.


For a GOOD subsonic round out of a rifle, I've been using Wolf Match Target for quite a few years now. I've never chronied them, but specs say 1050 FPS. They're fairly quiet from my Remington 597 and will do clover leafs at 50 yards. EXCELLENT round for the price.