Anyone use subsonic 22LR ammo? I've been thinking about buying a few boxes and was just wondering what everyone thinks of it? Is there really a noticeable difference in sound? Would it be significantly less noticeable for the neighbors? With the lower velocity would it still have enough force to kill a muskrat, rabbit, etc? Just wondering what everyone's thoughts on it is...
It is quieter than normal .22LR ammo. Subsonic will work just fine utilizing head shots on vermin. Probably the best I ever heard of was .22 Short thru a bolt gun with a suppressor on it. That was really quiet.
I use subsonic for groundhogs and other pests. I live +/-30' from my neighbors and no one is any the wiser. They sound like a pop more than a gunshot. They won't cycle my marlin 60 though, if that matters to you.
I use sub-sonic in two bolt-action rifles. One is a Ruger American with a threaded barrel and a can. This is pretty darn quiet, even less noise than my Beeman pellet rifle. The other rifle is a CZ Trainer with a 28.5" barrel. This one is almost as quiet, even with no can. I keep my shots under 50 yards and use head shots on small game and vermin. Also works well on trash birds. I wouldn't use them for anything larger though. I'm actually looking at picking up a .25 caliber pellet rifle for this kind of shooting. I think it can be just as effective, and cheaper to shoot.
I have some RWS sub-sonic and CCI sub-sonic. The CCI is quieter than normal through a can but not a ton quieter. The RWS in a bolt gun is crazy quiet. In a 10/22 the bolt action sound is still enough to not make the whole thing super secret squirrel quiet regardless of the ammo used.
Subsonic and a can is a lot of fun!! Just being able to shoot without hearing protection is a great feeling. I have a new to me Ruger mk III that I added a threaded Tactical Solutions aluminum Barrel to, it is now in Cerakote and as soon as I get it back I will put it back together with a Volquartson accuracy pack and a subsonic spring kit so it will cycle properly
My neighbors definitely heard mine. A buddy gave me a couple boxes a few years ago, some CCI and Remington. I ran both through a pair of Savages. It wouldn't cycle in the model 64 (autoloader), the other was a 93 (bolt action). It was quieter compared to CCI Mini Mags but after popping a couple off in the woodline behind our place, back porch lights started coming on. @olywa mentioned a .25 pellet rifle. I knew a guy who had one. It was an accurate little critter getter. Not entirely silent though, either.
CCI Quiet is perfect out of my rifle. No ear-pro needed. In the pistol it pops though, so I go for Aguilla Colibri there.
I've heard that Aguila Colibri is awesome stuff, especially out of a revolver where cycling isn't an issue. It's a very unique load for sure.
Yep... it's odd stuff. I just had to buy it. They're using a shorter case to not exceed the overall cartridge length of standard 22lr ammo. There's a good chance my rifles with 1:16 twist rate won't stabilize it. Hope to find out next weekend.
Sure thing brother... just got one of the new Leupold VX-FREEDOM Rimfire scopes for my CZ455 varmint so planning to give it a workout this weekend.
Preliminary results... only shot 5 of each. The 60gr rounds would not fully eject for some reason. I need to do more testing to figure out what's going on with them. The target stickers are 2" diameter.
Be careful with that stuff in a 1:16 twist barrel if you are using a suppressor. We have seen it destabilize upon uncorking form the barrel and cause pretty significant damage to baffles. It will stabilize very well in a 1:9 twist but those barrels are pretty specialized.
Thanks for putting those up. Any one of those rounds you you like better overall? What do you think about that Leupold? I didn't want to tie you up with a long conversation but was eager to hear what you thought about it. I recently bought a cheap 10/22 receiver from a buddy, put a barrel and an old junk stock on it (I'd like to find a factory wood stock). Last thing I'd like to do is put a nice little piece of glass on it. I had just been looking at those scopes when you mentioned yours.
There's a good variety of ammo in that pic... higher velocity HPs for hunting and a few subsonic loads, so most seem O.K. and have a purpose. The only real standout is the CCI Target Shorts. They were all over the place. Possibly the extra distance before the bullet reaches the rifling in the long rifle chamber is the problem? The Leupold VX-FREEDOM Rimfire scope seems O.K. so far, especially for the price point. I only paid $175 for it. I like the recticle with MOA hash-marks for quick elevation hold over. The glass seems clear and bright but I haven't tried it in low light yet. On the negative side, it's a fixed objective, focused at 60 or 75yds I think. I know some guys want something that will focus down to 30yds or so for their rimfires, but that will cost you twice as much or more. Also, I didn't check the tracking with a box test or anything, but the clicks didn't seem to be exactly 1/4 MOA when I was sighting it in. That's likely one of the compromises with a scope this cheap. But not a factor for my purpose, as once sighted in I expect to just use the reticle for hold over.
