Subsonic 7.62x54R!

[kawasakifreak77]

Not a cast boolit load but I thought this might be of interest to someone here. I've got a Mosin 91/30 that I threaded for my suppressor. I found a few boxes of old virgin Norma brass at a local place & figured I'd try to load a few subs for fun. After a few tries this is what I got:

Norma cases
CCI #200
Hornady 150gr .312" softpoint (#3120)
7.8gr bullseye

Crimped in the cannelure, velocity is just over 1,000fps

The rifle is sighted in to Yugo M30 heavy ball. These shoot decent groups 2" high at 100m. With the suppressor & subsonics I put the sight on 3 for a 50m zero, 5 for 120m, I haven't tried farther but I will later since that ladder has a lot more elevation to it! The windage stayed right inline with my adjustment for heavy ball unsuppressed!

These are giggle worthy! That long barrel & suppressor makes these quiet as a bb gun & then "SMACK" when the bullet finally arrives.

Ya'll have a good one.

[frkelly74]

See, now that just sounds like good clean fun!

[Larry Gibson]

Very similar to the old "Guard" load for the 30-06. A very useful subsonic load.

Larry Gibson

[Outpost75]

Thanks for posting. That is GOOD info and nice to have some independent validation of my own tinkering in the Finnish M39, in which I ended up using 7.2 grains of Bullseye with the same bullet, about 900 fps. Very quiet even without the can, but I would caution everyone NOT to reduce further as you WILL stick a bullet in the barrel! If you do so, the safe way to remove it is with the Brownell's Squibb Rod threaded onto a Dewey cleaning rod, after having flooded the bore with Kroil and letting soak for 15 minutes. Then you can easily tap the bullet out WITHOUT using a hammer, but simply by many light taps, using no more than the weight of the rod itself, coaxing the lodged bullet along and out.

[kawasakifreak77]

Thanks for the advice. The thought of sticking a bullet was in the back of my mind the whole time so I made sure I saw the bullet kick up dirt down range or checked the bore.

Very similar to the old "Guard" load for the 30-06. A very useful subsonic load.

Larry Gibson

I guess I never thought of that! I was told the guard load was tge regular cupro nickle ball bullet over 9gr of bullseye. I have a guard load in my 30-06 collection & when you shake it there sure ain't much in there!

I figure these would be great for small game. Too bad I didn't thread a carbine because this rifle stands shoulder high!

[Thumbcocker]

Is the bullet tapped out forward or backward?

[frkelly74]

Which ever way is shorter.

[junkbug]

Could one substitute Red-Dot for Bullseye for this purpose? Not for a suppressor, but just for a general quiet load?

[GhostHawk]

Junkbug I would certainly think so.

I have personally only gone as low as 10 grains of Red Dot, but I was not trying to get sub-sonic either.

I would start in the 5 or 6 grains of Red Dot, load one, fire it. Ideally over a chrono and adjust from there.


I have shot several other calibers in the 4.5-5 grain range, and they are pretty quiet even without a silencer. .300 Blackout, .30-30, 7.62x39, .357 mag.

As noted above if you do not see the bullet hit, verify bore is clear. No need to get anyone injured.

[Motor]

My standard sub-sonic 54R load:

Lee 160gr 2R TL powder coated with Harbor Freight Red.

Powder: 6gr Bullseye
Primer: Either large rifle or *large pistol (*large pistol works great in S&B brass which has slightly shallower primer pockets.)
Velocity: 1075fps

With the PC these shoot as clean as any J-word load.

Here is a photo but these are gas checked for super sonic use.

Motor

[SOFMatchstaff]

I prefer the trail Boss in the 308, 303, 3006, and 300sav for use thru the can. I settled on the Berrys 150 gr FP 30/30 bullet, molyed so it has less chance of sticking. very accurate to about 150 yd. The powder coat sounds interesting though.

[mac60]

I shoot the Lee 311-93-1R over 3 gr. of RD. TL'd with a LR primer. At 25 yds. it chews a ragged hole in the target. Great fun to shoot.

[Kevins750]

I have shot a 100 gr .32 cal fmj over 10gr of unique.

[mrrch]

I use the Lee 311-93 as well but not very accurate in my Mosin or my Enfield (need a larger diameter)

[nagantguy]

My standard sub-sonic 54R load:

Lee 160gr 2R TL powder coated with Harbor Freight Red.

Powder: 6gr Bullseye
Primer: Either large rifle or *large pistol (*large pistol works great in S&B brass which has slightly shallower primer pockets.)
Velocity: 1075fps

With the PC these shoot as clean as any J-word load.

Here is a photo but these are gas checked for super sonic use.

Motor

This is identical to my recipe almost same boolit and primer only I'm just a touch higher on the powder and my lees are pcd John Deere green for quite work!

[LAGS]

If I want to go Sub Sonic, I just use my chamber adapter and shoot any of the .32 Pistol Calibers.
32 H & R Mag, .32 long, 32 S & W or .32 ACP.
Dang Quiet even with out a Can.
Got the Adapters for .303 , .308, .30-06 also
Need to buy or make one for the 7.62x39 next

[mac60]

I use the Lee 311-93 as well but not very accurate in my Mosin or my Enfield (need a larger diameter)

I have 3 mosin 91/30's - one of them slugs at .312". My .311-93-1R drops them at .313". I tumble lube them and shoot them as cast. I use them sized at .310" in .30-06, .308 Win and 7.5x55 also sized .312" in .32 acp. Oh - almost forgot 7.62x25 - I size them at .309 for it.

[tranders]

I also have that chamber adapter for my Mosin and it is darn quiet even without a can. Kinda funny watching people expecting the big boom from the Mosin and it sounds almost like a 22LR. Lol

If I want to go Sub Sonic, I just use my chamber adapter and shoot any of the .32 Pistol Calibers.
32 H & R Mag, .32 long, 32 S & W or .32 ACP.
Dang Quiet even with out a Can.
Got the Adapters for .303 , .308, .30-06 also
Need to buy or make one for the 7.62x39 next

[LAGS]

Sometimes when I am at the range with my .308 Tactical , I load it with the chamber adapter without anyone seeing it , and then tell people to listen when I throw the Switch to Silent Mode.
They are blown away , and think I have an Intragal Suppressor built into the Bull Barrel that I can switch on and off

[tranders]

That's funny. I will have to remember that next time I'm at the range.

Sometimes when I am at the range with my .308 Tactical , I load it with the chamber adapter without anyone seeing it , and then tell people to listen when I throw the Switch to Silent Mode.
They are blown away , and think I have an Intragal Suppressor built into the Bull Barrel that I can switch on and off