Subsonic rounds
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singleshot
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What caliber do you want? Lots of ammo is subsonic.
In .45 ACP almost all of the loadings are subsonic. Aguila produces several subsonic .22 loadings (the best in MHO is the Sub Sonic Sniper loading with the 60 grain bullet.)
As Singleshot asked, what caliber are you looking for?
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Ne Conjuge Nobiscum
"If there be treachery, let there be jehad!"
As Singleshot asked, what caliber are you looking for?
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Ne Conjuge Nobiscum
"If there be treachery, let there be jehad!"
i wouldn't lose any sleep if the ammo isn't sub-sonic. i was told that for ammo to be subsonic, the bullet must travel less than 1100 fps. Most 165 and 180 grain ammo is subsonic. Basically ANY 180 gr ammo will suit your desire. I like fast HP ammo because it will expand more reliably... that's just the way I like it. i'll take mine 165 grain and under. The only reason to used sub-sonic ammo is for silencers... and that's illegal.
Sub-sonic ammo is often less reliable in guns because of the reduced slide velocity which is need to extract the case.
Ben
Sub-sonic ammo is often less reliable in guns because of the reduced slide velocity which is need to extract the case.
Ben
slickpuppy
New member
Ben,
Silencers are legal in certain states and if you pay the $200 tax to the treasury.
Silencers are legal in certain states and if you pay the $200 tax to the treasury.
Subsonic means having a velocity less than that of sound (the opposite of supersonic). .45 ACP is inherently subsonic but making the 9mm Parabellum, or .40 S&W for that matter, (an inherently supersonic round which depends on higher velocity for its effectiveness) slower is stupid and real world shootings have illustrated this. The only benefit would be for suppressors, as mentioned, and to avoid the extra noise component of the sonic crack when the bullet breaks the sound barrier (though muzzle blast is all the same to your eardrums). Simply, if you want subsonic, just get a .45; it doesn't require speed to make a big hole every time.
singleshot
New member
Well 189....
You really didn't answer the question about why you care whether a round is subsonic or supersonic. You've been told that the speed of sound is around 1150 fps. at sea level (as altitude increases the speed of sound decreases).
In the specific case of the .40 S&W bullets of 155 gr. or lighter can generally be loaded to supersonic velocities, but the most common 180 gr. loads cannot.
I doubt that you intend to use a suppressor, so I'm wondering if you might have read an article or maybe seen Winchester's advertising of "subsonic" ammo.
The fact that a bullet is, or is not, going faster than the speed of sound is is not a particularly important factor in whether or not it's going to be a good load... bullet design is much more important.
You really didn't answer the question about why you care whether a round is subsonic or supersonic. You've been told that the speed of sound is around 1150 fps. at sea level (as altitude increases the speed of sound decreases).
In the specific case of the .40 S&W bullets of 155 gr. or lighter can generally be loaded to supersonic velocities, but the most common 180 gr. loads cannot.
I doubt that you intend to use a suppressor, so I'm wondering if you might have read an article or maybe seen Winchester's advertising of "subsonic" ammo.
The fact that a bullet is, or is not, going faster than the speed of sound is is not a particularly important factor in whether or not it's going to be a good load... bullet design is much more important.
I believe that certain police agencies switched to 147 grain subsonic 9mm rounds in the early '90's as they supposedly offered superior barrier penetration than 115's. Results in actual shootings proved that these rounds were unreliable when used in straight man to man shoot outs, and I'm still not sure why so many still appear on the shelves of gun stores, Winchesters 147 grain Super X being one notable example, I see it everywhere and it's darned expensive too ($25 for 50), personally I'd avoid them in everything where a faster option is available, IMHO speed is THE key.
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Mike H
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Mike H
If you are after higher hit probabilities at seriously long ranges, subsonic out of most pistol rounds is a better bet (as long as you can adjust for the trajectory!).
Barely supersonic rounds are the worst for wind drift, because crossing through transonic speeds entails a type of turbulence or whatever that increases "lag time." This lag time is the difference between what the time of flight would be at constant muzzle velocity (as in a vacuum), and the actual time of flight caused by the slowdown in air.
This is why IHMSA silhouette shooters were surprised to find less wind drift with 300-grain bullets that were slower, than with really fast 200-grain bullets in the same caliber. The intuitive theory of: longer flight time = more time for the wind to "push" = more total wind drift...is false.
But these guys shoot at up to 200 yards!
Barely supersonic rounds are the worst for wind drift, because crossing through transonic speeds entails a type of turbulence or whatever that increases "lag time." This lag time is the difference between what the time of flight would be at constant muzzle velocity (as in a vacuum), and the actual time of flight caused by the slowdown in air.
This is why IHMSA silhouette shooters were surprised to find less wind drift with 300-grain bullets that were slower, than with really fast 200-grain bullets in the same caliber. The intuitive theory of: longer flight time = more time for the wind to "push" = more total wind drift...is false.
But these guys shoot at up to 200 yards!
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