Deer hunting subsonic

DoubleLungRage

DoubleLungRage

Well-known member
I bought three boxes of HOP's 308 190gr HPBT subsonics to mess around with. After shooting some of it I started thinking about a few spots that would be great to use for deer. These shots would be 25-50 yards.

Anyone have any experience with shooting deer with subsonics? I watched some videos on guys shooting wild goats with them. Worked great.

The HOP's 190gr HPBT is supposed to be designed specifically for subsonic hunting.
 
Not on deer (yet) but have shot a lot of woodchucks with subs out of my 300BO. I think you will be fine out to 100 yards as long as you are using a bullet designed to expand/open up at subsonic speeds. What you will really want to consider is your zero. I'm shooting 190 gr bullets with a 100 yard zero. I have to aim a good 3" low at 50 yards, and almost 5" high at 125. It's not a huge deal for me to get a range and to pull out my phone and look at my ballistics chart when sitting on a woodchuck. You might not have the time for that on a deer hunt. I'd suggest looking at a ballistics chart using all of your information and see what zero would work best for you. I use the Hornady app on my phone and decided 100 was the best for what I'm doing. My longest shot on a chuck so far is 140 yards, and I'd say that's about max for me.
 
wolverines said:
Not on deer (yet) but have shot a lot of woodchucks with subs out of my 300BO. I think you will be fine out to 100 yards as long as you are using a bullet designed to expand/open up at subsonic speeds. What you will really want to consider is your zero. I'm shooting 190 gr bullets with a 100 yard zero. I have to aim a good 3" low at 50 yards, and almost 5" high at 125. It's not a huge deal for me to get a range and to pull out my phone and look at my ballistics chart when sitting on a woodchuck. You might not have the time for that on a deer hunt. I'd suggest looking at a ballistics chart using all of your information and see what zero would work best for you. I use the Hornady app on my phone and decided 100 was the best for what I'm doing. My longest shot on a chuck so far is 140 yards, and I'd say that's about max for me.
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I already see from shooting targets in the yard that you need to be sure of your distance. It's like a bow, even 20 yards can make a difference. When I get a free minute I plan on taking my range finder and measuring the actual drop from 40 to 100. No need to go any further than that. I will say this..... they are crazy fun to shoot.
 
Two of my grandsons have taken several deer with subsonic 300 Blackout. We load the Hornady 190 gr Sub-X bullet. They get the job done. The oldest, now 8, has decided he prefers neck shots so they don't run. The ones that do run don't go far. Farthest shot so far was about 70 yards.
Bobby
 
Bruised said:
Two of my grandsons have taken several deer with subsonic 300 Blackout. We load the Hornady 190 gr Sub-X bullet. They get the job done. The oldest, now 8, has decided he prefers neck shots so they don't run. The ones that do run don't go far. Farthest shot so far was about 70 yards.
Bobby
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At what distance do you set the scope for them?
 
Bruised said:
Scope is sighted in at 50 yards.
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@DoubleLungRage
With my set-up, a 50 yard zero would have me holding just shy of 1.5" high at 70. I think this is a great option for what you are trying to do on close range deer. A 50 yard zero for what I'm doing would have me holding over more than 6" at just 100 yards. I get too many shots at woodchucks in the 90-110 range that it's just not a good option for me. I think the ballistics chart will tell you everything you need to know for subsonic rounds. They are definitely getting lobbed down range and just about every 5 yards matters.
 
wolverines said:
@DoubleLungRage
With my set-up, a 50 yard zero would have me holding just shy of 1.5" high at 70. I think this is a great option for what you are trying to do on close range deer. A 50 yard zero for what I'm doing would have me holding over more than 6" at just 100 yards. I get too many shots at woodchucks in the 90-110 range that it's just not a good option for me. I think the ballistics chart will tell you everything you need to know for subsonic rounds. They are definitely getting lobbed down range and just about every 5 yards matters.
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I originally bought the suppressed ammo to shoot coons off of my feeders whenever coon season comes in. I wanted something as quite as I could get because there will be 6-7 coons at the feeder at a time. (I'm also going to trap them when trapping season comes in.) I didn't want to buy a new rifle so I went with a 308 that I already had because they are said to be very quiet with subsonics and suppressed.

After shooting some and seeing how quiet they actually are I thought about a few spots I have to deer hunt. Unfortunately, houses have sprung up all around these spots. I used to just bow hunt, but now that I am back to rifle hunting it crossed my mind and I'm sure the neighbors would appreciate it. LoL I never moved my bow stands so from the stands to the feeders is less than 40 yards. At neither of these spots is a shot over 60-70 yards even possible. I have been shooting it at 50 yards and it's dead on accurate. I haven't measured the group size, but it's well within an inch. I'm actually surprised at how accurate it is. I have no desire to even try to shoot a deer at 100 yards with them.

I appreciate y'alls help.
 
Ranges your talking about, I'd shoot cast bullets. Have shot them out on my 30-06 and ranges I'd shoot they are more than accutate enough. had 180gr cast bullet's going about 1400FPS and was like shooting a 22 RF in recoil and noise. But the country I normally hunt comes with lots of shots out to 200+ yds and if I'm gonna hunt there I believe I need to be ready for any reasonable shot. But, it is a hoot shooting those cast bullet's from the 30-06, tried them in a 308 also. Same results.
 
DoubleLungRage said:
I originally bought the suppressed ammo to shoot coons off of my feeders whenever coon season comes in. I wanted something as quite as I could get because there will be 6-7 coons at the feeder at a time. (I'm also going to trap them when trapping season comes in.) I didn't want to buy a new rifle so I went with a 308 that I already had because they are said to be very quiet with subsonics and suppressed.

After shooting some and seeing how quiet they actually are I thought about a few spots I have to deer hunt. Unfortunately, houses have sprung up all around these spots. I used to just bow hunt, but now that I am back to rifle hunting it crossed my mind and I'm sure the neighbors would appreciate it. LoL I never moved my bow stands so from the stands to the feeders is less than 40 yards. At neither of these spots is a shot over 60-70 yards even possible. I have been shooting it at 50 yards and it's dead on accurate. I haven't measured the group size, but it's well within an inch. I'm actually surprised at how accurate it is. I have no desire to even try to shoot a deer at 100 yards with them.

I appreciate y'alls help.
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I have shot my cast rifle loads to 100yds and I suspect 100yds will still be in killing range. But I don't care for he accuracy at that distance, have no idea how far the cast loads will kill but I'm pretty sure well over 100yds. I would not suggest shooting over 100yds but I'm sure the loads will do it. And it's the beyond range that bother's me. Of course if the shot is to fill the then I'd be good to go. But something to think about is there are much better loads to shoot game with than cast bullet's.
 
Used a 190 subx in a 300aac to bag a deer this year to great results. Rifle is a ruger g1 ranch (16") w/ can & burris eliminator scope. With a 50yd zero, 25 min of elevation is used up at 158 yards. That being said, its an awesome sensitive area rig, quieter than a xbow...
 
South Dakota requires that soft point expanding bullets must produce 1000 ft pounds of energy at the muzzle to qualify as a legal big game round. A comparatively anemic subsonic round is both unethical and illegal.
 
Last season I shot this buck at about 20 yards with a .300 Blackout using hand loaded Hornady 190gr Sub-X bullets that were going about 1030 FPS. He ran about 30-40 yards if that.

 
This buck was taken in the timber with a 224 caliber 64 grain Winchester Power Point bullet starting at 2920 fps and ending rather abruptly at eighty yards with over 1000 foot pounds of WHACK! Hornady needs to be called out for recommending a 190 grain subsonic bullet for medium game that on a good day cannot produce 500 foot pounds of energy at the muzzle. Its illegal for hunting in my state, and that alone precludes me from accepting it as an ethical hunting round.
 

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2LayZ2 said:
Hornady needs to be called out for recommending a 190 grain subsonic bullet for medium game that on a good day cannot produce 500 foot pounds of energy at the muzzle. Its illegal for hunting in my state, and that alone precludes me from accepting it as an ethical hunting round.
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While I agree we all owe an animal a clean and swift death, I think you're painting with a broad brush and I disagree. IMO shot placement and bullet construction are what kill, not just ft./lbs. of energy... I've killed plenty of deer and hogs with way less than 1000 ft/lbs. of energy. People kill tons of game every year with subsonic ammo that's well under 1000 ft./lbs. of energy.

That 190 Sub-X is extremely deadly at 1000 FPS within about 50 yards.

Ethical kills can most certainly be made if you can put a bullet where it needs to go, are disciplined enough to wait for a clean opportunity, and keep shooting distances reasonable. My max game range when using pistols and/or sub rounds is 50 yards.

.45 ACP 230gr XTP



.45 ACP 230gr XTP



10mm 180gr XTP



9mm 124gr +P



10mm 180gr XTP



I could post more but I think I've made my point.

ETA- my favorite hunting load in .223 is the Speer 70gr Semi-Spitzer with 26.0grs W-748. 75% of the time I get pass-throughs and I've never had a deer go more than twenty yards after getting hit with one.
 
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2LayZ2 said:
South Dakota requires that soft point expanding bullets must produce 1000 ft pounds of energy at the muzzle to qualify as a legal big game round. A comparatively anemic subsonic round is both unethical and illegal.
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That may be South Dakota's legal standard, but deer are no where near that tough. We are allowed any centerfire here in pa. Actual lethal threshold is down closer to 200 ft lb. You need to penetrate into the lung, that's about it. Ive taken several coyote with the 17 hornet & 22mag, and none made it 20 yds.

I know a few that can't maintain accuracy with their 300 wm well enough to hunt deer. It's all about proper placement
 
I'm sure we've both processed our share of wild game, but posting unsuppressed weapons that have almost identical velocity and muzzle energy stats like my 165 gr 308 Winchester (2702 fps/2674 energy) would only serve to move the thread further off the Deer Hunting Subsonic topic. I have and use both 300 Blackout subsonic rounds mentioned in this thread but cannot legally and will not ethically use either on big game.
 

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2LayZ2 said:
I'm sure we've both processed our share of wild game, but posting unsuppressed weapons that have almost identical velocity and muzzle energy stats like my 165 gr 308 Winchester (2702 fps/2674 energy) would only serve to move the thread further off the Deer Hunting Subsonic topic. I have and use both 300 Blackout subsonic rounds mentioned in this thread but cannot legally and will not ethically use either on big game.
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Stop with the ethics high horse... you're entitled to your own opinion but it's nice for a man to know his limitations.
 
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