woodlark Posted December 27, 2012 Report Share Posted December 27, 2012 (edited) I've just been reloading some 20g subsonics for my Hushpower (with thanks to the help from the forum) and was just wondering if any of you can suggest an optimum velocity (chronograph is about 5 feet from muzzle). I'm at about 990 fps at present but have in mind increasing powder slightly to get to about 1020 - 1050 fps. Any views would be welcome. Cheers and season's greetings. Edited December 27, 2012 by woodlark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest cookoff013 Posted December 27, 2012 Report Share Posted December 27, 2012 my subs are 950fps at 2.5 meters. not great but calculates back at 1000fps at muzzel. i wouldnt be too concerned about the speed, but the speed consistency. leave the shells as they are. cook. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sitsinhedges Posted December 27, 2012 Report Share Posted December 27, 2012 I've just been reloading some 20g subsonics for my Hushpower (with thanks to the help from the forum) and was just wondering if any of you can suggest an optimum velocity (chronograph is about 5 feet from muzzle). I'm at about 990 fps at present but have in mind increasing powder slightly to get to about 1020 - 1050 fps. Any views would be welcome. Cheers and seasons greetings. Make them faster if you can, they will kill better but wont sound louder unless they are very fast. I would aim for 1100-1150 fps letting the report guide you. I know at around 1100 you should be getting a sonic crack but it doesn't seem to actually work that way. Conversely fire a very slow round at a low level wood or solid hedgeline and it will be loud as the sound bounces back. Some standard cartridges also don't seem excessively loud in the moderated gun either, Gamebore Traditional Game 28gram for example, but they also appear to chrono much slower than the speed marked on the box. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sitsinhedges Posted December 27, 2012 Report Share Posted December 27, 2012 Also use bigger shot and let the pattern govern the range Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest cookoff013 Posted December 27, 2012 Report Share Posted December 27, 2012 when i first started loading subs, my first speeds were 750-800fps, i actually shot alright with them. very very soft shells. cook. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sitsinhedges Posted December 27, 2012 Report Share Posted December 27, 2012 when i first started loading subs, my first speeds were 750-800fps, i actually shot alright with them. very very soft shells. cook. With my slowest you could hear the patter as the pellets hit the birds wing feathers but I still reckon faster is better for a killing round. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted December 27, 2012 Report Share Posted December 27, 2012 If you put a whole 100 fps on them they would no longer be subsonic and I seriously doubt if patterns are equal that gain in energy will make the slightest difference if pellets land in the same place on the quarry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sitsinhedges Posted December 27, 2012 Report Share Posted December 27, 2012 If you put a whole 100 fps on them they would no longer be subsonic and I seriously doubt if patterns are equal that gain in energy will make the slightest difference if pellets land in the same place on the quarry The thing with reloading is that it gives us scope to try things out and find what works for us individually. I've loaded up and shot several thousand 'subsonic' cartridges of varying recipes and used them extensively for pigeons, some rabbits and even the odd fox. I definitely note a problem with rabbits and smaller shot sizes, I prefer 24grams of no4 now for my lamping out to about 25yards (I don't want them overshot and full of pellets). I found that despite theoretically not being subsonic you can make cartridges go a bit faster without getting that sonic bang that is very evident in other cartridges. Maybe the bang only exists for the time any shot is supersonic, I don't know, but I have still come to the conclusion that you still want whatever you are going to shoot at live quarry to be as deadly as it can and this is my compromise for a round that can largely compete with a standard cartridge. I put 6 pretty tough pigeons in the bag tonight, those fleeting roost shot birds that are curling over the treetops. I'm sure those extra FPS do no harm and it's still a world away from normal gunfire. Confidence is everything and the results I get with these give me confidence in them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodlark Posted December 28, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 28, 2012 (edited) Thanks for this, it certainly makes you think. I guess the issue is fairly subjective, based on perceived effect as well as the hard science. I'll keep testing - over the chrony and in the field - I'll let you know how it goes. Edited December 28, 2012 by woodlark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest cookoff013 Posted December 28, 2012 Report Share Posted December 28, 2012 The thing with reloading is that it gives us scope to try things out and find what works for us individually. I've loaded up and shot several thousand 'subsonic' cartridges of varying recipes and used them extensively for pigeons, some rabbits and even the odd fox. I definitely note a problem with rabbits and smaller shot sizes, I prefer 24grams of no4 now for my lamping out to about 25yards (I don't want them overshot and full of pellets). I found that despite theoretically not being subsonic you can make cartridges go a bit faster without getting that sonic bang that is very evident in other cartridges. Maybe the bang only exists for the time any shot is supersonic, I don't know, but I have still come to the conclusion that you still want whatever you are going to shoot at live quarry to be as deadly as it can and this is my compromise for a round that can largely compete with a standard cartridge. I put 6 pretty tough pigeons in the bag tonight, those fleeting roost shot birds that are curling over the treetops. I'm sure those extra FPS do no harm and it's still a world away from normal gunfire. Confidence is everything and the results I get with these give me confidence in them. +1 i prefer 4s in subsonics, #4 subsonic at the muzzel has 3x the energy or so at 30yards, compared to #6 shot at 1400fps. which is a hot speed. the #4 just seals the deal on game. i know what every one is thinking, #6 for everything. but no. if everyone would just pattern some, they will be amazed. a friend of mine wanted to see what my loads would do. so i told him the recipe, 16grains Hoddgdons titewad, couple of powder cards, 20mm fibre, 32g #4 shot in a 70mm case. he was very unconvinced, so he had the data, and then we went to pattern some. first i shot a boringly average round of sporting. then was the pattening. there was a big crowd around the pattern board. as others were patterning there guns. after they finished, first i put a standard shell 28g #7.5 on the board from a supernova and 1/4 choke. results covered the whole board. as one would expect. then it was re-painted and time for subsonics, i aimed for the top-right 1/4 as i didnt want the central target piece to obscure the pattern. i aimed and fired. "smack" perfect round patten about 4-5 clays in diameter. then everyone came over "What are you shooting?" said subsonics. then proceded to pull out my 1/4 choke. just to confirm it was 1/4. as the pattern was extrafull. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest cookoff013 Posted December 28, 2012 Report Share Posted December 28, 2012 24g lead #4 has under 150 pieces of shot ! and i bet 90% get on target. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Mat Posted December 28, 2012 Report Share Posted December 28, 2012 Have any of you tried 12 bore subsonics out of a normal shotgun, ie not a hushpower? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sitsinhedges Posted December 28, 2012 Report Share Posted December 28, 2012 Have any of you tried 12 bore subsonics out of a normal shotgun, ie not a hushpower? They're a bit quieter but not substantially so. They're used at claygrounds a lot for lessons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest cookoff013 Posted December 28, 2012 Report Share Posted December 28, 2012 Have any of you tried 12 bore subsonics out of a normal shotgun, ie not a hushpower? yup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longgun Posted December 31, 2012 Report Share Posted December 31, 2012 cookoff did you reload 12ga, 32g subs with AS powder? How much powder need for 800-900 fps at 2,5 m ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest cookoff013 Posted January 1, 2013 Report Share Posted January 1, 2013 (edited) longgun, 12-70mm cx2000 primer. 17grains vectan AS 4mm powder card 20mm fibre 32g #4 shot crimp fold. 402bar 940fps@2.5m i also load this at 18 grains but that is a non proofed recipe. there are other 32g recipes that exceed 18grains. i have never exceeded 18 grains, nor do i have any intention to. it burns ok, but the winner for this is #4 on game. if you load 6s or 8s for clays its actually quite pathetic.but it does pattern brilliant at distance. Edited January 1, 2013 by cookoff013 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longgun Posted January 1, 2013 Report Share Posted January 1, 2013 Thanks cookoff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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