Best cat's sneeze rifle out there?
- Thread starter Hush07
- Start date
If you are a handloader you can make lots of quiet, subsonic ammunition. Easiest in a 30/30 or a handgun cartridge using Trailboss powder. A 30/30 with a cast bullet and trail Boss can be made to sound like a .22 short but still penetrate very well with a 160 gr bullet.
But it's 2020 and the real answer for is to get a 300 BLK with subsonic ammunition you make yourself or buy off the shelf.
But it's 2020 and the real answer for is to get a 300 BLK with subsonic ammunition you make yourself or buy off the shelf.
elimsprint
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Kelowna, BC
Maybe to not bother the neighbours?
As suggested a subsonic load using trail boss in a straight walled cartridge. 45/70, 45colt, 357, 44mag, etc. The longer the barrel the better in order to drop the total pressure before the bullet exits the barrel. Keep it under 1050fps to avoid a sonic boom.
Which rifle do you have?
No matter the caliber, there’ll be a recipe in the cookbook to make up an appropriate mouse fart cartridge. (Heretofore referred to as “Fartridges”)
Go here: https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php/1335340-Mouse-fart-recipes
I made some up for my cousin’s 30-30 just last night:
ginsingjones
Regular
- Location
- castlegar B.C.
Which rifle do you have?
No matter the caliber, there’ll be a recipe in the cookbook to make up an appropriate mouse fart cartridge. (Heretofore referred to as “Fartridges”)
Go here: https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php/1335340-Mouse-fart-recipes
I made some up for my cousin’s 30-30 just last night:
Yep any caliber you presently own will make a fine candidate for quiet ammo. I have made quiet "small game" ammo for every caliber I use. A subsonic cast bullet out of a rifle barrel is more or less just a pop sound but certainly kill a beaver.
A nice flat point 30 caliber lead projectile would be a fair starting point. Trail boss works well in more or less any caliber you choose, near impossible to get into trouble with reloading mistakes with it.
It can be a picky powder to play with accuracy wise, I have had very good luck with universal Clay's powder. Pretty much any fast pistol or shotgun powder can be used and there is a ton of safe info on how to put together a mouse fart load.
Years ago I had a beaver problem on my farm... they seldom came out in the daytime unless I worked on their dam the night before... then they would be rebuilding the dam until I showed up... it took a couple of days before I shot the first one... had to sneak ever so carefully on my belly up to an edge of an overlooking bank... they spook easily. A high speed 22 LR HP kills them quickly out to 50 yards anyway... and a 22 isn't really that noisy out in the field...
I doubt you will be shooting many shots if it's only beavers you target.
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To be frank, I think you're chasing two opposite ends of the cat here.
Any rifle/load capable of shooting a tight enough group for a reliably quick kill on a beaver at 150 yards, isn't going to be quiet.
Likewise, any truly quiet (non-supressed) rifle is going to be lobbing a typically heavy bullet at a pretty low speed, which doesn't translate to accuracy beyond about 50 yards.
I don't know the details of your situation with the neighbours, but if the closest I could get to the critter was 100-150 yards, I'd go with a fast, flat shooter that I know I could thread a needle with at that range (223, 22-250, etc.), then look for a vantage point that would allow me to "shape" the noise of the one and only shot I'd be taking. Lying prone, in a bit of a depression for instance, or having the muzzle relatively close to a large tree that would deflect noise away from the neighbour. A single loudish shot rarely disturbs neighbours. A dozen quietish shots as you lob big chunks of lead out to 150 yards and keep missing will disturb neighbours ;-) (if the critter sticks around for the shelling)
I am personally all about projectiles with faster barrel twist, it’s truly the only way to go.
Also, I vote downloading and getting close. The term “fartridges” made me laugh so hard that my wife had to inquire, hahaha
- Location
- Southern Vancouver Island
I agree that one fer sure. The last beaver I bonked was years back & I took the bugger prone from a side hill at around 80 yds or so as the critter was swimming across the pond to it's lodge. I used me Ruger 77R in 22-250 for that mission. One shot did the trick nicely as it hit the critter right at the waterline, just aft of it's earhole.
I shoot most pest critters using .22lr and have taken plenty of critters with cast boolits in chamberings from 9mm Largo to .458 Win mag but for beaver work,
I'd at least recommend a .22 Hornet using a sturdy 50 gr jacketed soft point bullet at 2200 fps for decent results out to a tad past 100 yds on critters that ain't
on the move.
Attachments
I agree that one fer sure. The last beaver I bonked was years back & I took the bugger prone from a side hill at around 80 yds or so as the critter was swimming across the pond to it's lodge. I used me Ruger 77R in 22-250 for that mission. One shot did the trick nicely as it hit the critter right at the waterline, just aft of it's earhole.
View attachment 398966
I shoot most pest critters using .22lr and have taken plenty of critters with cast boolits in chamberings from 9mm Largo to .458 Win mag but for beaver work,
I'd at least recommend a .22 Hornet using a sturdy 50 gr jacketed soft point bullet at 2200 fps for decent results out to a tad past 100 yds on critters that ain't
on the move.
You have a fine looking beaver there.
- Location
- Nova Scotia
I got some 60grn Aguila SSS ( Sub Sonic Sniper ) I haven't tried them yet.
Downside, unless you get a springer, but harder to shoot. Large bore airguns require alot of air, and they can be loud.
