Effective .30 or .25 caliber subsonic bullets for hunting?

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Rick

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My brother has some developed some medical issues with his cervical spine to the point he has become unable to tolerate the recoil of centerfire rifles. He has obtained a mechanical recoil pad which claims to spread the recoil impulse over a longer period of time to make recoil more of a push.

He is hoping this in combination with a heavy bullet that will perform well at low velocities will have him hunting moose and deer again.

Anybody doing something similar in 300 Blackout or something like that with a bullet that performs well at velocities much slower than normal?
 
Thanks very much guys for the references on the bullet makes and models. I assume those are designed for subsonic in the 300 Blackout (I'll go and look for myself in a bit)? What kind of velocities are you reloading to at the moment?

Given how bad his neck problems are (can't even tolerate the hand shock from his compound bow any longer with the draw weight down to 45 lbs), I think that even with this engineered recoil pad and heavy slow bullets it is going to be a long shot for him.

We'll try bullets like these to see how his neck feels about it.

My other thought is to get Tom at Accurate Moulds to either modify one of his existing designs or make a longer and heavier bullet than what he has catalogued i.e.

https://accuratemolds.com/bullet_detail.php?bullet=31-260B

Cast those out of pure lead so they obdurate and deform as best as possible, powder coat them and see where they start getting annoying after about 1200 fps. That should really give a much longer recoil impulse rather than a sharp kick in the shoulder. Tom doesn't do molds for anything below .270, so that's out for his 25-06.

260 grains isn't actually that much heavier than the heavy old 30 calibers made by companies like Bitterroot back in the 1970s i.e. 250 grains, but guys were buying those for Weatherby's and other similar 30 magnums. They worked well on moose and elk when I was hunting the alder thickets in the mountains where the grumbly bears were hanging out, so they got enough velocity out of a 20" 30/06 to perform at those ranges where 100 yards in those thickets was a long shot. They weren't designed to perform after strolling out the muzzle at pedestrian subsonic or near subsonic velocities.

Thanks for the help and suggestions so far!
 
I would go with a smaller, lighter bullet, heavier rifle with a muzzle break to hunt big game with less recoil. Something like a 6.5CM with a 120-130gr copper bullet.
A 10-12lb rifle with a good muzzle break recoil is insignificant.
Would be way more effective than a subsonic slug.
 
change the platform instead of compromising the ability for a clean kill
shooting a very heavy rifle will help and it is possible to use a lead sled in the right scenario

We took a mobility-compromised fellow out into the mountains by horseback who could'nt ride without being strapped on tight
it was a process and took some time to find a critter that would cooperate by being in the right place at the right time
but we got him his goat, I bet his petrifried corpse with still have a smile in a thousand years

never say never
 
wesson357 said:
I would go with a smaller, lighter bullet, heavier rifle with a muzzle break to hunt big game with less recoil. Something like a 6.5CM with a 120-130gr copper bullet.
A 10-12lb rifle with a good muzzle break recoil is insignificant.
Would be way more effective than a subsonic slug.
Click to expand...

I agree. A lighter bullet like a Barnes ttsx and a JP Eliminator will go a long way to reducing recoil. Epoxy some wheel weights into the stock and you'll have a gun that barely moves when you shoot it
 
A .257 Robert’s with a 100 grain hot core, kills better than most folks realize, and very easy to shoot recoil wise.
 
With the way his arthritis affects his spinal cord, it's a lot more about the recoil impulse than just a measurement of recoil velocity or weight. He has a 25/06 that he has shot a couple of moose with where he lives up north when he had the wrong rifle in his hands. But those were probably Noslers loaded towards the middle or upper velocities.

There's also the fact these are rifles that he's had for 60+ years now, so there's a sentimental value to it.

As for using a crossbow rather than a long bow - he'd rather be seen dressed up as a drag queen. He's been pretty handy with both long bows and recurves even while he was hunting with compound bows.

The Hornady Sub-X line plodding along at 1,000 fps might be something his neck can stand the recoil impulses
when combined with this new recoil pad he wants to give a try.
 
I loaded my 32 40 with 170 gr. Bullets at 1000 fps with 6.5 grains tinstar. It is accurate and drills a hole through an 8 inch dry jackpine log every time and out the other side. For comparison my 44 40 going the same speed goes in about 5 inches. You could also load a 30 30 with 165 gr. Bullet to 1000 fps it would do the same thing. Tinstar you can't get any more but some pistol powders might work.Theres a good chance you can find a sub load for some 30 cal. You got already instead of buying a new 300 blk. , although I have one of those and like it
 
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