"Quiet" = "subsonic"?

Sporting Lad

Sporting Lad

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Er, "Noob" Q: The Savage MKII is the first .22 I've had in some years, and I'm not familiar with some of these new(?) loads.
What's the difference between "quiets" and "subs"? Yesterday I shot some CCI Quiets (720fps) and they were noticeably quieter than LRs
(which are noticeably quieter than my .308 :cool:). I was under the impression that these Quiets were "subsonic", so what gives?
Are they different types of rounds, or are those just the names the ammo mfgrs give to them?
Also, the lower velocity of these rounds must give them different ballistics from my LRs, so will I have to reset my 25 yard zero?

I'm preparing to take down some of those big grey furry-tailed rats who are terrorizing my little red squirrel friends.
thx
 
The speed of sound is approx 1100Fps (depending on elevation and barometric pressure)
So quiets are just another marketing ploy for subs.
Depending on what load you had your sights for before trying the subs, yes you may need to reset your sights. Since you will be hunting small targets at various unknown distances I would suggest you print a target and make necessary adjustments.
FYI ALL squirrels are fuzzy tailed tree rats, but especially the red ones.
 
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Standard velocity .22LR and subsonic ammo are usually around 1050fps (sometimes a touch less), just below the sonic threshold. Your quiets are 300fps slower than that, so it is no surprise they are quieter. There is simply less chamber pressure being developed to reach the lower velocity.

As for your 25yd zero, it is likely it will change as different brands and types of ammo usually shoot to a different POI. The only way to know is to go out and shoot it to see.


Mark
 
+1 on your info!!! Good on ya!


mmattockx said:
Standard velocity .22LR and subsonic ammo are usually around 1050fps (sometimes a touch less), just below the sonic threshold. Your quiets are 300fps slower than that, so it is no surprise they are quieter. There is simply less chamber pressure being developed to reach the lower velocity.

As for your 25yd zero, it is likely it will change as different brands and types of ammo usually shoot to a different POI. The only way to know is to go out and shoot it to see.


Mark
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"Quiet" seems to be a marketing ploy to me...CB's have been around longer than me, but maybe they're just not so catchy market-wise?

If quiet shooting is what you're curious about in your MkII ,I have had luck cycling CBlong from LR magazines, and single feeding CBshorts. Give 'em a test drive!

As already suggested [and by definition] sub-sonic are quieter than hyper velocity. They tend to be more accurate too. Match ammo is usually sub-sonic, but not loaded with sound as a consideration. CB's are slower, and quieter yet.

add on:
Semi's don't cycle on CB's! Your MkII will be fine.
 
Sporting Lad said:
Er, "Noob" Q: The Savage MKII is the first .22 I've had in some years, and I'm not familiar with some of these new(?) loads.
What's the difference between "quiets" and "subs"? Yesterday I shot some CCI Quiets (720fps) and they were noticeably quieter than LRs
(which are noticeably quieter than my .308 :cool:). I was under the impression that these Quiets were "subsonic", so what gives?
Are they different types of rounds, or are those just the names the ammo mfgrs give to them?
Also, the lower velocity of these rounds must give them different ballistics from my LRs, so will I have to reset my 25 yard zero?

I'm preparing to take down some of those big grey furry-tailed rats who are terrorizing my little red squirrel friends.
thx
Click to expand...
below the speed of sound /subsonic means you don't get the extra crack of a sonic boom when the bullet gets up to speed .You get the sound of the shot and the sound of the hit but no loud crack in the middle. This makes them quieter, yes they will shoot differently so you should sight in using the rounds you intend to hunt with .
 
+1 on the ricochets! CBs are really fun to shoot, but they don't shatter on impact with hard targets the way that higher velocity loads do. The shorts also feed perfect in my Henry levergun, making it a super high capacity squirrel "assault" weapon lol
 
For pest control purposes where "quiet" ammo is required I recommend the Remington "Cee Bee" ammo. it's subsonic and features a truncated cone hollow point. very accurate, very effective, and quiet.
 
As for your 25yd zero, it is likely it will change as different brands and types of ammo usually shoot to a different POI. The only way to know is to go out and shoot it to see.
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What Mark said, and it also depends on the firearm you are using.
 
CCI Quiets are a lot quieter than CCI Subsonics. As has been mentioned, having the projectile travel at subsonic speed is only ONE factor, e.g no "sonic boom" at the muzzle.
They also have less powder, rated for 720 fps, rather than 1050fps, so they make less of a bang...and hit the target more softly - less of a "thwap!". Those 3 factors combine.

Finally, don't forget that in general, all things being equal, a bolt action is quieter than a semi because everything stays closed up during the shot....a semi allows sound to escape more from the action.

So, more than just a "marketing" ploy, Quiets really ARE quiet. About like a CB short, but better for a rifle (mag) designed for .22LR.

Loaded manually in a semi, they will generally not cycle it (my JW-14 with Champion mag often will), but they are a bit louder, because the bolt DOES come back a little bit, allowing sound to escape.

In a bolt or lever gun, they are the quietest. In my Henry they sound like a BB gun.
 
CB longs seem to make the same "bang" as Quiet 22s do. They both advertise 710fps but the Quiet 22s are a 40 grain long rifle and the CB is a 29 grain long. I think that would make the Quiet 22 have more energy right? Both work in my Papoose when manually cycled. They just make a "click" from my 27 inch barrel Cooey 75.
 
6011 said:
CB longs seem to make the same "bang" as Quiet 22s do. They both advertise 710fps but the Quiet 22s are a 40 grain long rifle and the CB is a 29 grain long. I think that would make the Quiet 22 have more energy right? Both work in my Papoose when manually cycled. They just make a "click" from my 27 inch barrel Cooey 75.
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Interesting, never tried CB longs - never seen them around these parts. Just the shorts. Oddly, although they work GREAT in my Henry Frontier...it DOES say in the manual NOT to use them! (CB Shorts)
I can't quite figure that out. In a way, it looks like that line was added to the book, in boldface, perhaps in a subsequent printing. Probably some liability disclaimer, in case the bullet lodges in a dirty barrel, etc?
 
6011 said:
They both advertise 710fps but the Quiet 22s are a 40 grain long rifle and the CB is a 29 grain long. I think that would make the Quiet 22 have more energy right?
Click to expand...

I believe so. I have found CCI CB Longs ultra quite in my rifle. Again, be aware of ricochets, I was hit with one but it bounced off the back wall of the shooting bay so had little energy when it finally hit me. I was shooting a hard plastic reactive target cube.
 
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