Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles 308 Win subsonic loads sans Trail Boss

I've searched the archives and TB, TB, TB is always the answer. I have been looking for Trail Boss for a year and still haven't located a jug, so checking to see if anyone can share load data with other powders such as Unique, Lil Gun, and AA5744 for the 308 Win. I have a couple boxes of Horn 170 flat point (30/30) bullets. Also ordering some 180 Maker subsonics.(Maker says to use 10.2 g of Lil Gun).

The rifle has a 1/10 twist so should be stable with 220's, but I didn't want to go the heavy if I didn't need to. Thanks in advance

My favorite subsonic loads for .308 and larger cases with 123-200gr. cast bullets are 2.5grs of BullsEye..
With jacketed I would start with 3.5grs of BE as they have will have more friction..
The powders Unique and AA5744 are a little on the slow side and maybe to low pressure to get a good even burn.
Can't speak to LiL'Gun as I have never used it for subsonic..
Be sure to have a taped rod to knock a stuck bullet out if you go to low in charge wt.
I load and shoot mostly subs. and low vel. cast these days from the 22 Hornet up to the 9.3X74R..
Great fun!

Late '70s read everything I could find of CE Harris' writings. He wrote about "The Load", 13 gr Red Dot. Didn't have RD, so loaded 13 gr Unique in '06 behind those 170 gr Hornady FNs. Killed several deer. w/them.

No chrono, but no sonic crack. Did not use filler. Surprised by the accuracy.

Mention b/c nowadays you simply must fill the case. Looking back at Phil Sharpe's data, he wasn't so "woke".

Unique, Red Dot, Bullseye, Universal, International Clays, Clays and I'm sure others I have forgotten. All will make subsonic loads in the '96 or 308.
Rick

13grs. of both Unique and RedDot in the 30-06 with a 170gr. cast bullet are running over 1500fps well above the 1050-1150fps which is the sound barrier depending on conditions..

https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/cur...is-articles-for-reduced-loads-t2704.html
More:
https://www.hensleygibbs.com/edharris/backcreekdiary.htm

Nrut, That's not surprising comparing cast vs jacketed weenies. There's also different rifles, primers, etc.

Ironically, my Harris readings led me to believe I was getting the 1500 fps, or more, you mentioned. Didn't factor the variables correctly.

Thanks for the replies.

Tuesday I found a 4 lb jug of Tite Group at a local GS and grabbed it. Research found that Hogdon used to have a subsonic load listed with a 168g bullet and 8g Tite Group. It still lists a 223 load with TG but no 308 Win. I was anxious to try TG so loaded 3.3g and 3.1g of TG with a 55 Hornady SP and got ~ 1000 fps and mid 900's respectively. The 3.3 also shot pretty accurately and was very quiet even without a can.

I also picked up a box of Hornady 220 RN that may work with the AA5574.

After chasing velocity and accuracy loads it's fun playing the 'slow' side of the hobby.