anyone else like a subsonic lever action

[mickbr]

Just wondered if anyone out there has lever actions fed with cowboy level or subsonic loads for any purpose. I always liked the idea of something running under the speed/blast of sound. Even without supressor its not too bad when you cant get your earplugs in. Trajectory wise most handgun bullets at 1000fps with 50-60 yard zero, drop 2-3" at 80. Thats still decent for a lot of instances around the homestead.

Always been a fan of 200 grain gold dots in 44 cal, they expand as low as 800fps impact, few other 44 bullets will( 200 grain Xtp gets some expansion as low as 900fps, barnes 200gn XPB about 950). Not that you always need it with a big bullets but some scenarios its good to have.

[Scott Tschirhart]

I learned years ago that a Sharps rifle shooting a 530 grain round nose bullet at about 1100 fps was a real killer.

Now I don’t push my guns they much. I got my deer this year with a 270 grain bullet at 900 fps.

I’m probably more sensitive to noise than I am to pure recoil.

My everyday load with a 255 gr .454 slug clocks an average of 978 from a 16 inch carbine.

[Old No7]

The NRA's "American Rifleman" recently published a fun, low-power load for a .357 Rifle; not sure if it was subsonic or not, but the article mentioned that newer or younger shooters loved plinking with it. I'll see if I can find it...

Old No7

[Ray]

Deleted.

[6pt-sika]

I tried to make a subsonic load in a circa 1966 Marlin 444 that the barrel had been bobbed to 19” and was the slower twist micro groove , I wanted to use a 300 grain cast bullet . But I wasn’t able to stabilize the bullet and stay subsonic . If I’d gotten it to work I was going to thread the barrel and get a suppressor .

[KWK]

Subsonic 22 LR in my HRA are quite enjoyable. Out on the grass away from the firing line, I touched off a few without earplugs: no worries. I've since been looking to get a 45 Colt lever and doing the same 1000 fps or so with it.

[Griff]

My favored load is a 200 grain bullet @ about 825 fps from my 18-½" 45 Colt 1873. Or a 200 grain at about the same velocity from a .44-40 in my 24" AWA Lightning!

[AJMD429]

I tried to make a subsonic load in a circa 1966 Marlin 444 that the barrel had been bobbed to 19” and was the slower twist micro groove , I wanted to use a 300 grain cast bullet . But I wasn’t able to stabilize the bullet and stay subsonic . If I’d gotten it to work I was going to thread the barrel and get a suppressor .

I'd love to have a really fast-twist barrel in 444 Marlin for my Encore, and suppress that...

I often just get lazy and shoot 38 Specials from my 357 Mag levergun and 44 Special from my 44 Mag, and 45 Colt 'Cowboy Loads' from my 45 Colt... Just nice to do without the blast, and none of them is too wimpy to use at appropriate ranges on game up to whitetail, much less on paper targets and gongs...

[Malamute]

Ive loaded .310 and .315 round balls in 30-30 with 3 grs Unique and a small tuft of dacron pillow stuffing to hold the powder at the rear of the case. They make about as much noise as a 22 LR standard (not hi speed) load. They kill grouse bunnies, bull mouse, rattlesnakes and such quite well at close distance. I also load 115 gr cast with 6 1/2 grs Unique for about 1200 fps, or 32-20 level. It makes more noise, I use earplugs with it, but still pretty mild. You could adjust downward to get an optimal noise level load.

457 round ball, 6 1/2 grs Unique, tuft of dacron fluff in 45 70 for the same range of critters.

.350 round ball, about 4 grs Unique or Red Dot in 348 with fluff.

357 1873 carbine, 357 cal, 38 short colt case, 2.5 grs Red Dot, 125 gr cast. Its a little louder than I expected, but still not bad. Havent slain anything with it yet buy carry a few in my pocket on evening skunk patrol and dog walks.

I have a .360 round ball mould Id like to try as well as a 115 gr swc, and 121-ish gr rn mould for 38 lighter loads, oh, and a 77 gr 32 mould I want to use for 30-30 light loads.

Many dont like the idea of "filler" material. Im not sure of the exact accuracy of that terminology in my use, but what I use is a tiny amount, highly compressible, the fluff ball when wadded up and tamped into the case takes up maybe 1/4 to 1/3 of the excess space. Ive had significant variations in report and power depending on if the barrel was pointed up or down if I didnt use it. Ive shot a few grouse and squirrels with the 45-70 round ball loads, they ran well, but once when shooting a rattlesnake, the largest Ive seen in my area, and that my dogs had just dragged out from under a small tree, the ball bounced off his head and seemed to annoy him. I went back to the dacron tuft and it eliminates such events.

The snakes Ive shot with the 30-30 round balls have their head mostly exploded. I shot a trophy class bull mouse that was pilfering bird seed in my yard once and it pretty well exploded him as well.

The quiet loads dont overly alarm the dogs that have been somewhat gunshy, not blast the ears if one cant get plugs in quickly enough.

Look up Ed Harris' articles about his rook rifle and garden gun projects, hes done some variations on the theme for close in quiet shooting. One video I saw of a guy with a new production Winchester 73 rifle with 24" barrel said 38 wadcutter or lighter loads were as quiet as his suppressed rifle in another caliber (dont recall exact details, if you search winchester 1873 wyoming and nevada it will probably turn up). I love my carbine but would like a 24" rifle to try.

You can tap a rattlesnake on the head a couple times with a carbine butt and achieve good results also, and is very quiet.