The world of shooting is getting seemingly shorter and quieter, and I, for one, welcome it. Just a few short months ago, Aero Precision released its Solus pistol, and I must attest that I’ve never reached out for approval on an assignment so fast in my life. This large-format handgun is a spin-off of its hit tri-lug Solus rifle and is compact enough to swing in even the tightest hunting blinds. Thanks to the almost negligible wait time for ATF Form 4 approvals, short firearms also scream “suppressor host,” and Aero’s LAHAR-30 makes a perfect fit for a superbly compact hunting firearm. It would prove a great opportunity to work up a Sierra subsonic GameKing load for this combo.

Sierra Subsonic GameKing in .308 Win.

Being that the dwarfed barrel gives up some velocity anyway, it pays to closely examine the chamberings that offer subsonic ammunition possibilities, as pairing these with a suppressor is as close to silent as it gets. At the top of the list are the obvious choices of .300 AAC Blackout and the new 8.6 Blackout, but if you want to go supersonic one day, your options are limited in both scope and energy. The Solus is also available in either 6.5 Creedmoor or .223 Remington, but those have the opposite set of issues. This leaves good-old .308 Winchester, and thanks to Sierra’s new GameKing, reliable expansion is on the table without having to crack the sound barrier.

Subsonic performance has long been overlooked by bullet manufacturers, with few offerings built to transfer energy at these drastically reduced speeds. Today, thanks to the popularity of suppressors, many hunters are enjoying earmuff-less sits in the woods, leaving the forest undisturbed when they fire a shot. This keeps nearby game in the area, making a doubleheader a strong possibility. Sierra’s new bullet is 205 grains in weight, making it just a touch light for a sub and just a bit heavy for a super.

Splitting the difference creates a very realistic possibility of this becoming your only .30-caliber hunting bullet, regardless of muzzle velocity. The new projectile is built with a classic hollow-point design because it’s hard to argue with its track record. Using a jacket that is thinned at the nose, but thick in the rear, helps it to expand at these reduced speeds, yet restrain from jacket separation. A match-profile boattail caps the projectile off, helping it retain its ballistic coefficient at extended distances.

Sierra GameKing BCs

From Sierra’s website, those BCs are as follows: .480 @ 2,300 fps and above, .492 between 2,300 and 1,980 fps, .510 between 1,980 and 1,050 fps, and .243 @ 1,050 fps and below*. You’ll notice that the BC is highest in the band which includes the typical subsonic loading velocities, and that’s no accident. Part of that can be attributed to the bullet’s design, but more of it goes to the reduction in drag at those speeds. This is the same magic behind the insane reach and accuracy of slow-loaded match .22LR.

Powder selection is a bit more limited for subsonic loading than it is for supersonic .308 Win, but there are still several excellent choices. Hodgdon’s online reloading center now features a subsonic tab, making my selection process easier than ever. After plugging in a few values, I liked the load data associated with Accurate No. 2 and Hodgdon’s Benchmark, so I chose those for this experiment. Benchmark is a long-standing champ for zippier loads of this cartridge, so I wasn’t expecting it to make the subsonic data, too; therefore, I was immediately curious.

This powder hails from the Extreme Extruded line, which reduces its sensitivity to ambient temperature swings. Being that I hunt just as much in 70-degree weather as I do in 10-degree weather, that has a natural allure. Accurate No. 2 was a little more expected, as fast-burning pistol powders are the usual suspects when it comes to downloading full-power rifle cartridges. This spherical powder is easy to handle, especially from measures, and is touted as one of the most accurate powders for applications when the case will not be filled to capacity. 

Brass, Primer & More

Although powder and bullets take center stage, brass and primer selection are equally important. Subsonic rounds only produce about half of the pressure of their supersonic counterparts. Therefore, there is less energy available to expand the case and seal the chamber, which is an imperative function for consistency. Quality brass will perform regardless of this handicap, which is why I went with Lapua for this project. This is pretty much the go-to for match shooters, and that reputation is certainly well-earned. For primers, it’s hard to argue with CCI BR2s.

Every bench-rester that I know uses these, and I have yet to find better results with another brand. Lapua brass is loadable right from the box, but I like to run all of my new brass through a sizing die just to ensure nothing happened during shipping and to set it to the same dimensions it will have for loading #2. I went with RCBS’s Matchmaster set for this task, as the sizer utilizes interchangeable neck bushings to adjust tension, and the seater features a window to ensure proper bullet alignment without pinching your fingers. Together, these dies can create some of the most accurate ammunition possible. 

When we set out to load specialty ammunition, we need to understand and accept that we have to make concessions in certain areas to capitalize on others. In this case, we are in quite a tight box, as we have a narrow velocity range that we need to stay in and only a few powders that are capable of safely doing so. Additionally, expanding jacket geometry is dramatically different than that which comprises the most ballistically sound bullets on the market; GameKings are not MatchKings. Therefore, the short straw in this instance is accuracy, which really isn’t a problem.

100-Yard Deer Machine

Realistically, I don’t plan on using this round on anything outside of 100 yards, and even that is going to be a stretch. In the case of whitetail deer, a vital shot leaves me something like nine inches of error, or roughly 9 MOA of slop when drafting a load. Even a neck shot, which requires about 5 inches of precision, leaves me plenty of room to play. So, I figure a load that yields even 2 MOA groups is bound to get the job done. With those parameters, I readied my bench and got to work.

After screwing on the can, all that was left to prepare this pistol was a scope. Leupold’s new 2-10x Mark 5 made a perfect fit, as it, too, is compact and offers a magnification range that is consistent with its intended environment. After cinching it down in a pair of the company’s rings, I began determining the optimal overall cartridge length for this gun. I arrived at 2.805” by using the Hornady OAL gauge and subtracting .010” to allow for a touch of “jump” to the lands. I was pleased that this meant I wouldn’t be seating to the cannelure, which also meant crimping was pretty much out of the question. In my experience, “crimp” and “accuracy” have been mutually exclusive terms, and I am prepared to die on that hill.

Load Data

Starting with the minimum charge of Accurate No. 2, I struck gold right out of the gate. Retesting the load, I was able to group them down as tight as 1.63” with a velocity of 1057 feet per second. Increasing this charge by .3 gr. broke the sound barrier and didn’t do a whole lot for my groups, so that made this leg rather easy. Working with the Benchmark was a little tougher, as the subsonic load data listed didn’t get me anywhere near fast enough in my short 12” barrel. As I gradually increased it, I found serviceable velocities around the 19-grain mark, albeit groups were a fair bit larger than those when using Accurate No.2. Groups did get tighter as I increased my charge, but that came with the distinctive crack of a sonic boom, so its day was done at 19.4 grains.

Looking down at two separate loads that were both capable of harvesting game as small as squirrel, I felt pretty good about the results. The promise shown from the increase in Benchmark leaves me in a strange way, both curious and certain that this bullet will perform well when loaded to traditional velocities. That series of load development may very well be on the table come spring next year. In the meantime, I have trail cameras to place and a treestand to hang as I prepare myself for a deer harvest that only myself and a trophy buck will know about. (sierrabullets.com)

Lee Six Pack Pro 6000 Progressive Press

Once you have a good recipe spec’ed out, there’s nothing like being able to crank out a season’s worth of ammo in an hour. Lee’s new Six Pack Pro 6000 is designed for an effortless loading experience featuring an auto-indexing shell plate as well as an automatic case feeder. The loading deck is large enough to handle .30-06 Springfield, so it was easily able to handle the shorter .308 Winchester cartridges featured in this story. Additionally, the Auto-Drum powder measure utilizes an elastomer wiper, which smoothly metered the coarser benchmark powder used in the loads above.

Those who are looking for the utmost repeatability ought to consider upgrading to the Auto-Disk powder measure. Interchangeable disks with pre-set cavities mean never having to spend time dialing in a drum ever again. Lee is destined to offer the best values in the industry, which is why this press comes with everything you need to get started as soon as you unpack, including a die set that has already been installed and adjusted. The Breech Lock system makes it a snap to change cartridges when the time comes, and best of all, the settings are retained, making it just as easy to switch back. Give this press a look if you want to maximize your output while still retaining the cost-saving benefits of handloading. (leeprecision.com)

Muddy Treestand Ratchet Straps

If you’re like me, then this time of year is all about getting your gear straightened out. Your load is built, and your firearm’s zeroed; you ought to take a second to examine the most critical safety gear. If you notice anything even remotely questionable about the straps that hang your stand, pitch them and replace them with a set you can stake your life on. Muddy offers these in inexpensive three-packs that are built to withstand several seasons worth of whatever Mother Nature can throw at them. Picking up a pack is less expensive than even just the copay at the emergency room, and if nothing else, fresh straps ensure a trouble-free setup. (gomuddy.com)

Sierra GameKing Subsonic Load Data