Subsonic .223 Loads

[Rocky Raab]

Welcome aboard, PinTail!

Subsonics are tough. With a light bullet, the powder charge has to be miniscule. A heavier bullet is easier to slow down, but then they don't stabilize due to the reduced spin rate.

Then there's the expansion issue, which gets very iffy. Naturally, it's a very short range load, too.

Try a fluffy flake shotgun powder like Red or Green Dot. About 3.5 grains should do. And seat a bullet meant for the Hornet, one of the 40 or 45-gr softpoints with ultra-thin jackets. This isn't a load for a semi-auto, as it won't cycle.