With the fee going away on suppressors on the Federal level, the popularity of shooting suppressed in rising very fast. So fast, in fact, that popular models are often hard to keep in stock. This growing popularity has also given rise to more firearms coming with threaded barrels from the factory, and a wider range of subsonic ammunition being offered from the ammunition companies. Let’s take a look at the best subsonic cartridges being offered today and why you might want to add them to your shooting.
Do you need subsonic ammo to shoot suppressed?
Why do you need subsonic ammo is a question we get a lot. It all centers around what I refer to as the speed paradox. Any cartridge that will fire safely from your firearm can be suppressed. It’s what happens after the bullet leaves the barrel that is the issue.
A bullet is considered to be subsonic if it travels under 1,125 feet per second, but most factory loads stay in the 950-1,050 FPS range. This is, as many of you know, to keep the bullet from breaking the sound barrier. Once that barrier is broken, the bullet creates a sonic boom, which you hear as the “crack” of the shot. With an unsuppressed firearm, the muzzle blast and crack of the bullet often are heard as one very loud sound. A suppressed firearm shooting supersonic ammo will often have a greatly reduced muzzle blast followed immediately by the crack of the bullet.
Subsonic ammo fires the round with the muzzle blast being suppressed, and there is no crack from the bullet as it doesn’t break the sound barrier. Here is where the challenge comes in – How do you make the bullet still perform and do what you want it to do, all while making it slow enough to stay under the sound barrier? That’s where the latest technology in bullet and cartridge design is coming in. And let me tell you something, it’s pretty darn impressive.
The best subsonic cartridges
Rather than try and rank them, let’s take a look at some of the latest offerings from the biggest ammunition manufacturers.
Federal Premium
Federal Premium has a couple of new subsonic ammo lines. They have a standard lead soft-point bullet mainly for target practice available for .30/30, .308 WIN, and .45/70. The really interesting stuff is their new Fusion Tipped Subsonic ammo.
The Fusion bullet gives consistent expansion upon impact, making it a great hunting bullet.
The Fusion bullets have been around for a while and are an integral part of Federal’s hunting line. By tipping copper bullets with the Fusion material, the bullet can achieve a controlled and lethal expansion at subsonic speeds, consistently at 1,000 FPS. We’re particularly interested in the .300 BLK with a 190-grain bullet. It would make a terrific deer-hunting cartridge.
Remington
Remington Ammunition offers several subsonic target loads for 9mm, .300BLK and .45 ACP. The .45 load is generally a target load for the caliber, as all .45 ACP rounds are already subsonic.
What’s more fun are the several options they offer for .22 LR, with the main difference being how many rounds of the 40-grain hollow-point coper-jacketed cartridges you get per box. A .22 LR rimfire with a suppressor and subsonic ammo is as close as you can get to “movie quiet” and it’s still not there. You do get 1,050 FPS velocity, which makes for a fun small-game hunt, or some good-old backyard plinking action.
Hornady
We would expect some amazing performance out of Hornady and they don’t disappoint. Their SUB X series of subsonic ammo brings a lot to the table in terms of suppressed versatility.
They use their tried-and-true XTP bullets that expand reliably at subsonic velocities. The bullets have a lead core and long grooves in their gilding metal jacket. Add in the bullet’s flat profile and Hornady’s Flex Tip insert within the hollow point cavity, helping it expand reliably at low velocities. You can get these loads for pistol calibers as well as rifle loads in .300 BLK, .350 Legend, 450 Bushmaster, .45/70 GVT, and one that really caught my eye - .338 ARC pushing a 307-grain bullet at 1,050 FPS.
In pistol calibers, you can get loads for 9mm, .45 ACP, and .40 S&W. You don’t see many subsonic .40 loads, so this is a great option.
Winchester
Winchester is expanding their Super Suppressed line of subsonic cartridges. They offer some of the standard calibers such as 9mm and .308 WIN. As you might expect, they offer subsonic loads for their 350 and 400 Legend cartridges.
What I like about the Winchester loads is that in addition to being subsonic, they also deal with another suppressor gripe – barrel fouling. Winchester engineered these loads to run cleaner than some other subsonic cartridges. This is nice for shooters who run non-serviceable suppressors, as it changes how often you would need to worry about cleaning.
Why is it important to match?
There’s a difference between just screwing a suppressor onto your rifle and actually building a system that works. And that difference shows up fast in the field. Pairing the right suppressor with the right subsonic ammunition isn’t about being trendy; it’s about performance. When you match bullet weight, velocity, and suppressor design correctly, you’re not just reducing noise - you’re controlling it.
Subsonic ammo eliminates the supersonic crack, while a properly chosen suppressor tames muzzle blast and recoil. The result is a quieter shot that won’t blow out your ears or send every animal in the county running. For hunters and shooters who care about precision and staying undetected, that combination is essential.
But here’s where a lot of folks get it wrong. Not all suppressors are built for subsonic performance, and not all firearms cycle reliably with subsonic loads. You need to think about barrel length, twist rate, gas system tuning (with semi-automatics), and suppressor back pressure. Get it right, and you’ll see tighter groups, faster follow-up shots, and a shooting experience that feels downright refined.
Ready to shoot suppressed?
To take advantage of shooting subsonic ammo, you need to start with the right suppressor. What better place to get that can than to go with the place the made the whole process as simple and easy as it gets - Silencer Central. Find the right suppressor for your shooting needs, backed by the easiest process and best customer service in the industry.
The answer is both yes, and no. You can fire normal ammunition through a suppressor and experience reduced muzzle sound. However, if the bullet is traveling faster than the speed of sound, you will still hear the "crack" as the bullet breaks the sound barrier. Shooting subsonic ammunition will result in a quieter shot as the bullet speed is below the sound barrier.
As long as the bullet design gives you the performance you need to take the game animal, you can by all means use subsonic ammunition for hunting.
As long as the caliber falls within the design of the suppressor, you can use whatever ammo you like. You can, however, fine tune the suppressor and subsonic ammo combination. This will give you better results.
The speed of subsonic ammunition is lowered to keep the bullet from breaking the sound barrier. This will give you increased bullet drop as the range increases. Subsonic is not considered good for long range shots, but we suggest you try to set your own range limitations by practicing and seeing the real world bullet drop.
While many suppressors can be used on several different caliber firearms, we have some specific models that can make your shooting more enjoyable. Pick the caliber that you have in mind. If you don’t see your caliber, pick one close to it to see our recommendations.
