Wednesday, October 03, 2012

Keeping Things Quiet

Is there any worse curse than approval? Have you ever learned anything new from people who accept the world as it is?

James Lee Burke
Creole Belle

I always read James Lee Burke's "Dave Robicheaux" novels with a sense of dread, as if I'm going to find out some hidden truth that I profoundly didn't want to know. And maybe I do. In truth, at a very low ebb in my life, I read In the Electric Most with Confederate Dead and found something there that helped me keep my head on straight...the movie, however, sucked.


Have been working with the TS suppressor on one of the Ruger 22/45 Lites. I love the set-up, but so far I haven't found the ammo of my dreams. The CCI "Quiet" 40-grain/710fps pills are, well, quiet, but they also won't cycle the gun. My usual fallbacks of Mini Mags will cycle the gun just fine, but they usually crack as the little pellets go supersonic. I say "usually" because the actual speed of .22 ammo is pretty much a crap shoot. Mini Mags are rated at 1235fps at the muzzle, and the speed of sound is about 1100fps at 70 degrees and sea level. Given environmental concerns and the less-than-perfect consistency of .22 ammo, sometimes it cracks and sometimes it doesn't.

I need to sit down with my many different .22 rounds until I find the perfect compromise. I'm hopeful about some of the Federal match rounds, which is what I usually use in RRC competition. They cycle my Mark III just fine and clock out at just under 1100fps. The CCI "Quiets" are going to be real winners in my T/C Contender rifle barrel. I've shot BB and CB caps out of the T/C, and objectively they're not much louder than the 22/45 with the silencer. As soon as I get the T/C barrel back from being threaded I'll let you all know.

Today's a range day, which is perfect since the wind is blowing like about 400 miles per hour. I'll have to shoot everything on the diagonal just to hit the target!

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Federal Automatch--the stuff in
the 325 rd bulkpak, stays subsonic
in my 22/45 and cycles 100%.

If you want quieter, go with CCI
40 gr HP subsonic, product #0056.

Again, 100% cycling in my 22/45.

Anonymous said...

I doubt you are going to find the low velocity variance you seek in any of the cheaper .22LR ammunition versions. There is a reason why it is lower-priced.

This may help with your hunt:


http://www.silencerresearch.com/subsonic_22_ammunition.htm

I would suggest trying the Lapua Subsonic or the SK AMMO 22LR 40gr RN-HP SUBSONIC.

http://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/product/productId/17070

RSR

Frank W. James said...

Michael: I've found the CCI "Small Game" .22 LR load to be the best for my suppressed .22 Ruger pistol, but it's not the latest edition. Works reliably, is accurate and kills shit too...

All The Best,
Frank W. James

seeker_two said...

What about the Aguila SSS rounds? Subsonic, heavy bullet, and shorter case may work for your needs.

Anonymous said...

Michael,

It sounds like that "mini-can" isn't tuned optimally for the gun and/or ammo. If it was tuned, what load was it tuned for?

Among the wide variety of .22 rounds available and their respective variations in performance, there is also a wide disperity in the propellant gas volume, expansion rate, pressure, density and velocity. The important factors here involve those variables more so than bullet weight and bullet velocity.

Life Member

Anonymous said...

Any idea if a lighter recoil spring in the Ruger would let it cycle with the CCI Quiet rounds?

Claymore said...

I have good consistent no crack performance from good old remington target .22 loads. And will function a ruger every time.

Unknown said...

Try CCI or Aguila standard velocity ammo. Both work great in all my suppressed guns, both pistols & rifles alike.

CCI quiets are hearing safe in rifle length barrels without a can. Currently respringing and polishing a 10/22 to see if i can get them to cycle it. Worst case, I'll have to find one of the lightweight bolts that VQ made for a 22 short conversion on the 10/22. That would definitely work!