

Obviously, the biggest advantage to using subsonic ammo is when you pair it with a suppressor. Anything slower than that is subsonic anything faster is supersonic.Īs a result, subsonic ammo is a specially calibrated load that is designed to travel slower than the speed of sound, thereby eliminating the supersonic crack. With an average air temperature of 68 degrees Fahrenheit, the speed of sound is 1,125 feet per second.

The difference between something that is subsonic and supersonic all comes down to the speed of sound. When an object is moving slower than the speed of sound and doesn’t make that crack, it’s considered to be subsonic.

So what exactly is this magical ammo, how is it made, how should you use it, and what limitations does it have? Let’s dive in and find out! What is Subsonic Ammo?Īs was mentioned above, when something breaks the sound barrier and makes a cracking sound as it does so, that object is considered to be supersonic, moving faster than the speed of sound. It won’t be silent by any stretch of the imagination, but it will definitely be quieter. That can only be accomplished by special subsonic ammo, and when you pair the two together, the result is magical.
#Decibel measurement for subsonic 556 ammo crack
Suppressors do a great job of lowering the decibels of a gunshot down to a hearing-safe level, but there’s one thing they cannot do: eliminate the supersonic crack made by the bullet as it breaks the sound barrier.
