300 Whisper for deer

Anybody here use a 300 Whisper for deer? What bullets would you recommend? I have read that the 125gr Ballistic Tips work well at the lower velocities.

I think Fanchise has one in a competor-- I think he shoots the 125 BT out of it

I've shot several deer and one mouflon with mine. I have the T/C barrel in 10" and I would have very few reservations about shooting a deer with it out to 100 yards. I've killed some TX whitetails out to 150+ with it but our deer are smaller than deer in other parts of the country. I shoot the Nosler 125's. I think it's a cool little cartridge personally.

Did the bullets expand on the deer that you shot at 150 yards?

Your not a real Texan...

I agree with Gary. I have a Whisper that JD built for Roberta several years ago. It has a 12" diamond bbl on it. It shoots the 125s well. Not too fast, but fast enough to kill a deer out to 100-150 yds if the shooter does his part. It is a very mild round.

One of its intended uses when designed was for animal (deer) control in populated areas. However, that was thinking subsonic. A 200 gr 30 cal at less than the speed of sound will kill a deer. The Whisper if suppressed has almost no report with subsonic loads.

I had a customer come in asking me about just that, he wanted to know if I could build him a rifle barrel and suppress it for coyote's. He's a single logger that lives in a fifth wheel on the local shotgun range and apparently at night he gets quite a few dogs and he wanted something that wouldn't wake the neighbors down the road from him. I had to send him elsewhere though because I'm not licensed to build NFA firearms.

If the intention is to shoot subsonic then you need a faster twist than the T/C barrel. It has a 1-10 twist while the SSK barrels have a 1-8.

At least I live in Texas.

The 300 Whisper is an EXCELLENT round for deer ( here in the south ). I have taken many deer w/ the 125 gr. ballistic tip and several w/ the 125 gr. Speer TNT HP. Many of the deer dropped on the spot at the shot. The great thing about this round is the lack of recoil. In my Competitor it kicks less than a 38 Special. The 300 Whisper is a very efficient little round and I really like it for deer.

Reading this post--got me thinking-- what about a 30 carbine--Sure would be a lot easier to load.
Maybe a 110 SP or a 125 BT out of the t/c

just thinking out loud here???

What is interesting as well as lacking in this post is the velocity factor. The name ".300 Whisper" denotes a 30 caliber round shot at subsonic velocity. Most of the various posts here indicate quite the opposite.

The .300 Whisper can be loaded supersonic (above the speed of sound) as well as subsonic (below the speed of sound) and perform well. I just wanted to point that fact out, so readers don't get mislead SIMPLY BECAUSE OF THE NAME... there is nothing magic about a subsonic round, it is just easier to "suppress" the noise it creates because it does not break the speed of sound and thus produce that "sonic boom." FWIW and as we all know, the good old .45 ACP in standard factory loading is subsonic.

I have corresponded with a well-known personality on here that uses the .300 Whisper on deer regularly AT SUBSONIC velocities. He reports that you need to use the heavier 200-240 grain bullets at say 1000 fps,

(hence the good info posted by Gary: "If the intention is to shoot subsonic then you need a faster twist than the T/C barrel. It has a 1-10 twist while the SSK barrels have a 1-8." ie. the heavier bullets need the faster twist rate to stabilize them...)

and the killing factor comes from the bullet tumbling upon impact, creating massive tissue damage; rather than by expanding and doing the same, as a supersonic round would (should.) At the higher supersonic velocities, the lighter bullets act similar to any .30 caliber round, and kill by expanding, regardless of the name "whisper"; ie. such as a .30 Herret or similar round...

For ease of understanding, might I suggest that these posts concerning the "Whisper" cartridges denote the velocity loaded to as well as the bullet weight, so that the name "whisper" does not mislead people like me!

LOL

Gregg

My gun has a 1 in 10" twist barrel so I won't be shooting the heavies. I don't know if I trust a bullet tumbling once it gets into a critter. Even if it reliably tumbles it probably won't go in a straight line and then you cant really count on hitting the vitals that you are aiming for.

I ordered some of the 125's last night to try out. The Nosler website says that the ballistic tips need 1800fps to expand. Its funny that the guy I talked to on the phone there the other day said that the minimum impact velocity was 1600fps.

Just in case anybody is interested SSK has Hornady brass that has the proper head stamp.

1600 is the correct velocity and they will open up with a little less than that. They must have changed something and screwed up or you were reading about the Accubond or Partition as they take 1800fps. The bt's are an excellent bullet for slower velocities but at higher velocities they come apart, they still get the job done but that's why they came out with the Accubond.

I know my SSK 10" barrel is super accurate with some 220 grain bullets that Gary gave me a few years back. I loaded them up to subsonic velocities and they shot great.

I've done over 70 deer with a Whisper. I use 240 gr. Sierra HPBT Match and 200 gr. Sierra RNs plus several experimental bullets at 1050 fps. 99% are one shot kills. My longest kill is 270 yards. It's a great deer gun and is really quiet when used as a Whisper and not a Screamer.

One other thing to be wary of is the tendency of the big slow bullets to ricochet. You have to be very careful depending on where you hunt.

That's interesting - I would assume the lighter, faster projectiles would be more prone to richochet than the big heavies.

How does the 300 Whisper case compare to the 7.62x39 or 30 Herrett? I hunted for years with a 7.62x39 pistol.

leverman,

what pistol was the 7.62x39 chambered in? I've built an XP and have an Encore in same. Love the round!

Doc

I had 14" Contender barrel from Bullberry (.308 bore 1:10 twist) for a number of years. Took it to Wyoming antelope hunting. Case capacity is very similar to the 30 Herrett.

Very accurate barrel, but you could only shoot handloads in the Contender frame. Factory ammo was a big no no.

As Doc Rogers has said, “The 300 Screamer has its place!” Used in its parameters and capabilities it is just fine. If someone wanted a plan ordinary caliber they would by a 30-30 Win… LOL

PS, A couple of months ago I bought a TC Custom Shop 16.5in SS Encore barrel in 300 Whisper. It has done well with H110 and 125gr Sierra Fp/Hp. It’s one of there 30-30 bullets.

Stupid "300 Whisper for Deer" posts...just sent payment for mine today! SSK barrel with 1 in 8" twist, threaded for "accessories".

This was the motivation I needed/or maybe didn't need.

Somewhere up above, out buddy Tigger is having a good laugh - he took great pleasure in our purchases that resulted from discussions here!

Haha - I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Makes me want to think about a .338 Whisper or .358 Whisper...is there such an animal or something similar?

I have hunted w/ the 30 Herrett in a 10" using the 125 BT's and have not found it wanting on deer and antelope out to 150 yards. It seems to me if I was to have a wildcat I'd rather reduce the velocity on my 30 Herrett then try then to make the little 300 Whisper push a projectile faster then may be healthy. I shoot with guys in IHMSA that use the Whisper with good effect in Big Bore out to 200 yards. They are using bigger, heavier bullets of 180gr +. I've never seen them use the 125's. I think that the 10 Herrett gives me more versatility. The 7.62x39 (or the 30x39) is another great mid-range and mild cartridge. I've shot the 300 Whisper and it is certainly accurate. Sorry, I didn't mean to steal the thread.

Bill in OR

358 Whisper = 38 S&W Special

The only reason for the 300 whisper is Illinois. Its one of the few cartridges that meet their regs.

If you have not done so, you might want to go to SSK Industries website. JD describes whispers from 6mm to 50 cal. Also has a video of a 50 cal whisper tracer bullet hitting a steel target at "long range." It is pretty cute.

As he states, the 300 Whisper was the first of the series and was designed to operate in the ARs and to be easily suppressed. The bigger whispers are funny looking rounds. If I recall correctly, the 6mm, 6.5mm, 7mm, 300 & 338 all use the 221 Fireball case. The bigger ones were based on other brass.

What I meant was the only reason I bought a 300 Whisper. There can't be much of a shoulder left on a 221 case when it is necked up to 338. There isn't much of a shoulder when it is 300!

Also a 338 Whisper based on the 7mm BR case.

...but with a 350 gr. bullet that's not ballistically challenged!

I got the bullets in the mail today. Right on the box they say that the minimum velocity is 1800fps. If you go down the page about half way they show the "optimum" velocities.

nosler ballistic tips

Ill... Another great overlooked round is the 357 Max. 180gr projectile at 2000+/- fps... Wow it is a hammer!

Thought about it. But I really like bolt guns. I just can't get my self to like the TC. Not saying that they are bad, I just prefer the bolt gun.

LOL... to each thier own!

I have a "Super 14" in .300 Whisper I shoot the 125gr Ballistic Tip and it does a number on Southern Whitetail Deer. They usually drop at the shot if I do my part on good shot placement. Great round lite recoil, very accurate.

This shouldn’t be off topic… LOL

Mr. Jeff, can you PM me your loading data for the 125 NBT in the 300 Screamer, I mean Whisper?

Thanks

Duane

I've taken deer with J.D.'s .375 and .500 Whispers (not screamers). The .375 has problems due to poor bullet selection. The .500 is one of the most awesome subsonic rounds I've fired -650 gr. bullets, recoil of a .410, and sound of a BB gun. It slams deer down quickly. I wanted one, but J.D. convinced me on a .300. The .500 is very pricy for brass, bullets, and gun. I've never regretted my .300. I've done 10 deer with it this summer. All one shot. All quiet-no sound polution. The best were 171 and 195 yards. Practical, affordable, and not screaming.