Some cartridge manufacturers, to meet the new regulations on noise pollution in Europe, have created subsonic cartridges. These are particular ammunition much more "silent" than traditional ones. In the sports field the results are acceptable, but in the hunting one there are significant differences in performance compared to the traditional ones.
For some years, both in Italy and in other European countries, there has been a need to reduce the noise pollution that is produced in the shooting ranges, without distinction of the disciplines that are practiced such as Skeet, Trap or Olympic Pit. .
It may seem strange, but the problem of “noise pollution” caused by the shots has been raised which, during the competitions of the various disciplines mentioned above, take place particularly in the early morning and / or afternoon.
Certainly during the races you can reach 120-130 decibels, produced by the fired cartridges. If the noise problem was initially underestimated, today due to the persistent protests of those who live near the sports facilities, judicial measures have been reached which, in some cases, have established the closure of the latter.
In order to meet the needs not only of hunters, some cartridge manufacturers have worked in the research sector to create "silent" ammunition. This led to the creation of 24 and 28 gram cartridges for shotguns, called “subsonic”. This new type of ammunition consists of a cartridge that releases a speed lower than that of sound, with a considerable reduction in noise. These cartridges can also be used for 12 and 20 gauges.
The first European countries to incorporate this important innovation were Germany, Great Britain and Austria, since all these countries had suffered the same limitations in terms of noise. In this way, the closure of many sports facilities was avoided and a peaceful coexistence was generated between the inhabitants in the vicinity and the managers and users nearby.
The subsonic cartridges are the result of scrupulous studies and research, which have patented powder mixtures with reduced doses compared to normal and compensated by slightly more pushed propellants. These two diversifications have determined that the pellets, when they come out of the barrel, have a lower speed, between 310 and 320 meters per second, thus not exceeding 340 which coincides with the speed of sound. These numbers are far from the 400-410 of classic cartridges that are also used in hunting.
Noise pollution was resolved by also reducing the shooting distance and modifying the "advance" of the shot with respect to the trajectory of the target; these variations, connected to the reduction of the speed of the shot by at least 25% compared to the classic cartridge, have generated a significant reduction in the noise produced by rifle shots during sports competitions. A non-negligible detail, however, was not ignored by the shooters: the recoil is less accentuated.
From a ballistic point of view, the advance of the shot also caused a series of “problems” for the shooters who had to slowly get used to these new subsonic cartridges. In the straight shots there were no substantial differences, but on the so-called "crosspieces" the variation of the advance initially produced a collapse in the shooter's performance.
In fact, it is not very easy to calculate exactly the advance and this is obtained by varying it gradually, shot after shot, until reaching the ideal one. When a new “calibration” is achieved, the shooter's performance resumes their normal trend.
The lower starting speed of the pellets allows, moreover, to fire a greater number of shots since the lower recoil generates reduced shoulder fatigue, even after long series; headphones are instruments that, even with subsonic cartridges, cannot be abandoned, because, even if to a lesser extent, the noise is always there and with the weapon so close to the ear the hearing could still be damaged.
If in sports the use of subsonic cartridges is giving good results in terms of performance, this cannot be hard in the hunting field, especially in hunting on the move, for which classic cartridges are always used. In hut hunting, on the other hand, when shooting at short distances, the results are acceptable.
With subsonic cartridges the problem of noise pollution seems to have been solved, but it is clear that absolute silence cannot be expected at the time of the shot.
Aware of the annoyance that the shots can produce to those who live near sports facilities, this solution has been reached, even if those who handle shooting or hunting guns know how pleasant and electrifying it is to listen to the shot, to hear the "voice" ”Of his own rifle.
The most important thing, however, is to find a peaceful coexistence and a balance between all parties.