With the suppressor tax stamp gone, thanks to that big 2025 bill, everybody’s jumping on subsonic loads to get the most out of their new cans, much to the boon of the very limited selection of companies that produce subsonic loads. This specific ammo turns an already great experience with a suppressor into a whisper-quiet experience that’s perfect for home defense, plinking, or hunting without ringing ears and oftentimes negating the need for additional hearing protection.
While getting into the subsonic suppressed setup game used to be a lot of extra cash and frustration, now you can just go to a Silencer Shop kiosk, punch in your eForm, and you’re rolling with a suppressor in days while you go pick up your ammo. So let’s check out what some of the best suppressor/ammo setups of 2026 are.
9mm Pistol Pairings
Outside of some wild 165-grain X-Treme handloads I used to make, subsonic 147-grain 9mm is often the sweet spot for suppressed pistol setups. It stays under 1,100 fps, so when you slap on a good can, the only noise is the slide cycling.
Any standard Glock 19, M9A3, or other off-the-shelf threaded 9mm with loads like Federal HST 147gr JHP or Speer Gold Dot is a good pairing. SuperVel also sells their special “Hush Puppy” loads, which are a favorite of mine. I find it way more common these days that shooters are running these for more than backyard plinking sessions now that competitions with suppressed pistols are a thing.
Any compact 9mm suppressor from the Silencer Shop website with a matching booster/piston should shine here. Look for lightweight models around 4-5 inches and under 8 ounces for max sound drop without bulk. Something like the JK 105 CCX 9 is a great option that is still somewhat capable of being concealed with the right clothing. Pair it with a threaded barrel, and you’ve got a setup that’s hearing-safe under 130 dB. It’s also a really fun way to spend the afternoon without the need for hearing protection if you’re willing to spend the extra money on the subsonic ammo.
.300 Blackout Rifle Setups
.300 BLK was built for this; it’s kind of in the name. I’d suggest sticking to ammo that is anywhere between 190- to 220-grain, as virtually all of those are going to be subsonic yet still carry enough mass to be effective on live targets.
Some good examples are Hornady Black or even Discreet Ballistics, which is a boutique ammo dealer that specializes in hunting loads. Even SIG’s standard Elite 220gr Subsonic 300BLK turns your 8″ SBR AR or bolt gun into a sleek and somewhat silent shooting rig. Great for hogs and often a favorite of those who do it as a job.
Multi-cal rifle cans from Silencer Shop are your go-to workhorse. Modular lengths from 6-9 inches, weighing 9-13 ounces, can pull about 32+ in dB reduction when paird with the right subs. While going with an overbored suppressor in the .45 caliber category is fine, you won’t get optimal results, so something like the HUXWRX 7.62 Ti would be a great option for a general-purpose .300 blackout rig.
Rimfire Subsonic Fun
I am a huge rimfire guy, in case you couldn’t tell from my last article. Standard Velocity .22 LR is just barely subsonic by nature, so it makes it not just a great pairing for pistols and SBRs, it also sort of works as a full-length 10/22 suppressor ammo that’s still cheap to plink with (about $0.9 cents per round).
Just a rimfire can on your Ruger 10/22 or CZ 457 and some cheap ammo from PSA, Midway, or the local big box store is all you need for a fun and quiet afternoon of plinking with your friends. If you want some extra quiet stuff and don’t mind turning your gun into a bolt-action, Subsonic-specific .22LR Ammo is also avaialble and I love it for virtually unlimited cheap rounds that make any .22LR pistol or rifle Hollywood quiet, like 110 dB or less.
Rimfire suppressors at Silencer Shop are the gateway drug, as I’ve said before. User-serviceable options, full-auto rated, and over 40 dB quiet. Stock’s flying post-dereg. At under 500 bucks, it’s the perfect intro before you go bigger.
I have a pretty healthy stable of .22LR suppressors because I find that while they all accomplish more or less the same thing, they each offer something a little different, which makes it hard to decide on an absolute favorite. If you’re looking for a specific recommendation, I’ll once again refer you to the ultra-flexible, if not a little heavy, Faxon Twenty-Toucan.
Big-Bore Subsonic Options
While I am a rimfire junkie, I also love Big Bore rifles and .45 ACP pistols. For .45 ACP230-grain FMJ or JHP from Winchester or Fiocchi 230gr keeps velocity low. Bolt guns or PCCs eat it up for predator work.
Something unique that happens with .45 ACP in PCCs is that the extra length of the barrel, combined with the already pretty slow .45 ACP, means that the flash is gone, and recoil feels extremely tame with the right suppressor. .45 ACP often goes overlooked as a viable and quite comfortable PCC option. Something like the Rugged Obsidian .45 should be a great option for either application. Throw in a HUSH Holsters suppressor holster and a Mk. 23, and you’ve got a suppressed setup that’s great to have on the range.
Meanwhile, if you’re into big-bore rifles like 45-70, or my personal favorite, .458 SOCOM, options like the SilencerCo Hybrid 46M is perfect for both those options and virtually every other big-bore straight-walled caliber out there, too. Its modular design and user-swappable baffles handle everything from .458 down to 9mm with minimal first-round pop, while the 6.5mm Bravo mount keeps weight forward-balanced on AR platforms or lever guns.
For .458 SOCOM shooters chasing that thumping recoil without the blast of the standard 325gr stuff, Black Butterfly Ammunition offers some of the most interesting subsonic .458 SOCOM loads, while Hornady’s 410gr Sub-X 45-70 load is one of the best in the business when it comes to classic and quiet 45-70 lever-action suppressor performance.
A Suppressor & Ammo for Every Occasion
With the suppressor tax stamp gone, pairing subsonic loads with 2026’s cutting-edge suppressors gets us ever closer to peak performance and at the very least – some quieter range time: no sonic crack means dramatically reduced noise, less annoyance to your fellow range patrons and neighbors, less recoil for better control, less shooter fatigue, and hearing-safe shots often under 120 dB—ideal for cassual plinking, hunting, home defense, or Gray Man Division matches, all streamlined via Silencer Shop kiosks and services like their Single Shot Trust. Let us know what your go-to subsonic setup this year—comment below, hit us up on Instagram, or share your build in the comments!
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