Blackout Silverback, 8.6 Blackout, 285gr Fracturing Subsonic Ammunition, 80 Round Bucket

The 8.6 Blackout 285gr Fracturing Subsonic bucket holds 80 rounds of the caliber’s fastest opening hunting load for $209.96, or about $2.62 a round against $3.00 in the retail box. It is built for landowners, hog control crews and hunters who go through a bucket a season rather than a box. Same fracturing solid copper bullet, same velocity, bulk packed.

How the fracturing bullet works

The 285 grain projectile is a solid copper design with relief cuts machined into the nose. On impact with fluid rich tissue, hydraulic pressure splits the nose into four petals of about 40 grains each. The petals peel away and drive outward and forward, cutting their own channels to roughly 10 inches. The remaining 125 grain base carries on in a straight line to 16 to 19 inches.

The result is five wound tracks from one shot, with rapid energy transfer near the surface and a deep central channel behind it. The 1:3 twist of the 8.6 Blackout barrel puts enormous spin on the bullet, and when the petals release that rotational energy throws them wider. Our twist rate guide explains why the cartridge was designed around such a fast twist.

Velocity and trajectory by barrel

Barrel	Muzzle velocity	Muzzle energy	Drop at 150 yd (100 yd zero)	Drop at 200 yd
8 inch	About 975 fps	About 600 ft lbs	About 14 inches	About 39 inches
12 inch	About 1,025 fps	About 665 ft lbs	About 13 inches	About 36 inches
16 inch	About 1,050 fps	About 700 ft lbs	About 12 inches	About 34 inches

Also in Subsonic Ammo & Suppressors: Blackout, 8.6 Blackout, 285gr Fracturing Subsonic Hunting Ammunition, 20 Round Box, Blackout, 8.6 Blackout, 300gr Sierra MatchKing Subsonic Ammunition, 20 Round Box and Blackout Ammunition .300 Blackout Subsonic 215gr Berger Hybrid Target, 160 Round Bucket. Load guide: 8.6 Blackout ballistics chart.

Numbers are rounded from the 8.6 Blackout ballistics chart. Use the ballistics calculator to build a drop card for your own barrel and zero. Inside 150 yards the 8.6 Blackout 285gr Fracturing Subsonic round is decisive. Beyond 200 the drop steepens sharply, as with every subsonic, so treat this as a close to medium range load.

A 16 inch barrel on a cold night can push the round close to the sound barrier. If you hear a crack, the load has gone supersonic for that shot. Most hog hunters run 12 inch barrels with this load for exactly that reason.

Suppressed performance

Through a rifle suppressor the 8.6 Blackout 285gr Fracturing Subsonic load is as quiet as centrefire gets: no sonic crack, only action noise and a muffled report. NIOSH guidance puts hearing damage from impulse noise at 140 decibels, a level a suppressed subsonic rifle stays well under. Low chamber pressure also means light carbon and little heat, so a can rated for 308 Winchester handles it easily.

Confirm your zero with the suppressor fitted, since point of impact usually shifts by an inch or two when a can is added. Our subsonic ammo and suppressor category lists compatible cans, and 8.6 Blackout versus 45-70 compares the two big bore options for hogs.

Delivery, tax and age

Ships to your home address in all 50 states. No tax stamp, no NFA paperwork, no dealer transfer and no tax added at checkout. Orders over $300 ship free. Ammunition is not an NFA item. Under federal law at 18 U.S.C. 922 no federal licence is needed to buy it, and there is no waiting period. Buyers must be 21 or older for rifle ammunition and an adult must sign at delivery. The bucket weighs about 7 pounds packed and travels by ground service under the limited quantity rules in 49 CFR 173.63.

See the shipping and delivery page for carriers and transit times and the FAQ for everything else. Ammunition cannot be returned once shipped. The returns policy covers damaged deliveries. All loads meet the standards published by SAAMI.

If your property has a pig problem, a bucket of 8.6 Blackout 285gr Fracturing Subsonic rounds and a suppressed 12 inch rifle is about the most effective answer available. Order while the bucket is in stock.

Frequently asked questions

How many rounds are in the 8.6 Blackout 285gr Fracturing Subsonic bucket?

Eighty rounds, loose in a resealable plastic bucket. There are no individual boxes inside. The bucket seals well enough to serve as long term storage if you add a desiccant pack.

What does the 8.6 Blackout 285gr Fracturing Subsonic bullet do on impact?

The solid copper projectile splits into four petals of about 40 grains each plus a 125 grain base. The petals cut outward to about 10 inches of depth while the base drives straight on to 16 to 19 inches. One shot produces five wound channels.

What velocity does it run from my barrel?

About 1,025 feet per second from a 12 inch barrel and about 1,050 from a 16 inch. Both stay below the speed of sound in normal conditions and both are quiet through a suppressor.

Is this the same load as the 20 round box?

Yes. The bucket is the bulk pack of the identical 285 grain fracturing subsonic round. Point of impact and velocity are the same, so you can zero on the box and hunt from the bucket.