Live The Armory Life. Although the velocity variation did nothing for accuracy, this load was still more accurate than every factory subsonic offering except one. This issue isnt unique to 300 Blackout bullets, though. Not only do hollow points create much larger holes, they also cause the bullet to slow down much faster after entering the target, reducing the chances that itll pop out the other side. Perhaps its wishful thinking to have the gun reliably feed both subs and supers in both suppressed and unsuppressed. . The Best 300 Blackout Ammo for Plinking and Practice, The Best 300 Blackout Ammo for Classes and Competition, The Best 300 Blackout Ammo for Home Defense. Theres only one problem with that cartridge for home defense, though: its subsonic. Anything more expensive is probably more than you need if youre just tearing up targets and having fun. He wants to be able to run subs while he waits on his can. Any use of this content without express written consent is prohibited. Hornady 300 Blackout 125-grain Full Metal Jacket Frontier, Hornady 300 Blackout 125-grain Hollow Point American Gunner, Hornady 300 Blackout 208-grain A-MAX Hornady BLACK, Hornady Full Metal Jacket Frontier 300 Blackout ammo, Hollow Point American Gunner 300 Blackout ammo, Discreet Ballistics 188-grain Subsonic Selous Machined Expander 300 Blackout, Hornady 110-grain GMX Full Boar 300 Blackout, Discreet Ballistics 188-grain Subsonic Selous Machined Expander. If so, then you want to read my latest bookThe Second Amendment Manifesto: What Every American Should Know about Their Constitutional Right to Own Guns. Second, theres the fact that this bullet causes a lot more damage than a hollow point 5.56. These cartridges are almost identical in design and price, but the hollow points also double as effective hunting cartridges for animals under 50 pounds. So, how do you maximize bullet energy without exceeding the speed of sound? In many ways, the 300 BLK in design terms is the opposite of a modern match cartridge like the 6mm BR or 6.547 Lapua. Copyright 1996-2023 AR15.COM LLC. Each load was fired into blocks of 10-percent ordnance gelatin positioned 15 feet from the muzzle. I pulled these numbers out of thin air, but this general principles hold true for all gun barrels. Two reasons, case capacity and barrel twist. A battery of .300 BLK owners might experience perfect functioning of 5.56 NATO/.223 magazines with their .300 BLK firearms, while others may bellow about their woes and despair. PRESCRIPTION 2Bullet: 110-grain Speer Deep Curl RNPowder/Charge: Hodgdon Lil'Gun, 19.3 grainsPrimer: Federal Small RifleCartridge Overall Length: 1.77 inchesMuzzle Velocity: 2,401 fps. The recovered diameter (RD) was measured in inches across the face of the bullet in two spots and represents the average of those two measurements. A metal grip frame, slide ports and a red dot cut are just some of the new features. I have a CMMG 8.5" barrel. None of the 210-grain VLD handloads cycled the carbine's action. If you were to keep pushing on the car, thoughnot necessarily pushing any harder but pushing on the car for longerthen it would gather even more speed and move even further. by pschier Sun Dec 29, 2013 10:08 am, Post And to take things a step further, what if you want to hunt animals like deer, hogs, or even elk with 300 Blackout? There are many different theories on what makes the best hunting ammo. Spending less than this will likely give you ammo that isnt accurate enough, and spending more than that is likely overkill for competition and classes. if you use bullets that are designed to expand while moving at subsonic speeds. The problem becomes even more pronounced when the round is fired from a carbine or pistol-length barrel, and that's where .300 Blackout steps in. Magazines have a hard time feeding when you pack a mag . Live The Armory Life. I am using Lil'gun powder. YesI read thatbut what is the buffer weight and spring length and number of coils? What is true, though, is that you quickly reach a point of diminishing returns by increasing the length of a 300 Blackout barrel much beyond 9 inches. And in case you prefer to scrutinize the data yourself, here it is in table format: 300 Blackout Ballistics Based on Barrel Length. From hunters and military members, to competition shooters and general firearm enthusiasts, we welcome anyone who values and respects the way of the firearm. Yet when you compare the numbers in absolute terms, the differences in bullet drop between 5.56 and 300 Blackout arent as great as many people think. There are two things you can do to increase a bullets energy on target: In general, the best way to increase the muzzle energy of a bullet is to fire it through a longer barrel. Whats the Ideal Barrel Length for a 300 Blackout Rifle? Specifications: Length: 3.8" Width: 2.1" Height: 2.5" Weight: 9.0 oz Water Resistant: Submersible to 10 ft. Mount: 1" Weaver or MIL-STD-1913 rail Power Source: One 123 lithium battery Just like with the 190-grain VLD handload and most factory subsonic loads, bullet expansion was nonexistent and penetration was excessive. I first viewed the 300 Blackout with a jaundiced eye, but it's proving to be one heck of an effective, close-range hog sweeper. PROS: Straightforward design; 7" barrel twist; Great compact rifle handling character. And, because 300 Blackout bullets are pointed instead of flat-nosed or round-nosed like 30-30 bullets, they are more efficient, more aerodynamic. In the case of home defense ammo, you generally dont want the bullet to go through-and-through as its called. 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Discreet Ballistics 188-grain Subsonic Selous Machined Expander 300 Blackout (Subsonic), Hornady 110-grain GMX Full Boar 300 Blackout (Supersonic). The muzzle is threaded 5/8"-24 to accept muzzle brakes, flash hiders, or a suppressor. A cartridge load for 7 to 11-inch barrels with slightly more gunpowder to increase the velocity out of short-barreled rifles. Chances are that looks like gobbledygook to you, so here are the key takeaways of the design: The bullet fired from the 300 Blackout typically weighs 110 to 220 grains (~7 to 14 grams), or two to four times as much as a 5.56 bullet. This is important, because the distance a bullet has to travel before hitting its target can drastically change how it behaves in flight and after entering the target. It may work exceptionally for some and mediocre at best for others. If you want to use subsonic ammo for classes, then go with their Hornady A-MAX Black subsonic ammo. by 20X11 Sun Dec 29, 2013 12:59 pm, Post The only problem with this ammo is that its often out of stock, but their Hollow Point American Gunner 300 Blackout ammo is a good alternative. The alternative of using the correct magazine is beginning to sound more and more appealing. This is less of a problem with mid-grade 300 Blackout ammo from reputable companies. lighter spring? Scientifically, logically, and anecdotally, its a winner, and Im going to show you why in this article. The 5.56 is based on and almost identical to a cartridge invented in 1959 called the .223 Remington, or 223, so youll often see them lumped together in bullet comparisons (5.56/.223 vs. 300 Blackout, for example). Hence, .30-caliber is about one third of an inch. It was first concocted by J.D. This was the case with the Nosler Ballistic Tip, which showed almost no expansion through the first 8 inches of penetration. . Click here to find out. . The latest content straight to your inbox plus an automatic entry to each of our monthly giveaways! Did you say 16" barrel with a midlength gas system? Its legal and effective for killing deer (in many states its illegal to hunt deer with 5.56 ammo). However, I found the .300 Blackout clearly has a subsonic advantage and, in turn, offers more versatilityas long as the AR chambered for the round is equipped with an adjustable gas block to maximize reliability. Due to the bullets light weight, its able to reach a muzzle velocity of 2,800 fpsalmost as fast as a 5.56 and much faster than standard 300 Blackout ammo. If youve spent any time poking around online, youve likely heard its . I have tried a lighter weight buffer as well. Editors Note: Please be sure to check out The Armory Life Forum, where you can comment about our daily articles, as well as just talk guns and gear. Best of all, it was designed from the ground up to work in Americas favorite riflethe AR-15with only a quick change of the barrel required to shoot it. Sorry, an error occurred and we could not sign you up. The 5.56, for instance, is designed to reach maximum muzzle energy when fired through a 20-inch barrel, and barrels shorter than that produce less muzzle energy. They offer an almost identical practice cartridge that uses the same amount of gunpowder, but with a full metal jacketed bullet instead of their Machined Selous Expander bullet, which drops the price to a more affordable 98 cents per round. I'm a huge fan of the 300 Blackout round. If youre going to use 300 Blackout ammo for hunting, though, its essential that you use hollow points, which are significantly more effective at killing big game than full metal jacketed bullets. Lehigh Defense 300 AAC Blackout 78-grain High Velocity Close Quarters. Whether youre looking for 300 Blackout ammo for plinking and practice, classes and competition, hunting, or home defense, youll find a winner on this list. Later, I wondered if it was possible to do something with supersonic handloads that would change the game. The best hunting ammo will generally include all of the features above, but the particular balance of accuracy, speed, and lethality you want depends on what youre trying to kill as well as your personal preference. Not in the sense that leaving a bottle of lotion on the coffee table and playing Goodbye Horses is a terrible way to impress a date, but it also isnt what most of the breathless fanbois are fainting over, either. ALWAYS CONSULT COMPREHENSIVE REFERENCE MANUALS AND BULLETINS OF PROPER TRAINING REQUIREMENTS, PROCEDURES, TECHNIQUES AND SAFETY PRECAUTIONS BEFORE ATTEMPTING ANY SIMILAR ACTIVITIES. Click the Go To Forum Thread link below to jump in and discuss this article and much more! Having a high muzzle energy is nice, but it wont matter if the bullet loses most of this energy before it hits your target. 300 BLK, Cartridge Selection, Precision Rifles, Reloading In order to make your rifle Hollywood quiet, you have to do two things: Ill cover how suppressors work in another article. This table shows the velocity of the three bullets weve discussed so far at six different ranges. Thats not an issue with 300 Blackout ammo, though. However, the 130-grain TTSX did not, mainly because the heavier bullet could not achieve as much velocity.