Home Forums Hunting & Shooting AR and Tactical Rifles School me on the 300 Blackout in an AR

Nope but I caught this one sleeping...

I don't just go "blast" ammo. Not into that.

I don't buy rifle ammo either, and the 300 is easier to reload because of brass availability.

My point though is not whether the 7.62x39 is better or worse than the 300, but that they are more alike than different. That is why it doesn't make sense to me that guys who think the AK round is fine will turn up their noses at supersonic 300. They do the same thing; the only advantage in one vs the other is whether you reload and want good bullet choices.

Really?
I was with a group that hunted pigs last January. We killed 14 of them, nine were killed with ARs in 223. All but one of those was a one shot kill.

Its just like a .30-30 minus about 40-50% energy at 100 yards! whats the pros of the blackout vs a 556 running 75 grain bullets when using a 16" barrel? Im getting about 2575 fps using hornady 75 bthp.

it will be the AR platform round in 10 years for everything including hunting.

dang opinions!

keep in mind that people sniffed at the 8mm Kurtz while the world was banging away with full length rifle rounds in urban warfare.
the 8mm was the predecessor of the 7.62 Russian...The BO is the reloaders version of the two.
massive amounts of available brass
broad selection of projectiles
sufficient energy at the range 90+% whitetail deer are shot.
capable of subgun suppression with factory ammo
and actually noticeable difference in report side by side with supersonic loads against a 5.56.

look...if you want to shoot elk... buy a elk caliber.
if your average shots are 200+ meters...buy something else.

but at common, average distances and proper selection and placement the BO will work better than a 5.56.
Better means faster incapacitation.
And as a urban fighting caliber you can switch from a 110 Barnes to a 220 RN SUBSONIC.

You are very true they are very similar. And once 300/221 brass was available formed it changed quite a bit... but I have all the forming stuff from years back, and I've also got a fair amount of x39 lapua brass available to me personally.

And yes, I always forget there are some folks that don't reload. I just don't understand that part much, but I tend to forget that in my factor.

I've yet to see a deer or pig the 223 couldn't kill.

And now that I"ve thought a bit... I think you can get 300/221with the light barnes bullet in factory ammo.

I've never seen barnes in x39 ammo.

that would make the 300/221 my top pick if limited to factory ammo.

And the fact that I think you can buy factory 194 lehigh subs also. The best sub bullet I've ever shot.

If you compare a 150gr Hornady SST at 2000 fps (300 BO), to a 150gr RN at 2350 fps (30-30), they are very close at 100 yards if you look at retained velocity/energy.

IMO, the Blackout will be the "standard" bigger-than-223 for years to come. It is very good at what it does, and with the complete compatibility between it and 5.56 equipment, it's a no-brainer for most people wanting to try something a bit "bigger" than a 223.

Can you get 2000 fps using a 150 sst or is it more like 1875-1900 fps? Whats the expansion velocity of a 150 sst? We get a whopping 2125 using a 125 nosler ballistic tip! Then your trying to compare a handloaded blackout round to a weak light factory .30-30 round. Not apples to apples!

Western Powder load data for the 300 BO goes up to 2086 fps for 150gr, 16" bbl, using Accurate 1680.

I was sandbagging a bit on the BO.

Same reference max of 2375 fps for 150gr in the 30-30, via Accurate A2230.



I'd say I was pretty close in my example.

a 220 RN @ 1100 is a fun thumper...let's see the 5.56 equivalent.

That's easy, a 75 grain hpbt at 2800 fps.

Pretty much any 5.56 supersonic rifle round will beat any subsonic round. That's part of my gripe on the blackout, it's been hyped up so much people think it's a "thumper" when it's nothing more than a pistol round at subsonic velocities and a ho hum rifle round loaded supersonic.

And 30-30's can be loaded with pointed bullets too...

75 bthp or similar in a 223 would never leave me feeling undergunned...

I have felt shorted with a 300/221 and a 50 beowulf a few times due to distance.

In fact my longest kill with the 223 and a 75 amax was something over 550 and under 575.

Nothing to be sneezed at, the 223 round with correct projectile.

And I load a lot of 30-30 with pointy bullets.

And I load 300/221 only sub sonic.

YMMV.

Mostly we argue about fruit, and mostly it all gets it done.

Face it, deer, if thast what the subject is, are not very hard to kill.

dale,
not to start an argument, but i think you must be mistaken. by chance do you have any pics?

all these hogs were shot with a 223; some in the ear, some in the neck. none died... at least within view. you're not talking about hogs that ran off and died are you?



rost,
just because you haven't met any pigs that couldn't be killed with a 223 doesn't mean they're not out there. check out this vid where my buddy shot one right between the eyes with the most powfer bullet you can get for a 223 (whatever that is). texas hogs are very tough and extremely clever. this pig took a knee so we would concentrate on the others. while our heads were turned he charged right at us. i had to knock my buddy out of the way or he would have been killed.

my hogs didn't go down because i was shooting a 6.8. yeah i know... anything .270 is ghey but at my age sometimes you just have to go with it.

Note, that is a 223 laying on the sleeping pig above. Be very very quiet as I wouldn't want to wake him up...

good try but i blew up the pic. what do you have to say for yourself now?

Where I find the 300 BO most interesting, is when compared to pistol caliber carbines like 9mm, 45 ACP, and even some of the levergun stuff like 357, 44-40, 45 Colt etc.

I think that is the class of cartridges it best fits with.

On that playing field, it can do some impressive things from subsonic to supersonic.

That it can be handily introduced to the AR-15 with minimal fuss, make it a natural.