If i was going to use my 300 AAC for Elk i would hunt them just like i was using one of my Pistols or Bows. The Blackout is very close to the 30-30, but with less bullet weight . ...
Pretty much my sentiments. I've hunted elk with a .44 Magnum and a .30-30. Pretty much every negative comment about the .300BLK applies to them as well.
I've never had a chance to pull the trigger when using the .30-30 or .44 Mag. I did pass on a huge bull at ~100 yards and facing when using the .44 Mag, primarily because my buddy already had a bull down and we had a lot of work ahead of us without me knocking down another. Another reason was we were in the shadows and the iron sights on the carbine were hard to see. At that range, though, the .300BLK, .30-30 and .44 Mag would all have worked fine if properly placed. Had I had a scoped rifle I probably would have pulled the trigger, regardless of which cartridge it was chambered for.
My 240g handload for the ,44 Mag revolver, at 1481fps, falls below 1370fps and 1000fpe at around 25 yards. The same load in my carbine, at 1880fps, adds just over 100 yards for similar capability. Most or at least many people would agree a .44 Mag carbine is a suitable for elk out to about 100 yards. The 'inadequate-for-elk' .300BLK is very similar to my .44 Mag carbine in that at 130 yards my 110g TAC-TX handloads @ ~2380fps maintain 2030fps and 1000fpe. Remington's .300BLK 125g AccuTip load at 2215fps MV maintains over 1900fps and 1000fpe past 100 yards. At that range it is better than Remington's Managed Recoil .30-30 loads at 100 yards or Remington's 125g Managed Recoil .30-06 load at 200 yards.
Nothing in the above is intended to suggest the .300BLK is a great choice for elk but rather to provide some points of reference for comparison.
