Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Pet Loads for .300 Blk in Ruger American?

Does anyone have any pet loads for their Ruger American bolt action in .300 Blackout, that they're willing to share? I am mostly interested in subsonic loads with 165 - 200gr bullets. With component availability these days, I'm looking to cut down on experimentation.

Subsonic? I don’t do subsonic…..I’m a fighter guy. 😁

Haha! Pretty noisy, too, I’ll bet!

Lee factory crimp or no crimp. Round heads paces on the mouth and I've seen misfires with a heavy roll crimp.

Sierra has subsonic load data for 135gr to 240gr bullets using Reloder7 powder. I have shot 180gr Hornady SPs with 11.1gr Reloder7 in my AR. Accuracy wasn't as good as supers, but it was fun.

Yep, I have the Lee FCD for .300 Blk. I have the RCBS small base dies set, and it comes with a taper crimp die. My plan was to load on the Dillon 550, so the Lee FCD easily goes into the 4th die location on the tool head.

I have a wide variety of powder, but no RL-7. Figures...

I have heard this, as well - supersonic loads are typically more accurate.

5-Shot 100-Yard Group (inches): 1.39”
225 Hornady HPBT Accurate AAC-1680 10.6 985

Kenneth

I shot the Ruger American Ranch today. First things, first, subsonic Blackouts are quiet! I don’t know if they are 22LR quiet, but it sure seems that way from the shooter’s perspective. This thing is fun to shoot!

I had two different factory loads, white box Winchester 200gr subs and Hornady Black 208gr ELDM subs. The Winchester load grouped 2.5” at 50yds, and the Hornadys were probably worse. I say “probably” because I didn’t get an entire 5-shot group on paper. Their point-of-impact was far enough away from the rest of the groups, I never actually captured all five shots in the two groups I fired with this ammo. The rounds that did land on paper didn‘t show me anything special.

I loaded several different bullets with a few different powders. For bullets, I had 190gr Hornady HPBTs, 200 ELDX, 220gr RNs, and some Speer 200gr SPs. For powders, I loaded CFE BLK, W296, H4227, and IMR4198. The 190gr HPBTs were consistently the most accurate. The 296 and CFE BLK loads were both around 1.5” at 50yds, with the 190s. The W296 load seemed quieter than the CFE BLK load, which I thought was interesting. Maybe that was due to the smaller power charge (9.6gr for 296 and 12.3gr with CFE BLK)?

The 220-grainers showed a lot of potential, but the POI was a full 9” to the left of where the 190s were grouping. Not kidding! I dumped the last 5 rounds I had loaded into the 100yd berm, and they all hit within minute-of-clay-pigeon. It’s likely this was the most accurate load, but the POI was so far off everything else, I’d probably have to shoot them exclusively to be practical.

The 200gr Speers grouped well, but they keyholed. They were WAY too slow (I used Sierra’s 200gr data), slow enough that I could see the flight path through the scope and strike the the paper. I’ll have to bump them up and try them again, because I have a decent supply.

I’ll keep an eye out for RL-7 and AA1680 powders!

I found a pound of Lil' Gun powder to try in the Blackout. I like it! I got better accuracy and quieter report with Lil' Gun versus CFE BLK.
Here are a couple of 50yd groups with 8.3gr of Lil' Gun and the 190gr Hornady BTHP:








I did manage to capture a 5-shot group with the Hornady Black 208gr subsonic factory load. Just like I thought, it sucks - 6+ inch group at 50yds!




I'm looking forward to playing with the 220gr bullets I ordered from Midway, today, but the range range won't reopen until January.

I found some RL-7 and AA1680 at the gun show today. Let the tinkering begin!

Great info, Dan. The 190grHPBT with LilGun load looks pretty good. It will be interesting to hear how the other two powders compare in terms of accuracy and sound level.

11.6grs CFE Black using a 190gr Hornady Sub-X. Shooting them subsonic in a Howa Mini and Mini Mark X

I am on the lookout for the 190gr Sub-X bullets, but they seem to be out-of-stock everywhere I've checked. I ordered a couple of boxes of Sub-X factory ammo, though.

I was hoping to find a Howa Mini in .300 Blk, but ran across this RAR pretty cheap. I'd still like to snag a Mini, whenever I run across one. They are cool little rifles!

Back for an update...

I finally found some Hornady 190gr Sub-X component bullets. I haven't really tinkered with them yet, just bumped the powder charge a bit, over my previous load with the 190gr BTHPs. I shot the top two groups with my 190gr Sub-X handloads, and Hornady Sub-X factory ammo for the bottom group. The factory Sub-X load is the most accurate subsonic factory ammo I've tried, good stuff! These groups were all shot at 50yds.






Here are some 100 yard groups from the 190gr Sub-X handloads:





190gr Hornady Sub-X
8.5gr Lil' Gun
WSR Primer
2.070" COAL, medium/light crimp at the cannelure with LFC die




The 208gr ELDs are proving to be very accurate, as well, MUCH better than the factory Hornady Black 208gr ammo. I'm glad I bought a bunch of the 208gr factory seconds from Midway, a while back.




208gr Hornady ELDM
8.2gr Lil' Gun
WSR Primer
2.260" COAL, no crimp



This Ruger American Ranch is proving to be the best $348 I've spent in a while. It's the original-version, with the 5-shot rotary magazine, and it feeds and functions exactly as it should - no issues! I'm pretty sure I've shot more rounds through it than any of my other rifles, since I bought it. It's just plain fun to shoot!

Dan sent u a text have 300 190 Gr Horn BTSP that I will never use. Kurt

Shot this load in warmer temps today. It was supersonic, averaging 1148fps. I'll have to back off to get them subsonic, again.

This load continues to shine, averaging 1067fps and an ES of 21fps. Here is another 100yd group with this load:

Looks like you have a shooter. 😊
If you get ready to shoot supersonic loads try IMR4227 and Little Gun behind the 110 Vmax, 110 Barnes Tac TX and Nosler 125 BT.

CFE BLK works good for supers, too, but the velocities will be on the low side.

110 TAC-TX over CFE BLK in the RAR I used to have. A friend of mine owns it now.

LilGun for Supers.