The only prep work I did before loading was sizing the cases, tumbling them and chamfering their necks. Penetration was deep due to lack of expansion, but the wound cavity was narrow. 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. Thats not an issue with 300 Blackout ammo, though. None of the primers in Lehigh Defense brass were crimped, but all of them in the Federal brass were crimped. Magazines, often incorrectly referred to as clips, are spring-loaded metal or plastic containers that hold ammunition. Another common problem with subsonic 5.56 ammo is that it often doesnt have enough energy to reliably work in semi-automatic rifles, like the AR-15. 4500$, Caliber: I just built a .300 blackout pistol and took it to the range for the very first time today and had some failure to feed issues. The 300 Blackout shooter is getting 30-30 performance with about one-third the powder and slightly less recoil. All AR-15 uppers are standardized to work with AR-15 lowers, so you know that the two parts will always match, too. The 7.62x40WT is a nifty little cartridge for the modern hunter who wants to stalk game with a standard sized AR-15 M16/M4. In case you arent familiar with the term, plinking refers to more or less randomly shooting at stuff for fun, in a safe manner. If you want a cartridge thats nearly Hollywood quiet, but still powerful enough to excel at home defense, hunting, target practice, and combat, you want to try the 300 Blackout. That means if you aim at someones chest at that range, the bullet is most likely going to slump into the ground at their toes. Not a lot, but those high B.C. The only downside of hollow points and frangible bullets is they typically cost about a dollar per round. And, because 300 Blackout bullets are pointed instead of flat-nosed or round-nosed like 30-30 bullets, they are more efficient, more aerodynamic. It isn't the "cheap" "crappy" factory. And others say any halfway decent hollow point will do. The unknown issue many .300 BLK shooters are combating without even knowing it is their 5.56 NATO/.223 magazines will not reliable feed all grain weights and bullet profiles of the .300 BLK. Live The Armory Life. I am using reloaded ammo (220 gr jacketed) and have shot thru a chronograph at about 1050 fps. If you spent a lot of time with your 300 BLK and couldnt get the precision you wanted out of it, maybe it wasnt you? You must log in or register to reply here. . As you can see, the 300 Blackout has about 100 (ftlbf) more energy than the 5.56 at almost every distance. Let me know in the comments section below! WARNING: Technical data and information contained herein are intended to provide information based upon the limited experience of individuals under specific conditions and circumstances. In the case of home defense, the main concern is the bullet either missing or passing through your wouldbe assailant, and hitting a loved one in another room, flying through the wall and hitting someone next door, blowing away the neighbors dog, or all of the above. 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. The same thing happens on a smaller scale inside the barrel of a gun. The speed of sound is not a constant. AR15.Com reserves the right to overwrite or replace any affiliate, commercial, or monetizable links, posted by users, with our own. In the case of hunting, you want to kill the target as quickly and humanely as possible. When I built mine, I settled on a 22 barrel, [], The 300 AAC Blackout (300 BLK) is a popular alternativecartridgein the AR-15/M16 M4 (AR) community. I love researching and writing these articles, and the more they get shared around, the more Im encouraged to write. To eliminate this sonic boom, you need to use bullets that travel below the speed of sound, or less than 1,100 fps. In the case of hunting ammo, you want your bullet to penetrate deep into the animal and if possible, go completely throughentering one side and flying out the other. This high velocity gives the bullet a muzzle energy of 1,358 ft/lbs, which is also about three times higher than most subsonic 220-grain 300 Blackout ammo and almost the same as supersonic 115-grain 300 Blackout ammo. Adam is a manager at The Guns And Gear Store in Waite Park, MN. If that sounds like a rather small case to be necking up to 30-caliber, consider that the Fireball itself was made by shortening the 222 Remington, itself one of our smallest 22 centerfires. If you like Rifleshooter.com, please follow us on Facebook. They do not detail the comprehensive training, procedures, techniques and safety precautions that are absolutely necessary to properly carry on similar activity. The 300 Blackout has become one of the most popular rifle cartridges available. (Have any suggestions for ammo that should be on this list? Today it is perhaps best known as a self-defense and military round, but gaining the spotlight as an effective hog killer, especially when combined with a suppressor to really muffle the report. Take those two groups out of the mix, and the average group size falls to 2.42 inchesmore than .70 inch better than the average for the six supersonic factory loads I tested in the MPW carbine. The Oxford English Dictionary also defines it as the study of the effects of being fired on a bullet, cartridge, or gun.. . I get fails all the time with the T2 buffer but functions 100% with carbine buffer. Its so bad in this regard that it often doesnt penetrate as well as 9mm ammo. Performance varies significantly depending on bullet type and weight, but perhaps the easiest way to understand it as a hunting cartridge is to compare it to the 30-30 Winchester. So, instead of continuing to beat this horse, lets look at how the 300 Blackout compares to the 5.56 in terms of muzzle energy. With a bullet that isnt over stabilized, factors that can be detrimental to accuracy, such as a concentricity issue, can be mitigated. I was even able to switch back to heavy buffer and m16 spring. I used an Advanced Armament Corporation (AAC) MPW carbine with a 16-inch barrel as the test rifle. Wish someone told you this before? Register today and take advantage of membership benefits. Potentially both. All else being equal, a bullet with a lower BC will slow down faster, whereas a bullet with a higher BC will maintain its velocity for longer. Another reason as to why a dedicated .300 BLK magazine would be beneficial is the markings on them. Shooters who join the .300 BLK bandwagon may attribute issues they experience in failure-to-feed (FTF) or failure-to-eject (FTE) to their rifle when in fact, they should take a more discerning look at the magazines they are using. The set-out problem is caused by inadequate neck tension and trying to taper-crimp cases that are not all exactly the same length. Copyright Ron Spomer Outdoors document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) Summary: The 300 Blackout was designed from the ground up to work seamlessly with the AR-15. Most people train with cheaper ammo and then occasionally break out their fancy home-defense ammo to familiarize themselves with how it feels when shooting. Jason Imhoff then drafted the specifications for the cartridge that would eventually be approved by SAAMI. The gun cycles and the bolt goes back into the fully closed position, but does not put another round in the chamber. Handguns, Sale Price: Heres what several 300 Blackout bullets looks like when removed from their cases: As you can see, one of the defining characteristics of the 300 Blackout is its long, steep, sharply tapered bullet. This added weight also gives the bullet enough momentum to continue spinning several times after entering the target, creating an effect thats akin to a flying blender blade slicing through your prey. Springfield Armory recommends you seek qualified and competent training from a 10 mph wind coming at a right angle from the side of the shooter, 0.3 ballistics coefficient (about average for 300 Blackout). CONS: A little short in the stock and I'm no fan of super soft recoil pads. . It penetrated as deep as any of the lead-core bullets loaded in the factory loads I tested. Like airplanes, once in flight bullets have to overcome two main obstacles to reach their target: Air resistance is also referred to as drag. 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. We dont need to get into the nitty gritty details right now, but the long story short is that the more you increase the length of a barrel, the more you increase the muzzle energy of the bullets you shoot through it. At 200-yards drift is 4.5", energy nearly 418 f-p. A long, heavy bullet like that is going to penetrate like a steel rod, which is likely why the military is interested in it as a tactical weapon and some view it as a good self defense option. Surf around on Internet forums, and youll often see people saying they would never use a 300 Blackout for home defense because it will overpenetrate. Do you want to know why the right to bear arms exists, why its worth protecting, and what you can do right now to save it? Subsonic bullets travel slower than the speed of sound, which means they dont produce a sonic boom and thus can be extremely quiet when paired with a suppressor. Theres one part of the AR-15 that doesnt always play nice with different kinds of ammo, though, and that is the magazines. The bullet also weighs in at a hefty 188-grains, which gives it enough mass to keep pushing deep into the target after expanding. . I even took the time to order a special 1:7 twist barrel from Bartlein barrel to give me the edge with the heavy loads. Despite losing 28% of its velocity, the 5.56 is still moving 34% faster than the supersonic 300 Blackout at 200 yards, making it the better choice at that range. Someone once told me that .300 Blackout is the most convenient way to shoot 7.62x39mm in an AR type rifle. For what it's worth, sizing brass without the expander ball also goes a long way toward keeping case necks straight, which generally results in solid accuracy. Why? Is the 300 Blackout just a new knickknack for tearing up targets at the range, or is it the better mousetrap weve been promised? More powerful, hard-hitting, and deadlier than 5.56/.223 (AR-15) ammo, Hollywood quiet when fired through a suppressor, The perfect all-rounder cartridge for plinking at the range, home defense, and hunting, Its good but not as good as other ammostick with what youve got., Its just a novelty cartridge that will fade away like the fad it is., No one in the military uses it and neither should you., Everything you need to know about 300 Blackout ballistics, How the 300 Blackout compares to the 5.56, What the ideal barrel length is for shooting 300 Blackout. Predicting the trajectory of subsonic 300 Blackout bullets is difficult, as the ballistics coefficient can vary from 0.65 (very good) to 0.173 (dog doo doo). 10.5g it functions but doesn't keep the bolt open. It is absolutely true that supersonic .300 Blackout is every bit as effective as other intermediate rifle cartridges such as 5.56mm or 7.62x39mm. And in case you prefer to scrutinize the data yourself, here it is in table format: 300 Blackout Ballistics Based on Barrel Length. Its literally how much bang you get for your buck. This issue isnt unique to 300 Blackout bullets, though. This is why the idea that you should never use a barrel longer than 8 or 9 inches for the 300 Blackout is bunk. In previous testing, the special-built 110-grain Barnes TTSX bullet loaded in the Barnes Vor-Tx and DoubleTap Tactical offerings delivered the usual, outstanding Triple-Shock terminal performance. I have a CMMG 8.5" barrel. 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Think again. Later, I wondered if it was possible to do something with supersonic handloads that would change the game. The latest content straight to your inbox plus an automatic entry to each of our monthly giveaways! bullets hang onto it while deflecting minimally in the wind. Eotech solved this problem when they created the dual zeroed XPS2-300 for the 300 Blackout caliber in both super and subsonic. Discreet Ballistics also went to great pains to ensure that the bullet was as accurate as possible when fired through a suppressor, which is their modus operandi. Other factory ammo and reloads with CCI 400's were 100%. It's usually the shorties - under 10" - that need the can to cycle with subs. Summary: The 300 AAC Blackout is cartridge designed to work in AR-15s and other rifles with shorter-than-average barrels. . Since I have two PWS pistols, I swapped out the receiver, and had the same . In this case, your best bet is to look for 300 Blackout ammo in the range of 75 to 150 cents per round. The easiest solution is to use a special bullet thats designed not to overpenetrate such as a lightweight hollow point or frangible bullet. Early on, the claimed goal was to have ammunition prices on par with the inexpensive .223 Rem. This makes the 300 Blackout one of the most versatile and convenient cartridges you can shoot. I took out the carrier bolt assembly, and re-oil it and still the same problem. by 20X11 Sun Dec 29, 2013 11:19 am, Post ), you have the overlap of a 5.56 NATO/.223 bolt-carrier group (BCG), and you can use 5.56 NATO/.223 magazines as well sort of. This graph shows the muzzle energy for a 110-grain 300 Blackout and a 55-grain 5.56 bullet fired from seven of the most commonly used rifle barrel lengths. Q: Can you provide your insight regarding the 300 blackout cartridge and its use on boar & various species of deer? To create this kind of chart, you need a few pieces of information: The topic of ballistics coefficients (BC) will get an article of its own, but the short story is that BC is a measure of how effectively a bullet is able to slip through the air and maintain its velocity after being fired. Specifically, you want to know how much energy a bullet has when it hits the target, which is referred to as a bullets energy on target. I am using Lil'gun powder. Its also common for cheap, low-quality ammo to have varying amounts of gunpowder from cartridge to cartridge, which can decrease accuracy. Here are the Best .300 blackout rifles (Our Picks) 1. . PRESCRIPTION 3Bullet: 125-grain Nosler AccuBondPowder/Charge: Accurate 5744, 20.8 grains (compressed)Primer: Federal Small RifleCartridge Overall Length: 2.13 inchesMuzzle Velocity: 2,203 fps. This will give you good enough performance for short-range target practice (controlled mayhem?) Set-out was a noticeable problem only with the Nosler bullets, but it could have been occurring with other bullets, too, and just not showing up as glaringly on target. Scientifically, logically, and anecdotally, its a winner, and Im going to show you why in this article. It penetrated more than 32 inches in gelatin and showed no expansion. PRESCRIPTION 1Bullet: 110-grain Sierra HPPowder/Charge: Hodgdon Lil'Gun, 20.0 grainsPrimer: Federal Small RifleCartridge Overall Length: 1.89 inchesMuzzle Velocity: 2,402 fps. Lehigh Defense 300 AAC Blackout 78-grain High Velocity Close Quarters. In the case of home defense ammo, you generally dont want the bullet to go through-and-through as its called. With. These AR. (Just make sure you dont accidentally shoot 300 Blackout ammo through your 5.56 upper, or this happens.). While this makes sense at first glance, its not entirely accurate. Trouble with RCBS 300 Blackout Dies Not Seating Bullets Consistently March 31, 2021 If you're having trouble with RCBS or Hornady 300 blackout dies not seating bullets consistently, this should help. Since I was deep into this handloading project and had a lot of brass left over from testing the factory ammo, I figured I might as well assemble some subsonic loads. Now if only theyd chamber it in a lever action rifle! I spent a lot of time (and money) building this rifle. The 300 Blackout was designed to be used with the same boltthe part of the gun that grabs the back of the cartridge, pushes it into the chamber, and extracts it after firingas the 5.56, meaning both cases have to have almost the same dimensions. Aluminum is much lighter than copper or lead, which is why this bullet only weighs 78 grains versus 115 grains for most supersonic 300 Blackout bullets. First time shooting the gun, loaded up a 30 round magazine and I fire the first shot with no issues. For example, lets say increasing a 300 Blackout barrel from 4 inches to 8 inches results in a 50% increase in muzzle energy. And heres how it looks compared to several other common rifle cartridges: The three cartridges on the left are different kinds of 300 Blackout ammo, followed by a 5.56 cartridge and a 7.6239 cartridge on the right. This is why the 300 Blackout is also called the 7.6235, which corresponds to its bullet width and case length in mm, respectively. While the cross-compatibility of our .300 BLK and 5.56 NATO rifles is highly desirable, it could be a potential risk if we do not check ourselves and make sure we are putting the right rounds into the right firearm. And to take things a step further, what if you want to hunt animals like deer, hogs, or even elk with 300 Blackout? I tried 3 different mags, Pmag, Victory and GI, and it had the same problem. That way, you can practice on the cheap while maintaining your skill with home defense cartridges. Impact velocity was obtained with a Shooting Chrony positioned in front of the gel block. At bottom, bullets damage things, people, and animals by transferring energy to them. Known for its ability to deliver heavy subsonic bullets for standard AR magazines while cycling the action in suppressed applications, [], Ive done a few Special Purpose Rifle (SPR) builds over the years and was always happy with the results. You will have to tweak subsonic handloads based on your rifle and the ambient conditions in order to get consistent subsonic performance. All of these companies have a reputation for making good but inexpensive ammo thats ideal for practice, plinking, and recreational destruction. The .300 Blackout started out as a military round. Had problems with cycling both. Its also moving considerably slower from the get-go, though, and experiences more bullet drop as a result. What's the load data? Next, I tested terminal performance by firing each load into blocks of 10-percent ordnance gelatin. That bullet is more blown open than a T-1000 after a run-in with Arnold Schwarzenegger. The alternative to not using an actual .300 BLK magazine is to employ a 5.56 NATO/.223 magazine and then exercise more than stringent ammunition management to ensure a failure does not occur. The advantage of 300 Blackout is if the shooter wants an AR-pattern rifle or pistol that is easily suppressed, they can use a common magazine and typically only need to swap an upper receiver. Testing was conducted at an elevation of 2,200 feet above sea level. In most cases this means nothing. I also have the problem, that the 300 neck is always 2-3mm to high, so that I need to re-size the trimmed cases again. This load was very accurate, besting the most accurate factory load I fired from the AAC MPW carbine by more than .50 inch. However, the 130-grain TTSX did not, mainly because the heavier bullet could not achieve as much velocity. Jones chambered T/C Contender handguns for these rounds and called them Whispers because he was keeping muzzle velocities below the speed of sound. I am using Lil'gun powder. It appears woefully underpowered, yet, thanks to the higher B.C bullets it shoots, it outperforms our beloved old 30-30. The 5.56 bullet disintegrated after penetrating only a few boards, whereas the 300 Blackout stayed intact as it sliced through every single board in this test. This effect is known as bullet drop, and its basically a measurement of how much the bullet deviates downward from a straight line to the target. Perhaps one of the most sobering problems with .300 Blackout is the ability to chamber in a .223 or 5.56mm barrel. I rounded up a variety of bullets I suspected would offer terminal performance not available from factory supersonic ammo, and then went to work at the loading press. With that basic understanding out of the way, here are the numbers I used to create the first graph: The bullet drops about 3 inches at 100 yards, 8 inches at 200 yards, 2 feet at 300 yards, 4.5 feet at 400 yards, and 9 feet at 500 yards. Well talk more about how the 5.56 and 300 Blackout stack up against one another in a moment. The only downside of these cartridges is the cost$1.8 per roundwhich makes it expensive to practice with this ammo. Neck tension can vary between pieces of brass. Their higher B.C. After a second or two, youre pushing as hard as you possibly canyour powder has been completely burnedand you cant exert any more force on the car. . With a 16" barrel and mid length gas system it 'should' be able to cycle using subsonic ammo even without a can. I loaded an additional 10 rounds using the original data and fired them through a CVA Scout with a 16-inch barrel. Should you want performance at both ends of the velocity spectrum, then the .300 AAC Blackout is a good choice, and you can make it even better by using a variety of bullets and recipes through handloading. With a magazine follower designed around the varying profiles of .300 BLK, a larger cut for rounds to exit the magazine, and feed lips that are equally engineered for the spectrum of bullet shapes, a dedicated .300 BLK magazine is truly the way to go. So, who is right? Let's consider the Blackout with 150-grain bullets at 2,100 fps. To be honest I will probably shoot the gun suppressed 90% of the time anyway. While neither are well suited for long range shooting, they are more than adequate at close to medium range. The 5.56 (pronounced five-five-six), also known as 5.5645 NATO or the 556, was designed in 1980 to work with the AR-15 rifle and is the standard rifle cartridge for all NATO forces, including the United States, England, Germany, and other countries.

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