300 AAC blackout like a short .308 for less recoil?

[harlow]

Hi guys,

I might have understood this wrong so set me straight if this is the case.

.308 is a good calibre but it has a bit of kick.

300 blackout is basically a shorter .308 which burns less powder. Is that right?

I know it's burning less to be subsonic, but obviously that would make it recoil less too.

I'm approaching this looking at it like it's a low recoil .308, is that about right?

Thanks.

[Baldrick314]

Hi guys,

I might have understood this wrong so set me straight if this is the case.

.308 is a good calibre but it has a bit of kick.

300 blackout is basically a shorter .308 which burns less powder. Is that right?

I know it's burning less to be subsonic, but obviously that would make it recoil less too.

I'm approaching this looking at it like it's a low recoil .308, is that about right?

Thanks.

That's pretty much it. There's a thread on here somewhere with more info on this calibre but essentially it's quieter, less recoil and a fancy name

[Aster]

You're on the right track.

It's actually a necked up and shortened .221 Fireball/.223 Rem, not a shortened .308.

Picture here of a 300 Blackout compared to a 5.56x45 Nato.

.300 blackout vs 5.56x45 Nato.

300-blk.jpg (39.27 KiB) Viewed 4637 times

Like Baldrick confirmed though, the concept is to shoot 30 cal weight bullets at sub-sonics speeds. It's a military designed round intended to be used with a suppressor for urban sniping and tactical operations.

Quiet, effective within 200m (or thereabouts) and without the potential over penetration of a .308.

[Chronos]

They also run heavier 30 cal bullets than a .308 when running subsonic so recoil is only half, not less as you would think (220gr at 1000fps)

It would be interesting to hear if anyone is shooting cast bullets in the 200-240gr range

Chronos

[SendIt]

It's a 30 cal cartridge but that's about where the similarities stop when compared to a .308.

Less recoil yes, but less range, doesn't shoot anywhere near as flat, different range of bullets due to weight...

It's not just a low recoil .308.

[Chronos]

I'd go a 7.62x39 before I'd go a BO or whisper. Cheaper to load for and similar performance

Chronos

[Monty]

If it's just less recoil you're after I'd look at other calibres.

7mm-08 with lighter pills maybe?

As explained above, 300 Blackout is a military cartridge designed with a specific purpose in mind - suppressed, subsonic shooting within 200m without over penetration.

For target shooting none of those features are important at all, the same goes for hunting (except maybe the over penetration).

There are other calibre choices which are cheaper and/or more readily available and/or perform better.