What do you use your 300 Blackout for ?

[wanneroo]

Mate I use mine for chasing pigs off the back of a vehicle or bike, so generally close range hunting <100m. In saying that I have dropped pigs at longer ranges.
I reload with 125gn SST or 130gn HP which do the job nicely, very cheap to reload. Brass cheap or can be made from 222 or 223 cases.
I do agree with some of the above re the cartridge being suited to a suppressed AR platform or similar.

I've loaded the 125g SST and they seem to work pretty good.

Just got some Speer 130g hollow points on sale this past summer and will be trying those out.

[bigpete]

It's a good go to if you've got a rifle with a .222 / .223 bolt face and are looking to put a bit more weight behind the punch. New barrel and you're in business.

The .300 Whisper was the original design based on .221 Fireball case. AAC standardised it and submitted it to SAAMI as the .300 Blackout.
The original concept was to fire very heavy for calibre, ballistically efficient bullets at subsonic velocities in suppressed rifles. It was found to be extremely accurate out to 200 yards in that application with good retained energy as well. No other sub-sonic round can match it in that regard.
It found it's way into pistol silhouette and has been very popular in that sport as 200m is the furthest target and 200+ grain bullets have no trouble knocking down the rams and reduced recoil when compared to pistols chambered in .30-30.

I have a .300 Whisper barrel for my L461 Sako that also has a .221 Fireball barrel. While I have played around with the .300 with both cast and jacketed bullets for both hunting and some target work, it hasn't really done much for me. ( Maybe I'm spoiled for choice with other options at hand )
The rifle sports the .221 barrel mostly as a culling rifle around the farm, accurate, 50gr bullets for head shots, light recoil and low noise, suits me.

While you can make .300 Blackout cases from .223 brass, it was designed on the .221 Fireball case and is much easier to do by just necking those up.
With correct head-stamped and dimensioned brass available off the shelf, why bother?

I've shot a mates .300 Apache ( .300/.223, whatever you want to label it ), at 500m rifle silhouette rams in the U.S, it worked, was pleasant to shoot and accurate. He claimed his father came up with the concept and name, ( who was I to argue ), would I build one,...No.

I thought the blackout was slightly different to the whisper ?

[JimTom]

Just because I had a heap of old 222 brass.

How does your converted brass hold up?

G’day mate, I have fired the brass several times now with absolutely no signs of stress etc. Holding up very well. I will say however, that 223 is much easier to convert than 222 brass. There is an old thread on here somewhere where I talked about the process.

[deanp100]

Isn’t it like a modern day replacement for the 30/30?

Nah mate. That would be a 308 I would say, seeing how old the 30/30 is. Whilst the 300 blackout is 308 in diameter it is nothing like it. It was designed to be used like an mp5 9mm(very close range) but with more stopping power whilst not over penetrating walls.

It is the round that killed Osama Bin Laden.

Where did you read that?
223 from a H&K.

[in2anity]

The primer pockets go first on the blk.

[zbenga]

150 gr 308 abt 2800fps
150 gr 30.30 abt 2300fps
150 gr 300 black out abt 1700fps

Big difference.

yeah I'll have more fun with the 45-70

cast bullets are similar in price, large pistol magnum primers are everywhere and the StarLine bass will last 20-30 reloads and you have a lot more fun with 45-70

[Blr243]

I bought a stack of real cheap fac ammoftom cleavers 110 v max at 2375 fps. Pigs Roos foxes and cats .. sometimes I play with subs usually red dot powder. I have a fair bit of 2205. I have tons of pills and brass and primers so reloading for it is not a problem

[alexjones]

300blk is perfect when suppressed in a semi auto. Good 30 calibre round for home defence as it won't over penetrate walls. Although not really relevant for this country.

[on_one_wheel]

After all these years, I still don't understand the 300 Blackout

As a car guy I see it like taking a classic muscle car, pulling the V8 engine out and replacing it with a 4 clynder starfire .... looks real cool sitting in the driveway but doesn't perform.

Given how hard it is to get suppressors legally in Australia and how an AR 15 style rifle is just a pipe dream for most, I just don't understand why a sluggish 7.62 × 35 would sell.

I reckon if you add another 16mm of case length to the Blackout, it would probably perform quite adequately.

[JimTom]

After all these years, I still don't understand the 300 Blackout

As a car guy I see it like taking a classic muscle car, pulling the V8 engine out and replacing it with a 4 clynder starfire .... looks real cool sitting in the driveway but doesn't perform.

Given how hard it is to get suppressors legally in Australia and how an AR 15 style rifle is just a pipe dream for most, I just don't understand why a sluggish 7.62 × 35 would sell.

I reckon if you add another 16mm of case length to the Blackout, it would probably perform quite adequately.

I’ve been using it for years mate as a close range pig rifle (100m). It is only circa 100fps slower than a 30/30 with the 130gn projectiles I am shooting. Cheap to run, low on recoil, brass and projectiles easy to come by. It suits my purposes anyway. Only issue now is that AR2205 is getting quite rare.

[on_one_wheel]

Saving 10c per shot in powder and giving up around 1000 fps still doesn't sound like a great deal to me... even worse if it's fussy with powder.

[JimTom]

Saving 10c per shot in powder and giving up around 1000 fps still doesn't sound like a great deal to me... even worse if it's fussy with powder.

100fps not 1000.

[JimTom]

Every cartridge has a purpose mate. It may not be useful to you, and you may not understand other people’s liking for it. That doesn’t mean it’s useless.

[Oldbloke]

Saving 10c per shot in powder and giving up around 1000 fps still doesn't sound like a great deal to me... even worse if it's fussy with powder.

Yeh, it's always puzzled me to, why bother. But must have some uses I guess.

[JimTom]

Maybe just have a look at the ballistics. It stacks up ok for certain applications.

Either that or just go down the path where you sh1tcan every cartridge manufactured after 1950.

[on_one_wheel]

Maybe just have a look at the ballistics. It stacks up ok for certain applications.

Either that or just go down the path where you sh1tcan every cartridge manufactured after 1950.

I'm a massive fan of many modern cartridges, I own a .243 which itself is a post 1950 , necked down. 308 and a .223 ... also post 1950 improved version of its parent cartridge.
Iv looked at the data, and it only makes sense if your hunting suppressed.
I just don't see any advantage in making something with such poor performance, very limited range with a painful trajectory that's almost ONE THOUSAND feet per second SLOWER than a .308, especially given you could simply load a .308 with trailboss for sluggish projectile.

[Oldbloke]

Maybe just have a look at the ballistics. It stacks up ok for certain applications.

Either that or just go down the path where you sh1tcan every cartridge manufactured after 1950.

I'm a massive fan of many modern cartridges, I own a .243 which itself is a post 1950 , necked down. 308 and a .223 ... also post 1950 improved version of its parent cartridge.
Iv looked at the data, and it only makes sense if your hunting suppressed.
I just don't see any advantage in making something with such poor performance, very limited range with a painful trajectory that's almost ONE THOUSAND feet per second SLOWER than its parent cartridge, especially given you could simply load a .308 with trailboss for sluggish projectile.

Precisely my thoughts.

And since saaay, 1975 or even before there is really nothing new in chamberings. So, to clarify. There are so many chamberings out there some/many effectively just duplicate what is already available in another chambering. Many over lap or are very close.
In many regards, in practice no difference.

[Blr243]

When I shoot mine it doesn’t feel like a gutless round It’s really only gutless compared to a 308

[alexjones]

It was designed to have better performance than a 9mm but still subsonic for clearing rooms . I still think in Australia it is a rather useless callibre.

I think of it as a 30/30 but not to be used in a lever action.

[Wyliecoyote]

The best one can do with a 300 BO is sink the reamer in to 223 length and create the 30 Apache.

[in2anity]

For me and my uses (predominantly a medium-skinned, brush gun), the 300bo is "enough gun". Not more, not less. That's desirable. Not only that, I get to recycle my vast stores of both spent 223 brass and myriad selection of .308" cal projectiles. Win win.

Shame about AR2205 shortage though - without that, indeed it's an utter safe queen.

[bigpete]

Maybe I should get one. Use up the 2205 I've got

[Blr243]

There is another post in the reloading section. It’s about the use of 2207 to ease the No 2205 in my cupboard woes.

[JimTom]

Maybe I should get one. Use up the 2205 I've got

[JimTom]

There is another post in the reloading section. It’s about the use of 2207 to ease the No 2205 in my cupboard woes.

I have loaded heavier projectiles with 2207 but yeah I think the 180gn are less than ideal. I like the 125gn SST in mine mate. They make short work of the hogs.

[JimTom]

Maybe I should get one. Use up the 2205 I've got

I see what you did there.

[animalpest]

After all these years, I still don't understand the 300 Blackout

As a car guy I see it like taking a classic muscle car, pulling the V8 engine out and replacing it with a 4 clynder starfire .... looks real cool sitting in the driveway but doesn't perform.

Given how hard it is to get suppressors legally in Australia and how an AR 15 style rifle is just a pipe dream for most, I just don't understand why a sluggish 7.62 × 35 would sell.

I reckon if you add another 16mm of case length to the Blackout, it would probably perform quite adequately.

You mean like a Landcruiser?

[on_one_wheel]

After all these years, I still don't understand the 300 Blackout

As a car guy I see it like taking a classic muscle car, pulling the V8 engine out and replacing it with a 4 clynder starfire .... looks real cool sitting in the driveway but doesn't perform.

Given how hard it is to get suppressors legally in Australia and how an AR 15 style rifle is just a pipe dream for most, I just don't understand why a sluggish 7.62 × 35 would sell.

I reckon if you add another 16mm of case length to the Blackout, it would probably perform quite adequately.

You mean like a Landcruiser?

No , im thinking it's more like sticking a suzuki 3 clynder ĹJ50 540cc 2 smoker engine in Landcruiser because it sounds revy.

[wanneroo]

I have a ton of 300 Blackout videos on my Youtube channel and will continue to add more over time. I did a very successful project last winter/spring with 220g Berry's Bullets. Usually when I do reloading projects on the channel I do an intro video and then subsequent videos going through the whole process until I get done and find a load that works.

Development and understanding of the cartridge has come a long way over the past 10 years. Also 300 BO specific powders and products have come out, along with 300 BO specific brass. Yes at first 300 BO was intended for short barrel suppressed guns but with a 16 inch barrel and 110g bullets it is on par with 7.62x39. It's a great short range cartridge.

I have a lot of fun with it, enjoy loading it and shooting it and will do so for many years to come.

Coming up for me I want to get the CZ bolt action 300 BO rifle and a few suppressors.

[wanneroo]

150 gr 308 abt 2800fps
150 gr 30.30 abt 2300fps
150 gr 300 black out abt 1700fps

Big difference.

yeah I'll have more fun with the 45-70

cast bullets are similar in price, large pistol magnum primers are everywhere and the StarLine bass will last 20-30 reloads and you have a lot more fun with 45-70

I wouldn't knock 45 70 but going to that is a much bigger package in size and weight in both ammo and rifle.

300 BO uses a .223 action with 30 cal bullets and it is a much more handy package in terms of size and weight.