Reloading for the .300 Blackout

[Gus]

Hello Everyone,

Bought a Ruger American the other day in .300 Blackout. What cool little caliber. In this bolt action rifle I'm finding it to be a very easy cartridge to load for.

With scope and sling it weighs in at 7 lbs, 1 oz.  According to my calculations, when I launch a Hornady 150 SP at 1742 fps, the rifle comes back with about 4.2 ft/lbs of recoil.

So far it shoots quite well Speer 110 grain Varminters, Hornady 150 gr SP, and Hornady's 180 grain SPs.  I haven't been able to find any 200 grain bullets in Anchorage.  Will keep looking.

I've been using Winchester 296 and AA1680 for my loads so far. I typically go mild to medium in my powder charges. Brass lasts longer and I typically find better accuracy.

Bullet                   Powder-Charge   Case           Primer   Velocity
Speer 110 gr HP   WW296-18.0   Top Brass   CCI 400   2223
Hornady 150 gr SP   WW296-14.5   Top Brass   CCI 400   1742
Hornady 180 gr SP   AA1680-16.0   Top Brass   CCI 400   1516

Temperatures at the Birchwood range last Sunday were in the low 30's. A pretty mild winter for Alaska, especially compared to last year!  I used a Caldwell chronograph for the bullet speeds. I really like the way you can hook it up to a smart phone and save all the data.

Anyway, since my rifle is a bolt action, this little round is exceedingly easy to reload. The above load data may not cycle an AR.  All three of my loads show I have a ~1.5 MOA rifle, stock out of the box. I'm ok with that as a starting point.

Just for fun I'll put a short review of the rifle in the Rifle Knowledge or Gear & Reviews area.

Does anyone have a source for 200 to 225 gr .308 bullets?

Gus

[Eagle Keeper]

Li'll gun was literly made for 300 blackout. It wil do booth supersonic and subsonic.

[Tennessee Beast]

Li'll gun was literly made for 300 blackout. It wil do booth supersonic and subsonic.

Well, it was LITERALLY made for .410 shotshells.   

[nmmi9100]

Massively late response but the best source for inexpensive 220 gr 308 bullets for 300 Blackout subs is Berry's.  They're cheap and effective at subsonic velocities and distances. Midway has them in stock.

/David

[Charles McKinley]

Thank you David,

I need to develop a subsonic load for the same rifle and get off my butt and finish the paperwork for a muzzle device.

[nmmi9100]

I scoffed at 300 Blackout for years when I looked at it as a rifle cartridge.  It's not much as a rifle cartridge compared to 5.56, 6.8 SPC, or 6.5 Grendel. But it's really a subgun round that shines in short barrels in both supersonic and subsonic roles with 110 and 220 grain bullets, respectively.  In an 8" AR with pistol gas, a carbine spring/buffer, and a .125" gas port, it runs great with 110 V-Max over 19.5 gr H110 at 2100 fps and subsonic with 220 gr Berry's over 8.5 gr of Lil'Gun at 975 fps.  In a pinch, you can shoot 145 gr Privi ball over 15.0 gr of Lil'Gun at 1780 fps for a cheap practice load.  All 3 using CCI#41 primers.  Labradar for the speed.  YMMV, of course.

Just mark your mags VERY CLEARLY because 300 BLK that finds its way into a 5.56 results in bad things happening.

[Gus]

Thanks nmmi9100!

I'll get some on order.

Gus