Does anyone have any thoughts on the 300 AAC blackout? First hand experience? The cartridge has a lot of appeal for me, though at present ammo prices it's cost prohibitive.
Does anyone have any thoughts on the 300 AAC blackout? First hand experience? The cartridge has a lot of appeal for me, though at present ammo prices it's cost prohibitive.
I bought an 8" upper from Noveske recently and I'm loving it.
Recoil isn't that much more than the 5.56 10.5" I have and getting back on target was easy. My splits in the 1 thru 5 drill were up about .01-.02, so negligible.
Reloading for the 300 BLK will commence as soon as my dies get here but I have a very cheap way to prep 5.56 brass without having to buy expensive machines to do it. All total, my brass prep stuff costs about $14.00 vs. the hundreds others have been spending on trimmers and what not. (doesn't include the cordless drill as I already had that and most people will too.)
I'm going to be ordering a can for it shortly once I decide on weather to get an AAC SD6 or the new Surefire Mini762.
I've only shot supersonics thru it at this point being I don't have a can for it yet and a buddy and I were bangin' 10" steel at 300 yards, supported. Zeroed it off a lead sled at 200 for starters with an Eotech so I still have to get the hold over/under worked out in my head for varying distances.
So far, I really like it. 30 rounds of 110g heat in a tiny little package. Here's a pic. I've since put some Troy BUIS on it, but haven't taken a new picture.
I feel lied to about the "cheap" ammo that was supposed to be here by now. "Next year" is the drum we are continually beating as people sell uppers. If I had a need for a rifle with a range of 100 yards and it had to be whisper quiet the .300 would be the answer. If I ever get a can for a .308 I will have at least one AR upper with a .300 barrel. Otherwise I am not liking the fact that people are sold the idea that you can shoot the gun suppressed, instantly remove the fast attach AAC can, and then shoot supersonic ammo without having to compensate for height in a major way.
ETA: I have not fired a round from a .300 upper yet. I attempted to acquire 1000 rounds of affordable ammo to use a borrowed upper to shoot a F2S Consulting class in December but was unable to locate a case, even after contacting a few companies with stake in the round.
Last edited by orionz06; 03-19-2012 at 03:57 PM.
Think for yourself. Question authority.
I'm with you on this one. This is an appealing round for a hunting platform in AR configuration but the promised millions of rounds of affordable ammo flooding the market have yet to appear. I am really interested in it as it will only require the purchase of a barrel to switch over but I am not a reloader currently and the availability of factory ammo is a big consideration for me. I have a narrow set of expectations as to what I want the round to do and this would fit the bill just right. I grew up around the 30-30 lever action rifle and still think it is a fabulous "brush gun". Blackout is a very similar round in my favorite ergonomic package. I have almost everything for another complete rifle on hand and am thinking I need to grab a barrel and give it a try. It should not be too hard to work up a card for subsonic and supersonic based on a 100 yard zero. However, the ammo availability issue is holding me up too.Originally Posted by orionz06
I can secede the zero issue between rounds if the supplies of ammo were here.
Think for yourself. Question authority.
I have about 1600 rounds of free ammo through a free upper (which I have since returned) and a free can (which AAC subsequently told me I could keep). Most of that was subsonic suppressed, balance was supersonic unsuppressed.
I still don't "get it". I get the idea, I get the appeal, and I was initially ecstatic about the caliber. I just don't get the acceptance of the trade-offs for a perceived improvement over a round that I'm having a hard time improving over. I'm also not sure that, even over a year after the initial announcement, the idea is fully baked.
Four of us went hog hunting a few weeks ago. Two used 5.56 with Remington Core Lokt, I used .223 ASYM 70 grain TSX, one used a 300 BLK (unsure of load, something black tipped from Atlanta Arms, I believe). All four hogs died, no one any more dramatically than the others. And the Core Lokt had the most impressive wound channel on cleaning. I'm not sure what the 300 did, or was even supposed to have done, better.
For a toy, something to experiment with, etc. I can see the appeal. Otherwise I'm finding it kind of like the .40 - while everyone else says "best of both" I can't help but notice that means it's also "worst of both".
additionally, some of the things listed as benefits, like using the same mags and bolt, to me can be liabilities. AAC has said you can't chamber a 300 round in a 5.56 but there's at least one person out there that did exactly that and blew up their gun. Not having the upper anymore I'm not sure if you can chamber a 5.56 in a 300, or what the consequences would be.
How much quieter did the suppressed subsonic blackout seem to you than suppressed .223? Also, what was the barrel length of the blackout upper?
If the noise drop was significant, it would seen that that it's only valuable niche is as a replacement for a suppressed SMG in a close quarters environment. You get a pretty compact, quiet package, with low recoil, and the same manual of arms as the oh-so-loved AR platform. And I suppose that you technically would have the ability to penetrate sort armor by switch to super sonic rounds... but if you thought there was going to be a soft armor threat, why not just bring a regular AR?
I train to be better than I was yesterday. -F2S
Rob, that is very good food for thought for me, thanks. Having been unable to shoot it or even see someone shoot it yet, I have been thinking it would be a good bush/hunting platform based on the data (hype) that is out there. I don't think I would chase deer with 5.56 but I have plenty of other rifles that will do that job just fine. I am wanting to do some hog hunts in the coming years and thought this would be a good round/rifle for it. I have a great platform to throw the barrrel in to give it a fair shake. It sounds like I might be better served with 5.56 and some good info on the right round/load. I am a big fan of the Core Lokt for larger game so I should not be surprised that it did well. Do you know what weight it was and whether it was a factory load or home grown? Thanks again for the info.
The barrel length was 9", with the older 7.0 KAC handguard. subsonic suppressed was hearing safe with the AAC SDN-6 can. I'll post some videos. It is giggle-inducing for sure, and hearing the round whack the berm is "neat".
The question is, how does a non-expanding .30 cal projectile compare to a modern 5.56 defensive load like the TSX or Core Lokt? Because right now there is no defensive 300 subsonic load and when (if?) there is rumors are it will be >$2/round and may be LE-only. The other question I have is how does a non-expanding .30 cal subsonic projectile compare to a modern 9mm defensive load like the 147 grain Gold Dot at "CQB" distance?
I also think it *could* be a good brush gun. But having just taken a Practical Rifle class this last weekend, so does a lightweight bolt-action. Which I may already have or may already need for other applications.
The rounds were LE-purchase/issue so they were factory.
Mod Navy Qual at EAG Tactical Carbine Operator's Course 2010 - Subsonic Suppressed 300 BLK w/ 220 grain Remington ammo, AAC 9" upper, and 762-SDN-6 silencer
Alternating rounds of 220 grain Remington subsonic 300 BLK with Remington 123 grain (now discontinued) supersonic 300 BLK, AAC 9" upper, unsuppressed
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