I have been laying the groundwork for 300BO being my next boondoggle. Never really figured on "ditching" anything, but it could become more of a focus. It just seems like a more friendly cartridge with the faster powders.
Except for prairie dogs, probably stick with 5.56
I arrived at a different conclusion for similar reasons. I really only shoot 9mm and 5.56 now. Between the price of factory ammo and the fact that I have a small child I’d rather be spending time with, I stopped reloading because it just doesn’t make sense any more.
I don’t have any hunting considerations, though.
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I can think of better cartridges than 300 BLK for hunting deer at short ranges. 357 Legend comes to mind here. Although new it will be everywhere soon.
I never did see much use for 125 grain cartridge like the 300 BLK with sonic velocity. The entire concept around that cartridge was 100 yd sub sonic suppressed. It's weak for a deer cartridge. You either don't have the velocity or you don't have the bullet weight to be considered a stand out.
If legal, I would rather shoot deer with 5.56 and 75 gr bullets. Way more effective. If not something in the 7.62x39 or 30-30 class.
Last edited by Borderland; 05-03-2019 at 12:26 PM.
I’m right there with you minus the small child.Originally Posted by Mitch
I haven’t reloaded seriously since i started grad school. I have been shooting 9mm and .22 in pistols, and .223/5.56 and .22 in rifles except for my .243 for hunting last year, which I did reload for. I loaded a couple of boxes of .38s too, but that was all. Other than that, I’ve been buying bulk 9mm, and actually shooting when I had time.
I’ll be graduating next week, though, so my time will be much freer. And there are all kinds of chores around my house that have been neglected for too long, so I doubt I’m going to reload much this summer. Some rifle rounds, I suppose, but again, I’ll do most of my summer practice with 5.56.
If we're talking 5.56 alternatives in an AR-15 receiver set, I like 6.8. There are only a handful of subsonic .300BO heavy bullets that will pretend to expand, and there are mixed reports on how reliably they actually do expand. In supers, the external ballistics (trajectory and accuracy) and terminal performance of 6.8 are likely to beat .300BO, and there are reports that the Grendel may not feed as reliably as 6.8.
The last factory ammo I bought for 6.8 was a couple hundred Fusions (Gold Dots for Fudds) at $0.35/rd shipped after rebate. Hard to beat that.
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Not another dime.
I have a sample size of one. I shot a hog last week with a .300BLK in the shoulder, and it was DRT. It didn't even twitch. The round was a Hornady 110gr V-MAX moving at 2350fps.
I have shot several others with 5.56. With a spine or brain shot they will drop, but otherwise they are tough critters.
I haven't shot a deer with either. Where I live, the .300 BLK would be plenty sufficient for any size hooved game that we have. I am looking at getting something with a bit more reach, but it'll probably be in a bolt gun unless I just do an upper.
As an aside, I walked into a rural Walmart just now and checked out their ammo stock. They had one offering in 6.5 Creedmoor and several .300 BLK loadings. They didn't have any 7mm-08, and I have been considering a Ruger American Compact in that chambering.
I had an ER nurse in a class. I noticed she kept taking all head shots. Her response when asked why, "'I've seen too many people who have been shot in the chest putting up a fight in the ER." Point taken.
I'm enjoying 277 Wolverine. It is a 223 based wildcat similar in concept to 300 Blackout. With a 12" barrel I'm pushing a 90gr bullet to 2,500 fps. On the other side of performance I've been able to run 150gr hunting bullets at subsonic velocity.
ttps://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/.277_Wolverine
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For me, 5.56 works great and while I briefly owned a DD MK18 in 300BLK, I quickly sold the upper and moved back to 5.56.
As far as terminally, a friend of mine hunts hogs. LOTS of hogs. LOTS AND LOTS. From the ground. For the choppa! From all the places and ways. 300BLK and 5.56 both kill them about the same, he says. The deer I've shot with 5.56 and that my friends have shot with 5.56 die pretty well, too. I've zero complaints.
Last edited by Unobtanium; 05-03-2019 at 10:53 PM.
The 277 seems interesting I hope it gains a little more traction.
300 BO is great for all the reasons stated. The reloading costs are about the same as 556 for the supers, subs are more since i don’t use cast bullets (but they run clean). The Amax has been discontinued as a reloading component leaving the 208gr bthp or the more expensive ELDs (which didn’t stabilize in my guns).
I’m not hitting 2100 FPS with the 9” barrels and 120s (I’m pushing max charges) so that might limit you to around 100yrds.
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