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Best Projectiles for 300 BO

I have a hard time getting a 250 grain bullet out the barrel of a 22 LR, and ballistically if you compare what a 45 acp will do, the same weight bullet in a blackout round will start out performing it at about 15 feet.

Not sure I have ever seen either a 22 LR or 45 ACP break 2000 fps, never mind 3000,

Other than that they are pretty much the same. You know kinda like a 9mm and a 6BR.
Never said they were the same but i just cant figure out what its purpose is. Its not concealable and not a hunting round. If youre running it at 2000 or 3000 then its a whole different story- not silenced so its over into other cartridge territory. Glad you like em though!
 
Never said they were the same but i just cant figure out what its purpose is. Its not concealable and not a hunting round. If youre running it at 2000 or 3000 then its a whole different story- not silenced so its over into other cartridge territory. Glad you like em though!
Your question was actually what purpose does it have in an AR, and why not use a 45 ACP or 22 LR. The ability to conceal was not a qualifier.
Even if you extend that to any pistol caliber carbine or sub machine gun, the answer is likely still the same, superior ballistics based on bullet selection and performance. Both subsonic and super.

If you want concealment, then It changes the dynamic and the choice of an AR, even piston driven and sub 5” barrel is tough to conceal, but they are out there. You just don’t see them.

Very few people new an Uzi existed until Regan got shot
 
I certainty can't anything technical to dellet's excellent reply. Apparently some here have read his replies and good advice over on 300 BLK. If you have than you know who I am there, and I too, have been into the cartridge since 2012-13. Dusty says its not a hunting round, I disagree and the buck I shot at 98 yards ( supersonic) would disagree as well except he ain't here no more. Numerous ground hogs, pests and game I have put down with this round. In an AR or a bolt/single shot it is an Interesting, effective round when used within it's operating zone. I could say the same about a 300 WM. Shot placement, bullet choice and bushcraft skills are what fetch game.
So Dusty to reply to your statement of not sure what its purpose is - I have given you one purpose above. Others are fun, accuracy potential, versatility and going down a rabbit hole and coming out on the other end as a better hand loader, more knowledgeable of ballistics. I guess everyone here has had that "ah hah" moment when reloading. You probably give credit fondly to the cartridge you were loading at the time. Mine was 300 BLK. That is when I stopped just putting cartridges together and learned to hand load. To understand what each little detail cause and effects were. For me, it paved my way here, shooting and hand loading uber precision stuff like 6 PPC and 6 BR. It maybe someone else's eureka cartridge - so that concludes my last reason for owning a 300 BLK.
 
Your question was actually what purpose does it have in an AR, and why not use a 45 ACP or 22 LR. The ability to conceal was not a qualifier.
Even if you extend that to any pistol caliber carbine or sub machine gun, the answer is likely still the same, superior ballistics based on bullet selection and performance. Both subsonic and super.

If you want concealment, then It changes the dynamic and the choice of an AR, even piston driven and sub 5” barrel is tough to conceal, but they are out there. You just don’t see them.

Very few people new an Uzi existed until Regan got shot
Not that it matters but i actually said if you want to shoot something that is suppressed just because its suppressed a 45 or 22 would be a good choice
 
Not that it matters but i actually said if you want to shoot something that is suppressed just because its suppressed a 45 or 22 would be a good choice
I still havent found a good use for this round in an AR- whats the purpose in it? Just trying to shoot something quiet why not go with a 22 or a 45acp?

My apologies, I was answering the bolded question above. I thought that was yours. I see now you gave a rhetorical answer to someone else's question.

So, to whoever asked that question, the answer is still the same. Twice or more the stopping power of an MP5 in the same or smaller package would be why to choose it, any time you would choose an MP5.

Another reason would be that in area's where there are minimum energy requirements for pistol hunting, like Colorado with 550 pounds at 50 yards, a 45 ACP won't cut it unless you can get that 230 grain bullet over 1100 fps. Where the same weight or heavier bullet in a Blackout, because of better ballistics would have 550 pounds out to as far as 200 yards depending on the bullet with less muzzle velocity.

If you just want quiet, use a pea shooter or a traditional bow. If you want quiet with a purpose, there are much better choices than a suppressed 22 or 45 ACP.

It's an interesting cartridge that can be fun to shoot and develop loads for, it's not for everyone. But it's absolutely mind boggling the amount absolute garbage surrounding what it can or can't do.
 
Nice thread. I’m just getting started as a reloader and 300blk is one I’m perhaps the most excited about developing loads for. Wish was easier finding components though. I have a SBR MCX 300blk which has a piston gas system with a selectable setting for supersonic and subsonic. However, my suppressor is the no blowback OSS. I have barely fired it since I bought it, but am looking forward to seeing how it reacts to different loads with the switch. I suspect I may not need to use it at all but time will tell.

I would be interested in checking out that other dedicated 300BLK forum if someone would care to share a link or address.

I only have a few .308 bullets at the moment, some were a promotion from buying my equipment. Hornady either 150 or 180gr I believe, and also got some nosler 155gr and Sierra matchking 200gr to try. Not sure if the Sierra is suitable for subsonic, but I think will be able to based on data from their smartphone app. Not a great powder selection either due to the times.

Seems like this forum is a wealth of information. I’ve run so little factory ammo through my gun that im not really sure what it likes. I believe it’s a 9” barrel. I could say what the twist was though.

Ill be sure to post back when I have something more worthwhile to contribute as far as my results with hand loads.
 
its not a hunting round, I disagree and the buck I shot at 98 yards ( supersonic) would disagree as well except he ain't here no more.
I know a guy that has shot around 100 deer with a 14 inch Thompson Contender that’s suppressed and nothing but subsonic loads

I’ll see if I can get him to reply to this post.
 
I know a guy that has shot around 100 deer with a 14 inch Thompson Contender that’s suppressed and nothing but subsonic loads

I’ll see if I can get him to reply to this post.
To be honest, 300 Blk is 2 cartridges. Supersonic, no argument about energy, good expanding bullets for the relativity lower speed. A modern 30/30 is a bit of a push considering the velocity difference, but bullet choice, higher BC and the 150 gold dot are game changers. Subsonic is a different game, and if your buddy has killed 100 deer with it he knows his business. We have (had) a New Zealander on 300 BLK talk that culled Red Stag for a living for a large ranch. He took Red Stag at 100 plus yards with 300 BLK subs. Mostly head shots. He had a beautiful Vizla hound to point and track. He rarely tracked. This is an exception, a man that shot thousands of sub rounds and absolutely Knew the rainbow trajectory of the round he was shooting. All things considered- it is still knowing the round you are shooting and shot placement. Subsonic makes you work harder.
 
Storm, I've been fortunate to have a lot of experience with subsonic rounds. JD Jones is a very good friend and I have killed game with all his Whispers from 6.5 to .500. The .300 Whisper is the most practical and reasonable cost one to shoot. I've taken 115 deer ,3 turkeys, 1 fox, and 139 groundhogs with it.
Here's a few things I've learned from JD and my experiences. The .300 Whisper was developed around the Sierra 240 gr. HPBT Match bullet. The original subsonic bullets killed by tumbling, not expansion. 220 gr. Match bullets are not quite long enough to tumble reliably. I shot deer with them and they gave no sign of being hit. It took 5 minutes for them to die.
Oddly, Sierra 220 gr. ROUND NOSE bullets do tumble and kill all the game I've shot with excellent results. As far as using the newer Hornady subsonics, I haven't used them, but realize a bullet going less that 1050 fps that only expands may not give good terminal results.
One exception to the light bullets are Lehigh Defense Controlled fracturing bullets. I'm a tester for Lehigh and have taken around 50 deer with their 186 gr. Controlled Fracturing. It has a skived nose with 4 pedals that break off when hitting game. It also has a .17 cal. HP bullet in the nose. With the pedals, the .17 cal., and the solid base of the bullet, you're getting 6 tracts of damage in an animal. This is THE ONLY subsonic bullet I've used that reliably drops deer in their tracts (about 90%). With other subsonic bullets, if the deer is alert when shot, he'll run until it bleeds out(that could be a long way). If not alert, they'll stand around (and some even keep on feeding), and drop in 30 seconds or so.
Deer shot with the .338 & .375 Whisper don't provide enough resistance foe the heavy bullets to tumble much. The .500 Whisper does excellent with 750 gr. Horn. AMaxes. I killed 15 deer with them while testing for a certain government agency. This is a very expensive round to set up. The .300 Whisper (Blackout) is the way to go.
I've had such good luck with the 186 Lehigh and 220 RN that I see no reason to try the Hornady. I have shot a few, but they hit so far from the other 2 that my gun would need to be resighted & I'd be forced to use the one bullet. As it now, with my mil dot scope (needed for subsonic rounds) I can shoot 240, 250 Sierra Match, 220 Sierra RN, and 186 Lehighs without a change of my scope.
I hope my experiences help you some.
 
Lots of experience speaking here. Thanks for sharing.
What is the fps goal for those subsonic loads with the fracturing and RN bullets?
Does Lehigh provide load data like Sierra does? I have seen their bullets for sale, but I’ve never bought or used them before. Sounds like I should give them a try.

In an earlier post I saw mention of a “150 gold dot” of which I am unfamiliar with, will have to search about that as well.

I had initially bought an MOA scope 1-6 variable that I had planned to use on my 300BLK because I realized getting one with BDC reticle would be useless with the widely variable bullets that are out there. I still have that scope, but I stumbled upon what might be a gimmicky solution, I don’t know because I haven’t even taken it out of the box yet. The concept seems legitimate however, so I bought one of the electronic bluetooth SIG scopes with the OLED reticle, on sale. It connects to your smart phone and rangefinder if you have one. Let’s you program in the ballistic information through the phone app, and the scope will give a ballistic coalition with rangefinder and BDC on the reticle that adjusts. I think it’s called their Sierra BDX series. I have the original version, seems they have and updated version with improved electronics that’s just been released. I know some people don’t like the optics quality on SIG, but for short ranges I think will be acceptable. I’ll have to report back when I have time and opportunity to try it out. Sorry for the lengthy diversionary scope discussion...

TD

edit- found the gold dot Ammo. Have to check that stuff out (If I can find any)!
 
Last edited:
Storm, I've been fortunate to have a lot of experience with subsonic rounds. JD Jones is a very good friend and I have killed game with all his Whispers from 6.5 to .500. The .300 Whisper is the most practical and reasonable cost one to shoot. I've taken 115 deer ,3 turkeys, 1 fox, and 139 groundhogs with it.
Here's a few things I've learned from JD and my experiences. The .300 Whisper was developed around the Sierra 240 gr. HPBT Match bullet. The original subsonic bullets killed by tumbling, not expansion. 220 gr. Match bullets are not quite long enough to tumble reliably. I shot deer with them and they gave no sign of being hit. It took 5 minutes for them to die.
Oddly, Sierra 220 gr. ROUND NOSE bullets do tumble and kill all the game I've shot with excellent results. As far as using the newer Hornady subsonics, I haven't used them, but realize a bullet going less that 1050 fps that only expands may not give good terminal results.
One exception to the light bullets are Lehigh Defense Controlled fracturing bullets. I'm a tester for Lehigh and have taken around 50 deer with their 186 gr. Controlled Fracturing. It has a skived nose with 4 pedals that break off when hitting game. It also has a .17 cal. HP bullet in the nose. With the pedals, the .17 cal., and the solid base of the bullet, you're getting 6 tracts of damage in an animal. This is THE ONLY subsonic bullet I've used that reliably drops deer in their tracts (about 90%). With other subsonic bullets, if the deer is alert when shot, he'll run until it bleeds out(that could be a long way). If not alert, they'll stand around (and some even keep on feeding), and drop in 30 seconds or so.
Deer shot with the .338 & .375 Whisper don't provide enough resistance foe the heavy bullets to tumble much. The .500 Whisper does excellent with 750 gr. Horn. AMaxes. I killed 15 deer with them while testing for a certain government agency. This is a very expensive round to set up. The .300 Whisper (Blackout) is the way to go.
I've had such good luck with the 186 Lehigh and 220 RN that I see no reason to try the Hornady. I have shot a few, but they hit so far from the other 2 that my gun would need to be resighted & I'd be forced to use the one bullet. As it now, with my mil dot scope (needed for subsonic rounds) I can shoot 240, 250 Sierra Match, 220 Sierra RN, and 186 Lehighs without a change of my scope.
I hope my experiences help you some.
The Hitman brings up a very good point, there is a big difference in a bullet opening up like Lehigh and the other solids, vs mushrooming like the Hornady.

Most of the mushrooming bullets will tumble reliably as long as the nose opens and flattens enough. The Hornady 190 is probably the best bullet of this design that I have tested.

The problem with the Nosler bullet, is that there was not enough expansion/mushroom and it tended to shed the jacket in gel. it seemed if the jacket stayed intact the bullet would pass through with a .40 caliber hole if you were lucky to get that much expansion.
 
Lots of experience speaking here. Thanks for sharing.
What is the fps goal for those subsonic loads with the fracturing and RN bullets?
Does Lehigh provide load data like Sierra does? I have seen their bullets for sale, but I’ve never bought or used them before. Sounds like I should give them a try.

In an earlier post I saw mention of a “150 gold dot” of which I am unfamiliar with, will have to search about that as well.

I had initially bought an MOA scope 1-6 variable that I had planned to use on my 300BLK because I realized getting one with BDC reticle would be useless with the widely variable bullets that are out there. I still have that scope, but I stumbled upon what might be a gimmicky solution, I don’t know because I haven’t even taken it out of the box yet. The concept seems legitimate however, so I bought one of the electronic bluetooth SIG scopes with the OLED reticle, on sale. It connects to your smart phone and rangefinder if you have one. Let’s you program in the ballistic information through the phone app, and the scope will give a ballistic coalition with rangefinder and BDC on the reticle that adjusts. I think it’s called their Sierra BDX series. I have the original version, seems they have and updated version with improved electronics that’s just been released. I know some people don’t like the optics quality on SIG, but for short ranges I think will be acceptable. I’ll have to report back when I have time and opportunity to try it out. Sorry for the lengthy diversionary scope discussion...

TD

edit- found the gold dot Ammo. Have to check that stuff out (If I can find any)!
The Gold Dot is an excellent bullet for supers, Tunes easily and is physically the size of a 125 so you can maximize powder capacity/velocity. It also tends to run fast since it's a heavily plated bullet that has been coated.

I get just over 1900 fps from an 8" barrel, giving it an easy 200 yard range reaching full expansion. 2100 fps in a 12" Bolt action. 2200+ is not a problem in a 16"

As far as scopes, it's tough to beat a Trijicon Accupoint with a Mildot reticle.

Subsonic velocity is argued. I tend to stay with a muzzle velocity 1000 fps max if possible. It's generally quieter and more accurate. By staying just under the trans-sonic window there is much less turbulence for the bullets to fly through.

Let's face it, most subsonic, specialty hunting type bullets are about as aerodynamic as a loaf of bread. They need all the help they can get.

Others want as much velocity without cracking as possible. There is just not that much energy lost in 75 fps. It's a choice.

Shooting subs well, brings a whole different set of variables to the loading bench.
 
Great thread. I never got into the whole AR thing until about a year ago. I have a couple 300 blackouts, 1000 pieces of Lapua brass and have been wanting to load some subsonic, nice to see some knowledge shared here. Been shooting factory. Have quite a few powders a buckets but this helps a lot.
 
Storm, I've been fortunate to have a lot of experience with subsonic rounds. JD Jones is a very good friend and I have killed game with all his Whispers from 6.5 to .500. The .300 Whisper is the most practical and reasonable cost one to shoot. I've taken 115 deer ,3 turkeys, 1 fox, and 139 groundhogs with it.
Here's a few things I've learned from JD and my experiences. The .300 Whisper was developed around the Sierra 240 gr. HPBT Match bullet. The original subsonic bullets killed by tumbling, not expansion. 220 gr. Match bullets are not quite long enough to tumble reliably. I shot deer with them and they gave no sign of being hit. It took 5 minutes for them to die.
Oddly, Sierra 220 gr. ROUND NOSE bullets do tumble and kill all the game I've shot with excellent results. As far as using the newer Hornady subsonics, I haven't used them, but realize a bullet going less that 1050 fps that only expands may not give good terminal results.
One exception to the light bullets are Lehigh Defense Controlled fracturing bullets. I'm a tester for Lehigh and have taken around 50 deer with their 186 gr. Controlled Fracturing. It has a skived nose with 4 pedals that break off when hitting game. It also has a .17 cal. HP bullet in the nose. With the pedals, the .17 cal., and the solid base of the bullet, you're getting 6 tracts of damage in an animal. This is THE ONLY subsonic bullet I've used that reliably drops deer in their tracts (about 90%). With other subsonic bullets, if the deer is alert when shot, he'll run until it bleeds out(that could be a long way). If not alert, they'll stand around (and some even keep on feeding), and drop in 30 seconds or so.
Deer shot with the .338 & .375 Whisper don't provide enough resistance foe the heavy bullets to tumble much. The .500 Whisper does excellent with 750 gr. Horn. AMaxes. I killed 15 deer with them while testing for a certain government agency. This is a very expensive round to set up. The .300 Whisper (Blackout) is the way to go.
I've had such good luck with the 186 Lehigh and 220 RN that I see no reason to try the Hornady. I have shot a few, but they hit so far from the other 2 that my gun would need to be resighted & I'd be forced to use the one bullet. As it now, with my mil dot scope (needed for subsonic rounds) I can shoot 240, 250 Sierra Match, 220 Sierra RN, and 186 Lehighs without a change of my scope.
I hope my experiences help you some.
Thank you for sharing your experiences.

The note about the scope change is an incredibly important note.

I am planning a plinking, cheaper round, and then a defense/hunting round, and they should "feel" the same as far as targeting.
 
As others have stated the 300 BO is two different cartridges Supersonic and Subsonic.
Supersonic - I am a fan of the 110 Barnes TAC-TX for killing hogs (one shot done). I haven't had a need for a different bullet for hunting. If I were looking for a heavier option or shooting planning to shoot consistently 150 yards or more then I hear good things about the 150gr Gold Dot. As far as a budget friendly and fairly accurate bullet for general fun and plinking the Speers 125gr TNT.

I have a couple of different barrel length and find that I like H110 for 8.5" out to 18" barrels gun for both super and Subsonic loads. Less impressed with CFE Black. N110 is the cleanest and priciest powder.

Subsonic - I have played with the 195gr Hornady BT and the 190gr Lehigh Maximum Expansion. The Hornady BT is more accurate than the Lehigh Max Expansion, which is no surprise with the flat nose (open mouth) on the Lehigh designed to facilitate expansion. At the point in time I wouldn't feel good about anything other than a head shot at 50 yards. I would need to spend more time on 100 yard shooting subs to get comfortable with the mortar rainbow trajectory before I would be comfy with that head shot.
 
Thanks for the info on H110. Presently, it seems to be catch as catch can when it comes to finding anything in stock. Sadly, I have no H110 on my shelves, but a variety of other stuff, including the CFEBLK with which you were not impressed.
I will be stalking the H110 or N110 wherever I can find any. I believe my barrel is 9”
I might I ask what you disliked about the CFEBLK? I may have some other powders I could find load data for but not fully sure.
TD
 

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