Practical accuracy for 300AAC

[DShortt]

I recently rebarried a Zastava M85 'mini mauser' to 300AAC. It was Barreled in .223/5.56 previously and the factory barrel had a whole bunch of problems, too many to get into here and not relevant now anyway.

So I just got to the range with today and shooting some cheap Winchester 147gr FMJ ammunition. So far it's right around 1 1/2" @100yds which is rather disappointing to me for a bolt action centerfire but this is obviously not a long range round by any means anyway. I built it for a short, light .30cal that would be fine for deer @ 100yds and under which it will fill that purpose easily.

Purpose of my post was to see if anyone else here has tried a 300AAC bolt action and how it shoots for you. Clearly there are a ton of semi-autos out there but that's not an apples to apples comparison.

Thanks for looking.

 

[762plinker]

most likely the cheap mil qual ammo you shot
reload for the gun with 125-135 and see what happens

 

[DShortt]

I'd like to think so. It's a new to me caliber and I couldn't find brass when I wanted some so I just bought this stuff to have something.

 

[SGT G]

I built a 300aac on a 700-action. 1:8 twist barrel optimized for subs with a suppressor. unfortunately, subsonic accuracy was awful at 50 yards, with multiple powders and multiple bullets. With supers, I could get 1 moa accuracy, but 300 aac with supers is pointless in my humble opinion.

 

[dellet]

Everything at 200 unless marked otherwise. Field bipod or bag off the bench, rear squeeze bag in the rear.
Top photo about what you can expect for cheap factory.
Bottom phot0 subsonic, 3” dot.

 

[SEM]

Speer 130 gr FP and HP bullets are my favorite, from my TC barrels and my Remington M7 300 ACC factory rifle

 

[TXJM]

I recently remarried a Zastava M85 'mini mauser' to 300AAC. It was Barreled in .223/5.56 previously and the factory barrel had a whole bunch of problems, too many to get into here and not relevant now anyway.

So I just got to the range with today and shooting some cheap Winchester 147gr FMJ ammunition. So far it's right around 1 1/2" @100yds which is rather disappointing to me for a bolt action centerfire but this is obviously not a long range round by any means anyway. I built it for a short, light .30cal that would be fine for deer @ 100yds and under which it will fill that purpose easily.

Purpose of my post was to see if anyone else here has tried a 300AAC bolt action and how it shoots for you. Clearly there are a ton of semi-autos out there but that's not an apples to apples comparison.

Thanks for looking.

I’m shooting a model 7 that I built with the aac barrel and action. I tried 125g sierras and couldn’t get it below 2”. A couple of groups pushing 4” at a 100. Tried 150g a couple of groups at a hundred and both were under an inch. I was really hoping for the rifle to like the 125’s. I’m going to try a couple of other light bullets amd hope for the best. If nothing, I will stick with the 150’s.
Chip

 

[Hoot]

A close cousin , the 7.62x40WT likes the Hornady 135gr FTX. Reliable Inch or less at 100 for 5-shots from my 22" barrel AR15 on a front rest and rear bag.
27.2 gr Hodgdon CFE Blk at 2.26 COL and Rem 7 1/2. For a bolt action, start at 26 and work your way up.

Hoot

 

[Walt Krafft]

What twist is your barrel?

 

[DShortt]

I ordered mine with a 1 in 8 for subs as I've considered a suppressor and sub sonics in the future.
Looks like most of you are having about the same level of accuracy as myself. As I said, I've only fired factory ammunition thus far and only of one type just to get some brass and see how it shoots. Perhaps once I start load development I can find something that works better.

 

[nakneker]

I can’t speak for a bolt 300 but I have learned in my four ARs that they prefer a specific load each one a little different, all of them are shooting pretty good now but it took some effort to get there. Subsonics did well with CFE BLK and AA1680 with 200 and 180 grain bullets, the Hornady 190 grain Sub X does the best all the way around and still expands at low velocity. Not sure that helps but…..

 

[DShortt]

View attachment 1426405View attachment 1426408View attachment 1426410View attachment 1426409
Everything at 200 unless marked otherwise. Field bipod or bag off the bench, rear squeeze bag in the rear.
Top photo about what you can expect for cheap factory.
Bottom phot0 subsonic, 3” dot.

Reread this thread and realized you are shooting at 200. If I can get mine to shoot similarly I could definitely live with this. Maybe it's just the cheap ammunition.

 

[Deputy819]

I’m still working on loads for my Rem 700 AAC Blk Out 1-7 twist (as time presents itself), but this is where I’m currently at.
(Subsonic)
10.3gr IMR 4198/ Hornady 207gr BTHP Match

Top Group-Hornady 110 V Max/19.5gr H110
Center Group-Factory Hornady 190gr Sub-X TAP

 

[dellet]

Reread this thread and realized you are shooting at 200. If I can get mine to shoot similarly I could definitely live with this. Maybe it's just the cheap ammunition.

In case you missed it. Note the distances on the first photo with the UMC. 50, 100, 200.

Then a decent handload. Point of aim was the dot with a fifty yard zero. Bullet a 150 grain Speer Golddot. 1950 fps. Other details on the target.



The cartridge seems to like to be pushed a bit. Helps to get the bullets into the bottom end of the velocity they were designed for.

My bolt actions use an AI pattern magazine. Allowing a 2.4”+ length certainly can help, but the Gold Dot that was designed for the cartridge. Works great at 2.250”.

I know where you can get some brass if you need it.

 

[Jager]

A couple of hasty groups at 50 yards from a Ruger RARR, 16" barrel. First target was just a quick powder lot test (mostly looking for chrono numbers) and the second was a quick primer test. But, yeah, the .300BLK will shoot just fine.

 

[Joseph Jones ctsr]

I went down a different road with a 300blk bolt action after building quite a few with the standard 1-7 twist barrels and just not being really happy with them. I built a bolt action using a 12" piece of left over Bartlein 5r 1-10 twist barrel I had. This twist works great with any supers and really shoots 200gr subs well. My go to loads for this rifle are 155gr TMK's @ 1840fps and Lapua 200gr sub bullets @ 1030fps. The supers shoot 1/2moa at 100yds and the subs are sub moa at 100yds, the key to getting subs to shoot and have good sd's is waiting 30-45 seconds between shots, I cant explain this but have proven it time and again.

 

[dryhumor]

I do load development at 160 yds, and in 300bo, I use 125gr or lighter. My to do list is some 120, 118, and 115gr bullets. Have been using H110 for the most part. I did use some CFEBLK one day when I found some. Factory ammo shoots well.

 

[Kenneth66]

Howdy , Oh have a Ruger Ranch bolt gun that dies pretty good for a cheap compact rifle .
Some of my loads at 100yds
Lil Gun 19gr 110 Tac .050 off the lands 2” groups

296 19gr 110 Sierra HP .16” of the lands .7” group

296 18gr 135 Sierra HP .8”

Lil Gun 19gr 120 Tac .5” group

Lil Gun 20gr 125 SST .8” group

Lil Gun 20gr 110 VMax .76” group

Lil Gun 20gr 125 Pro Hunter 1.15” group

Lil Gun 19gr 110 Chaos 1” group

Lil Gun 17 gr 150 Hornady Round nose 1.4” group

Have taken around 6-7 deer with it using 150 round nose and 110 Tac and 120 Tac
All died with in 20-25 yds of shot
That 150 goes through them and leaves an exit hole that you can stuck three finger in
The Tac bullets did not exit , but killed just as well .
All shots were between 40-60 yds
All were behind the shoulder heart shots
All groups were three shot groups , sets of four
average
4x Tasco , I know it’s a cheap scope but clarity was unusually good and have never had any rezeroing issues
It was what I had handy when I got the gun and just had to shoot it , was impressed with rifle and scope so saw no reason to change it .
Kenneth