.300 Blackout

jryock

Amateur
Barnes VOR-TX 110gr TAC-TX will be the ticket against living things and home defense. Cruise over to 300blktalk.com for more information than you can imagine.

It is my favorite caliber for the AR platform.
 
I'd like to resurrect this thread and get some input from the pros.

I'm planning to purchase a new short barreled AR. Primary role will be home defense.
Debating between BCM 9" 300 BLk and a BCM 11.5" or 12.5" in 5.56.

300BLK is currently more attractive to me because I would like the option to do some occasional hog/deer hunting with it.
I plan to always run supersonic ammo but plan to add a suppressor for home use and occasional hunting/plinking use.

I think we'd be splitting hairs at this point (given my stated intended use/size parameters), but are there other advantages/disadvantages to consider that haven't been covered in this forum or in Modcasts?

P.S. Do you guys think 300BLK is here to stay?
 

Pat Tarrant

Custom testicles
Staff member
Moderator
Straight Press,
From a budgetary standpoint, the 12.5" 5.56 will be quite a bit advantageous compared to Blackout. While the guns are likely similar price, good training ammo will roughly be 20 cents per round cheaper (3/5 the price), comparing Federal XM193 and Wolf Gold prices to Magtech 123gr Blackout prices.

Similarly with HD ammo, your choices are far more numerous and less expensive. There are often deals to be had on various weights of Speer Gold Dot in 5.56 that are around $0.50 / round, whereas 110gr Barnes Vor-TX (about the only factory load using the 110gr TSX round) is somewhere around $1.50 / round. Those price differences mean that you get to shoot your HD gun more often, train with it, and can afford to have more ammunition on hand at any given point.

If your budget isn't as important as suppressed performance and hunting duties, 300 Blackout may be the best answer for you, and will certainly get the job done in HD roles as long as you do your part.
 

jeremy_p

Amateur
I'll second with Pat said. I have an 8.3" 300 Blackout and it is really cool, fun and so far reliable, it isn't practical unless you're using it for hunting or suppressed. It is also more pleasant to shoot than a 10.5" 5.56. However, ammo is the limiting factor as far as cost, variety and availability. I am contemplating replacing the barrel with a 12.5" 5.56, pencil profile if I can find one. I'm going to email Faxon about that.

It really is an excellent caliber but it still has a long ways to go before it isn't a niche caliber.
 

OK-5-0

Member
I'd like to resurrect this thread and get some input from the pros.

I'm planning to purchase a new short barreled AR. Primary role will be home defense.
Debating between BCM 9" 300 BLk and a BCM 11.5" or 12.5" in 5.56.

300BLK is currently more attractive to me because I would like the option to do some occasional hog/deer hunting with it.
I plan to always run supersonic ammo but plan to add a suppressor for home use and occasional hunting/plinking use.

I think we'd be splitting hairs at this point (given my stated intended use/size parameters), but are there other advantages/disadvantages to consider that haven't been covered in this forum or in Modcasts?

P.S. Do you guys think 300BLK is here to stay?
I personally think 300blk is here to stay. I just recently got into that round. It’s ability to be used super and sub sonic may be the reason it has lasted this long.

For the same reasons as you stated, hunting and home defense, I decided to try it out. I sure recoils differently. I enjoy another flavor on the AR platform.

I do not see really disadvantages but I train on one of my SBR’s in 556 and it is set up the same as the 300. This way I don’t have to spend the coin on the 300blk rounds.

I cannot remember if there is one but a Modcast on the subject would be intriguing.
 
Pat, thanks for chiming in.

Since posting in January and weighing all of the variables, I’m going to go with an 11.5 upper from BCM or SOLGW. Also going to throw on a Dead Air Sandman K. I think it should make for a nice package inside the casa.
 

Gypsy EDC

Regular Member
I bought a 300 blk upper around 2010. I've shot apprx 1500 rounds through it in the past 8 years. The bulk of which was in the first year. Coyotes don't notice the difference between it and a 5.56, and it isn't really enough for big game in the big open areas of Idaho. Plus I'm on the 6.5 Grendel bandwagon now!
 

jeremy_p

Amateur
I have concerns as an engineer (albeit not a firearms engineer, custom machines with background in pressure vessels) the 6.5G pushes the limits of the AR. That and Magpul doesn't make 6.5G mags.
 

Gypsy EDC

Regular Member
I have concerns as an engineer (albeit not a firearms engineer, custom machines with background in pressure vessels) the 6.5G pushes the limits of the AR. That and Magpul doesn't make 6.5G mags.
pushing the limits is sexy... but yeah elanders only
 

SmElly

Regular Member
I'd like to resurrect this thread and get some input from the pros.

I'm planning to purchase a new short barreled AR. Primary role will be home defense.
Debating between BCM 9" 300 BLk and a BCM 11.5" or 12.5" in 5.56.

300BLK is currently more attractive to me because I would like the option to do some occasional hog/deer hunting with it.
I plan to always run supersonic ammo but plan to add a suppressor for home use and occasional hunting/plinking use.

I think we'd be splitting hairs at this point (given my stated intended use/size parameters), but are there other advantages/disadvantages to consider that haven't been covered in this forum or in Modcasts?

P.S. Do you guys think 300BLK is here to stay?


How much more money will a .300 blk rifle cost you over the next year? The next 5 years?
How much training could you buy with that money?

If you honestly think the shorter blaster will improve your ability to poke holes in someone's heart/brain, then rock on.

Is 300 here to stay? I dunno, I'm not knowledgeable enough to give a good answer.
 

Low_Speed_Notper8or

Regular Member
I'll second with Pat said. I have an 8.3" 300 Blackout and it is really cool, fun and so far reliable, it isn't practical unless you're using it for hunting or suppressed. It is also more pleasant to shoot than a 10.5" 5.56. However, ammo is the limiting factor as far as cost, variety and availability. I am contemplating replacing the barrel with a 12.5" 5.56, pencil profile if I can find one. I'm going to email Faxon about that.

It really is an excellent caliber but it still has a long ways to go before it isn't a niche caliber.

Here is a question I ask.

If you have a desire for a super short gun in the AR platform, why not a pinned 14.5 5.56 gun with a folding stock

How much more money will a .300 blk rifle cost you over the next year? The next 5 years?
How much training could you buy with that money?

If you honestly think the shorter blaster will improve your ability to poke holes in someone's heart/brain, then rock on.

Is 300 here to stay? I dunno, I'm not knowledgeable enough to give a good answer.

Along similar lines here is my question about .300 blk, aside from really heavy stuff to run suppressed, what does .300 blk give you in supersonic loadings that 7.62x39mm doesn't in practical terms?

7.62x39mm is slightly less accurate but has more muzzle energy and training ammo can be had at less then 1/3rd the cost so for what I see it unless you have a dedicated suppressed gun, .300blk really isnt worth the squeeze.
 

voodoo_man

Established
Here is a question I ask.

If you have a desire for a super short gun in the AR platform, why not a pinned 14.5 5.56 gun with a folding stock



Along similar lines here is my question about .300 blk, aside from really heavy stuff to run suppressed, what does .300 blk give you in supersonic loadings that 7.62x39mm doesn't in practical terms?

7.62x39mm is slightly less accurate but has more muzzle energy and training ammo can be had at less then 1/3rd the cost so for what I see it unless you have a dedicated suppressed gun, .300blk really isnt worth the squeeze.

While this is true, .300 should be used for two particular purposes, in my opinion.

First being a very mission specific subsonic gun. With the right load, barrel and suppressor you can get a very good result.

Second for superior penetration capability from a short barreled gun at supersonic speeds. A .300 supersonic gun can be run out of an off the shelf 8" gun with very little issue, giving you exceptional barrier penetration ballistics out to 50-75m depending on barrel/load. For a close range cqb gun it's really hard to argue with .300's abilities to perform.

Especially so once you look into the Barnes vor-tx/tac-tx 110/120gr loads. Which are really awesome for people and barriers.
 
How much more money will a .300 blk rifle cost you over the next year? The next 5 years?
How much training could you buy with that money?

If you honestly think the shorter blaster will improve your ability to poke holes in someone's heart/brain, then rock on.

Is 300 here to stay? I dunno, I'm not knowledgeable enough to give a good answer.

I hear ya. It most certainly would cost a boat load more to shoot and train with.
I've got very tight doorways and narrow hallways in my house so I started looking at short barrel options.
The only reason I considered 300 was because it offers better terminal performance than 5.56 in barrel lengths less than 10 inches.

I decided to go with an 11.5" 5.56 because of ammo offerings/prices and I like the increased dwell time that comes with an 11.5" over a 10.3" or 10.5".
 

Low_Speed_Notper8or

Regular Member
I hear ya. It most certainly would cost a boat load more to shoot and train with.
I've got very tight doorways and narrow hallways in my house so I started looking at short barrel options.
The only reason I considered 300 was because it offers better terminal performance than 5.56 in barrel lengths less than 10 inches.

I decided to go with an 11.5" 5.56 because of ammo offerings/prices and I like the increased dwell time that comes with an 11.5" over a 10.3" or 10.5".
Honestly if your looking for something cheap to shoot, why not consider a AK "pistol" in 7.62x39mm. You can get a folding brace for a very short overall length, get training ammo for $0.20 a round, similar if not superior muzzle energy to .300 blk, and avoid all the NFA hassle.

Another thing to consider is an AK "pistol" is exempt from 922r so you actually can get a foreign made/milspec weapon.

And if an AK is not your flavor, you can go with whatever other rifle caliber piston driven "pistol" you would like and not have to deal with all the weirdness of a super short DI system
 

Longinvs

Regular Member
Quantified Performance
I’m doing my r&d backwards. I build a black out a couple years ago and am now learning more about the cartridge. At the time I was still naive and believed “more bullet more better”. So, ammo costs aside, would it offer any terminal benefits that 5.56 can’t provide?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

voodoo_man

Established
I’m doing my r&d backwards. I build a black out a couple years ago and am now learning more about the cartridge. At the time I was still naive and believed “more bullet more better”. So, ammo costs aside, would it offer any terminal benefits that 5.56 can’t provide?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

As I stated above, depending on the load and barrel setup you may see greater intermediate barrier penetration at closer distances closer to 762x39 than 556.

The greatest benefit to running a blackout is being able to run a sub 10" barrel and still getting desirable penetration capability upto 50-75m depending on load.
 
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