To Blackout or not to Blackout

[graepaep]

Looking at transitioning from the 7.62x39 to the .300 blackout and need some opinions.

Have sks and ammo I might sell to fund an upper .300 and another AR lower

SKS is cheap, parts are cheap and ammo is readily available and cheap. However it is a heavy gun with limited sight mounting options.

.300Blackout uses same parts (except barrel) as my AR, can shoot subsonic suppressed (if I ever get to that point) and much lighter. BUT and yes that's a big but (not talking about the wife here) ammo is definitely more expensive and harder to come by.

I like the idea of being able to just change uppers and have more knockdown power but not sure that's enough justification.

Any thoughts?

 

[FrankT]

Move to the 6.8SPCII and be done with it...no ammo is gonna be cheap w your move, in fact real hunting ammo for the x39 is as expensive as the rest. The 300 is a good choice only if you are suppressed and subsonic but now Bison armory make a 6.8 for subs and suppressed. Good Luck

 

[HughJoergan]

Check on ammo availability. I prob should have done that before ordering my .300 upper.

I've been able to get 120 rds so far. All 120 rds to me means is I'm almost out of ammo......

 

[M.O.A.]

.300 blackout subsonic...16cents each

 

[graepaep]

.300 blackout subsonic...16cents each

I call bs without a link :boink:

 

[M.O.A.]

Cast bullets light charge and make the cases from .223 brass..just sayin.

 

[Daezee]

The subsonic I use in my suppressed 300 BLK Handi Rifle cost me 8 cents each. 4 cents for pulled USGI 108gr frangible bullets, 1 cent for 3.9gr Unique, 3 cents or less for Wolf/Tula primers. Note: This load will not function an AR action, but could be used in an AR by cycling it manually.

While I am a 300 Blackout addict, I must say, in MY opinion, the 300 Blackout is best if you are a reloader. That way you can form your own brass from split neck .223/5.56 empties, reload a WIDE variety of bullets, and work up the best loads for your 300 Blackout firearm. I've taken 8 deer, 1 crow, and shot many, many, many cans and steel targets with mine. Future plans include getting a hog and armadillo with it. Downside: depending upon the bullet, it's not a long range cartridge for hunting, as some bullets can run out of velocity to expand before you run out of ability to hit.

 

[M.O.A.]

It's a great cartridge. As long as its limitations are understood. About comparable to a .30/30 for hunting applications.

 

[SAWMAN]

I'm pretty much with Frank in his above on this one. HOWEVER.........I now own two different 6.8's and have never owned a BO(although I have shot a few).

Apparently I do not understand several things about a BO. For hunting,to me,it is underpowered. If you use the bigger bullets(168's +) aren't the trajectories dismal ?? Wont the even bigger bullets(210's +) be unstable in flight at saaaaaay over 100yds ?? What will this big,sloooooow,narrow(compaired to a 45-70)bullet do at 1000fps when it enters a game animal. Will it immediately start to tumble and stop ?? Especially a fat ol' hog ?? How much penetration will there be ?? How much hydrostatic shock will it produce ?? From what I hear,if you use too thick of cardboard to put your target on at the range...........?.......most BO launched bullets will simply...bounce off and could possible put out your eye.

Botom line --------> eff the BO.....get the 6.8. "and be done with it". ---- SAWMAN :usa2:

 

[Little Jack]

Think the "supers" would be more effective for hunting.

Supers with a good can sound like a .22 rifle. If you don't want to suppress and or SBR your rifle. I think the 6.8 is the better option.

 

[FrankT]

Ben @ Bison Armory http://bisonarmory.com/6-8-bsp-recon-rifles/ has done much testing with this platform. Where your best twist for the 6.8SCC is 1-10 to 12, this sub platform is 1-7, interestingly he has tuned the rifle to shoot well super or sub far out performing any 300BO out there. You would do yourself a disservice by not emailing or picking up the phone to discuss the advantages.

6.8 Bison Subsonic Platform Recon Rifles

These rifles feature our 1:7 twist 6.8 SPCII chambered barrels for subsonic and full power 6.8 SPC performance. Outstanding for suppressed hog and varmint hunting, as well as for tactical situations and backyard plinking.

I do agree, you MUST reload if you do not already to get the best performance.

 

[Daezee]

I'm pretty much with Frank in his above on this one. HOWEVER.........I now own two different 6.8's and have never owned a BO(although I have shot a few).

Apparently I do not understand several things about a BO. For hunting,to me,it is underpowered. If you use the bigger bullets(168's +) aren't the trajectories dismal ?? Wont the even bigger bullets(210's +) be unstable in flight at saaaaaay over 100yds ?? What will this big,sloooooow,narrow(compaired to a 45-70)bullet do at 1000fps when it enters a game animal. Will it immediately start to tumble and stop ?? Especially a fat ol' hog ?? How much penetration will there be ?? How much hydrostatic shock will it produce ?? From what I hear,if you use too thick of cardboard to put your target on at the range...........?.......most BO launched bullets will simply...bounce off and could possible put out your eye.

Botom line --------> eff the BO.....get the 6.8. "and be done with it". ---- SAWMAN :usa2:

I got started in the caliber (when it was called 300 Whisper or 300/221 Fireball or 300 WTF) due to the fact that I had lots of pulled 30 cal bullets and could make the brass from scrap .223 brass; I used it for plinking. I normally go shooting at least twice per week. I liked the mild recoil after I had shoulder surgery and the doctor finally gave me the OK to shoot something heavier than a .22lr. Later I thought I'd try it for deer hunting since the distances where I could hunt weren't long. Using lighter bullets (110-125gr) that could be considered "varmint" style when shot at 30/06 or higher velocities, they behaved like big game bullets when shot at Blackout velocities (expanding without blowing up and giving good penetration). That first year I killed 3 deer with all bullets expanding and exiting the deer. The next year 2 more. Last year 3 more. Out of 8 deer, only 1 bullet didn't fully penetrate, and that one clipped the spine in the neck, went through the lungs and stomach and stopped just inside the belly hide. Here's the bullet (didn't find the jacket):

Regarding the heavier bullets designed to expand at .308/30-06 velocities, I don't have enough faith that they will always expand at those lower 300 Blackout velocities, so I don't use them for hunting. Regarding the 200 or heavier bullets shot at subsonic velocities so the noise can be suppressed, the thought is that going slow they are marginally stabilized and will tumble producing massive wounds when they hit a big enough animal. Indeed, people have posted pics of the wounds produced by those long bullets going sideways. But other people have had the experience of them not tumbling and fully penetrating producing pencil sized holes all the way through. They only killed the animals because of heart, brain, or spine hits. If I knew the shot would be close so I could ensure a brain or spine hit, I might try it, but otherwise I will stick to the lighter bullets going at supersonic velocities knowing they will expand. I have faith my supersonic hunting loads will do the job on a hog, but will pass up a shot if I am not confident of good bullet placement. I am most interested to see if the bullet exits the hog...I'm thinking it won't, but would prefer it did. With my 16" bbl 300 Blackout I have a 200yd deer rifle. With one of my short bbl'd ones I have a 150yd rifle (due to the velocity needed to ensure expansion of the 125gr bullets I use). It's just a fun, light recoiling, cheap to shoot cartridge (if you reload and take advantage of bulk bullets when available).

 

[Little Jack]

good info. Thank you.