300 Blackout general knowledge

[rfwobbly]

Brothers.... A friend wants to buy my 550 Dillon to use on various pistol, 223 Rem, and 300 Blackout. I can speak at length on the first 2, but my #49 and other manuals don't cover the newer 300 BO. I'd like to be able to have some general knowledge on 300 BO to get him started in the correct direction. My questions are...

• What is the preferred BO bullet weight ?
• Is Ramshot TAC a good/usable powder choice, considering dual use in 223 ?
• I have Mag Small Rifle primers to be included as part of the sale. I know how to load for mag primers in pistol, but are these applicable in plinking loads for 223 and 300 BO (considering the use of TAC) ?
• Which of the newer manuals include 300 BO ? Especially Lyman and Sierra.
• Who makes 300 BO die sets ?

As always, your insights highly appreciated.

 

[dgod]

Look at 300 AAC or 300 Whisper, they are the less popular name for the same cartridge. I have loaded everything from 110gr thru 180gr. Sub-Sonic and Supersomic as well. Absolutely a blast to shoot.

 

[Dill]

-300 BO is very versatile. Supersonic bullets from 100 to 180+ grains, and subs from 180 to 220+ grains.
-not at all. 300BO uses magnum pistol powder like H110 or AA1680
-they will work fine, just work your load up. Do NOT use TAC.
-I believe the 50th Lyman manual does
-almost everyone now. Lee, RCBS, Hornady, Dillon (I think)

 

[LiveLife]

I like A1680, W296/H110, H4198/IMR4198 for 300 BLK.

Many post Alliant 300-MP comparable to W296/H110 - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...-different-labels.797388/page-4#post-10484961

 

[rg1]

Lyman 50th has 300 BLK load data. Don't know about data in Sierra's manual and what version you may have but Sierra has published 300 BLK data on-line. Hornady lists data in their latest manuals as well as Nosler. Hodgdon has data in their 2017 Annual Manual and on-line. I have both Hornady and RCBS die sets and would recommend both. I'd stay with standard sets and not small based. Your primers are fine but not Tac powder. Most commonly used powders are magnum pistol powders like H110/Win 296, Lil Gun, etc. for supersonic loads and powders like AA1680 or Hodgdon CFE BLK powder for sub-sonic. Several recommended powders for 300 BLK. The 300 BLK can be loaded with most all 30 caliber bullets from 110 gr. up to 220 grain bullets and fired in AR type rifles or bolt or single shots. Fun gun to shoot and reload for.

 

[Walkalong]

AA #9, 2400, Enforcer will also work in 300 BLK. Enforcer (And 1680) will get better velocities. AA #9 and 2400 will give nice pleasant plinkers with 147 Gr pulled bullets (Or new ones) Don't try to push velocity with them. Enforcer will give good velocities with 125 and 130 Gr bullets, although H-110/W-296 will beat it. IMR-4227 works well, but will be compressed.

My BLK really likes the 125 Gr SST, but it also shoots the cannelured 125 Gr Hornady HP really well. I caught them on sale for $.019 each. It also shoots the 110 Gr V Max and 125 Gr TNT real well.

I haven't tried subsonic yet.

 

[Jeff H]

Just for cheap blasting bullets I've been using the pulled 147 grain FMJ propelled by H110 and a rifle primer. Works great and is inexpensive. I have better SMK bullets for accuracy but the 300BO isn't a real long range gun and I get pretty acceptable accuracy with the blasting rounds at up to 150 yards, probably further but I don't reach out with this caliber much.

 

[someguy2800]

All the current books have 300 blackout data in them as well as hodgdon, aliant, and accurate powder websites, so no need to buy another book just for that. All the die companies make dies and they are available off the shelf. All the magnum pistol powders such as h110/296, accurate 9, enforcer, 2400, ect... will work well.

300 blackout and 300 wisper are the exact same cartridge dimensions but the saami spec for one of them has a longer throat.

 

[Jesse Heywood]

Go to the reloading section of the 300 blackout forum. www.300blktalk.com/forum

 

[Varminterror]

• What is the preferred BO bullet weight ?

"Preferred" is subjective based on application - so there is no single preferred bullet weight. If you're shooting super-sonics for low recoil, short range plinking, 110's and 120's. Hunting suppressed at short ranges? 200-220's. Mid-range big game hunting? Middle ground in the 130-150's is where I play.

• Is Ramshot TAC a good/usable powder choice, considering dual use in 223 ?

Powder choice needs to match your bullet weight choice. Ramshot does not list TAC as appropriate for the Blackout, but I'm sure somebody out there has tried it. I don't use TAC for 300blk/whisper.

• I have Mag Small Rifle primers to be included as part of the sale. I know how to load for mag primers in pistol, but are these applicable in plinking loads for 223 and 300 BO (considering the use of TAC) ?

Will depend upon your powder choice.

• Which of the newer manuals include 300 BO ? Especially Lyman and Sierra.

Hodgdon has it, online for free and in their 2016 magazine style manual.
Sierra 5th has it (in the SSP section).
Hornady 9 & 10.
Nosler 7.
Ramshot/Western/Accurate's online download has it.

Lyman 49 does not (that I could find, forgot to look in handgun section though). Swift does not. Berger does not. Lee 2nd does not. Speer 13 does not (have been told the 14th does not either). I couldn't find it for any Alliant powder on their site.

• Who makes 300 BO die sets ?

All of the usual suspects - Lee, Redding, RCBS, Forster, Hornady, Lyman, LE Wilson, Dillon, etc...

 

[someguy2800]

oops, aliant doesn't have it on there website. I thought I saw it there. Hornady book has it and I think lyman 50'th has it now.

here is accurate's load data

http://www.accuratepowder.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/300_ACC_Blackout_Data.pdf

nosler

https://load-data.nosler.com/load-data/300-aac-blackout/

 

[dh1633pm]

I prefer H110 for middle weight bullets (150). I haven't really played with other loads.

 

[VinnAY]

If you're not going to suppress it there's little other reason to tinker around in the 300BO arena. Just about any other hunting or plinking application already has a well defined caliber that adding an obscurity like BO makes the cost high(er).

 

[LiveLife]

If you're not going to suppress it there's little other reason to tinker around in the 300BO arena.

Yeah but many of us OCD reloaders/handloaders like to tinker ... Although it's been hard to improve upon W296/H110/A1680/H4198 loads. Maybe I will venture out and test 300-MP and CFE BLK.

I am still tinkering with my 9mm carbine loads after a year of testing and not even close to done with over 40 bullets and 20 powders (and counting) - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...ng-at-25-50-yards.808446/page-2#post-10346110

After shooting 45ACP/40S&W for USPSA matches with boringly consistent loads, I enjoy the often finicky and temperamental 9mm that reacts with small reloading variable changes like reduction of .020" bullet seating depth that will change a shotgun pattern load to a tight group load. I am having too much fun with 9mm load development that I wonder when I will get to 45ACP/40S&W carbine load testing at this rate.

It's the adventure of the travel, not the destination. Right?

 

[HankC]

If you're not going to suppress it there's little other reason to tinker around in the 300BO arena.

You can shoot 30 Cal from AR15 and reload with cheap brass converted from 223. What powder best also depends on what length barrel and gas system.

 

[rfwobbly]

Thanks so much for your links, insights and thoughts. All very helpful.

 

[Walkalong]

300 blackout and 300 wisper are the exact same cartridge dimensions but the saami spec for one of them has a longer throat.

You can shoot the Whisper in 300 BLK chambers, but not vice versa.

 

[Walkalong]

If you're not going to suppress it there's little other reason to tinker around in the 300BO arena.

Well, some people will agree, but many of us do not, and enjoy shooting it non suppressed. It's a fun caliber.

 

[someguy2800]

I think it's a superb caliber suppressed or not.

 

[dgod]

I absolutely LOVE mine in a 10 1/2" barrel. Rather Loud with Supersonic and no Can, but if you know its coming... Don't forget Ear Protection as I did (1 Time), spoiled to the can, then changed and forgot to put on ears... Prolly won't do that again..

 

[gpb]

The 300 BO is a neat little cartridge. A lot of fun to load and shoot.

A word of warning. Some combinations of chamber size, bullet size and seating depth will allow a 300 BO cartridge to chamber and fire in a 223/5.56 rifle. Sending a 30 cal bullet down a 223 bore is bad practice. Therefore, if you are shooting 223/5.56 rifles and 300 BO rifles at the same time be careful not to load 300 BO into a 223/5.56 rifle.

 

[dgod]

ABSOLUTELY TRUE.... I use different colored P-Mags, Black is 5.56, Tan is 300BlkOut. The 5.56 will shoot in the 300BO but not vice versa (Although not very well).

 

[oldfortyfiveauto]

The little Ruger Ranch rifle is great with cast bullets.

 

[Elkins45]

If you're not going to suppress it there's little other reason to tinker around in the 300BO arena. Just about any other hunting or plinking application already has a well defined caliber that adding an obscurity like BO makes the cost high(er).

If you want to shoot the AR platform for cheap, 300 Blackout and cast bullets is absolutely the way to go. During the panic I was shooting blackout cheaper than guys were paying for scalped 22LR.

 

[LiveLife]

+1. Likely all the lead/lead alloy I am saving will be casted and powder coated into 230 gr .300 BLK bullets.