FL-NC
Member
Just wanted to share my experience hunting deer with the 300 B-O. This weekend is the gun "teaser" here in Fl- thanksgiving weekend we get to use modern guns before another week of archery, followed by a week of black powder, followed by 2 1/2 months of modern gun again. For the first time, today I took out my Ruger American ranch (suppressed) 300 blackout, loaded with Hornady's new(ish) 190 grain sub-x, a subsonic round that consistently expands (about $25 a box of 20, and there is a cool video by Hornady on youtube about it). I got lucky early in the popup blind, and an average doe walked into the feeder plot about 25-30 yards away (today and tomorrow does are legal here). As soon as she presented a broadside shot, I sent one. The gun makes less noise than some pellet rifles I own, about equal to my crossbow, so I definitely heard the thump when it hit..She did the normal jump/kick thing, then ran across the plot, out of sight- didn't hear a crash. Waited a few minutes, and saw she went down maybe 10 yards in the woods- total run distance less than 40 yards (narrow food plot). The bullet took out a rib on the way in, did its thing inside (both lungs) but deflected at some point and came out further back (surprised me that it exited at all, honesty) almost as if she had been quartering towards me (she wasn't). I took the time to examine the lungs, and they were both well- damaged. Entry and exit holes seen from the inside looked on par with most other typical deer calibers (243, 30-30, etc.)
With these rounds, my rifle groups about 1" at 50 yards, and the POI is close enough to not be concerned about at 25 with the 50 yard zero. Between 50 and 100 yards, there is 7" of drop- I have a reference point in my scope for the required hold at 100. Hornady assured me that the round will still expand at this distance, but I wouldn't try it an inch further. So, unless I am hunting in some fairly thick stuff with 50 yards or closer shots, a rangefinder in my bag is a definite MUST.
I know one shot on one deer doesn't set a hard precedent for anything that happens after, but as it turned out in this scenario, the required elements were all present to get a quick and humane kill- in this case, better than results I've seen with more mainstream/established calibers. In the future, I won't be afraid to use this set-up within its and my limitations.
With these rounds, my rifle groups about 1" at 50 yards, and the POI is close enough to not be concerned about at 25 with the 50 yard zero. Between 50 and 100 yards, there is 7" of drop- I have a reference point in my scope for the required hold at 100. Hornady assured me that the round will still expand at this distance, but I wouldn't try it an inch further. So, unless I am hunting in some fairly thick stuff with 50 yards or closer shots, a rangefinder in my bag is a definite MUST.
I know one shot on one deer doesn't set a hard precedent for anything that happens after, but as it turned out in this scenario, the required elements were all present to get a quick and humane kill- in this case, better than results I've seen with more mainstream/established calibers. In the future, I won't be afraid to use this set-up within its and my limitations.
