Why .300 blackout?

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BigBore45

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I built a 7.62x39 upper and have used it quite a bit over the years. I finally got through the cheap steel cased ammo and ordered die, brass and bullets.

This is a solid performing round in an AR-15 platform. So to the question.

Why even go with a 300 blkout? What can it do that you cannot do with the 7.62x39?
 
I built a 7.62x39 upper and have used it quite a bit over the years. I finally got through the cheap steel cased ammo and ordered die, brass and bullets.

This is a solid performing round in an AR-15 platform. So to the question.

Why even go with a 300 blkout? What can it do that you cannot do with the 7.62x39?

Run standard 556 magazines, and has a better selection of heavy bullets for suppressors.
It does offer a better selection of bullets in general as there are more .308 dias, but honestly with what you can get the x39s got plenty.

There WERE issues with the x39 and similarly larger cased rounds (Grendel) breaking bolts, even the bolts with deeper faces. Im not sure if thats still an issues, i honestly never had any issues with my 6.5G and i ran it pretty hot.
 
Run standard 556 magazines, and has a better selection of heavy bullets for suppressors.
It does offer a better selection of bullets in general as there are more .308 dias, but honestly with what you can get the x39s got plenty.

There WERE issues with the x39 and similarly larger cased rounds (Grendel) breaking bolts, even the bolts with deeper faces. Im not sure if thats still an issues, i honestly never had any issues with my 6.5G and i ran it pretty hot.
Good call on the magazine. I have a .308 bore barrel on my upper for the bullet selections reason. I heard of the bolt thing but have not experienced it out of any uppers or seen one first hand. I'd assume that has been resolved.
 
Standard mag, standard bolt, cheap Berdan cases.
Good call on the bolt. Care to elaborate on the cheap cases? I guess you can form 300 blk from .223 to load. But overall shooting I cannot see a price efficiency on 300 vs x39. I mean to plink with wolf or tula with 1.5" groups out of my x39 is super cheap compared to 300blk.
 
I'm fairly new at the 300 BO. I haven't ever had a 7.62x39.
But I have reloaded some for the 7.62x54R. Bullet selections are thin compared to .308s. Especially in the higher weights. So for subs, the selection of bullets and data are greater, from seaching the common suppliers.
 
I'm more interested in the round than the launcher. specifically, the performance potential of the round suppressed. My 300 B-O is a RAR bolt action. Great for short range pest control, and I may use it with the new Hornady sub-x for deer this year.
 
.223 cases are essentially free at every range I have shot at (I don't even convert my own brass - I buy it - and I'm still making 50 rounds for about $9). 220-grain bullets are far from the limit with Blackout - I have 265-grain bullets that poke along between 800 and 1000 fps depending on how they are loaded.

On top of all that, the Blackout was built to be quiet using standard and readily available .308 bullets (a silencer helps too).

The original idea behind the Blackout was to have an AR15 that could shoot .308 bullets with nothing more than a barrel change. If I want to go out and chew up some steel cases my AK can take care of that all day long.
 
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I'm more interested in the round than the launcher. specifically, the performance potential of the round suppressed. My 300 B-O is a RAR bolt action. Great for short range pest control, and I may use it with the new Hornady sub-x for deer this year.
I'd be curious of how the Sub-X does for you. I bought 4 boxes (had to have the store special order them), but haven't got out to test them yet.
 
There are many reports that .308 bullets work great in the x39’s bore, maybe someday I’ll get to reloading for mine but right now the steel has been more than adequate for me.
 
.223 cases are essentially free at every range I have shot at (I don't even convert my own brass and I'm still making 50 rounds for about $9). 220-grain bullets are far from the limit with Blackout - I have 265-grain bullets that poke along between 800 and 1000 fps depending on how they are loaded.

On top of all that, the Blackout was built to be quiet using standard and readily available .308 bullets (a silencer helps too).

The original idea behind the Blackout was to have an AR15 that could shoot .308 bullets with nothing more than a barrel change. If I want to go out and chew up some steel cases my AK can take care of that all day long.

This is a huge selling point with me since I like building my own ARs.

It's really just a barrel (and a set of headspace gauges).

Then comes the dies, brass, tool-head, etc. etc. etc.
 
I'd be curious of how the Sub-X does for you. I bought 4 boxes (had to have the store special order them), but haven't got out to test them yet.

I bought two boxes of the Sub-X hoping to use them for suppressed deer hunting this year but from my particular 300 BO (16-inch Ballistic Advantage barrel) they are not sub-sonic, averaging 1117 fps . I did shoot one into a line of water jugs. I really thought four gallons would have stopped it but it penetrated all four jugs. By the looks of the entrance and exit holes in the jugs it expanded in the first one (the polymer tip and a few small lead fragments where in the bottom of the first jug) and either got slightly bigger in the second one or more likely started tumbling while passing through the last two jugs. I was impressed with the penetration, just wish they had been sub-sonic. So far the only factory sub-sonic ammo that has been sub-sonic from my gun has been Sellier & Bellot 200gr sub-sonic load (ASB300FMJ220 ). It was super accurate and ran 1062 fps from my gun.

I have since worked up a cheap plinking round using Berry's 220gr plated. Loading them for ~$.30 a round for plinking and carbine matches. I have some Maker Rex 200gr expanding all copper bullets loaded, ready for the next range trip to chrono and shoot accuracy. Hopefully those work for my hunting bullet.

As other have said, common bolt and magazines since the gun/magazines were designed around that 223 Rem case head. That along with availability of good re-loadable brass and the great selection of both super-sonic and sub sonic-bullets it seem like a solid choice. I have been having fun with it.

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I like the x39 round especially the cheapness. I no longer have a x39 but have the BO for reloading. Although I don't have much experience with the round yet, the bigger selling points are the performance from shorter barrels and ability to be suppressed. Even with a 10.5 inch barrel, the drop off from a 16 inch is not as drastic as with x39 (or so tests say with lighter bullets). Haven't had time yet to test it myself yet but plan to. With minimal drop off with lighter grain bullets (less than 130) it makes a heck of a defensive weapon capable of holding 30 rnds.
 
Good call on the bolt. Care to elaborate on the cheap cases? I guess you can form 300 blk from .223 to load. But overall shooting I cannot see a price efficiency on 300 vs x39. I mean to plink with wolf or tula with 1.5" groups out of my x39 is super cheap compared to 300blk.
Yes, I was referring to the ability to form cases from inexpensive, readily available 223 brass. I've made a couple of thousand rounds of it for not a lot of money, and I've seen converted new brass for sale at around 10 cents a piece.

The factor that pushed me firmly into the Blackout camp was the ability to cast a wide variety of 30 caliber lead bullets. I don't think my SBR has ever fired a single jacketed bullet.
 
IMHO, if you are going to suppress it and reload, go with 300blk. Otherwise, x39 is the way to go. If you don't reload and/or have a free brass or other reloading hook-up, the price of 300blk ammo is about more than twice as much as x39. If you shoot a lot, they'll be a huge cost and time difference.

Sure there is a mag and bolt difference between the 223/556, but so what? It's not like you can fire both 2.23 and 300blk out of the same upper. They both are dedicated uppers, both of the bolts, if purchased from a quality company, will likely never need to be replaced, and if it does, replacements for both can be found online.

As far as mags are concerned, there are reliable x39 mags that fit the milspec AR lower now. Yes, they are a little more than AR mags; however, it'll be much, much cheaper in the long run when you compare that against the cost of shooting 300blk.

It all depends what's more important. For me, I do not reload nor do I plan on shooting suppressed. I can find mags and bolts for both calibers online. Even though x39 bolt and mag selection isn't anywhere near that of 2.23/5.56, those aren't components that will likely need replacing anytime in the near future or my lifetime. If I can afford to shoot that much ammo, I can afford a couple of back up bolts... While there's a lower selection of bolts and mags, there's a higher of a selection of ammo which is something that will need to be replaced often and, unlike 300blk, can generally be found for cheap anywhere ammo is sold..
 
Yes, I was referring to the ability to form cases from inexpensive, readily available 223 brass. I've made a couple of thousand rounds of it for not a lot of money, and I've seen converted new brass for sale at around 10 cents a piece.

The factor that pushed me firmly into the Blackout camp was the ability to cast a wide variety of 30 caliber lead bullets. I don't think my SBR has ever fired a single jacketed bullet.
I shoot a few cast bullets from my x39 (mostly from limited brass and borrowed dies. Until now anyway.) Regardless, Even a 210 grain at subsonic velocity for giggles. I'm not sure of the range for the 300 blk but I go from 110 grain lead gas checked hitek coated to 210 grain all sized at 309 with no leading. I could load anything in between and maybe a bit higher infact.
 
I have both and like both. If cheap supersonic plinking is what someone wants the 7.62x39 is the better choice. If subsonic shooting with heavy bullets are what you want the blackout works better.

Performance wise handloaded blackout is pretty much equal to factory 7.62x39. If you handload 7.62 though you can comfortably exceed what is possible with the blackout. Blackout is cheaper to handload though because you can make free brass and it uses a smaller charge of magnum pistol powder whereas the 7.62x39 uses much more specialized powders that are harder to find. Both are well capable of sub moa accuracy. Factory russian 7.62x39 is cheaper than you can handload for either. Wolf 124 hp’s shoot moa in my 7.62x39 AR15 though that’s probably not typical.

If you need reliability with large magazines the blackout will probably be better since it uses normal 5.56 mags. My 7.62x39 is 100% reliable but I only use 10rnd c-products mags. Word is the larger mags are not as reliable.
 
I ended up building a 7.62x39 AR instead of a .300 blackout simply to have something to shoot as an alternative if supplies on 5.56 ever get scarce. Like someguy2800, I use the 10 rnd c products mags for reliability. Already have reloaded 7.62x39 as well with dies and brass and not planning on shooting suppressed so the .300 BO did not really interest me. In an AR, the 7.62x39 is far more accurate than fired from an AK and this round has probably not deserved its rep for inaccuracy (also see what people are reporting with bolt actions for comparison).

Considering a pistol build in the .300 BO though--to me, it is like an improved .30 Carbine in ballistics which is pretty good at short ranges and the .300 BO is a bit better in short barrels. However, the same can be said for the 6.8 SPC but the short pistol length barrels are hard to come by.
 
I ended up building a 7.62x39 AR instead of a .300 blackout simply to have something to shoot as an alternative if supplies on 5.56 ever get scarce. Like someguy2800, I use the 10 rnd c products mags for reliability. Already have reloaded 7.62x39 as well with dies and brass and not planning on shooting suppressed so the .300 BO did not really interest me. In an AR, the 7.62x39 is far more accurate than fired from an AK and this round has probably not deserved its rep for inaccuracy (also see what people are reporting with bolt actions for comparison).

Considering a pistol build in the .300 BO though--to me, it is like an improved .30 Carbine in ballistics which is pretty good at short ranges and the .300 BO is a bit better in short barrels. However, the same can be said for the 6.8 SPC but the short pistol length barrels are hard to come by.
You should watch the YouTube channel AK Operators Union, you'll see that the urban myth internet myth about AKs being inaccurate is just that... An myth. I even think he did a side by side test between a high-end AR and a AK...
 
Not sure where you got that info. Been done with 7.62x39 before blackout was invented. Especially with cast bullets.
7.62x39 lacks the twist rate for reliable use with heavier bullets.

I'm glad you and your pet found each other but I would only buy a 7.62x39 if I wanted it to shoot cheap ball ammo in quantity. The advantage of the .300BO is that it does both supersonic and subsonic loads well. It is native to the AR and it wasn't invented by communists.
 
Bottom line it's a person choice on which is better for you. If your resources affords you access to cheap brass for reloading and you reload, then 300blk might be better. If you want to shoot suppressed, 300blk might be better - FOR YOU. Otherwise, with the cost and access of ammo, I don't see many Pros over x39.
 
No "might" about it. The .300BO IS better for suppressed shooting with heavy subsonics. It IS a better launching platform for .308" bullets. It IS a better cartridge for the AR.

Nothing is going to compete with the 7.62x39 for cheap blasting ammo but your argument works both ways, not everybody wants that either. I really don't care for doing mag dumps. I'm sure that very few are buying a .300BO to do that.
 
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