300 blackout for hunting?

[2damnold4this]

Are there any advantages to using the 300 blk for hunting deer over the 5.56?

 

[shootbrownelk]

Able to shoot heavier hunting bullets than the 5.56. For larger game animals. That would be my guess.

 

[Mobuck]

3 X the bullet weight at 0.5 X the velocity.

 

[raimius]

5.56 is not a great deer cartridge. With the right bullet, it is doable...
.300blk would be decent, at shorter ranges.

 

[ed308]

Agree with Raimius. Shorter ranges and certainly where it shines, suppressed. But there's better hunting cartridges IMO. I like 6.8 and the 6.5 Grendel based on performance and cost of ammo. The 458 and450 variants are good but cost is higher and less range compared to the 6.8 or 6.5 Grendel.

 

[random guy]

Neither would be my first choice but either could be made to work (within limits) if there is some non-ballistic reason you want to use them.

Maybe it's all you have, all the recoil the shooter can stand or you want to hunt suppressed?

 

[2damnold4this]

I guess I was trying to find a justification to get myself into another cartridge I don't really need. Thanks for the feedback. : )

 

[disseminator]

If I was inclined to hunt a deer with my 300 Blk, I'd surely use the Nosler Accubond or Ballistic Tip in the 125 grain weight.

I would also not shoot one unless I had a textbook shot at less than 200 yards.

I have loaded and fired these loads and they perform as expected for me but I would not personally use my 300 Blk or my 5.56 for Deer. Just sayin.....

 

[T. O'Heir]

The BO is really just a 7.62 x 39 that easily fits into an AR style rifle. You do get to use heavier bullets at lower velocities(a 125 runs 2,000 to about 2400 fps out of a 16" barrel with max loads. A 220's max loads is run a tick over 1,000 fps. All of 'em drop like bricks past 200 yards too.), but it doesn't have any advantages for deer hunting.

 

[superspirit]

The main advantage to 300blk as a deer rifle is the reduced recoil. It makes an awesome youth hunting round, if kept under 150 yds in my opinion. My grand daughter thinks so too! I load 125gr SST's for her RARR.

 

[globemaster3]

Where are you hunting and what is your typical shot range?

If the shots are kept to the cartridge's capability, there are advantages to .300 BO. If you need to stretch the distance, there are better options.

I use 6.8 on deer, but would not hesitate to run 6.5 Grendel.

 

[agtman]

* * *Shorter ranges and certainly where it shines, suppressed. * * *

Correct.

With the heavy .30-cal OTM bullets, the 300BLK is an excellent short range deer or hog slayer (i.e., inside 150yds).

But it only makes sense when you run it suppressed.

You can do that on a 16.1" barrel, or you can opt for the second tax stamp, like I did, and run the can on a 10.5" tube.

10.5 .300BLK LMT MRP w/ SDN-6 can.

 

[Bartholomew Roberts]

I think under 200yds, either caliber will do well with good bullet selection. I tend to prefer 5.56mm because it is flatter shooting; but if you have bullet size restrictions or want to go with a short barrel, then .300 has some advantages.

 

[michaeldarnold]

One could say the 300 Blackout is similar to .30 - 30 in energy and use. No one would argue that the .30 - 30 won't kill deer...

 

[rickyrick]

I built a 10" .300bo pistol mainly for pigs, I don't hunt them anymore, but I will someday again. Although I have never used it, I made the decision based on the very knowledgeable members here.



I used a .223 mini14 with great success. I caught the AR bug and combined with periods of boredom I finally arrived at a 10.5" 5.56 pistol... really just wanted something obnoxious. Didn't really see the appeal to AR pistols; I had just wanted to try it. Turns out the AR pistol is a real hoot and could be shot fairly accurately to boot.



Well I re-evaluated the situation and my close up hunting style. Then I consulted the forum got lots of information here and other places. So, decided to build a 300bo upper. Nothing budget about this upper, at least by my standards, I'm itching to try it.

 

[Ibmikey]

I took my largest Texas Boar (350#+) with a single shot AAC Handi Rifle. I would not use the cartridge over 150 yards (+ or -) but one well placed shot at sixty yards put Mr Boar on the ground.
Oops----125 gr TNT .

 

[taylorce1]

I'll be using my .300 BLK RAR rifle on deer this fall, and I'll be using 110-125 grain bullets. I have to stay supersonic to stay legal in CO, anything subsonic falls a little short on ft-lbs. I think the main limiting factor will be me not the cartridge, I'd be pretty comfortable to 300+ yards the way my RAR shoots.

 

[stagpanther]

I think as long as you are realistically aware of the limitations of the particular load you are using--in other words what ranges the velocity, energy, penetration and bullet expansion fall off (and it does so rather rapidly once past it's optimal range) the 300 BO would be a dandy, soft-shooting hunting cartridge.

 

[agtman]

I took my largest Texas Boar (350#+) with a single shot AAC Handi Rifle. I would not use the cartridge over 150 yards (+ or -) but one well placed shot at sixty yards put Mr Boar on the ground.

Yeah, I agree on your distance.

Again, if it's a 16" barrel, suppressed or not, it's best to keep it to 150yds max, to assure a quick clean kill.

For the 8"-12" SBRs, I'd stay inside 60yds. Preferably, on deer, you're shooting from a tree stand, and around here your shot would likely be taken well inside 50-yds.

 

[Bartholomew Roberts]

A 110gr round from a 9" barrel is putting out 679 ft/lbs at 200yds. That's on the weak side of your traditional deer hunting cartridges; but it will get it done.