Why do big box store carry Remington .300 Blackout ammo in supersonic but not Subsonic?

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Aim1

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A few years ago .300 Blackout was fairly scarce at some big box stores. Now most have a decent supply of different brands. Cabelas, Gander, and Fleet Farm always carried Remington brand since I’ve started shooting .300 BO. They used to carry the subsonic stuff all the time at a time when they normally only carried Remington and one or two others.

Now most of these stores carry many .300 BO ammo options including the Remington ammo but only in supersonic now. I can never find the Remington stuff in subsonic for the last few years. I can find subsonic .300 BO from other manufacturers. I’ve talked to the gun clerks and they say they just aren’t ordering then Remington .300 BO in subsonic, only supersonic and they aren’t planning on it either.

Why is this when subsonic shooting is what the .300 BO was specifically made for?

The Remington subsonic .300 BO I found to be some of the most accurate out of my gun and also cheapest at $17 a box.


Why do big box store carry Remington .300 Blackout ammo in supersonic but not Subsonic?


*** I also wish they would mark the ammo as (subsonic) rather than you reading then bullet weight and and velocity and hoping it’s subsonic. As you can see in the below pics the description notates subsonic on the older yellow box but not the newer white boxes.



This is the ammo I’m talking about. Normally in the white box now.

CB93D9BD-AE08-4BC7-A097-8E1CBAB62FD7.jpeg

19B1E41C-C072-4B29-A142-19CB5B4002EB.jpeg

D26B4DBD-9094-47EB-AB20-EF6B3F9C2F23.jpeg
 
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I have found the same in my area. But I did have the guy at Big R special order me several boxes of Hornady's Sub-X.

I did see Fin Feather & Fur having subsonic ammo on their shelf.
 
My guess is that the normal shopper at the big box store is going to be looking for casual blasting ammo, and the lighter bullets are cheaper. Cheaper ammo therefore sells more, and makes a better profit.

Just a guess, but that's the same reason I buy supersonic .300 Blackout ammo. It's cheaper.

I don't have a suppressor (yet), so I don't have all that much desire to shoot without ear protection at the moment anyway, so I shoot my gun loudly and cheaply for now.
 
I, like others here, think that demand (and the lack of readily available suppressors) has dictated to the cheaper supersonic.
 
Seen it a the local Fleet Farm last time I wandered the ammo isle.

Then again I reload so I dont bother with the factory ammo often.
 
It probably has to do with their perceived ability to move the stuff. The main sporting goods stores in my area are walmart, academy (1 hour away), and richard's (where only pariahs shop). Walmart and Academy both have it.
 
Most people just buy the cheapest thing available. I would bet that 99% or more of those that own a .300 Blackout don't have a suppressor, and a lot of them choose a Blackout because the name sounded cool. If you aren't running suppressed and you pick up one box of shells with an advertised velocity of 2400 fps for $15, and a 1050 fps load for $25 what are you going to buy?
 
Stopped in the Huntsville Cabelas today, they had both the Rem 120 & 220 gr. Barnes 110 TAC-TX too, but none of the excellent S&B 200gr stuff...
 
Big box stores have a National Buyer who supervises all the wholesale purchases for sale in all the stores.

They are more knowledgeable about price points than actual products Which means, to them, if the product description is similar enough, and they can shave 0.1¢ off the per unit price, then the store makes millions (or some such accounting voodoo).

In the home stores this is particularly egregious as the Buyer might discontinue a quality namebrand for a junkier knock-off to save that fractional cent. Or, they will rotate through a coterie of cheapo brands having each compete to offer up product at enough discount to get selected. Which means you can be SOL if you need spares for something you bought just 3 weeks ago.

Now, less likely for "us," there are fewer places boxing up "ramington" ammo, or "remingten" and passing it along at a discounted price. But, if the suppliers now the price point is key, they may find ways to make boing the product cheaper.

Also possible the Buyers met with them and suggested that labeling the boes "subsonic" did not focus group test well.

But, most likely is that the Buyer just thought "subsonic" meant sub-par.
 
rule303 said:
Most people just buy the cheapest thing available. I would bet that 99% or more of those that own a .300 Blackout don't have a suppressor, and a lot of them choose a Blackout because the name sounded cool. If you aren't running suppressed and you pick up one box of shells with an advertised velocity of 2400 fps for $15, and a 1050 fps load for $25 what are you going to buy?
Click to expand...


I agree. Strange that they stock the more expensive .300 subsonics by Sig and other companies. Actually quite a few other subsonics. Just not the Remington ones.

And the Remington .300 BO subsonics are the least expensive .300 BO subsonics.
 
Aim1 said:
I agree. Strange that they stock the more expensive .300 subsonics by Sig and other companies. Actually quite a few other subsonics. Just not the Remington ones.

And the Remington .300 BO subsonics are the least expensive .300 BO subsonics.
Click to expand...

Probably also the lowest markup.
 
Maybe the stores know that shooters do not like the rainbow trajectory of the sub sonic stuff. LOL I know I don't.
 
Aim1 said:
Why do big box store carry Remington .300 Blackout ammo in supersonic but not Subsonic?
Click to expand...


Because the employees of a big box store may be in housewares next week.
Before believing the "subsonic" label, its kinda important to know what length test barrel that cartridge is being fired from to get that designation.

The velocities for .300Blkout on the Remington website cite a 24" barrel. Anyone hunting with a .300BLK AR15 with 24" bbl and a 7-10" silencer screwed on the end probably doesn't hunt very often. Firing a .300 Blackout from a 10.5" barrel will yield much lower velocities than the same round from a 16" barrel. Meaning you can shoot "supersonic" rounds from a 10.5" bbl and the round doesn't go supersonic. (just like shooting supersonic .22LR from a pistol with 6"bbl, few actually go supersonic)


 
Supersonic loads are going to be so regardless of barrel length. It's not gonna drop from 2400fps to 1000fps in an 8" barrel. More like 2000fps. Remember, we're talking about pistol powders here. Not at all like .22LR, which is barely supersonic in a rifle length barrel.

An AR with a suppressor is not 'that' long. I hunt with muzzleloaders that are longer and heavier.
 
They used to stock it. Now they don't. What that means is that nobody was buying it.
 
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