300 Blk Load Ideas? - 120gr Powerbond from TJ Conevera

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markr6754

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Checked out the current listing from LiveLife on the “Where are there....” thread. All of my favorite sources for projectiles are “Out of Stock”. No handgun, no rifle. So I went checking out new providers, and found that TJ Converera is packed with projectiles. I mean...everything is in stock.

My Tuesday order of 1000 - 30 cal 120gr Powerbond Bullets arrived yesterday! Are you kidding me? Never have received a shipment from ANY provider that quickly. And certainly, not during this lockdown.

So...has anyone used this particular bullet in 300 Blackout? That’s my intended use, which is 100% plinking, and as necessary home defense. So...nothing more than 20 yards at this point, and purely recreational shooting.

I can find 110gr, 115gr, and 125gr loads for 300 Blk. But absolutely nothing for this weight. It looks like this would make a really nice (read “cheap”) plinker. I intend to use a variety of powders for testing....I have VV N110, VV N120, IMR 4198, IMR 4227, CFE-Blk, H-110, A1680.

I dummied up 2 rounds seated to 1.900” and tested for manual functioning. I’ve never loaded anything this short and wanted to be sure it picked up from the magazine, chambered, and ejected via charging handle. It was flawless. I even rode the charging handle down, and one hit on the assist button dropped it right in place. So it would appear that the projectile will run.

Load ideas welcome. PM also welcome for anyone uncomfortable posting public load data.
 
Use 125 gr data. Start low and work up.
Thanks...that’s the most obvious direction, and I’ll be especially careful building this up. I was a bit wary of pressure differences when I’m seating the 120gr to 1.90” and I don’t believe I could load longer due to the bullet profile. The 125s are all spire point or ballistic tip. I haven’t found any with the round nose profile of the Powerbonds. Nonetheless, this will be fun...AND I just discovered my range is open 2 hours in the morning for members. My shooting quarantine is over.
 
They sound like starting loads, but as to subsonic, that will remain to be seen.
It can be done, but that is a light weight bullet to get slow.
Was 4198 one that Sierra suggested?
Literally every other power you have seems better to me to go subsonic.
Let us know how it works!
 
Okay, so I’ve learned that my range membership still works, and I got the first slot at 10am this morning. First, I got off 10 rounds at 11.8gr. Definitely subsonic, actually, the recoil was so light I had to be sure that the rounds hit the target. That said, although the majority of cases ejected without issue, I only had one fully cycle. So I was charging every round afterwards.
I then switched to the second magazine with 10 rounds of 11.6gr. I knew they wouldn’t cycle, but I was curious to see if the spent case ejected. Sadly, the round would not chamber in either gun, both AR pistols...one a 10.5” BCA barrel, and the other an 8.5” PSA upper. I tried the same round in both guns, and it just wouldn’t feed at all. It wasn’t until I got home that I realized the first 10 rounds fed from a Lancer 20rd .300 Blackout magazine, while the feed failures were from a Magpul .223 /5.56 magazine, Gen 2. I’m suspecting that was behind the issue, as the round was pivoting into the chamber, and failing to ride the feed ramp into the barrel. I’ll try again another day. I had a lot of new .40S&W loads I wanted to test in my new Springfield EMP 40.

They sound like starting loads, but as to subsonic, that will remain to be seen.
It can be done, but that is a light weight bullet to get slow.
Was 4198 one that Sierra suggested?
Literally every other power you have seems better to me to go subsonic.
Let us know how it works!
Yes...Sierra shows IMR 4198 and Trailboss for subsonic @ 1050 FPS on the 110gr bullet. Their 2105 has the closest profile to the Powerbond I’m using.
For the 125gr projectiles they show IMR 4198, H4198, and Trailboss for subsonic @ 1020 FPS. I’m suspecting that I need a higher charge to push these copper coated rounds at the 1000 FPS target. Yeah, I never thought to try pushing a light weight round that low...but if it works for 9mm and 380 ACP at light loads, why not .300 AAC Blk. I still have their load data for 1800fps and up...though the projectile puts top end at 2000 FPS.
 
When I saw your speeds I thought you were shooting a bolt action. Move up to 1,700 to 2,000 fps and your gun should cycle reliably. Most use bullets over 180 gr. for subsonic. I've been shooting 125 Nosler SPT over 18.0 gr. 4227, 17.0 gr. W296, and 21.0 gr. AA-1680. No feed or cycle problems using 223 magazines, most older GI and PMag. Recoil is similar to 5.56 GI ammo and sound is less.

Before loading a new bullet I first load dummy rounds to check for feed issues. Saves wasted trips to the range.
 
In my experience with .300 Blackout, light bullets do not like to cycle the actions of four different guns unless you push them supersonic. You can make them work subsonic (usually) with a can on the gun though. Unless these are the bullets you intend to buy and use AFTER supplies return, the exercise is mostly a futile one IMO. Just load them supersonic and buy some heavier bullets when they become available.
 
I've been shooting 125 Nosler SPT over 18.0 gr. 4227, 17.0 gr. W296, and 21.0 gr. AA-1680. No feed or cycle problems using 223 magazines, most older GI and PMag. Recoil is similar to 5.56 GI ammo and sound is less.

Before loading a new bullet I first load dummy rounds to check for feed issues. Saves wasted trips to the range.

Thanks for the feedback. I have to say, I had no intention of running these subsonic when I bought them. I only wanted to find some .30 cal projectiles in stock, but when I started looking for load data I was surprised, but pleasantly so, to find a tested subsonic load...stupid rookie mistake, for sure. Not worth loading subsonic if it’s not going to work. I seem to recoil a recommendation for .300 Blackout to start high and work low...the opposite of pistol work up. The idea was to start with known functioning, and work down until the gun stops cycling. There’s likely a kernel of truth in that. As a new reloader, and new to .300 Blackout, I think I need to stop pursuing subsonic until I have a can....and a chronograph.

As to your second point...I did make up multiple dummy rounds to check feeding and chambering. Seeing how short these rounds were, I didn’t believe they would chamber without issue. I loaded multiples as I wanted to verify I could pickup a consecutive round out of the magazine. But, I didn’t test every magazine type and brand that I own. Yep...that’s on me. I’m thinking...magazines are a lot cheaper than frustration and range time...it’s time to set aside the few non-300 Blackout magazines I own.
 
For your round length. For pistols it is called the plunk test.http:// https://www.thehighroad.org...rel-find-a-max-o-a-l-with-your-bullet.506678/
https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...rel-find-a-max-o-a-l-with-your-bullet.506678/
You can adapt this to your rifle and get the max length of the seated bullet. Then back off about .010. Check and see if this fits in your magazine with a little wiggle room. If needed, shorten to fit in the mag. This will determine the maximum OAL, provided the bullet has enough neck tension to remain seated. Check that by pushing the cartridge, nose first, into the edge of your bench. You will distort the nose of the bullet unless you use a collater or a nut, say about 3/16". If the push test fails, let us know so we can help with that.

For the charge weight, start at the bottom of the regular load and work up. Never start at the max. With the 223 & 300 I have never had a standard load that failed to cycle in a semi-auto. They test these things. Always check for over pressure signs with new loads. I have had some max loads that didn't work right in 300 using Lil Gun. After the first round I stopped. Later tore them down. You just never know what will happen.

Let us know if you need more help, that's why we have this forum.
 
markr6754,

Any update, did you try these as supers?? Trying to find some feedback before I order 1K.

Thanks,

Chuck
Hi Chuck,
Actually, I just got back from the range. Got out for an hour at my indoor range to test out the multiple loads I made up for .300 Blk with these TJ Conevera 120gr PowerBonds, 110gr Hornady 110gr FMJ RN, and my standard 150gr and 220gr loads.
I shot all of the light and short at low end Super loads...they fed well and fired well, with good ejection and bolt lock back on empty. I ran the Hornady 110gr at 13.8gr VV N110, and 14.9gr VV N110. I ran one load of the Conevera 120gr PowerBonds at 13.5gr VV N110. Out of 20 rounds, one failed to feed. I tried it from the magazine twice with the same result...I then dropped it into the chamber and it ran fine I don’t know why the magazine wouldn’t feed it, and I don’t care to speculate.

C.O.L. was 1.790”, and 1.845” for the Hornady 110gr and 1.902” for the Conevera 120gr PowerBond.

In the end, I have to say these little Conevera 120gr and the Hornady 1010gr are very nice plinking projectiles.

Sadly, I have no chronograph, and I could use it indoors anyway, so I’m only shooting for puka paper punching.

I also retried the Conevera 120gr with 12.6gr IMR [email protected]”. I’m not having luck with this...shoots fine, but as expected, it doesn’t cycle. I plan try try it yet again, but with a small magnum primer. Now that my range is opening longer starting tomorrow I’ll be able to do more trial & failure. I’m planning to squeeze down the VV N110 loads until I get cycling in both rifles with a minimum load. I’m just doing all this for fun...there is no grand plan here...just load and shoot, and repeat.
 
Thanks for the update.

I'm probably going to get some on order. My normal "super" load is the Nosler 110 Varmageddon over Lil-Gun for just shy of 2200 FPS out of my 9.5" barrel. Looking for something to plink with as the Nosler's have gotten up there in pricing and are often difficult to find.
 
I've been using the 120gr bullets from Accura Outdoors, which I think are very similar to the PowerBond bullets. I load them at 2.0 oal, and use a mid-range load of H110 using 120gr data. Don't recall what my powder charge is off the top of my head, but I've found this combination to be extremely accurate in my rifles and a whole lot of inexpensive shooting fun!
 
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