Is 300 blackout economical?
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Justin
Moderator Emeritus
About the best place I've found it is Ozark Ordnance.
http://www.ozarkordnance.com/
They're sticking 147 gr. military surplus ball in trimmed down cases. What little I have shot functioned fine, and had acceptable accuracy.
http://www.ozarkordnance.com/
They're sticking 147 gr. military surplus ball in trimmed down cases. What little I have shot functioned fine, and had acceptable accuracy.
bikemutt
Member
It all depends on speed: supersonic is widely available "cheap", mostly 150 gr projectiles. Subsonic is another matter.
Speaking strictly about the 150 grain ""cheap" stuff, I find the reliability to be OK, that is it will mostly go bang, accuracy is unremarkable. YMMV.
For myself only, supersonic 300 BLK is not hearing-safe without protection at the range. On hogs or other field duties I'm sure it's fine.
Speaking strictly about the 150 grain ""cheap" stuff, I find the reliability to be OK, that is it will mostly go bang, accuracy is unremarkable. YMMV.
For myself only, supersonic 300 BLK is not hearing-safe without protection at the range. On hogs or other field duties I'm sure it's fine.
Exactly, I got into .300 BLK for cheap plinking. I haven't bought a single piece of brass, it has all been range pick-up .223/5.56.
dh1633pm
Contributing Member
I converted 200 today using that same very saw. I have a custom made jig that works really well. Yes it can be had cheap, you just have to roll your own. My model 7 likes 150 grain bullets with H110. They shoot very well.
redbullitt
Member
If you cast and reload and happen to have a bolt or break action rifle THEN YES!!! It can be incredibly affordable to shoot.
I particularly like it because in a bolt rifle it can use a huge variety of powders and projectiles between the super and sub loadings. I consider it my shortage fighter caliber; basically I can shoot with most components available. Of course things may not be optimal though.
Small powder charges get hunting capable power and accuracy at fairly close ranges, tough to beat that.
30 cal projectiles are very common, and you can utilize everything from the 100 grainers to the 250 grainers depending on load and barrel twist.
Brass is easy to get, just takes a little work to make it.
I particularly like it because in a bolt rifle it can use a huge variety of powders and projectiles between the super and sub loadings. I consider it my shortage fighter caliber; basically I can shoot with most components available. Of course things may not be optimal though.
Small powder charges get hunting capable power and accuracy at fairly close ranges, tough to beat that.
30 cal projectiles are very common, and you can utilize everything from the 100 grainers to the 250 grainers depending on load and barrel twist.
Brass is easy to get, just takes a little work to make it.
When pulled .30 cal FMJ is available cheap again it will be. I see the accuracy from them called "acceptable" and "unremarkable" in this thread. It is definitely not stellar, but good enough for cheap plinking. There are lots of .30 caliber bullets that can work, so sooner or later something goes on sale. That and free range brass, or cheaply bought ranger/once fired brass converted yourself makes it fairly economical.
dubbleA
Member
On a whim I did this the other day. Took some 150fmj's and loaded16.5grs of H110 behind them. Turns out my suppressed 8 inch AR SBR and 16 inch suppressed Rem 700 shot them into little 1 inch 5 shot clusters. I normally shoot 200-240gr sub sonics only.
I shoot 200-300 rounds a week mostly through a silencer and have 5 guns chambered for the round. One full length bolt rifle, 3 SBR's and a "pistol". Ive got 4000 or so rounds in various states. 3000 ish loaded and another 1000 ready to load at any given time. Its a reloaders dream cartridge. Its also a cartridge that was really designed to be run subsonic through a silencer. Yes, it can be fired supersonic and yes, it only takes a barrel change to do it but that isnt where it excels. Through a silencer its a joy to shoot.
In any case there are decent deals on factory loaded ammo. Fiocchi 150 grain pushes past 2000 FPS and is very consistent at less than 60 cents a round. If you hunt with the stuff you can get 110 grain Nossler Varmageddon for about the same price from shooters pro shop and that stuff is loaded HOT.
That 150 grain 16.5 H110 is my go to load for supersonics too.
FWIW I started out doing the reforming brass thing too. Meh. you can buy professionally formed 300 BO brass for $100 per thousand delivered. Worth every penny.
In any case there are decent deals on factory loaded ammo. Fiocchi 150 grain pushes past 2000 FPS and is very consistent at less than 60 cents a round. If you hunt with the stuff you can get 110 grain Nossler Varmageddon for about the same price from shooters pro shop and that stuff is loaded HOT.
That 150 grain 16.5 H110 is my go to load for supersonics too.
FWIW I started out doing the reforming brass thing too. Meh. you can buy professionally formed 300 BO brass for $100 per thousand delivered. Worth every penny.
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justin22885
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when you can get 5.56 brass once fired for $0.05/rd, your best bet if you want it dirt cheap is to load your own with once fired 5.56 brass... im considering switching to 300 blackout as a primary caliber and if i do this is what ill be doing to stockpile a few thousand
dh1633pm
Contributing Member
dubbleA - I see you too shoot the magic load. Very accurate in my Model 7 AAC Blackout. I am loading up another 200 over the weekend. Who said the blackout wasn't accurate?
Elkins45
Member
I can't believe nobody has mentioned cast bullets yet. For the cost of a few boxes of factory bullets you can set yourself up with all he gear you need to cast you own by the hundreds. I have had great luck creating accurate and functional loads that are < $0.10 each. It's true that you generally can't drive fast as fast as jacketed, but the Blackout runs out of steam with 170+ grain bullets before that threshold is reached.
I'm not super knowledgeable about hand loading, what's the deal with lead projectiles? I thought we jacket our bullets due to lead fouling but is there a way to get around it?
clearcut
Member
powder coating and gas checks on lead cast can bring your speeds well over 2000 fps. Finding the correct mold profile for the auto loader may be a challenge.
CC
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justin22885
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with over 1200ft/lbs at the muzzle from an 8 inch barrel, someone really needs to put 300 blackout into a bullpup.. something REALLY short.. PDW size.. now that would be a pretty BA weapon
Panzerschwein
member
What do define as a "decent price"?
On ammoseek, I'm seeing nothing cheaper than 40¢ per round.
I am seeing .308 steel case Tula stuff for 36¢ per round, so to me, it's not really economical at all. I'd rather spend the money on ammo for my muc more powerful PTR-91.
If you don't have a suppressor, than there are plenty of good 7.62x39mm AR uppers or complete rifles. Almost identical performance as .300 Black supersonic loads, and MUCH, MUCH cheaper at 22¢ per round.
JMHO
YMMV
On ammoseek, I'm seeing nothing cheaper than 40¢ per round.
I am seeing .308 steel case Tula stuff for 36¢ per round, so to me, it's not really economical at all. I'd rather spend the money on ammo for my muc more powerful PTR-91.
If you don't have a suppressor, than there are plenty of good 7.62x39mm AR uppers or complete rifles. Almost identical performance as .300 Black supersonic loads, and MUCH, MUCH cheaper at 22¢ per round.
JMHO
YMMV
Elkins45
Member
Proper fit to the bore, gas checks, quench hardening, good lubes: all of these are tools in the toolbox. I can fire hundreds of cast lead bullets through my AR with no leading. Cast bullets get a bad rap for leading because most commercial bullets are way too hard and are lubed with essentially dyed paraffin. They fail to upset and gas blows by them and fills the bore with melted bullet metal.
Some guys are powder coating them but I haven't tried that approach yet.
Every one of the molds I have tried have fed well in my AR, and I have tried several.
Sunray
Member
Like everything else it depends on your definition of "decent prices". And what you want to do with it.
Hornady wants $30.44 per 20 for 110 grain ammo. $34.53 for 208 A-Max's. Midway has Hornady's Zombie Max ammunition on sale at $17.99.
You'd still have to try a box of as many brands as you can to find what your rifle shoots best. Reloading fixes that and you'll be shooting tailored ammo.
Hornady wants $30.44 per 20 for 110 grain ammo. $34.53 for 208 A-Max's. Midway has Hornady's Zombie Max ammunition on sale at $17.99.
You'd still have to try a box of as many brands as you can to find what your rifle shoots best. Reloading fixes that and you'll be shooting tailored ammo.
gidaeon
Member
11.7c per round.
I cast and powder coat and use free .223 I convert. This requires free lead and of course time. I would never have built or bought a 300blk otherwise.
I cast and powder coat and use free .223 I convert. This requires free lead and of course time. I would never have built or bought a 300blk otherwise.
The shooting community has now discovered that .300 BO is pricey.
Heard that complaint about 6.8 and 6.5 five years ago. Yes - all commercial ammo is "pricey" compared to taxpayer supported GI surplus.
You can economically reload your own brass, or pay the best rate you can find, but it can't and won't be as cheap as the production overrun ammo sold off to the public by the contractors running the Lake City Plant.
Them's the hard facts about the hard cash.
Heard that complaint about 6.8 and 6.5 five years ago. Yes - all commercial ammo is "pricey" compared to taxpayer supported GI surplus.
You can economically reload your own brass, or pay the best rate you can find, but it can't and won't be as cheap as the production overrun ammo sold off to the public by the contractors running the Lake City Plant.
Them's the hard facts about the hard cash.
It's expensive to me in the sense of time. I don't count my time spent reloading because I enjoy reloading as a hobby in its own right. I personally do count time spent doing brass prep because I hate doing brass prep. Unless I were going to spend a lot of time doing something .300-specific like shooting surpressed subs, I'd rather just do the bulk of my practice with .223/5.56 and buy a few boxes for .300 for whatever reason I thought I needed it (hunting maybe or SD). I do similar as is with a 9mm/5.56 AR combo.
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