CraigC
Sixgun Nut
The arguments I have made are purely objective. I have no emotional investment in the .300BO. Among the guns I own, those that chamber it are soulless tools. I'm not one of those who goes on emotional tirades defending something just because I bought it. The .300BO is not the be-all, end-all of anything. Actually it has a fairly narrow area of application. I happen to like what it does and it appears to anyone with half a lick of sense that there are plain few that do exactly what it does, the way it does it. It.....
Is a light cartridge with very little recoil that is very efficient in short barrels and as a suppressor host. It has the proper twist for heavy, subsonic loads and adequately covers 100yds in that role. It also does very well with 110-130gr supersonic loads that adequately covers 250yds. It fits into a standard AR platform with only an upper or barrel change and uses standard magazines that can be loaded to capacity. Said AR platform works either super or subsonic. It does all of this VERY economically with affordable factory ammo, cheap brass (or even free) and cheap bullets. There have been several cartridges put forth as alternatives, supposed better at doing what the .300BO does but they either do not do everything the .300 does or they do so with considerable drawbacks.
7.62x39 - Twist too slow, tapered case does not do well in AR's, too few boltguns and oddball .311" bore. You can buy a custom barrel but for what gain?
.308 - Twist too slow, large capacity case inefficient in short barrels, inefficient with subsonic use, fits the much more portly AR10.
.45ACP - Subsonic use only, few guns that chamber it, few decent hunting bullets.
.450/.458.50 - Great for subsonic use but we don't need 500gr bullets to kill deer. Greatly reduced magazine capacity. Expensive guns/uppers. Much more expensive bullets and brass. Big recoil penalty for supersonic loads. Rainbow trajectory.
Seriously, how much maneuvering must one do to convince themselves that another cartridge does what the .300 does? Sure, there are better subsonic cartridges, I'd love the .45ACP or even .45WinMag in a light platform but they don't exist. Big bores are much more efficient and I wouldn't have to pay a couple dollars each for specialty .300 bullets. Sure, there are myriad better supersonic cartridges. Despite all this maneuvering, there are very few that do both well.
Is a light cartridge with very little recoil that is very efficient in short barrels and as a suppressor host. It has the proper twist for heavy, subsonic loads and adequately covers 100yds in that role. It also does very well with 110-130gr supersonic loads that adequately covers 250yds. It fits into a standard AR platform with only an upper or barrel change and uses standard magazines that can be loaded to capacity. Said AR platform works either super or subsonic. It does all of this VERY economically with affordable factory ammo, cheap brass (or even free) and cheap bullets. There have been several cartridges put forth as alternatives, supposed better at doing what the .300BO does but they either do not do everything the .300 does or they do so with considerable drawbacks.
7.62x39 - Twist too slow, tapered case does not do well in AR's, too few boltguns and oddball .311" bore. You can buy a custom barrel but for what gain?
.308 - Twist too slow, large capacity case inefficient in short barrels, inefficient with subsonic use, fits the much more portly AR10.
.45ACP - Subsonic use only, few guns that chamber it, few decent hunting bullets.
.450/.458.50 - Great for subsonic use but we don't need 500gr bullets to kill deer. Greatly reduced magazine capacity. Expensive guns/uppers. Much more expensive bullets and brass. Big recoil penalty for supersonic loads. Rainbow trajectory.
Seriously, how much maneuvering must one do to convince themselves that another cartridge does what the .300 does? Sure, there are better subsonic cartridges, I'd love the .45ACP or even .45WinMag in a light platform but they don't exist. Big bores are much more efficient and I wouldn't have to pay a couple dollars each for specialty .300 bullets. Sure, there are myriad better supersonic cartridges. Despite all this maneuvering, there are very few that do both well.