When it comes down to it, both rounds are great for their intended purpose, but, they are intended for different things. You wouldn’t take a Ford Raptor to a street race, but it’s sure a great vehicle to have when you need to go off road. Just like you wouldn’t take your Corvette to your next hunting trip. They’re both vehicles that are top-of-their-class, they’re just in different classes.If you spend any time shopping for ammunition online, chances are high you have stumbled across the whole .300 Blackout vs. 5.56x45mm debate that firearms enthusiasts are so fond of. Like you or me, like your AR-15, like the folks posting on firearms forums, the cartridges available today are varied. You have your classics, like 5.56 NATO. But then, if you dig a little deeper, you have the .300 BLK, which is growing in popularity.
80% Arms offers a wide variety of AR15 lowers that support both 5.56 & .300 blk, and a selection of gun build kits if you want to make your build easy. Whatever you choose, it ships right to your door, and is always backed by our Lifetime Warranty.
Like most other rounds on the market today, both 5.56 and .300 BLK have specific purposes and scenarios where they excel. Let us explore a few and determine which round is best suited to what purpose in the field.Hunting without EarPro, Home Defense without Earpro, and making a firearm a bit less scary for a new shooter. Also, quietly taking out Terry the Taliban as you infiltrate a terrorist training camp so you don’t wake all the neighbors. But if you’re reading this article, I doubt you’re doing that.
Home defense, Truck Guns, and anywhere else you need something compact. SHort barrels are all the rage these days now that pistol brace’s are just as effective as stocks, and most people reside in urban environments. Do I want to be carrying an 18″ SPR trying to fight my way out of a city? Absolutely not. You try running vehicle drills with a rifle that’s four feet long.
Before I get twenty comments yelling at me to Google the MK18, or AR15 pistols, let me preface by saying that I have plenty of short barrel 5.56 guns. However, the .300blk was designed specifically with short barrels in mind, and there is no doubt that it excels there. Posder loads are completely burned by 8.3″ of barrel length, and a .300blk has more muzzle energy out of a 9″ barrel than a 5.56 has from 16″.
Listen, there’s no right answer. It’s going to depend on what you’re doing. For home defense, there isn’t going to be a real difference unless you’re running a suppressor. The REAL answer is always, why not both? No doubt, when you’re trying to be quiet, .300blk is king. Subsonic rounds eliminate supersonic cracks, and lower gas pressures help silencers/suppressors be more effective. A well suppressed .300 blackout rifle can be compared to an MP5-SD in terms of dB levels. In other words, it’s very very quiet. 5.56 is an inherently accurate round, wheras .300 blk is not. Now, let’s be clear what I mean here. You’ll never have trouble hitting a man-sized target out to a few hundred yards with the Blackout. But if you’re looking to print tiny groups, or hit small targets at distance, 5.56 is the tool for the jibWe know that’s why you’re here. Showing up to the range with a short-barrel and suppressed .300 blk is definitely going to make you the coolest out of your friends…. until they see you shoot.
What hits harder 5.56 or 300 Blackout?
In testing fired from a 16″ barrel, it was shown that 300 blackout had nearly double the ft-lbs on the impact that a 5.56 round had 200 yards and 300 yards. The bullet drop becomes much more substantial at range with the . 300 blackout round.
5.56 is still the most common AR15 round out there by a mile, which means more options, and cheaper prices. Not just for ammo either. You’ll have more options for barrels, optics with specific bullet drop compensation, etc. However, most importantly, in an emergency situation, you’ll be able to get ammo from anywhere, and anyone. Also, with cheaper and more available ammo, you’ll be able to train more. And training is more important than any gear you can have.While I agree the 300 Blackout may be a better round for suppression and possibly home protection, I think a comparison between 300 blackout and 7.62×39 might be more interesting. Quick Note: Throughout this article, blackout and blkout will be used interchangeably as blkout is often the shorthand form of the full caliber name .300 AAC Blackout. Some magazines have 300 blackout marketed on them but my personal choice is to use two different sizes. I use 30 round magazines for 5.56 nato and 20 round magazines for 300 blackout.There are really only two reasons to buy specific magazines for either caliber. Upgraded springs for 300 blackout is one and clearly separating your calibers because you do not want to mix these two calibers.
There are 300 Backout specific magazines that are said to have a slightly stiffer spring to assist with feeding but I personally have never had any issue with standard 5.56 magazines.
^ What Gene said… still holds true. It would be a good comparison, and for both that, and still this, a ballistic chart comparing both w/ barrel lengths, maybe outdoor temps/elevation, drift, etc… makes total sense. Thanks! In addition to considering a comparison between .556 or 300 Blackout with 7.62×39 add in the 30-30. The typical carbine sized for 30-30 is used in many situations a 300 Blackout might be. The 30-30 round can also be suppressed, but generally is a much higher velocity round, which means more power, but also less effective suppression. One thing I didn’t see in your comparison… We can use the same AR lower, bolt and magazine for a 300 upper. However, how well does the 300 ammo fit into those 556/223 mags? Do the double stack well, or are the more of a single stack fit? Food for thought.The best round depends on your usage as we have discussed, the cost is a major factor. If you buy a gun for home defense and security, either caliber is a good choice to keep your family safe.
I’m in the market for my first AR and after reading this article, I’m less sure of which to buy first. Unfortunately, I can’t afford to buy both at once (and my wife would probably kill me). Ammo availability being what it is right now, I may just have to base my decision on which rounds I can find within a reasonable price range.
The answer that AAC came up with was .300 AAC Blackout. The .300 AAC Blackout is a 7.62 x 35mm rifle cartridge that addresses the issues that are long associated with the 5.56mm round.On the other hand, where .300 blackout really shines is out of a short barrel. Testing a 9″ barrel with .300 blkout 125 gr round had 993 ft-lbs at 100 yards. The 5.56mm 55 gr round had 191 ft-lbs at the same yardage.
To dive further into 5.56 vs. 300 blackout, we have to look at terminal ballistics. Terminal ballistics is the behavior and effects of the projectile when it transfers its energy to the target.
Recently purchased ATI AR15 from an online store with the description says 5.56x45mm NATO 7.50″. So got to the range, bought a box of 50 5.56 NATO. Loaded the magazine with just 5 rounds, first round won’t feed into the chamber, it gets jammed, tried this 2 or 3 times. The on duty range staff was kind enough to assist me, inspected the brand spanking new AR15 and was told that there’s a “head space” problem and I should return it to ATI, so I did. I called ATI and they confirmed of receiving my AR15, they asked for the serial number for confirmation, gave it to them, that’s when they told me that the AR15 is a 300 AAC blackout and not a 5.56x45mm NATO as described online. ATI said that they must have sent me the wrong AR15, I said but the serial number matched. I have emailed the online store because I cannot get a live person and greetings says I’ll get a faster response by emailing them but I still have not heard back, it’s been almost 5 days gone. I asked ATI if I damaged the AR15, they said not necessarily, they will do test firing with the correct .cal and will get back to me soon. So who’s to blame for this issue? Any advise is much appreciated. Thank you.Well I gotta say this was the most informative breakdown I’ve ever read and when I get another rifle I plan to build for mainly home defense it looks like 300 blackout is the go to choice thanks for making this easy to understand too. Great article!
Supersonic is anything capable of achieving a rate greater than that of sound. This means it’s piercing the sound barrier. On the contrary, if speed is less than that of sound, then it is subsonic. The speed of sound is 1,125 feet per second.
I had bought a Stag 5.56 years ago and like it a lot. I have since bought a .300 upper so is interchangeable with just 2 pins. Best of both worlds for choice. My .300 mags have ID bands and paint markings so they don’t get mixed up.
The 5.56mm NATO is the most popular round for the AR-15 and has been used for decades. 5.56mm round dates back to the 1950s, and these bullets replaced the 7.62mm rounds, which were heavy and had stability issues.It is simplistic to say that the speed of sound is 1,125 feet per second as it also depends on temperature, and to a much lesser degree altitude. At 100° is is 1,160, at 75° it is 1,134, at 50° it is 1,107 and at 32° it is 1,087
Will 300 Blackout penetrate walls?
300 Blackout Home Defense Test Results The Sellier & Bellot 124 grain supersonic round went through the first wall, through the ballistics gel and then through both the front and rear drywall on the final wall.
In testing fired from a 16″ barrel, it was shown that 300 blackout had nearly double the ft-lbs on the impact that a 5.56 round had 200 yards and 300 yards. The bullet drop becomes much more substantial at range with the .300 blackout round.
Lynx Defense may earn a small percentage of the sale from links to any products or services on this site. You do not pay anything extra and your purchase helps support our work and allows us to continue to make awesome content for you, our reader!The 5.56 round is mainly known for its use in military and police applications. In the last decade, the round has been heavily adopted by gun lovers and sportsmen alike. Many people see the round as a great defense round and use them in their home defense rifles. The casings for both the 5.56mm NATO and .300 AAC Blackout are almost identical. Both bullets have rimless and bottleneck case types, and both are used in rifles and AR pistols. Both use versions of the .223 Remington casing. The .300 Blackout is a necked-down version of .223/5.56mm. Shooting subsonic .223, while they exist, doesn’t really make sense ballistically. It basically takes your .223/5.56 round and nerfs it down to a .22LR. After all, we covered the major difference between .22LR and .223 before, and the major difference was powder.Nice blog. The 300 Blackout round has some great capabilities especially in suppressed applications with subsonic ammo. Price and lately availability (with everything really) is a problem. Another blog topic I would love to see is a comparison between .556, .308 and the new Hornady 6mm ARC.It’s worth noting that many people have started to use the 300 blackout round in hunting applications, including bolt rifles, due to their ability to suppress the round well and impressive ballistics.In this article, we discussed the two most popular rounds for the AR-15 platform of rifles. We saw how both bullets are similar but also very different in application.
At the time, AAC even developed a concept platform for the 300 Blackout round, the Honey Badger. The Honey Badger didn’t come to life until later when Q, LLC created the Honey Badger and Honey Badger SD.There are different grain weights available for both the 5.56mm and the .300 AAC Blackout bullet. Some of the most common grain weights for 5.56mm NATO bullets are:
Since the MP5SD was 9mm, the end-users, typically Special Forces, needed the 300 blackout to have more power, similar sound suppression, and be AR15/M4 compatible. Which, if you can’t tell, is a tall order!
In regards to the part on magazines, regular 5.56 magazines work fine on the lighter grain bullets. I was having trouble with the 220gr in a standard 5.56 magazine because the ogive of the bullet was rubbing the magazine and causing feeding issues. I still use 5.56 mags for my 147gr rounds, but my 220gr rounds are all in Lancer 300aac specific mags, they have a larger opening to allow for the larger bullets.The round serves a particular purpose and is becoming more and more popular in the shooting community. Given the round’s increased cost, it hasn’t yet replaced the 5.56 as the target/plinking round of choice, but many prefer it in self-defense use cases.
Due to the 300 BLK bullet’s larger grain and increased powder, this round’s perceived recoil is stronger than the standard 5.56mm bullet. The 5.56 round has minimal recoil; increasing that recoil only slightly to get the performance the .300 blackout offers is almost not worth mentioning. Still, it had to be mentioned to be thorough.
Not too long ago, we looked at the difference between .22LR vs. 5.56 (.223) and figured we would continue that journey. Next, we are looking at 5.56 (.223) vs. 300 blackout.Both 5.56 and 300 blackout have been extensively tested. What testing has found is that 5.56mm at 500 yards had a high-velocity thanks to the lower weight of the 5.56mm NATO bullet. The round can cover more yards and keep velocity better than its heavier counterpart.Your personal data will be used to support your experience throughout this website, to manage access to your account, and for other purposes described in our privacy policy.Two possibilities the company that sold you the gun shipped you the incorrect gun or ATI put the wrong barrel on the gun. I don’t know which to be the case and wouldn’t particularly blame anyone without more information. The only thing I can say about ATI is it’s known to be a budget brand and I don’t have any idea what their quality control looks like.
The entire premise of the 300 blackout round was to provide a round with better ballistics from a short-barreled rifle. Advanced Armament Company (ACC) wanted to achieve the trifecta. Beat the 5.56m NATO round, achieve better-suppressed sound levels, and rely on the AR-15 platform.
We highlighted their respective usage and what’s the best-case scenario that the rounds can be used. In our opinion, choosing the round comes down to personal choice and application. You can only decide what your application is and what best works for you since many great ammo manufacturers make high-quality factory ammo for both.Personally, I wouldn’t shoot subsonic ammo without a suppressor, no matter what gun I’m shooting. The increased cost of subsonic rounds doesn’t make sense without a silencer. If you want to check out our other ammo made for the AR-15 platform, check out 458 SOCOM and all our ammo articles. Want to learn a little more about rifle cartridges? Check out two of the most popular bolt gun rounds available today the 6.5 Creedmoor vs .308 Winchester. Another bonus is when your cases for the 5.56 get dented (shoulder or cracked neck)you can cut them down and reform into 300 bk out.Recycle the brass from the range. Less popular head stamp cases (5.56 or 223)can be a bounty for 300bk out.I personally have no use for a . 223 (5.56) because you can’t hunt here with it, has to be at least . 24 cal. So I’m 300 Blackout all the way, but I prefer the . 308 Win. LoLI love the 300 blackout subs in my Q honey badger. It’s almost hollywood quiet. If it weren’t for the price of ammo I’d shoot 300 blackout exclusively since most of my shooting occurs within 100 yards.
The 5.56/.223 round will probably be the mainstay for the AR-15 platform for many years to come, even though the .300 blackout is starting to give it a run for its money.
Since 5.56mm bullets were small, high velocity, and provided good thermal ballistics, so much so that it became the standard bullet that is still used by much of NATO forces.
300 Blackout, suppressed, is very similiar to 45 ACP. At ranges of 200 yards or less, it is effective. Beyond that range it loses velocity and exhibits significant drop. If your target is beyond 200 yards, a .556 will generally serve better.
What is the Russian equivalent to the 300 Blackout?
7.62×39 vs 300 Blackout: Intermediate 30-Calibers Collide. The 300 AAC Blackout and 7.62x39mm Soviet are two centerfire rifle cartridges that are extremely similar in terms of external ballistics and terminal performance.
Shorter barrels are generally better for close quarters, so if that’s your plan, give 300 blackout a hard look. If you plan to suppress and you want to be the quietest you can be, 300 blackout is your go-to. But if you want cost-effective range fun that allows you to train more than once or twice a year, you might want to stick with 5.56/223.I have been in the army since 2010 as a infantryman and have deployed 3 times and I am currently a Drill Sergeant so I have been using the 5.56 round for some time now, however I own a AR platform in 300 blackout and while I know the 5.56 will continue to be the staple in the community and the military the 300 blackout round does have many positives over the 5.56 including pure take down power due to the bullet size being bigger and the 5.56 enters a body and rattles around a bit typically which causes a lot of damage but not instant death which is what you want in combat and eliminating a threat.
You probably figured this out already, but you can fire .223 from an AR-15 chambered in 5.56, but you cannot fire .300 Blackout from an AR-15 chambered in 5.56 WITHOUT CATASTROPHIC DAMAGE.
So as a good friend of mine suggested, building an identical 5.56 rifle and 300 blackout rifle for training/target rifle and the latter for defense would be rather genius and save a substantial amount of coin – long term.
During “normal times,” 5.56/223 rounds lived in the range of .25¢ – $1 per round, depending on the grain you buy. Seemingly low cost compared to the BLK .300 bullet that costs between .80¢ – $3 per round as of this writing if you can find them.
The .300 BLK, on the other hand, is a larger diameter round that is often slower but hits with more ft-lbs on target. The 300 blackout is also a much better round when it comes to suppressing. Let’s talk about super and subsonic ammo.Many ammunition manufacturing companies are doubling down on all rounds, especially 5.56. The 5.56/.223 are cheaper rounds than the .300 blackout, even though before 2020, the .300 blackout cost per round was beginning to drop to reasonable levels (.50-.80¢ per round). Power (ft-lbs) isn’t everything when it comes to terminal ballistics range; impact and bullet drop are important factors. Even though the 5.56mm bullet diameter is smaller, its speed and fragmentation at the moment of impact make it a favorable candidate for lethal purposes. In some cases, the 5.56mm bullet can pierce through armor, but that needs some extra amplification. Very informative, I have both calibers and can’t wait for 5.56 to drop in price so it can be my plinker again. The suppressor for my 300 blk is also on the works so that I may have a home defense weapon as well.Born and raised in Missouri, Mark now lives in Murray with his wife and two sons. As a gun owner and hunting enthusiast he frequently participates in debates surrounding the Second Amendment.
In terms of accuracy, depending on what you use it for (and with), it should be accurate up to 500 yards. While its primary use is with the AR-15, people have put it in all sorts of other guns as well. These include the M4, but some 9” pistols as well.
Though the primary users of this round are the special forces, hunters can also put it to good use, if they are smart, which is what brought this round to the wider public. The second feature that arises from these characteristics is its use in tactical situations. In the previous section, we mentioned that the 5.56 NATO round had difficulties with close range and short barrel use. You can use the .300 Blackout for both. As we said in the previous section, they made the .300 Blackout to fit certain characteristics. There were five main criteria. First, its muzzle energy had to equal or exceed the AK-47. Secondly, it had to be a .30 caliber projectile. Thirdly, it had to use unmodified .30 magazines and unmodified AR-15 bolt. It had to use a gas impingement system, and be able to shoot both subsonic and supersonic.
The 5.56 NATO round was developed in the 1960s since very light, and fast bullets were all the rage back then. It tried to beat the Soviet 7.62×39 mm, and it was successful in terms of the usable range and penetrative characteristics. However, it had some problems of its own.
In this review, we will go over the history of this round, as well as all of its standout features. Though it’s not the goal of this review to compare the .300 to the NATO, these comparisons are unavoidable, so we will be referencing the NATO frequently. With all that in mind, let’s get started.That’s why different manufacturers have offered different rounds to replace it over the years. There was the 6.8 Rem Special, 6.5mm Grendel, the Wilson Combat 6.8mm, and others.
At this point, we have to throw in a note of caution. Namely, this round can fit into a barrel designed for a .223 Remington. Firing the .300 Blackout out of this barrel would cause catastrophic consequences. In fact, the gun could even explode. Make sure your gun is designed to handle the .300 Blackout specifically before using it!
Obviously, the caliber of this round is .300, and the bullet diameter is 308” or 7.8mm. The shell casing is 1.368″ or 34.7mm long. There are various weights available for the bullet, depending on the barrel size. For a 20”, it’s a 78 grain fired at 2,880fps, and for a 16” barrel, it’s a 125 grain at 2,215fps. There is even a 220-grain version fired at 1,010 fps.
However, it also improves upon the 5.56 NATO in terms of accuracy. While the NATO round had difficulties with target practice, especially when muzzled, the .300 Blackout fares much better. Namely, it’s very hard to create a round that is good for everything, and the 5.56 NATO does fail on some points. For example, it wasn’t as accurate as heavier rounds when doing target practice. It also has trouble with short barrels, since it derives most of its power from the speed it travels at. It’s also notoriously hard to suppress, since doing so can decrease its speed dramatically, rendering it ineffective. The .300 Blackout is a remarkable round, due to its many technical properties. It was a real breakthrough in terms of fixing the problems with its illustrious predecessor.If we are to fully understand this round, we need to take a look at the technical aspect as well. In this section, we will go over the most important specs that contribute to the reputation this round has in various subsections of the gun community.As it usually goes with the U.S. Army, they got what they wanted. Advanced Armament Corporation (AAC) and Remington had a difficult job. In addition to these requests, they also had to adapt the round to two different uses. It had to work for both subsonic, suppressed use, as well as supersonic use.
Does 300 Blackout kick hard?
Recoil — The . 300 BLK features recoil three times greater than the 5.56mm round, at 9 pounds. However, felt recoil is only slightly more, and has no impact on actual shooting.
The idea behind the .300 Blackout was to try to fix all these problems while retaining the format. The .300 Blackout started out as a military round. Apparently, the story goes that an unnamed special missions unit in the U.S. Army asked for a round that could fit inside a .30-caliber rifle, and would be usable with any AR weapon.That’s a lot of grounds to cover for any round. Still, the AAC did it and went down in history. Naturally, these are also the main features of the round and the primary selling point. The greatest strength of the .300 Blackout is its adaptability. As we have seen, you can use it with a standard AR-15, while getting more bang for your buck (literally).
However, as it has grown in popularity, various other groups have begun to use it. It’s a particular favorite of European special forces, due to its prowess in tactical situations. That’s why this round is standard in the special forces units of the UK, the Netherlands, and Germany, in addition to the U.S.
It may be interesting for the reader to know how this round is being used, and who is using it. As we have already said, they designed it for military use, to fit the needs of a particular segment of the U.S. Army.
This is not a one-trick pony, it’s not reserved for combat use alone. Hunters also use this round to great effect, though not for long-range shooting. In close-quarter situations, this round can replace a shotgun due to its weight. People who have used it for hunting recommend shooting it only if the animal is within about 100 yards. If it’s farther away, you could just injure the animal, which is considered inhumane.It worked, and the .300 has shot up in popularity over a very short period of time. In fact, nowadays you can pretty much find it everywhere. The Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute considers it a standard cartridge. You can even find it in Walmart nowadays!
What distance is 300 Blackout good for?
300 BLK bullet fired from a 16-inch barrel has an effective range of about 500 yards, while the same ammo shot from a 9-inch barrel has an effective range of about 480 yards. 125 and 225-gram . 300 ammo fired from both barrel lengths can travel 100 yards without dropping.
Everyone knows that the king of intermediate cartridges is the 5.56x45mm NATO round. There is an enormous number of guns chambered to fit it, and all of the major manufacturers of ammunition love it. However, there is a contender out for its throne these days.
These are all fine products, but all of them have one flaw or another that has made wide acceptance impossible. However, the .300 Blackout is another matter. It works with all current AR magazines, bolts, bolt carriers, and it improves upon the NATO’s record on short distances and short barrel use, all while being very quiet.
The Blackout was made to fix some of the problems with the NATO round. The main one was that the 5.56 NATO is too loud for the amount of power it carries.Due to its more considerable weight, it has a more stable flight trajectory. That contributes to higher accuracy in subsonic conditions. However, the weight also ensures that subsonic hits really pack a punch. This is a departure from the NATO round, which needed to be light and fast, so it fizzles out when muzzled.
If 300 blackout has 2x the power of 5.56 @300m, why is 5.56 better at lang ranges? You’re talking more killing power at longer ranges. Despite an extra 3″ of drop-arguably negligable.
Because the .300 BLK is derived from the case of the 5.56, all you have to do to switch caliber is change the barrel. In an AR-15 the best way to do this is to get a second upper receiver.
I can attest to this. My friend owns an AR pistol, and shooting it makes my eyes water. The excess gas so close to the shooter is definitely a thing. Especially with a muzzle brake that directs gas to the sides and toward the shooter. Either I’m sensitive to it, or others simply don’t care about the downsides. Maybe both.I would really like to see a head to head comparison in pistol AR platform. As the .300 was designed for 9″ barrel, and 5.56 20″, it is my educated guess that .300 wins without any question.
Is 300 Blackout good for anything?
Much like the . 30-30 Winchester, the 300 Blackout is great for deer and hogs, but that’s about it. The 5.56 NATO/. 223 Remington, on the other hand, is an ideal varmint cartridge that can also step up to deer-sized animals.
Shoot 77 gr bullets from the 223/5.56. My 77gr BTHP match handloads carry 780 fp at 300 from a 20″. Hornady factory 75 gr BTHP black rifle loads or match are about the same. My 16″ will produce over 680 at 300 with my 70 gr GMX handloads and is a great “short range” deer rifle with 100 yard zero its only 8″ low at 300. These are as accurate or more accurate (my 77 gr handloads from my AR15 match service rifle are 1″ or less at 200 for 5-10 shots) and shoot flatter. The 300 BLK is a special purpose round of limited usefulness in the real world. The 6.5 Grendal is far superior to the 300 BLK for hunting. But people think the 300 BLK is cool and somehow “cool” makes it better. Its only better for sub-sonic and with heavy sub-sonic loads its more likely to over penetrate and/or ricochet. Designed by Advanced Armament Company as a replacement for the MP5SD, a 9mm sub-machine gun favored by special ops, it had to have more power, same sound level, and compatibility with the M4/AR-15. We’ll walk you through the ballistics, cost, and real-world power of the .300 BLK vs 5.56/.223. And then if you want more…we have our standalone articles on the best uppers, ammo, & even optics.
Thanks for the great article! After my son talked me out of building a 300 BO pistol he went ahead and built one for himself. Unfortunately he bought the wrong size barrel so after some dealing I ended up with it. I bought the other pieces for the upper ( Built a 5.56) and having my ffl neighbor put it together. Trying to decide on whether to suppress with all the paperwork involved.
This is a Great! comparison & contrast of the two calibers, plus the inclusion of everything a 2nd Amendment owner wants and/or needs. Well done! And combined with the interactive research links it should be a must-read for anyone anyone wanting to own either caliber.This article seems to be almost word-for-word an article in the American Shooting journal, but I don’t see your name on that. Did somebody plagiarize somebody else?
On the other hand, 5.56 has poor barrier penetration (it will still go through several layers of drywall, but loses effectiveness much faster than .300 BLK).Break a bolt lug, blow an extractor, or bulge the barrel on your Mini-14 and get back to me on the superior action part. The Mini might be more rugged when used as a bat or stick to mount a bayonet on, but it is certainly less durable when subjected to actual shooting. The Mini-14 (and AC556) has been tested multiple times by US and foreign military agencies It was always found lacking in durability, and field maintenance. You can’t buy a spare bolt without sending to Ruger for fitting. Forget extra barrels either. ARs have their issues, but they are (at least in Colt/Tier 1 manufacturers) military grade weapons. The Mini is not.
What makes 300 Blackout so special?
300 BLK offers a wider range of projectile choices, thanks to the . 30 caliber bore, burns its full potential in a 9-inch barrel, and is a much better choice for hunting. It also has the ability to cycle both super and subsonic ammunition without modification.
What you have now is the ultimate short-range thumper that will feed both supersonic and subsonic ammunition and get its full ballistic potential (complete burn of the powder) from a 9-inch barrel.
The round’s sectional density, the relationship of its mass and its weight, its ability to penetrate rather than fragment, and the wound channel it creates due to its bore size are all the study of terminal ballistics.
Another big advantage for the 300 AAC appears to be in AR15 pistols. The ability to carry an AR in a backpack or in the car “hot” providing it is legal (CCW) is a real plus.
That said, a major downside to .300 BLK in home defense is they have a lot of barrier penetration. Meaning that if you miss (or even if you do hit your target) there is a very good chance those rounds will carry through the wall.
It shows the barrels that the cartridges were designed around…20-inches for the 5.56, 9-inches for the .300 BLK, and the most popular civilian barrel length of 16-inches.
What does the writer mean/specify when he says “First on the list is that to fully burn the 5.56mm NATO powder charge requires at least 12″ of barrel – without those 12″ you’ll get a massive fireball as the round leaves the barrel with every shot as the unburned”? I was looking at AR pistols with sub 12-inch barrels and just wanted some clarification on how there are AR pistols with barrels less than 12 inches, does it have to do with the AR’s gas system? Someone enlighten me.
A subsonic round is much easier to suppress, and much quieter when suppressed. The .300 BLK also reaches peak ballistic potential from a 9-inch barrel.I may earn a small part of the sale from links to any products or services on this site. You do not pay anything extra and your purchase helps support my work in bringing you more awesome gun and gear articles.Exterior ballistics are the qualities associated with how a projectile flies through the air — wind drift, bullet drop, and zero range all fall into this category.
The .300 BLK offers a wider range of projectile choices, thanks to the .30 caliber bore, burns its full potential in a 9-inch barrel, and is a much better choice for hunting.
I totally disagree with the comments about this round not being accurate. I shoot both super/sub sonic suppressed/un-suppressed, and have sub moa with all. My upper has 7/1 twist, and I run an ATI scope, which has all 4 combinations programmed into it. The scop is a Little overkill, but I really love the night vision. Deer have never gone more than 25 yards before dropping using subsonic suppressed ammo. Invalid is the wrong word. A full power 300 blk load is worlds away from 124gr 9mm. So to ignore that or consider its existence invalid makes no sense. “…who can think of a time where you wish your AR-15 had a little more juice?” All 3 tours in the sandbox. Once I got an EBR in 7..62 Nato I no longer felt that way.The thing is that when something goes bump in the night and it’s getting in the house, I will always go for my Glock 17. Outside is a different story if you are out in the country. It’s always smart to remember that if you go galloping outside and shoot someone it’s going to be a whole lot easier to get accused of murder. If it’s outside and staying outside best stay in and call for help. Playing Rambo will get you killed, locked up for life, and in either scenario permanently impoverished. The internet is slam full of keyboard cowboys. Don’t be an idiot.
Which is stronger 7.62 or 300 Blackout?
Depending on the exact brand and load for each, they’re going to be almost the exact same bullet weight, very close in B.C., but different in muzzle velocity. Generally speaking, 7.62×39 will have about 150-200 FPS more muzzle velocity than 300 BLK, if you’re shooting super-sonic loads.
You’re all over the place here, so I’ll educate you a little bit. First, the .308 doesn’tbeat the .30-’06 at anything ballistically. It is perhaps a more accurate cartridge, but that varies widely and depends more on the gun, shooter than anything else. Shooting the same bullet, the ’06 will outpace the .308 by 300-500fps, so it will be evenore effective past 500yard than the .308. As well, according to GySgt Hathcock, the shot was around 750 yds, and was done with a .30-06. You sound like one of those newbs that has bought in to the .300 hype. It is a great cartridge with tons of versatility but ballistics isn’t one of its strong suits. At best its a 200yd cartridge, mostly due to the fact that most .30 bullets won’t expand at the lower velocity of the BO.”The 5.56 readily breaks up in wall boards and loses power quicker when encountering barriers.” This is a silly comment. Your own test bears this out. All rifle rounds (birdshot exempted) will overpenetrate dry. You use a 5.56 in a densely populated apartment building and you better hope that you hit your intended target. There are plenty of youtube videos showing 5.56 ammo going through multiple 4×4’s without skipping a beat. BOTTOM LINE: All commonly used defensive pistol calibers (.380 on up) and all rifle rounds (birdshot included to an extent) will have the propensity to overpenetrate if you miss your target. Period, End of story. Keeping that in mind and planning ahead for a home defense situation is your best bet at minimizing the chances of collateral damage. Stop spewing this myth that 5.56 fragments upon hitting a barrier, because that is only partially true. Within 25 yards, it still has enough energy to go through most objects in your home.Thats a big fat NO! The mini’s are not as accurate or durable!! The AR-15 speaks for itself being fielded in the 50’s and still used today!!! Please sir get your head outta your arse!!!!
What military uses 300 Blackout?
300 Blackout started out as a military round. Apparently, the story goes that an unnamed special missions unit in the U.S. Army asked for a round that could fit inside a . 30-caliber rifle, and would be usable with any AR weapon. As it usually goes with the U.S. Army, they got what they wanted.
A lot has been written about the 300 BLK, however not much has been discussed regarding optics for subsonic loads. I would think that after all this time, manufacturers would develop an optic with bullet drop compensation. Does anyone know if anything is available.
Can I shoot 5.56 in my 300 Blackout?
In short, no, the base-to-shoulder length of the 5.56 will be too long for the . 300 Blackout chamber, and you won’t get the gun to lock up.
First off, there is no “explosion” with smokeless powder, it burns at a controlled rate. The hot flaming gasses are traveling at the same speed or slightly faster than the projectile, when they hit the still air at the muzzle, the collision causes the bang. A suppressor does not “handle the explosion”, it gives the gasses a place to expand and slow down to subsonic speeds. The next point is if you can’t make an “ethical” shot on a game animal with subsonic ammunition, then why would you consider it for combat? Doesn’t make any sense. An enemy combatant that escapes can shoot at you again. All of this is basic physics, there is no magic when it comes to how gasses or projectiles act. No projectile/case option is ideal, they all have pluses and minuses and are a compromise in some way. If you need to shoot a .30 cal then an AR-10 in .308 is the way to go with the trade off of more recoil and heavier ammunition.I am under the impression that actually M193 is the better armor penetrator, as the key to defeating armor is speed and angle of impact, and it is a fast, flat-shooting round. I thought M855 was designed to defeat barriers such as glass or cover, but not body armor per-se (though I do think I read something about it having to prove to be able to penetrate a steel Soviet helmet). Of course, modern ceramic hard plates would not have been a consideration on the battlefields of the cold war, so perhaps it is just a lucky accident that this common round had so much velocity and therefore proves to be an excellent hard plate penetrator, even in its lead core form. Personally, I keep them organized by using different color mags — FDE and black for 5.56 and Olive Drab for .300 BLK. I also double and triple-check things before loading a mag into the rifle. I bought a .300 Blackout upper after hunting whitetail deer with my 5.56 rifle. I wasn’t able to drop a medium sized deer with the .223 ammo I was using and decided not use that caliber again for whitetails. After a year switching my uppers with my lower, I decided to build a lower and now I have a dedicated .300 Blackout deer slayer with a 4x illuminated scope. I use Winchester Deer Season XP 125 gr ammo which is an excellent deer round in .30 caliber. I also use a 10 rd Magpul magazine so I don’t look like I’m going out on a search and destroy mission. Now, I’m very happy with my Colt M4 in 5.56 for home defense and my .300 Blackout Anderson AM15 rifle for Whitetail deer hunting.
I do want to note one thing before you run out and get a new .300 BLK upper…you NEED to be careful when switching between uppers or even when you have a dedicated .300 BLK rifle and a 5.56 rifle.This is .556 fanboy talk, and I’m one of them so I should know. The .300 blackout out of an equal length barrel is far superior inside 150 yards as the bullet drop is negligible and the round is larger (more material to expand), less gasey, less muzzle climb (added felt recoil) quieter suppressed or not, MUCH more powerful, and can reliably cycle subs and supers out of a much shorter barrel with power equal to .556 in longer barrels. The “over penetration” belief is not true. There are plenty of rounds that have less penetration than .556 with lower velocity thresholds especially in shorter barrels since once a .556 drops under 2,500 fps (which it does very quickly, and does right out of the barrel in 10.5) it begins to lose its frag and tumble capabilities, causing deep penetration. Even out of a 20 inch barrel the velocity will drop below that threshold inside 150-175 yards. Check out Lehigh defense CQB .300 (has no more than 15 in penetration and frags much larger chunks than .556 with a very low velocity threshold) among others and that argument is toast. That’s a plus, since if you want penetration you can have it or not you just choose the specific round for the job. The Grendel gives up it’s subsonic capabilities and it’s interchangeability with the .556, which is one of the main points of the BLK. It also wears more on the barrel, is louder, VERY expensive to shoot, limited loadings, and there are other rounds that are far superior if you’re only intersested in hunting or power, all for a couple hundred extra ft lbs. THAT is a round with limited usefulness. Subsonic rounds in BLK are not useless either, if your goal is very quiet, low to no flash, and pistol carbine recoil. A well placed shot at 50 yards and in will do the job nicely and shoots plenty flat at that distance. The .556 as mentioned in the article has its benefits (lighter, flatter, cheaper, more available) so it depends on what you’re doing, but the BLK has more than limited usefulness.
Good, balanced review. I don’t see the 300 Blackout replacing the 5.56 as a military round because of its weight and short range. As a home defense, police, or light/medium game hunting cartridge, it has potential, provided the operator uses the proper load for each scenario. My rule of thumb is to consider it as a potential pistol carbine or 7.62 AK alternative.
Ruger American…? I think the Ruger Mini-14 Ranch Rifle is a much better choice, especially in states where ARs are subject to the “featureless” restrictions. I mean I suppose you could shoot 300 BLK out of a bolt action, but why? The whole raison d’etre for 300 AAC is to shoot it out of a compact semiauto platform, suppressed where available. If ARs are restricted in your area, a Mini-14 is probably your next best choice.
However, if you’re looking to hunt any game at distances greater than 150-yards or game larger than an above-average whitetail — you should look at cartridges with a little more oomph to ensure ethical kills.
Actually you can usually find the 75gr Hornady Black HD SBR for around 75 cents/round…closer to 60 if in bulk (when you can find). Have been running on my 10.5″ SBR with an A1 cage and Thordsen deflector. No…zero…flash, even on rapid fire, and the deflector pushing the blast down range diminishes the usual punishment significantly. Round is designed for SBR/pistol application with full burn within 10.5″ so it’s been a winner for my application. Whether HD/SD or decent sized game, this has been a proven performer with nearly 900 ft/lbs at the muzzle, 650 at 100 yds.The extra mass gives more reliable penetration than the 5.56. And the typical hunting ranges of these animals mean that the slight disadvantage of the trajectory is negligible. Now that you know the best barrel length for .300 Blackout ammo, you only need to find where to buy a barrel that fits your needs. Fortunately, you don’t have to look far. At Ballistic Advantage, we offer high-quality barrels for AR-style rifles, and you can find one with the perfect length to meet your handling and accuracy preferences. If you want the longest range with a suppressed .300 Blackout barrel, get a 16-inch barrel and add a suppressor. With a 20-inch suppressed barrel, you can achieve a bullet velocity of over 2,630 feet per second (fps), leading to more impactful shots and reduced bullet drop. However, a 20+ inches barrel may be too unwieldy and impractical for anything but target shooting.
