Caribou Gear

300 AAC Blackout

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nhn2a

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Anybody on here have any experience with the 300 AAC Blackout in an AR?

I'm looking at building my own AR and was leaning heavily towards the AR-10 variant in 308 so I could use it for hunting. However I just learned today that the 300 AAC Blackout can be used with the exact same Mil-Spec parts as the AR15, just with a new barrel. I like the thought of having the compatibility of parts that the AR15 has that the AR10s don't have as well as having a lot lighter weapon. Also I like the option of running two barrels for target practice and hunting without buying a new AR altogether. To me it all sounds like a win-win. I'd just like to hear some feedback from those that have used it and what you think and if you would buy it all over again.

I know I'd be giving up a lot of range by going with a 300 AAC vs a 308 but for me personally, I wouldn't be shooting animals that far out anyway.
 
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I would definitely look at 6.5 Grendel or 6.8 SPC. Both of those are going to deliver much more down range energy than the 300. I ended up building the 6.8 for my son, mainly because I got a good deal on a quality barrel. the 6.5 and 6.8 are very close ballistically at 300 yards and under. Keep in mind, the 6.5 Grendel and 6.8SPC were both designed to deliver long range energy down range, while the Blackout was designed for close quarters, to deliver a heavy bullet at subsonic speed for a suppressor.
 
I built a 300 specifically for hunting pigs in the thick woods around southeast Oklahoma where I live. Most shots are 40-50 yards max so I didn't need a lot of velocity and wanted to be able to aquire all the same components without having special order. On a 300 BO, you wanna run a pistol length gas system that way it'll work with or without a suppressor.

BTW, the 130gr Barnes TSX works great on pigs
 
So for me, I would only be using the 300 AAC for short range hunting. I have a Tikka T3 lite already built for long distance that I love and will take anytime I see me hunting any open areas. This would mainly be for hog hunting in swamp areas. Also I've looked at the 6.5 and 6.8 but correct me if I'm wrong you have to buy new magazines, upper, BCG, and barrel vs just a barrel for the 300 AAC from a normal 5.56 build.

However I do not own and currently have no plans of getting a suppressor so the subsonic doesn't really appeal to me as much. The main appeal is the value of being able to shoot 5.56 ammo in bulk and also having the option to throw a larger barrel on there if I need a larger caliber.
 
I have a 300 Blackout I built last summer. Mine shoots approx. MOA at 100 yards with the 150 gr Winchester Deer Season XP ammo, Rise Armament trigger.

I also built a .450 Bushmaster a few years ago, also shoots MOA with the 250 gr Hornady FTX with a Timney trigger.

I like them both, but the .450 hits so much harder than the .300, and also has about double the range. Actually shoots fairly flat out to about 250 yards. The only advantage the .300 really has IMO is cheaper factory ammunition and near-zero recoil (although recoil on the .450 isn't bad either). For hogs, I grab the .450 every time.
 
nhn2a said:
So for me, I would only be using the 300 AAC for short range hunting. I have a Tikka T3 lite already built for long distance that I love and will take anytime I see me hunting any open areas. This would mainly be for hog hunting in swamp areas. Also I've looked at the 6.5 and 6.8 but correct me if I'm wrong you have to buy new magazines, upper, BCG, and barrel vs just a barrel for the 300 AAC from a normal 5.56 build.

However I do not own and currently have no plans of getting a suppressor so the subsonic doesn't really appeal to me as much. The main appeal is the value of being able to shoot 5.56 ammo in bulk and also having the option to throw a lere if I need a larger caliber.
Click to expand...

Yeah but I would just buy a 300aac upper so you can easily switch back and forth from 5.56 to 300aac. Otherwise you're talking about completely disassembling the upper, gas block, and all that to swap barrels.
 
I built a 6.8 from the ground up, didnt have an existing AR to build on. The bolt, barrel, and magazines are the only non-standard AR-15 components. I think if I were looking at an AR for short range, brush gun type hunting, I would either still look at 6.5 Grendel or 6.8SPC, or one of the big bore offerings. The 6.5 and 6.8 are going to be carrying so much more downrange energy, even at 100 yards or less. And then cartridges like the 458 SOCOM or 50 beauwolf are going to another level with performance similar to modern inline muzzleloaders.
 
I have two 300 ACC and a 6.8.

The 300 shines if you are going to suppress it and shoot subsonic. The 110 Barnes blacktips do a pretty good job on hogs also. The 6.8 will flat kill more.

The upper receiver is essentially the same, you have different mags and bolt. It is essentially the same bolt carrier just the bolt is different because the 6.8 SPC has a larger diameter casing.

If you wanted two barrels you would most likely have two complete uppers anyway. I wouldn't want to swap out barrels that much.
 
It would be pretty easy to sink some money into one of those. I've looked into a rig with thermal imaging and a suppressor. The thermal imaging scopes have come WAY down, but you are still going to end up with some real money tied up in one of them and I'm not sure the performance of the 300 AAC in subsonic is going be that effective unless you get in under 100 yards. The sucker starts dropping like a rock much past that. My hunting blind is setup 125 yards from 2 different feeders and the ballistics show a pretty decent drop off in speed and trajectory just in that extra 25 yards. It would be great for night hunting pigs and raccoons though.

Would be a lot cheaper and maybe more effective to just stick with the .223 and add a thermal imaging scope to it. In the videos I've seen the pigs don't seem to really go that far at night before they slow down enough for a followup shot.
 
I wouldn't consider the 300 bo unless your going to run it suppressed. The 6.5 and 6.8 are great hunting round. You will find more parts and factory ammo for the 6.8.
 
While I agree that if you arent going suppressed its noth really worth your time, but 300blk ammo and parts are probably the most popular after 5.56.


Sig MCX 300blk with Dead Air Ghost. I can swap barrels in about 2 minutes.
29952535790_acc8532a7d_b.jpg


A few more 300blk
27490674384_9cf33d1aa4_b.jpg
 
I appreciate all the feedback. After researching the 6.5 and 6.8, I think I've decided to still go with a 300 Blackout based on the wide variety of bullet weights, low recoil, and modularity of parts and ammo. Where I hunt in NC, you're lucky if you even have a 100yrd shooting lane so the bullet drop past 150yrds really isnt a large factor for me. In fact, I have to drive almost an hour away to a specialty range just to practice on targets from 200 to 600yrds with my long range rifle. Otherwise, there is nowhere in the area to shoot 200+ yrds.

Also I said earlier that Im not currently planning on a suppressor but I guess I should have said that I would like one but I'm waiting to see the results of the Hearing Protection Act. If that passes, I will buy a suppressor but otherwise I dont want to deal with the hassle of the trust and added expense of that and the tax stamp. If it passes I'll happily add one on once the crazy demand settles down but otherwise I'd still be completely happy with the setup without one.

Thanks again for all the feedback and hopefully everyone doesnt think Im too crazy for sticking with that.
 
I put one together last year. My son got his first deer with it last November. There is no doubt you can get more out of the 6.8 and Grendel. For me the 300 blackout is good on deer sized game to about 200 yards. I bought several boxes of the Barnes Vor-tx 110 grain last year and it has performed well. Of course the only game he took with it was a doe fawn but he sure was happy with it. IMG_0998.jpg
 
So if a person were to upgrade their ar-15 to a 6.5 or 6.8, is all that would need changed is a new barrel? And if a person were to make a change to a better gun for longer ranges are these the 2 that people would recommend. I bought my ar thinking it would be a better gun for not long distances but yote hunting distances.
 
So my understanding from other posts, no first hand experience is that to convert to a 6.5 or 6.8, you'll need a new barrel, BCG, and magazines.
 
2ski said:
So if a person were to upgrade their ar-15 to a 6.5 or 6.8, is all that would need changed is a new barrel? And if a person were to make a change to a better gun for longer ranges are these the 2 that people would recommend. I bought my ar thinking it would be a better gun for not long distances but yote hunting distances.
Click to expand...

As others may have eluded to for 6.8 and 6.5 you need a new barrel, magazine, and bolt face. I think most guys build a complete upper and switch them out so you have a quasi multicaliber rifle. I think if you're after coyotes a 223 would be plenty out to your comfort level. The recommendations for other calibers is mostly for hunting purposes. 300 blackout, to me, will remain as a paper punching round so get a 30-30 or a CZ chambered in 7.62x39 if you want to hunt
 
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You need at least a mag, bolt, and barrel to convert to a 6.8. If you are wanting an ar15 with more range you will want to go ahead and put a good trigger in as well. The 300 only takes a barrel and I would only use one on deer to about 200 yards. The downside to the compatibility of the 300 as they will take the same mags and there have been instances of 300 blackout ammo chambering in a 5.56 rifle. I haven't tried mine and do not intend to. I use pmags in my 300 and aluminum mags with magpul followers for my 5.56. That's just something I do to keep things separate. When I hunt a location where I expect longer than 200 yard shots I use a bolt gun. Basically my 300 blackout could be used anywhere a scoped 30-30 would be adequate. The 6.5 and 6.8 are better target and hunting rounds than the 300 but would never replace bolt guns for longer range shooting.
 
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