.300 blackout... is there a practical application for it?

[Abraxialflame]

It seems more like a novelty to have something chambered for this round to me (not that novelty isnt a valid reason on its own ). Anyone care to explain the practical application of having one? A round designed mostly to work with a suppressor doesn't seem particularly practical over a similar, and much cheaper, 30 caliber rifle round.

 

[~ZENAS~]

Well it fits in standard 5.56 magazines with a standard AR-15 lower. So at the very least that is a benefit over having a separate gun for .30 cal.

 

[Abraxialflame]

More calibers with less hardware certainly has its appeal. The round itself doesn't seem to stand out compared to other .30 caliber rounds though, to me.

 

[RangerTim]

I see the .300 Blackout as an ideal caliber as a home defense AR. Hard hitting at close range and simply awesome with a suppressor. It's like a beefed up version of the MP5SD. which I have of course wanted since watching "Navy Seals" as a kid!


Beyond that, it's just another toy to have.

 

[Abraxialflame]

I love the mp5.


Another toy to have is always a valid reason for most things, especially firearms

 

[~ZENAS~]

Yeah, it wasn't designed to be ballistically equal to those other .30 cal rounds (.308, .30-06, etc...). It was designed as a necked up 5.56 cartridge that delivers more mass on target at sub-sonic speeds so that with a suppressor it is virtually silent. It has it's niche uses, such as home defense, as Chris said.

 

[RangerTim]

I've taught numerous Tac Rifle classes where some students show up with .300BLK They always do great up close but usually struggle more when we move out to 200 & 300 meters, especially if they're running a 1x red dot.

 

[~ZENAS~]

I've never really used .300BLK so I'm not very familiar with the down range ballistics. It would seem to me that the weight of the bullet combined with slower speeds would mean a much more arced trajectory.


With 5.56, a 50/200 yard zero results in no holdover at 200 yards and only a few inches at 300. I would assume this is a much flatter trajectory than the .300BLK (and I'd also tend to think a 100 yard zero is more effective with .300BLK), so the holdovers at 200 and 300 yards are more significant. So with a 1x optic, I'd imagine those holdovers are much harder to do than with a 5.56.


Am I in the ballpark of how a .300BLK performs or way off?

 

[RangerTim]

@T\.L\.Jones , You're pretty much right on. I run a 100m zero on all my 5.56 rifles, however as you noted you can run a 50/200 and get good results. If you tried to zero 300BLK at anything more than 100m I would be worried. It has a arc like a rainbow. Heavy slow bullet leads to massive and rapid drop at 250+


It makes hold over with a red dot very difficult. I always chuckle because I get students with a 300BLK rifle, with a 4x scope on it so they don't have such a hard time at distance. Kind of defeats the purpose and advantage of .300BLK at close range.

 

[Abraxialflame]

Well, all things considered, its still like the Barret .50... Do I have a practical use for it? Of course not.


Do I want one?


...do you accept human kidneys as payment?