The 300 blackout hunting cartridge has all the qualities for it to be a great choice for the field.
When the cartridge was produced by Remington and Advanced Armament Corp (AAC) there was a lot of discussion about it.
It was developed for the M$ carbine but it also triggered the introduction of the new cartridge for the AR-15 platform.
The 300 blackout (also known as the 300 BLK or 300 AAC Blackout) was actually new.
Its development came about owing to the demand around is made available that is capable of better performance than that found in the high-performance, standard velocity rounds.
Read articles: [Update] Remington 760 Gamemaster Problems
Read articles: [Update] Glock 21 Gen 4 problems
Subsonic power better than standard 9mm was also a consideration, and to cope with these requirements, AAC designed the 300 AAC Blackout along with Remington Defense.
This new bullet was meant to refute many of the alleged disadvantages intrinsic to large-caliber cartridges that load in the M4.
Colt Firearms as well as other companies had earlier chambered AR-pattern carbines and rifles in different variations of .30 caliber rounds.
Issues Surrounding the 300 AAC Blackout
Unfortunately, this resulted in many issues. Take for instance the 7.62×39mm, as its unique case angle was thought to cause feeding problems.
The solution was altered AK-47 magazines, but still, the results left much to be desired.
Special bolts were likewise a necessity due to the bigger case head size. Ammunition like the 6.8 SPC and 6.5 Grendel had comparable parts-compatibility glitches.
They did take the regular M4/M16 30-round magazine, despite its reduced capacity.
Wildcat cartridges like the .300 Whisper tried to remedy these problems.
Unfortunately, their extensive usage with single-shot handguns and shortage of use with industry-standard cartridge size resulted in issues.
A large quantity of several known loads on either the subsonic and supersonic end of the range was nowhere near perfect in the AR-pattern weapons.
Many such rounds needed an extra-long overall cartridge that would hamper feeding in a STANAG magazine.
This was also while using powder charges incompatible with the pressure needs of an M4 carbine. This was quite apparent if subsonic ammunition was in use along with a suppressor.
Occurrences were short stroking and too much fouling resulted, comparable to what happened in the early versions of the M16.
With the M4/M16 as the basis for the initial host during load development, design leaders could devise many cartridges.
These cartridges all met ballistic requirements but likewise made sure mechanical reliability was not compromised.
This also ensured fewer changes to the weapon, except for a marginal barrel tweak needed for a total conversion.
The 300 AAC Blackout Development
With development started in 2009, the bulk of the work was completed in 2010. Military users of the weapon needed a way to shoot .30-cal. bullets, using an M4 platform.
There had to be standard bolts and magazines, and not lose the total 30-round load of standard magazines.
Among other requirements was they wanted a source for ammunition made to their specifications.
It was not possible to use .300-.221 or .300 Whisper since Remington is a SAAMI company As such they could only load ammo that is a SAAMI-standard cartridge.
Developers needed to start from the .300-221 wildcat concept. From there the final specifications were determined and submitted to SAAMI for scrutiny.
Developers then gave it the name of the .300 AAC Blackout (.300 BLK).”
Excellent in Hunting
Tested for hunting it did not disappoint. Similar to its .30 cal and older relative.
The 300BLK is a great choice to bring to the field. Akin to the .30-30 WIN, a shooter will want to maintain moderate distances.
This is due to the fact beyond around the 100-yard mark the bullet begins to drop. This can be slowed by selecting the proper ammunition.
Typically the .300BLK is fired subsonic and uses ammunition in the 220gr range.
In hunting scenarios such heavy and slow loads cannot provide adequate expansion.
This often results in the loss or wounding of a target. It is advisable to lower the weight and fire around in the 120-140gr range.
Traveling at double the velocity, these bullets have the power propelling them to open up.
Other Issues of the 300 AAC Blackout
Ironically, the same edge of the 300 BLK was also a safety problem if ammo of the two calibers was mixed.
Owing to identical chamber sizes of the two calibers, SAAMI indicated that the combination of using a 300 BLK round in a .223 chamber was not safe.
As the ammunition of the 300 BLK is bigger than the bore of the .223 caliber, chambering and firing results in too much pressure build-up. This is due to the bullet having nowhere to go.
The result could be that the rifle would explode. Injury and/or death would occur. As this could be confusing, owners suggested both calibers should be deliberately separated.
