I don’t get the hype with 300blk can someone please break it down for me?
Posted by Stoney__Balogna@reddit | Firearms | View on Reddit | 114 comments
As stated in the title I really don’t understand the hype with 300blk
I understand it suppresses very well and that’s all well and good but from everything that I’ve seen - although perhaps anecdotal - it seems to be a really underpowered round when compared to other bullets in the 30 caliber range. It doesn’t seem all that great to me. I’m asking about it because I know I may just be wrong and I’m also trying to grow my firearms collection now that I’m in a place in life to be able to do so but I haven’t seen anything (yet) that would justify a 300blk build other than “it shoots quieter than a suppressed 5.56” and it’s what’s fashionable right now.
Am I missing something? Is there a reason or reasons that it’s so popular aside from its ability to be suppressed rather effectively?
I know at the end of the day it’ll still poke holes in soft targets and that’s what matters in a nitty gritty sort of way but when there’s plenty of other options why choose 300blk over something else?
MrFartyStink@reddit
very quiet suppressed and heavy 220gr rounds and a very short barrel cartridge so you have an mp5 size gun thats quiet but shoots a heavier round
No_Cartographer_3485@reddit
Doesn't mean anything in the real world. 9mm still works the same
MrFartyStink@reddit
i love my 9mm sd but to say 9mm hits the same as 220gr 300blk is just wrong. Look at ballistic gel tests
RyukoT72@reddit
MP5 sized gun... so are you saying an HK-51 in .300 Blk would be easier to control instead of 7.62 nato (it's original cartridge)
TargetOfPerpetuity@reddit
A buddy of mine builds MP-5s, HK-93s, HK-21s, etc. Here's the HK-53SD in 300 Blackout he built, for reference.
Eyehopeuchoke@reddit
Have been standing right next to a person who was shooting a suppressed one and it sound about as loud as a paintball gun/marker. Literally zero hearing protection needed.
Waallenz@reddit
Mine is literally so quiet with my home brew 220s all you here is the action running and the impact. The sound of a 220 grain bullet impacting a dirt berm at near but not quite supersonic speeds is surprisingly loud.
LynxusRufus@reddit
Bingo. Super quiet subs that are better than most pistol rounds. Or go with supers, even out of a shorter barrel they’re still on par with 5.56.
telephantomoss@reddit
I finally learned this the other day. It was like a mystery being solved. I just thought it was because the name sounds cool. Now I want one.
No_Cartographer_3485@reddit
It's a novelty round. In real world circumstances 9mm is just fine for home defense and performs about the same. People here act like it's magic when its a one trick pony round meant for spec ops situations
hitemlow@reddit
Home Defense gun
Will leave you with more hearing after being fired out of a 10" suppressed rifle than any other rifle cartridge. That's about it, really. Oh, and you can shoot it out of an AR-platform rifle with only a barrel swap, everything else is the same as .223/5.56
Yeah, you'll get more power out of .300RUM, .300WinMag, or .300WSM, but you might as well call an audiologist to schedule your hearing aid appointment after you "HUH?" your way through a call with the police and your lawyer.
No_Cartographer_3485@reddit
Awww your widdle ears hurting? What a dumb reason to buy a gun. 9mm works just as well in the real world in tight areas. And less likely to hurt someone in the next room
AtomicPhantomBlack@reddit
You can get .45 subs and 7.62x39 supers in the same gun, along with the added advantages of the rounds being expensive and turning 5.56 guns into bombs... Wait
Able_Twist_2100@reddit
You get 7.62x39 supers and 7.62x39 subs with better availability on the subs.
thatARMSguy@reddit
7.62x39 is much less reliable in an AR platform and requires proprietary bolts and magazines, while .300 BLK does not
Dangerous_Gas_4677@reddit
that's not what proprietary means
Able_Twist_2100@reddit
I don't think you know what the word "proprietary" means.
I wasn't commenting on anything but the incorrect statement of ".45 subs and 7.62x39 supers".
Papa_Zyn@reddit
Not true, 300 blk subs are much more readily available and most big box stores carry them. 7.62 subs are running about 110 cpr so no real difference in price
FreudianStripper@reddit
That's exactly what he's saying
Able_Twist_2100@reddit
Stay in school.
FreudianStripper@reddit
You shoulda stayed longer
ottermupps@reddit
Basically, you get a short and (usually) light rifle that, with subsonics, is 100% hearing safe and can easily shoot to ~100-150 yards. IE, home defense gun. Swap to supers, and you double the range and have rather good ballistics.
You shouldn't get a 300blk if you are setting up your first or only AR - get a 556, it's cheaper to shoot and more versatile. But if you want a gun that won't blow your ears out indoors, can easily hunt deer and hog (556 can as well fwiw), and is just goofy fun to shoot; a 300blk is a good choice.
Honestly, I hate the 'civilians don't need military guns' argument, but 300blk from the beginning is a round designed for special forces for use in silently taking down enemy targets, a 'sentry gun'. That's the best use case, but it's also a pretty good gun on the civilian side.
Dangerous_Gas_4677@reddit
It's not "100% hearing safe". If you shoot enough of it, and especially if you shoot a lot of it frequently, you will damage your hearing over time. But it takes a great deal more suppressed, subsonic .300BLK than suppressed 5.56 to damage your hearing
Admirable-Lecture255@reddit
After shootong mine with subs it's gonna be my deer driving gun.
Agammamon@reddit
300 blackout is for *short barreled AR's* - hence why it 'underperforms' compared to .30.
It gives you the option to us an AR chassis with two types of ammo - low-velocity for suppressed or high-velocity for . . . not suppressed - while having better performance than 5.56 out of a super-short barrel (5.56 was designed around a 20 inch barrel so when you get down in the 10 in range there's a lot of performance lost for that light bullet).
That's it. That's all there is too it.
Stoney__Balogna@reddit (OP)
Yeah, I was looking at it wrong this whole time. This thread has educated me a decent bit and I’m grateful for it
dottmatrix@reddit
Supers are ballistically similar to 7.62x39. Subs suppress well. It fits in an AR-pattern gun, and generally works with minimal parts changes.
Since it achieves 95% powder burn in something like 9-10 inches, it's ideal for pistol or SBR builds - there's minimal to no loss of energy or velocity. Add a suppressor and the gun is still well-balanced and not overly long and unwieldy.
So in theory you get a gun that performs well for indoors/close quarters, standard conventional combat (the vast majority of which takes place within 300 meters), and which takes common (affordable through economies of scale) parts. It's also usable for hunting up to medium/big game at ranges inside 150ish yards, so it could work as a triple duty gun serving for HD, larping, AND hunting.
For someone who sees all those needs and only wants/can afford one gun, it's a better solution than almost any other option. Almost no other cartridges can fill all three of those roles appropriately.
gravity_loss@reddit
This exactly. I have enough spare parts all I need is some spare cash and a cheap barrel to build a lightweight semi auto brush gun for deer hunting.
Cases can be formed from 556 brass.
Of all the alternative calibers for AR15s, I think 300 AAC will stick around just because it's so simple to convert from a 556 gun and you get ballistic performance similar to 30-30 or 7.62x39
Flat_Lifeguard852@reddit
This right here. Supers actually suppress incredibly well for being super. I reload supers for hunting can't quite find a subsonic bullet that will perform well enough for hunting and I find it quite comfortable to shoot on the fly without earpro.
110 grain tac-tx or 125gr SSTs seem to perform the best as far as my bear creek arsenal barrel goes. .5 to .75 in groups at 100 with an LPVO.
However Hornady did just drop the 120gr CX in .308 last year and I think they make a .300 blk loaded ammunition for it. Would like to test them.
My biggest sell is you get close to .30-30 performance with a lot less recoil. .300 blk is just easy to shoot. I'd even recommend for a new shooter.
Also shorter barrels make it great for a blind gun even with a suppressor on the end.
gravity_loss@reddit
I hope they aren't dropping the entire CX line. I've been developing a load for my 30-06 with the 110s with good results so far and I'd like to get a chronograph and play around with different powders next.
The loaded cartridges are hilariously long with the bullet seated in the case .05" off the lands. Feeds just fine out in the long action as well.
Flat_Lifeguard852@reddit
By dropped I meant released sorry. Then been steadily replacing all the GMX weights with CXs. I saw the ECX is out for long range shooting. Although I think I'd prefer they kept them boattailed with a polymer pointed tip.
Stoney__Balogna@reddit (OP)
Ok so I think I see the use case(s) more accurately now. I knew it was designed for SOCOM and the like but the points of it being small, maneuverable, and quite, all in a lump sum for the purpose of close quarters engagements makes sense. I think I flippantly discounted that it was designed to fulfill a specific purpose for a specific role and wasn’t meant and isn’t (nor have I seemed it claimed to be) an all-purpose jack of all trades master of none type of round sort of like the M855/M855A1/ M193 relatively speaking.
I’m glad I’m still getting responses and hope to glean more here but I do think it does have a place in the collection now. Also, yes I have a 5.56 gun and more to be built.
I’ll blame Guntube for most of the hype though. Still seems inflated even though it has its positives
aflineman@reddit
I like my 300blk SBR AR-15. I did not like my 16" 300blk bolt gun. I LOVE my SBR 300blk Contender. Such a small and quiet firearm, suppressed or unsuppressed.
MachineryZer0@reddit
I can’t imagine writing off a 300blk bolt gun. There’s nothing quieter…
aflineman@reddit
I can't say I wrote it off exactly. I can accomplish the same thing with a subsonic .308 in the same package, so I prefer that.
uuid-already-exists@reddit
Doesn’t seem very inflated to me. It’s a great multipurpose round. It can be a great suppressed round, which all subsonic suppressed rounds are for short engagements. However it’s also great as a 30 cal medium powder rifle cartridge that runs well on shorter barrels compared to 5.56. Think of it as a 7.62x39 cartridge with a better subsonic variant that also fits in an AR-15. Only the barrel and bolt needs to be swapped.
Sad-Win-5161@reddit
Uh oh , 100 comments
SuicideSaintz@reddit
Go shoot a suppressed 300 black and you’ll immidialaty know
Parttimeteacher@reddit
Ballistically, it's kind of like having a .30-30 AR.
SemiCivilizedBeast@reddit
Looking to grow that collection you can start with mk12 grand power 9mms, they're fantastic and have been on clearance at global ordnance.
Strange_Valuable_573@reddit
I’m probably going to piss off many with this statement but I always understood it as similar ballistics to 7.62x39 in a package that fits the standard AR mag well.
Why you would want that is anyone’s guess.
thebucketmouse@reddit
Well that's not it at all lol
Strange_Valuable_573@reddit
Really? Most of the comments in this thread seem to agree with my statement.
thebucketmouse@reddit
The top comment from u/MrFartyStink summarizes it well,
irierider@reddit
You can slap someone ‘movie quiet’ from 200yd away with a 8” barrel.
echo202L@reddit
.300 blackout is better in short barrels than 7.62×39mm. 110gr .300 blackout rounds can create insane wound cavities in barrels as short as 5 inches.
Stlaind@reddit
Basically because it combines a good supersonic round in the same band of capability as 7.62x39 which between Russian imports to the US and Ak exports to ... uh... everywhere ... have a solid history of doing well on 2 legged and 4 legged animals up to about deer weight.
And subsonic loads that work well with suppressors and can still do well on 2 legged and 4 legged animals.
bpg2001bpg@reddit
For short barreled applications, it's about as perfect of an engineering change aa possible.
Relative to 5.56, A 30 caliber bullet can achieve much more effective energy levels in a short barrel. From a standard AR-15, 300 blackout uses the same magazine, same lower, same BCG, and only needs to swap the barreled upper. Additionally, the cases are the same as 5.56 and only require to be necked up to accept the commonly available bullets used in the 7.62x51 cartridge.
Really the only drawback is that 300 BO and 5.56 should be kept in separate storage locations, with well labeled magazines, and lots of double checking when loading mags to avoid destroying a rifle.
gallo_malo@reddit
I built mine because someone at work gave me 2 boxes of ammo...
InternetExploder87@reddit
Quiet pews
Snider83@reddit
Allows you to do everything cool that you imagine with a suppressor with subs, while still retaining 7.62x39 like ballistics with supers.
Unless someone is ready to learn and prepare to use both it is a less than interesting platform
Ornery_Secretary_850@reddit
First learn the difference between bullets and cartridges.
The bullet is the bit of metal that leaves the muzzle. It's part of the complete cartridge.
By themselves bullets have no energy.
It also fits in an AR15 which very few other .30 caliber cartridges do.
If you have 5.56/.223 brass you can make your own .300 BO. It uses the same bolt as 5.56/.223, it can use the same mags.
In a bolt gun with a suppressor, you can make it "Hollywood" quiet.
Sure_Pear_9258@reddit
So a few reasons why 300 blk is so hype.
First of all you have to stop comparing it to 30 cal weapons. its designed to fit the AR-15 platform not the AR-10 platform. You have to compare it directly to 5.56/.223. It was never designed to do what high power 30 cal rounds do. Its never going to compare to .308 or 7.62.
When you do compare it to 5.56 or .223 you find 300 does significantly more damage to soft tissues at short "Engagement" distances. 5.56 because of its high velocity at short ranges tends to just zip straight through targets rather than tumbling or fragmenting.
As a home defense round in an AR platform you can get away with a MUCH shorter barrel with 300 while still maintaining accuracy, speed and effectiveness as compared to 5.56. Meaning you can maneuver corners better. Additionally 300 is less likely to over penetrate your target and kill your neighbors cat as compared to 5.56. Lastly in this case with subsonic rounds if someone is breaking into your house at 3am you dont exactly have time to be grabbing your hearing protection. You wanna grab your rifle and go. If its suppressed you arnt going to flashbang yourself and you arnt going to give yourself tinnitus.
Lastly if you want a caliber that is suppressible like the 300 blackout but performs more like a 30 caliber high power cartridge you can look at the 8.6 blackout.
brownjl_it@reddit
Haaahaaa! Jokes on you… I already have tinnitus and hearing loss (thanks 3M and GWOT)!!! 🤣
(Still down with not loosing MORE of my hearing though)
leadbetterthangold@reddit
What?
brownjl_it@reddit
He said…NOT SERVICE CONNECTED!!!!
Environmental-End691@reddit
My sentiments exactly
beholderkin@reddit
Me too, but I got mine from GWAR
EnD79@reddit
You just told everyone that you don't know what you are talking about.
And then you made it even more apparent.
Ornery-Exchange-4660@reddit
I've shot flesh-type targets with NATO 5.56 ball and tracer rounds. Most rounds didn't tumble. They just left neat quarter inch entry and exit wounds. The rounds that did tumble were devastating.
As a civilian, I've shot various targets with a variety of 5.56 ammunition. I wasn't very impressed with the results, but ammo is cheap, and it is effective enough.
I recently got a .300AAC in a short AR platform. I love the way it shoots, but I haven't tried it on anything to check the effects on target.
englisi_baladid@reddit
What flesh targets have you shot.
Ornery-Exchange-4660@reddit
Insurgents.
PensionUnlikely3838@reddit
Came to say this
englisi_baladid@reddit
"because of its high velocity at short ranges tends to just zip straight through targets rather than tumbling or fragmenting."
That's not even close to how ballistics work dude. Then 300BLK is goi g to over penetrate and hit your neighbors.
Epyphyte@reddit
Its extremely fun to reload with all the options you have. A larger diameter gives you much more variability in the pressures and powders and loadings. Indeed, I find loading 5.56 so dull in comparison. + I've had great success on bucks with supers out of 9in. Fair long-range accuracy out of my 16. Tho Unfortunately, I've never seen Submoa on .300. Two great bucks so far. Im looking at them on my wall in the lab right now.
My fav loadings
77g at 2600
125 \~2200
208bergers at 1000 I've gotten 1.5 moa at 220m which I was delighted with.
zmannz1984@reddit
New calibers nowadays are designed more to fit in things they shouldn’t than to meet a standalone performance standard. If you take the choice of gun out of the equation, you can do any kind of shooting you want with very few calibers and multiple loading options per caliber. If you aren’t already tied to a platform, go with whatever was designed around the caliber that meets your needs.
In practice, there are many people out there, myself included, who would prefer to do most or all of their shooting through an ar15 platform, often reusing one lower with multiple uppers. I have a pile of bolt guns and large frame semis that will meet all of my needs and then some, but i am obsessed with extracting the most performance from my ar15s in as many directions as possible. So instead of swapping to a different gun, i swap my upper from 22/233/etc to 300bo/458 socom/6 arc/etc.
300bo is definitely a pretty anemic round compared to other 30 caliber loads. What gives it the magic is simply the fact that it fits in an ar15 with only a bolt and barrel swap. The original goal was shooting heavy subs, but commercial loads with lighter bullets were a common sense way to drive adoption and keep people interested. It makes an ar15 just powerful enough for most people to feel okay hunting with it. It takes the ar15 from only a range gun to a hunting gun, which is great for adoption.
For me, 300 has become my cheap subsonic option. 458 socom has way better terminal performance for hunting with subs and gets me effective to the edge of my hunting area. If i need more energy delivered, i go to a 308 or magnum case gun. If i need more range, i go 6arc or to 6.5cm.
short_barrel_daddy@reddit
There is no bolt swap to go from 5.56 to 300blk thats half the magic of it, its a 30 cal in 5.56 brass
zmannz1984@reddit
My error, got my new 6 arc obsession confusing things lol
tcarlson65@reddit
In a cartridge head to head 7.62x39 is superior to .300 BLK.
Suppressed .300 BLK shines.
For ammo availability .300 BLK is great.
As a range toy there are better options.
For a pure hunting round there are better options.
For home defense non-suppressed there might be better options.
For home defense suppressed it is a good choice.
So it depends on what you are going to do with it.
Aubrey_Lancaster@reddit
It outperforms .308 from a 10” barrel It outperforms 5.56 from a 10” barrel Its subs are half the cost of a sub from either of those offerings
If you own a 16” .300 you missed the point entirely
MachineryZer0@reddit
Now that you mention it, I haven’t seen a 16” 300blk build anywhere lately. Thank god.
Aubrey_Lancaster@reddit
“.300 is pointless because they make 5.56 subs”
Uh yeah that cant even compete with .22lr in energy for $2 per round
JustSomeGuyMedia@reddit
Originally, 300 blk was designed for special operations who needed a round that could be close to as quiet as an MP5SD/MP5 with subsonic 9mm, while having the capability to “go loud” and switch to supersonic in case things went south, rather than be left severely undergunned unless you thought a second rifle. Ideally, they wanted it to work out of AR’s and hopefully be decently effective even out of short barrels. Effectively, 300blk is 7.62x39 that drops into an ar-15 with the only special change to be made being the barrel.
So, the civilian market generally approaches it as either “intermediate rifle round with “more punch” than 5.56 at realistic engagements ranges out of short barrels” or “really quiet and chunky suppressed round that’s “more powerful” than a suppressed pistol”.
CigaretteTrees@reddit
The closest comparison to something like a Honey Badger would be an MP5SD not other 30 caliber rifles, when compared to the MP5SD the 300blk makes more sense and seems to have the clear advantage. If you need a quiet gun then 300blk fills that niche nicely, it's effective at close ranges and with a simple mag change to supers can be effective at longer ranges. Even unsuppressed, if you want a sub-gun sized firearm that's more powerful than typical 9mm or 45acp then 300blk is probably one of the best options and the actual 300blk firearm is often very affordable compared to other sub-guns like the MP5.
Personally I have a 300blk Ruger American Ranch that I use to take hogs at night on my property, its close range (100 yards and in) so the 300blk works perfectly fine while also keeping noise nuisance down shooting after dark. I eventually plan to start reloading 300blk and switch to a 300blk AR as my main squeeze in order to keep noise nuisance down while target shooting on my property, this would also allow me to practice shooting under night vision (if I ever get nods) without being a nuisance.
Successful_Error9176@reddit
This is the correct answer. 300blk was developed to replace pistol caliber sub guns like the MP5, and in that role, it is better in every measure. It has more energy, a longer range, better accuracy, and a higher capacity than any 9mm or 45 option. At the time when it was introduced, the MP5 was still in use everywhere, and the UMP was flopping as a higher power replacement with modern controls. The 300blk perfectly fit the bill and had 99% parts interchangeability with the AR platform as a bonus.
It was never meant to compete with 556 platforms or any other rifles in terms of performance. It is supposed to be small short and maneuverable for close engagement.
TheMightyNubbs@reddit
Better for wild hogs
R4iNAg4In@reddit
Idk. It makes no sense to me. Some shoot it because it is "quiet" at ONLY 125 decibels. It is an even less accurate version of the AK round. Mostly I think people use it because it sounds cool. Same reaso people us AKs.
CoolaidMike84@reddit
It's a step up from a 9mm PDW. That is what it's designed for and it executes it well.
Bobathaar@reddit
300 blk burns its powder quickly and thus performs quite well to its potential firing from very short barrels. It also suppresses very well in subsonic loads.
This allows you to build a suppressed gun that is very short and still have the versatility of a very small, quiet gun shooting subs OR a very small and intermediate ranged gun shooting supers, all generally without having to do too much tuning on the gun itself.
Basically shooting subs you have a slightly better (and quieter) pcc and shooting supers you have a standard rifle out to like 250-300 yards... all in a gun that is often under a 12" barrel counting the can.
MadLadCad@reddit
https://youtu.be/BwPsgXZpSXI?si=mFjspevR5lNdP5tZ
antariusz@reddit
the "advantage" is that you can quickly cycle from 300 subsonic suppressed to 300 supersonic suppressed with the same gun. AND it works better out of a very short barrel (by AR standards)... 5.56 out of an 8 inch barrel has problems, 300blk doesn't have the same issues. The other advantage is that it's a cheap AR pattern, you just take your cheap poverty pony 150 dollar PSA lower and can swap in the new 300blk upper and you have 1 gun that can shoot multiple calibers.
Fluctuationism@reddit
It was designed as a MP5 SD replacement. Simple as.
Submarine_1@reddit
Big dia bullet which is both configured for supersonic and subsonic loads, uses WIDELY available AR platform without any mods other than the barrel and the gas block. If AK was a thing in USA then 7.62x39 would have been the equivalent cartridge but it’s not the case. So AR platform is the reason why it’s a hype.
ratmanmedia@reddit
Reading how it came to be sheds some light on it.
DoD wanted a “do-it-all” caliber that could fill the role of M4s and the MP5 suppressed.
I believe it’s out of a 9” barrel .300Blk subsonics perform better than 9mm and suppress better than the MP5. Out of the same barrel and swapping to supers, it behaves similarly to 5.56 out to like 300 yards or something.
It’s neat to dig into the history of the cartridge to see why it became mainstream.
0regonPatriot@reddit
Google 300 BLK origin
Propoganda_bot@reddit
There’s a couple advantages, the main appeal is how well 300blk suppresses, on mine with subs it’s no louder than aggressive cycling the action which makes it awesome for not disturbing the neighbors, wildlife, or whatever.
It also affords you the ability to have a small gun (mine is a 7.5”) that hits harder than most pistol cartridges and is more capable at range even with subs, and unlike 5.56 you don’t have a massive fireball or as intense concussion when using super short barrels.
Change to supers and even with a 7.5” you can still push to 300yds. With identical length barrels, while 5.56 shoots flatter, 300blk shrugs off the wind better and has more energy.
Essentially you get the option of a super quiet and capable round that outperforms pistol calibers, without the inefficiencies of 556 in a very small package. With supers you get a solid .30 cal platform that hits harder than comparable 5.56s all with a simple barrel swap. And while you do trade off an increase in weight, this can be offset by going with a shorter barrel.
The major downside is really just the cost of the ammunition
Humdrum_Blues@reddit
I haven't looked into 300blk for home defense, and I always thought it was cool, but ultimately gimmicky - until I actually shot one. I was at the range a few weeks ago and a very kind gentleman let me shoot his suppressed 300blk AR, and it was mind-blowing how quiet it was. Since then I've legitimately been considering getting one, just because of how unique and fun it is to shoot.
porkbuttstuff@reddit
Quiet big fucker go smash.
pguy4life@reddit
Laughs in 8.6 blackout
porkbuttstuff@reddit
Well like, it's not, uh, the size of the cartridge, per se, but how um, you know, how you use it. ^(My gun is totally satisfied)
pguy4life@reddit
Works great for both subs and supers, 7.62x39 ballistics in an AR platform without the drawbacks of running x39 in the platform, better SBR than 5.56. No loss in capacity vs 5 5.56 compared to other large bore alternatives. Much more versatile than 5.56. Only drawback is more expensive ammo (but not much)
Civil-Captain-2671@reddit
You oughta hear a 220gr sub hit steel at 100yd. It's like God bitch slapped a gong in the distance. Plus you can use lighter bullets and get faster rounds too.
ifunnywasaninsidejob@reddit
Big slow bullet vs small fast bullet basically
Mang_J0se@reddit
It won’t win any ballistic tests but if you want quiet, 300blk it is.
dhnguyen@reddit
Suppressor and subs is fun
Suppressor and supers is still fun.
Basically I think it's a great round if you're suppressing.
RB5009UGSin@reddit
I'm fond of a full burn from a short barrel. Suppressing is fun too.
BeenisHat@reddit
I'm a little short gun, you can have a very quiet round with a suppressor or you can use supersonic loads for more performance.
Speaking of performance, supers are slightly less powerful than 7.62x39 from an AK. Subs are a little more powerful than a .45ACP.
So yeah, I don't get the hype either.
uuid-already-exists@reddit
You explained it right there. With one cartridge type you get two very different profiles. You would ordinarily have to have two separate guns to do both. Now you just change what ammo you are using.
ComradeGarcia_Pt2@reddit
A lot of guys think it’s comparable to 7.62X39 but in a normal AR lower using 5.56 mags.
Knives_mS@reddit
Anything subsonic is going to be relatively underpowered, supersonic IIRC it performs pretty similar to 7.62x39, but can run better out of a shorter barrel. So not as well as .308 but you can't fit 308 in as small as a package.
TacticalSpeed13@reddit
I dove into that world for a little bit and I ran suppressed with subsonic ammo and yes it was stupid quiet, but because of ammo cost it just was not for me so I sold it all.
Other than the cost, there's nothing wrong with it. If family didn't cost so much I would have kept it
khannivig@reddit
Mainly getting the ballistics of a 30/30 or 762/39 in a suppressor friendly form . So it’s lacking without having a can . Otherwise may as well use the other calibers
Gun_Dragoness@reddit
It performs better in short barrels compared to 5.56. And I can use the same can as on my .308
uuid-already-exists@reddit
Uses the same magazine as well.
azadventure@reddit
It’s not really designed to compete with, say, .308. It’s designed to retrofit a 5.56 rifle (only thing that needs changing is the barrel basically) and give ballistics closer to a 7.62x39
Basically a close-ish range (inside of, say, 200yd) heavy hitter — if you’ve ever put, say, a cinder block at 50yd and shot it with 556, then shot it with an AK, you know the 556 tends to splash off or pockmark the surface, the 7.62x39 punches through/ removes chunks of material.
Can be really useful for cqb scenarios (home defense, law enforcement, etc)
whiskey_tang0_hotel@reddit
It was designed to compete with 9mm in sub guns. The honey badger was the OG 300blk design.
It’s a much heavier bullet with more mass and can be fired from similarly sized guns as 9. Bigger mass = more energy into your target.
Check out Discreet Ballistics. They have some really nasty ammo that opens up BIG when it expands.
As for value of a weapon it all depends on the job you need it to do. Every round has strengths and weaknesses. You choose the right round for the right job.
Personally I have a suppressed 300 as my house gun.
Cliffinati@reddit
It's the answer to what if you wanted to shoot 7.62x39 from an AR using regular AR mags
crafty_waffle@reddit
Something I haven't seen mentioned is that .300 BLK can be loaded with converted 5.56 brass and .30 cal bullets you already have.
I have a lifetime supply of 5.56, and I can shoot subsonic .300 BLK at targets only rated for pistols.
Outrageous-Basis-106@reddit
Over hyped but has its merits so its not like its trash either.
Merits include having something in a compact platform that suppresses well with subs or has better than handgun performance with supers (assuming barrel length at something like 10.5"). Over hype is people thinking that a sub sonic rifle somehow magically has the same performance of a mach 2 rifle.
jarredjs2@reddit
If not planning to use a short barrel (~8”), there isn’t much merit. Also subsonic .300blk is similar in energy to 45ACP and suppresses beautifully. If more power is needed, supersonics can be used with the same short barrel with good performance. There is basically no reason to have a carbine size rifle in .300blk or an SBR if you don’t plan to suppress
Darksept@reddit
AR pistols are popular. Guys want to go shorter and shorter. And it doesn't take long time for 5.56 to stop making sense at those barrel lengths.
WhispyButthairs@reddit
It’s cheap to reload. Shoots from a short barrel and cycles subsonic ammo.
Get a 30cal suppressor and you’ll quickly want a 300 blk.
Wreckage365@reddit
It operates in an AR-15 and optimizes a short barrel AR with a suppressor.
Subs are movie quiet. Subs also penetrate auto glass without deflecting.
Coeruleus_@reddit
Ya I don’t get it either