advantages of 300 blk over 308

Moderators: gds, bakerjw, renegade

419
Member
Posts: 21
Joined: Mon Apr 07, 2014 4:06 pm

Re: advantages of 300 blk over 308

Post by 419 »

People are mentioning it but I'll continue.

When shooting SUBSONIC you will be hard pressed to find any real advantage of doing so with a 308 over a 300BLK. Why?

-When SUBSONIC, both rounds fly at the same speed so no distance or trajectory advantages gained from a 308
-The 300BLK was built from the ground up to be fired subsonic and suppressed so it is about as optimized as it comes for subsonic shooting
-This means smaller and more efficient case capacity
-As mentioned, 300BLK twist rates are much more conducive to stabilizing the long heavy bullets
-The powder selection for 300BLK subs is greater due to smaller case capacity

-AR15 platform is smaller, lighter, and supports 300BLK subsonic shooting (though u are going bolt gun you will likely get the bug for an AR once u fire subsonic)

When it comes to SUBSONIC shooting the 308 falls short in too many ways to the 300BLK. I highly doubt you will pick up the 308 to shoot subsonic rounds once you have a 300BLK. You may use the 308 subsonic JUST to have 2 rifles that shoot subsonic suppressed but just remember that most people own more than 1 300BLK rifle because of the versatility of the caliber.

I own three 300BLK for various reasons:

-10.5" AR15 SBR, for compact light night vision optimized hog hunting/decimation both subsonic and super suppressed. This is my specialized rifle.

-16" AR15, for super and/or subsonic hunting suppressed, also a 2nd rifle to hunt suppressed with for high round count hog hunting/decimation. This is my favorite 300BLK because it does it ALL, except being super compact.

-16" bolt action, for the quietest subsonic hunting imaginable, also works as a backup hunting gun for kids, girlfriends, elderly, and/or people who do not hunt often but want to learn or just want to learn to shoot without being scared or overwhelmed. Also works as a back up to my AR's when hunting, you never know when something will go wrong or if you knock a scope and don't have time or ability to sight back in.
Simple, most reliable, and scariest quiet rifle I have and the backup for hunting has come in HUGE, ask my brother who was striking out bow hunting then switched to my bolt action 300BLK and bagged two deer on the last day of our 2014 hunting trip :)

[Edit: My grammar is bad and I just had to fix one of the sentences below lol]
I see a lot of use in having 1 AR and 1 Bolt gun in 300BLK. It is so easy to legitimately justify having multiple rifles to shoot the 300BLK caliber, I can't think of another rifle caliber that can really do the same.


Now the 308 supersonic bolt gun vs 300BLk supersonic bolt gun to me is really more of an apples to oranges comparison, especially outside of 125yds but we are not here debating that
Thanks for the input. I do have a 300blk AR with an 8.5 inch barrel that I mostly shoot suppressed supers out of currently. It's that scary quiet that I'm looking for in a bolt gun. Guess I'll have to buy a 300 blk and 308 bolt gun.
419
Member
Posts: 21
Joined: Mon Apr 07, 2014 4:06 pm

Re: advantages of 300 blk over 308

Post by 419 »

Kanook wrote:I think (not positive) Outlaw State bullets makes a 308 case that has the powder capacity of the 300 Blackout.

I have the company name on my other computer, will know for sure Monday.
I googled Outlaw state bullets, and didn't see a case like that. I may have overlooked it though. When you find the name, let me know please.

*edit*
I do see them on the price list for Outlaw State, just didn't see any brass on the website itself.

Thanks for pointing me towards them.
rimshaker
Silent But Deadly
Posts: 475
Joined: Sun Nov 25, 2012 2:32 am
Location: FL

Re: advantages of 300 blk over 308

Post by rimshaker »

Generally, 300 BLK overlaps 556 and 308 just enough so that I don't absolutely "need" them.
When it comes to subsonics, BLK wins hands down. It's the most efficient.

And as for supers, having BLK rifles gives the flexibility to bypass 556/308 and instead go for better options that are really potent long-range... like 6.5 CM.
RWA007
Senior Silent Operator
Posts: 128
Joined: Thu Jan 08, 2015 6:54 pm

Re: advantages of 300 blk over 308

Post by RWA007 »

I think your idea to go ahead and purchase both anyway is a good one! Although I don't shoot subs much I ended up with three 300blk rifles...one kept leading to the other:

1. A 9" SBR AR15
2. A 16" factory DD Ambush AR15
3. A Ruger American Ranch 16" Bolt gun.

I have an Omega that I run on all three and intend to take the Ruger to Missouri with me for Whitetails. Where we hunt the max range is less than 200 yards. However, once I found out how cool the bolt gun was with the silencer...I went ahead and bought one of those Savage Hog Hunter 20" .308 bolt rifles with the factory threaded barrel. This one is to replace my .270 for mule deer hunting here in Utah!

4. A 20" .308 Savage Bolt gun.

It's just a little heavier/bigger/longer range than the 300blk bolt, and not as quiet either, but I might be able to squeeze off 1 or 2 shots with it while hunting without shattering my eardrums like my .270 would!

I don't have any input for the subs as I don't shoot them much (yet). But felt compelled to reply based on having to have both a 300blk bolt and a .308 bolt!

Randy
User avatar
gds
Silent But Deadly
Posts: 3711
Joined: Thu Nov 01, 2012 9:43 am
Location: Sandhills of North Carolina

Re: advantages of 300 blk over 308

Post by gds »

It can be done. I load 247gr cast over some red dot powder for my Savage Stevens 200 with a threaded 18 inch barrel. I was concerned with stability with it being a 1/10 twist, but it surprised me. at 65yds I can put 5 rounds touching.

I cannot say I would choose it over my 300blk, but it works.
Yes, I am a Baptist, and yes I carry a gun. You might think I carry a gun because I don't trust God. Well you would be wrong. I have complete faith in my Lord. It is mankind I have no trust in
User avatar
Dr.Phil
Silent But Deadly
Posts: 1654
Joined: Tue Oct 05, 2010 4:50 pm

Re: advantages of 300 blk over 308

Post by Dr.Phil »

Everything I'm about to say has pretty much been covered already, but here's my $.02.

308 WIN is a fantastic cartridge, but having that kind of firepower comes at a cost.
That cost is weight and the ability to run subsonic loads in an auto-loading firearm.
For the price of admission, you get a very powerful supersonic cartridge with the ability to shoot out to 1,000 + yards.
Many would argue that a better choice when looking at a cartridge like 308 WIN would be .243 or 6.5 Creedmoor.
Ballisticly, the .243 & 6.5 Creedmoor are superior, but I'm a bit of a purist and prefer 308 WIN since it takes considerable skill to utilize it at long range.

On to 300 BLK...
300 BLK is an extremely efficient and versatile cartridge.
You have the ability to use standard AR components, switch seamlessly between subsonic & supersonic, and maintain potent firepower out to intermediate ranges of 300 Meters.
The single biggest down side to 300 BLK is max effective range.
viewtopic.php?f=145&t=97188
(A close second to that is the ability to achieve accuracy as easily as one can typically do with .223 Rem.)
With 300 BLK one needs to go into it with eyes wide open.
Don't expect a 1,000 yard rifle just because you saw Travis Haley ding some steel at 1,000 yards on YouTube...
The modern 5.56 AR platform is designed around current contact distances that rarely exceed 300 Meters.
With that in mind, 300 BLK is right at home and with newly designed projectiles that can deliver devastating lethality out to that distance.

So, bottom line, it depends on your intended use.
If you don't intend to use subsonic ammunition and don't mind the weight, it makes little sense to jump on 300 BLK.
IMO, the new DPMS G2 rifle line is a fantastic innovation that utilizes 308 WIN and is nearly the same weight as a typical AR 15.
Image

If you are going to go with 300 BLK, do so for the right reasons.
- Incredible versatility in ammunition, weapon configuration, and utilization.
- It is a new growing platform with lots of innovation and ways to experiment.
- 300 BLK is just plain fun!
Image
It breaks my heart when I see new members post on this forum with general complaints about 300 BLK as a cartridge.
By educating yourself and identifying the role of the weapon, you will go far.
"Don't tell fish stories where the people know you; but particularly,
don't tell them where they know the fish."
--Mark Twain
User avatar
dellet
Silent But Deadly
Posts: 6967
Joined: Fri Nov 30, 2012 1:25 pm

Re: advantages of 300 blk over 308

Post by dellet »

Dr.Phil wrote: On to 300 BLK...
300 BLK is an extremely efficient and versatile cartridge.
You have the ability to use standard AR components, switch seamlessly between subsonic & supersonic, and maintain potent firepower out to intermediate ranges of 300 Meters.
The single biggest down side to 300 BLK is max effective range. I have to add that this is changing fast as new bullets are being developed
viewtopic.php?f=145&t=97188
With 300 BLK one needs to go into it with eyes wide open.
Don't expect a 1,000 yard rifle just because you saw Travis Haley ding some steel at 1,000 yards on YouTube...
The modern 5.56 AR platform is designed around current contact distances that rarely exceed 300 Meters.
With that in mind, 300 BLK is right at home and with newly designed projectiles that can deliver devastating lethality out to that distance.

If you are going to go with 300 BLK, do so for the right reasons.
- Incredible versatility in ammunition, weapon configuration, and utilization.
- It is a new growing platform with lots of innovation and ways to experiment.
- 300 BLK is just plain fun!

It breaks my heart when I see new members post on this forum with general complaints about 300 BLK as a cartridge.
By educating yourself and identifying the role of the weapon, you will go far.

DR. Phil has a lot of experience with both cartridges, but since the title of the thread is advantages of 300 BLk over .308, I chose to carefully edit his post :mrgreen: . I also highlighted what is really the most important thing he said.

All I can add is that almost everything I do with the cartridge is what I was told a few years ago, could not be done
300 Blackout, not just for sub-sonics.
tikkablk
Senior Silent Operator
Posts: 137
Joined: Thu Jan 22, 2015 4:14 am
Location: New Zealand

Re: advantages of 300 blk over 308

Post by tikkablk »

I will word this differently "advantages of 308 over 300blk"
#1 308 long range shooting
#2 308 more knock down energy using supersonics
#3 308 ammo available everywhere

The 300 BLK ticks all the other boxes.
I am more of a hunter than a shooter, and just love the awesomeness of the 300 BLK, it can do all what the 308 can do but more efficiently within is 300 BLK limits. For what it is designed for it is brilliant. I sold my 223 and a 308 as I don't use them any more. I do miss the long range aspect of the 308 but I just need to get closer. Its all shot placement not calibre.
At some stage I will get a AR platform rifle solely for high volume pest eradication but for the mean time the compactness, quietness and lightweight of a 12" bolt gun is just fine and will shoot and kills whatever it is feed on supers or subs.
I have a good idea of what this cal can do I've shot hundreds of goats, 17 pigs and 22 deer in 11 months of owning this 300 blackout and would have it any day over a 308.

It is a very underrated round here in New Zealand, here is a link to some of my long range deer kills.
viewtopic.php?f=145&t=96514#p927803
jwb47
Silent But Deadly
Posts: 1863
Joined: Sun Mar 11, 2012 10:09 pm

Re: advantages of 300 blk over 308

Post by jwb47 »

they are all tools I originally got into 300 blackout because it is easier to shoot suppressed subs and figured out that for average shooting distance the blackout works great . but it is not a cure all . I have some 308 rifles and they have a job to do as well . I might use a pair of wire stripers to cut some romex cable but I think a hydraulic cable cutter would be a bit over kill the same as using wire strippers to cut 750 circle mil would a futile attempt .
you need both just use the right one for the task at hand .
Kanook
Member
Posts: 49
Joined: Thu Oct 01, 2015 11:18 am

Re: advantages of 300 blk over 308

Post by Kanook »

419 wrote:
Kanook wrote:I think (not positive) Outlaw State bullets makes a 308 case that has the powder capacity of the 300 Blackout.

I have the company name on my other computer, will know for sure Monday.
I googled Outlaw state bullets, and didn't see a case like that. I may have overlooked it though. When you find the name, let me know please.

*edit*
I do see them on the price list for Outlaw State, just didn't see any brass on the website itself.

Thanks for pointing me towards them.
Yes, I have it saved to the price page. I had found out about them somewhere on here.

I was going to get them (still might) untill I came across a great deal on a H&R Handi in 300 BO and bought it instead.

My wife was having problems with her .260 and I decided to get her a H&R also and couldn't find them (H&R is no more) so I figured that I would give her mine and I would then buy the short load 308 cases. Well a friend of mine reminded me that I have a T/C and I should just get a barrel, so next thing you know I have consecutive Encore frames and barrels in 300 BO because my wife likes the stainless steel better than the blue and a quick barrel swap will have us shooting (.260 for her and .308 for me) a longer range rifle.

I reload for mostly revolvers and only a couple rifle, so I have bunches of pistol powders on hand. With the 300 being similar in reloading to a bottleneck pistol, it is a breeze to reload for with the powders I use. With more and more companies making ammo/bullets that expand at sub speeds I believe that the 300 Blackout might just catch on. (the last sentence is a joke)

In the end for me, the advantages of the 300 Blackout over the .308 are; use of reloading powder I have on hand (ie I buy the most of), a very compact non SBR rifle (saved $400, my wife would want one also), and the most important for me is it's easy recoil is nice on my damaged shoulders and neck.
300 Blackout.....American as Apple Pie
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Amazon [Bot] and 8 guests